10052/T is for Target

T is for Target
Date of Scene:	15 November 2019
Location:	Barker Island, North Hempstead
Synopsis:	Taking Kian's advice and bundling his nerves, Volt decides to present himself to the Titans, where he meets Stardust. Kian flaps his way in to lend his voice to the awkward introduction, and he's brought in on a probationary level.
Cast of Characters:	Volt, Stardust, Kian t'Kaeh

---

Volt has posed:
It's night, but not too late! The moon is out, coquettishly skirting behind silver-hued clouds. Stars are set a-twinkle. The night air is cool, crisp, but not frigid. And here, on Barker Island, the Titans are about to have a visitor.

A puffy gray hoodie with the hood raised, a baseball cap, and sunglasses, despite the time of day; these are all items used to mask much of the identifying features of the young man approaching the Tower. His head is kept low, a duffelbag slung on his shoulder, and hands stuffed into the central pouch of his outerwear. As he nears the lobby doors, he notices the signs varying between warning trespassers and welcoming friends. He has no idea which of those he qualifies as. He isn't coming the same night as he met Kian. He wanted to give him a chance to maybe say something before just showing up.

He's already worked himself into a ball of worried nerves just doing this.

He pauses in front of the door and tilts his head, immediately picking out a number of cameras. He extracts his left hand from the pouch and raises it to knock on the door - only to pause. Thinking twice on it, he unshoulders the duffelbag and tosses it aside, hopefully out of immediate sight. That would probably look Hella presumptuous. Right?

He swallows.

Knuckles rap against the door.

Stardust has posed:
    Warning and welcoming: there's no question of it, the approach to the Tower is a mixture of the two. The normal way to get to the island is by the ferry from North Hempstead; a pair of security guards question visitors to filter out the sightseers, capewatchers and time wasters, but they are rather friendly and don't discourage those who seem to have a reason. The short trip on the ferry is somewhat spooky, particularly at evening, the automated ferry eerily silent but for the washing waves against its sides and the faintest hum of some unseen method of propulsion. It would almost be more comforting to have a cowled ferryman poling the boat along.

    The lights of the tower at least are a comfort in the darkness, but as the ferry approaches the dark shapes of the island's trees make those lights seem like an oasis in a wilderness that must first be crossed. No-one is there to greet the arrival of the ferry, but for the glint of camera lenses moving to track the arrivals, but at least a well-beaten path leads the way.

    The approach to the tower reveals to the more observant that they are being watched, and perhaps more than watched. Scattered amongst the trees, metallic domes the size of a man turn to track the movements of any travellers, and the more imaginative visitors might wonder if those domes are some kind of turrets.

    They are. Though mostly they are there to keep visitors distracted from the hidden defenses and the drones flying overhead.

    Finally arriving at the Tower, Volt will see things seem much more welcoming. Beyond the glass front can be seen a huge lobby area, empty at this time of the evening, but reassuringly brightly lit. The doors look firmly locked, but there's a hand written sign taped to them that reads "No door to door salesmen, politicians after photo ops, or evil supervillains" which comes as quite a human touch.

    The knock on the door gets no prompt response. Volt's eyes are eventually drawn to a small panel beside the door with a push-button. No doubt a large building like this wouldn't have someone on the door 24/7, so that probably makes sense. It may also make the already nervous Volt even more nervous. Is he going to look foolish for knocking?

    Before he has time to decide, the panel lights up and a female voice breaks the silence. "You read the sign, yeah?" it asks. "You're not a politician, door to door salesman or evil supervillain? You don't look like one, but it's hard to be sure these days."

Volt has posed:
Volt's shielded eyes flit about the lobby. No one's coming. They then turn to the panel beside the door. That'd probably be why. But he expected a doorman or something. Fancy hotels have them, so why wouldn't the Titans? Still, maybe it's /just/ the Titans in there. That could be why no one's in the lobby. Holy crap, how stupud would he have to look now?

Hoping no one is actively staring at the camera feeds, he reaches for the panel - and it lights up. There's a female voice! His mouth hangs open for a few awkward seconds, forgetting himself. But finally, he glances himself over.

"I think I'd probably be better-funded if I were any of those things," he muses. And then a thought occurs to him. He returns his focus to the panel and starts to reach towards it. "Wait, do I gotta push a button to talk..?"

Stardust has posed:
    "No need," the voice replies. "I can hear you already. We have all these security systems and things, you're monitored before you even step on the island. Did you know you were muttering to yourself when you got off the ferry?" Was he? Maybe he's more nervous than he thought. Or maybe she's making it up.

    There's a sudden breeze and a faint sound behind Volt, and then the voice is much closer. "Welcome to Titans tower and all that," the voice says from behind him. "Something I can help you with?" On turning, Volt will see the face behind the voice - or at least part of it. She's wearing a white domino mask that obscures her face. The costume she is wearing screams 'superhero', brightly toned in off-whites and pale grays, the general cut somewhere between special forces and circus performer. It's hard to be certain with the light from the lobby falling on her, but it may be glowing very slightly. Blonde hair is drawn back into a ponytail.

    If Volt has done his research, or has paid enough attention to media reporting of the superhero scene, he'll decide that it's a fair guess this is the very same Stardust that Kian had recommended him to. However that same research will have let him know that she changes uniforms on a very regular basis and that there are several blonde Titans, making accurate identification tricky. The HeroWiki page for her has a long list of speculative sightings of someone who /might/ have been Stardust but nobody's entirely sure, to the obvious annoyance of many of the geekier of those aforementioned capewatchers who maintain such sites.

Volt has posed:
There are few things less important to the homeless than media buzz. Superman dies? Batman goes missing? Volt has to hear about it eavesdropping on the Joker! Titan specifics? Best he knows is gossip on the street. Dude hasn't had enough funding to maintain a cellphone, much less an easy means of accessing online databases. And libraries tend to not like people wearing hobo-threads wandering around, he discovered.

This past year has /not/ been an easy one.

But was he muttering? Goodness no. He's nervous, but he's still very much the stealthy thief he's been since California. Marking surveilance systems, maintaining a low profile, blending with crowds and slipping away with all the subtlety of a waterdrop in a forest - these are his non-superhuman powers. Muttering? Gosh no. That's amateur hour.

Now please pardon him while he completely forgets his words and just stares at the girl before him.

"Ah-.. w-.. um, well.. h-, uh.."

Behind those shades, he's giving her a repeated once-over. She's wearing a costume. It's so frigging cool, he's completely run out of the ability to even. That's the world he wants to be a part of. Not this cold, abysmal, depressing world of rejection and eschewing a moral compass just to get by.

"I.. uh, I met Kian? You know Kian? He has wings. He's an alien." Brain, gone.

Stardust has posed:
    Stardust blinks a few times and folds her arms. "There's a coincidence!" she says with a cheery grin. "I've met Kian too. I feel like you probably didn't come here to tell me that you'd met him though. Are you trying to contact him? He's not in the tower at the moment. Out flying, I think. I can give him a buzz on the T-Com and tell him you're here, if you like." She looks thoughtful for a moment. "If he's remembered his T-Com, that is. "

    There's a brief pause and another thoughtful expression, then she pats her hip. "Come to think of it, I didn't remember my T-Com either. But that's not a problem. Who should I say is calling? You didn't mention that bit. I assume you have a name? Most people do. No judgement though! If you don't, that's cool. I mean everyone else does, so not having a name would be a pretty solid means of identification. If I call up Kian and tell him there's a guy with no name here to see him, I'm pretty sure he'd know who I was talking about." The grin widens. Clearly no nerves there. Maybe she's just used to this world of costumes and high-tech towers, or maybe she's just a natural chatterbox.

    In truth it's both. She's spent the last couple of years hanging out with some big names. She's exchanged banter with Tony Stark, got drunk with Thor, hung out with Wonder Woman, and played tricks on Batman. She's a bit of a minor celebrity herself by now. But mainly she just loves talking.

Volt has posed:
Volt is mostly getting the latter. After all, it's not like he's in a legitimate costume or anything. That is, unless his heroic name is Captain Street Urchin. Thankfully, it isn't.

"No! No. It's cool. He, uh, told me I should come by here. And ask for Stardust." His right hand lifts to brush along the back of his neck sheepishly. "Ask about, uh... well, joining. Look, cards on the table, this is the craziest thing I've ever done. And that includes giving up everything to travel across the country and find people like myself. Because you guys are /actual/ superheroes - the real thing. Costumes," he gestures towards her indicatively, "and everything. I say that I am, but I mean, come on. There's a difference. And I'm rambling /so bad/ right now."

He takes a breath.

"Volt. Lately, people just call me Volt."

Stardust has posed:
    "Volt," Stardust repeats. "Don't tell me. Electric powers." She steps smartly over to the panel, pushes the button and says "Stardust. Relay to Kian, message as follows. Hey Birdy Buddy, there's a guy at the door by the name of Volt, says you know him. If you're flapping about not too far from here, could you drop on down?" She releases the button and steps away with a smile.

    "Okay, Volt. First things first. Costumes don't make heroes. Actions make heroes. I know that's kind of obvious, but it's important to say this up front. 'Cos there are a lot of people who think it's all cool and glamorous. It's not. It's hard work. It's dangerous. It's not highly paid work. Unless you have a... calling, unless you feel the /need/ to help people, then turn around, go home, and do something less crazy with your life. I completely one hundred percent mean this."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían arrives quite quickly.  Well, it's really not all that far from the top of the building.  There's just a gentle rustle of feathers and a cheery "/Kíe/, Fol't!"  Sounds like he hasn't quite got the name right yet.  "And Stardust," he adds.  "Good, she's the one you needed to talk to here."
    Which should confirm for his teammate Volt's story of having met the resident birdman, without even having to be asked.  Clearly, Kían recognizes him.

Volt has posed:
"I believe in truth in advertising," he says dryly. It's almost like a call-and-response at this point, he's heard that one so many times and responded the same way. But the rest gets a couple blinks, his hands lifting with palms outturned. "Whoa, okay! Putting me on the defensive right away, aren't ya?," he asks, surprised by the turn. And with it go his ability to really dig into why he's here. This has, in an immediate sense, turned into a job interview wherein he's trying to sell himself. No room for vulnerabilities. "I'm gonna keep doing what I'm doing with or without you guys. I just thought it'd be better to be a part of something bigger. To be able to do more. That maybe that'd make me more effective."

Kian's landed and given his quirky alien mispronounced greetings. He gets a stiff smile, still extremely self-aware. "Aloha," he greets. "Thought you said Robin's the tough one around here?" This is added in tease, even if the tone is a little more guarded.

Stardust has posed:
    "Good answer," Stardust concedes with a grin. "And no, I'm not trying to put you on the defensive. Just making sure you have no illusions. There are a lot of people who want to be a superhero. There are very, very few people who should be. Probably fewer than actually are. You'd be amazed how often some kid turns up here wanting to be a Titan because they think it'll all be fame and pizzas. If they don't get turned away, they're the ones who'll regret it in the end. Honestly, even if you do have what it takes, I'd probably be doing you a favor to do everything I could to discourage you. You step through that door, you can kiss goodbye to a normal life, or to safety."

    Stardust shuffles on her feet, and greets Kian with a nod. A frown flitters across her face at Kian's words, but she doesn't act on whatever triggered that reaction. "On the other hand, if you do have what it takes and the dedication to see it through... saving lives is about as rewarding an experience as you can have," she concludes. A little bit of sugar with the lemons.

    Eyes flickering between the avian and the newcomer, Stardust speculates on what might have drawn them together. Being Stardust, she speculates aloud. "So, you have electricity based powers? Mutant?" she asks. "I'm guessing that attracted Kian's attention, because manipulating electricity is kind of his remit, too. Birds of a feather?" she suggests. "I mean apart from the wings, and all that. So what can you do, Volt? Care to give a demonstration?"

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían nods once.  "Yes, I was coming back from flying in the city and saw lightning where there shouldn't be any, so I had to see what it was.  It turned out to be him."  Yup, completely oblivious to the idea that it might have been something or someone dangerous.
    He gives Volt a grin.  "Oh, no.  Stardust is tough, but she's fair."  He thinks about some recent training sessions, and adds, "For the most part.  I said Robin probably wouldn't give you a friendly greeting."

Volt has posed:
Volt's eyebrows raise at Kian, but he doesn't explain why. It wasn't quite the warmest reception he got here, either! But things seem to be adjusting course, so that's a good thing. Right?

Refocusing on Stardust, Volt bristles a little when she asks if he's a mutant. That used to have connotations and allusions to being able to belong with a group. He doesn't clarify what precisely he is. The last thing he wants is to be booted with the expectation that he'll get lumped in with Xavier's group again. What a nightmare /that/ was. Instead, he'll try to give a little context.

"Normal and safe hasn't been a thing for me in a long time," he starts. "Maybe even before I left California. But definitely not since coming here. I'm not about to tell you this so you'll see me as a stray puppy or anything, just - just to get that out there, alright? But I ditched the west coast to come out here and try to find other people like me. People I could belong with. And I did some things to try to get the attention of those people. Cutting the long story short," he says as he stuffs his hands back into the hoodie pouch, "it didn't work. So for the last year of my life, I've been living on the street. Using what I've got to keep the people scraping by in Bushwick safe."

His head turns a little, indicative of a glance towards Kian. "Anyway." His right hand lifts from his pouch, fingers splayed. Brilliant blue arcs of ionic energy begin dancing between his digits. "There's a lot I can do. You sure you want me doing it out /here/, though? I've got a really good control over things, but there's only so much I can show you without probably breaking something."

Stardust has posed:
    'Tough but fair'? Stardust will take it. Had you asked her to speculate on Kian's view of her, she'd have had money on something closer to 'dangerously insane, but it's not really her fault,' so 'tough but fair' is a judgement she can get behind.

    "Being Robin isn't easy," she says in defense of her friend. "Being trained by Batso would be enough to drive anyone to paranoid stabbiness. It's just his way of being friendly." The casual juxtaposition of the words 'stabbiness' and 'friendly' is done with an ease that indicates that she's making a joke of it or her assumption of Kian's opinion of her would have been correct. "He's wary of new people. And not exactly tolerant of what he considers incompetence, which includes almost everyone he ever met. If he thinks your an asset, you'll do fine. Kian here is a pacifist, and that is a little beyond Robin's interpretation of being an asset. I intend on proving him wrong. I've seen Kian in action and I have no doubts. Given time, I'll make Robin see that too." This speech might be a bit of a surprise to Kian; it's not that long since she gave up trying to find a loophole to Kian's pacifism, and the bird-man has never heard her talking him up quite that positively before.

    Stardust watches the arcing current with a surprisingly gleeful expression. "That looks cool," she says, apparently more impressed by the light show than worried about things breaking. "Can you zap a branch off that tree over there?" she asks. "Dial it down if you need. We have force fields and stuff we can use to help gauge your abilities properly, but they're indoors. I just wanna see what kind of thing we're dealing with here." She turns to face the tree, waiting for the show. "Are you a runaway?" Stardust asks, somewhat out of the blue. Suddenly veering conversations is something you get used to around her. "You make it sound like you are. Not a problem if you are. Just asking."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    And Stardust's assessment of Kían gets her a raised eyebrow and a small smile.  "I also figured that he and I could practice together, since I don't have to worry about him hurting me, or me hurting him.  At least I assume he's resistant to electricity.  I didn't ask him."

Volt has posed:
The uplifted hand balls into a fist, but for an extended index finger. From that fingertip, a slender bolt of deep blue electricity no wider than a pencil races to meet one of the branches of the tree. The result is a brief flash of light, an electrical SNAP, a scorched scent, and a splintery break. The branch tumbles from the tree to the ground below. "You totally asked me. I just haven't ever been hit by a full-blown lightning bolt before," he replies easily whilst going through the motions. This is clearly not a challenge for his focus or finesse.

After a beat, he turns his focus onto the female. "Yeah. I am. Or was. I'm eighteen now, and it was like a year ago. But, uh, hey. I can do more than just electrify. I can key into the flow of electricity and power, redirect it, store it for a bit, charge things up, use it to amp up my own power."

Stardust has posed:
    Stardust watches the Zapping of the Tree with an air of professional curiosity. She gives a short nod. "Decent control. Good. Need to check your power, but that can come later. We'll need to know how you react to being hit by other things than lightning, too. The big difference between being on a team and going it alone is you don't have to do everything yourself. In fact that's bad. It's all about synergy. Figuring out who's good at doing what and bad at doing what, and making sure that everyone's in a position to suit their abilities. You bullet proof? If not we'll probably want you hanging back and wiggling those zapping fingers from range. Just an example. It's more complicated than that."

    "So." Stardust turns back from the tree to face Volt, smiling. "You said living on the streets. So I'm guessing you're hoping for a roof over your head. Don't worry, you'd hardly be the first. Yes it would be nice if we could use this huge tower to help the homeless regardless of powers, but... well. T is for Target, when you have supers staying. And it would make operating as a superteam a lot harder. However the reason this team even exists is because there are people out there like us, who are young, inexperienced, and need a hand up so they're even able to be the heroes they want to be." She just said 'us'. That sounds hopeful.

    "Okay, cards on the table," Stardust continues. "I can't promise anything. We need to evaluate you. See if you're up to the job. Find out if you're serious, if you can work as part of the team, if you can fit in. But giving people the chance to prove that is why this place exists. You'll start off with minimal security access. There will be large parts of the tower inacessible to you - and don't try. The security systems in here are insane. You'll need to prove to us you're an asset and not a liability. But you'll get the chance to give us that proof, and a roof over your head while you're doing it. Sound fair?"

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían nods while Stardust explains the situation -- he himself came here in part looking for a roof.  And nods with slightly widened eyes when she mentions the security systems.  "Yes, you don't want to mess with security.  When I first came here and landed on the roof, all these cannons and blasters and things unfolded from out of nowhere...."  He shakes his head with a light chuckle.  Fortunately, the whole place isn't like that."

Volt has posed:
To someone like Volt, that sounds like a challenge. Security systems to beat? Automated defenses? What better way to prove what he's capable of?

But. /But/. He's lived on the streets long enough. This is something he badly, desperately wants. He can't jeopardize that with a careless mis-step. As tempting as it is to fall into old habits, he has to curtail it here; this has to work.

"Uh. Well, I mean.. I guess so, yeah..," he trails awkwardly. He hates feeling like a charity case. It undermines everything he's done over the past year and puts such a huge magnifying glass on his awful living situation. But, again, this is a job interview. He can't overstep. He has to toe the line. The 'us' she uses, he definitely takes as her referring to herself and her teammates.

"Bring on whatever," he finally says. "Been at this a while now. Pretty sure if I weren't up for it, or if I were just screwing around, I'd be dead by now. Not to get all grim on you, but I've not been livin' easy, and not once did I /have/ to step in and put my life on the line. That was a choice. Like this is a choice."

He glances back at Kian. Kind of reminiscent of what they were talking about before.

He refocuses on Stardust. "I came to you. I'm not gonna demand anything."

Stardust has posed:
    "I'm not saying you've come here because you think it's easy," Stardust replies to Volt. "But some people do. I'm just warning you that if you are one of those people you're going to be disappointed real fast. In some ways it'll be easier than what you've been through, sure. In other ways, a lot harder. But if you give your time and risk your life to help people, a roof over your head is the least you deserve for it."

    "Look, I'm sorry if this comes across like I'm accusing you of being some kind of a charity case, but that's not it. I mean when it comes to getting a roof over your head here, you wouldn't be the first. We've got three... no four people here who the Tower is the closest thing they have to a home for hundreds of trillions of miles." Stardust glances briefly to Kian, but her expression is pure poker face. "That's really not important. Because there are a lot more roofs out there than there are Titans Towers. What you're wanting a chance at here isn't a roof, it's a place to belong. Training. Experience. People around you who are trying to do the same basic thing with their lives. The opportunity to learn together. Being able to fight for others because you don't have to fight for yourself all the time. If that's what you want, that's what you get a shot at. Because that's why we're here. I'm going to go fix up a security pass for you. I'll be back down with it in a few minutes."

    Without waiting for a reply, Stardust just shoots straight UP. She doesn't have wings. There's no Kian-style aerodynamic flight, just a sudden rush of air and a pale shape disappearing into the darkness above.

    Only a few seconds later, Stardust drops back down again, not all the way to the ground, but stopping at a hover a few feet above. "Uh. It just occurred to me that sounded like some kind of test or ultimatum or something. Like you've got until I return to make up your mind. I didn't mean it like that, I just get carried away sometimes. You can back out any time you like. Anyway. Yeah. Back in a couple of minutes!" She gives a cheery wave, and whoosh, back up again.

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían watches her disappear upwards.  "I am still not used to people flying without wings," he remarks.  "She's making it sound more bleak and intense than it has been in my experience... I'm not sure why.  It's not easy, but it's not go-go-go all the time either.  I promise, you'll have a chance to breath between training sessions, missions, and trying to get around each other in the kitchen."
    He laughs softly.  "If this place hasn't scared me away yet, it's definitely survivable."

Volt has posed:
Volt opens his mouth to speak, but off she zips. He stares after her for a second, then looks back to Kian. His mouth opens again, and shwoop! There she is again! His head snaps in her direction to take in what she's saying, and he opens his mouth- nope! She's gone again.

Volt stays still for a couple extra seconds just to make sure he isn't going to get whiplash. Finally, he looks back to Kian. "I was about to comment on just how intense it's coming off," he nods warily. "Kind'a makes me wish I could've met you guys on the field instead. Less questions, more just seeing up-front what I'm capable of. But she's not wrong about what I'm wanting."

He shuffles around Kian and leans over, retrieving the duffelbag he'd tossed aside before. It's slung over his shoulder again, and his head ducks sheepishly, hoping there won't be any comment on it. "Out've curiosity, does everyone go by codenames in there? Or do they go by real names, too?"

Stardust has posed:
    "It varies." The voice comes from above. Stardust isn't one to miss out on talking just because she's on the wrong vertical plane. She drops down rapidly, but lands very lightly, just decelerating rapidly over the last few feet and stepping gently onto the ground as if going down a single step. "Kian isn't the one to ask though. Codenames puzzle him. Some of us don't bother, some do. Some of us share our real names with some others but not everyone. Whatever. It's up to each individual. You're Volt unless you want otherwise. I'm Stardust in public. Always. You can call me Colette if you like though, in private. The world is full of Colettes, it doesn't give much away. "

    As she talks, Stardust throws a small yellow disk with a T symbol on one side of it to Volt. The flip side has a slightly raised button. "Press the button," she tells him as she throws it. "Figuring out the rest is part of the test. Don't worry, I'm not Amarok or Robin, so you got one of the ones that doesn't have an explosive charge in it." Is she joking? The way Kian has talked about Robin, perhaps not. Who's the fearsome-sounding Amarok though? "This will get you into the tower. It will give you access to our general emergency channel. It can receive messages from us, and you can speak to individual members with it. It'll get you into room seven on the guest wing. Fair warning, it also lets us know where you are. Or rather where it is. Don't tamper with it. Not breaking it is part of the test. And I'm going to repeat my point about not trying to bypass any security systems. We have the best Star Labs, Wayne Tech and Stark Industries has to offer, with some added alien technology and custom modifications done by an incredibly advanced alien AI. This isn't government level stuff, it's way beyond. It's also hardened against supers, which means attempts at unauthorized entry may be extremely painful. Do not bother Robin or he may stab you, do not bother Raven or she may banish you to an unnamable hell dimension. If you see any wildlife in the building, it's okay so long as it's green. That's Beast Boy. If you see a dragon on the roof, that's not Beast Boy, it's Goliath. He likes milk bones. But approach very cautiously. If anything happens which seems to be impossible, that's normal. If anything happens that seems to be not only impossible but ridiculous, that's Vorpal. Do not eat any pizzas that have an M marked on the box. Um. That's probably enough information for now."

    Stardust narrows her eyes at Volt. "You do like pizza, right?" she asks with a hint of suspicion in her voice. "'Cos if you don't, this whole deal is off."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "Well, if it's a green dragon, it might be Beast Boy.  I would keep a treat handy either way," Kían adds.  "And no, I don't understand the code name thing.  I won't use one, but that's just me.  I guess I understand why everyone else does, even if the reasons make no real sense to me."
    He takes a deep breath.  "And she is definitely not kidding about pizzas marked 'M'.  Just... don't."

Volt has posed:
Volt pauses at the consideration of codenames. Obviously 'Volt' isn't what his parents gave him. But things are moving too fast right now to even catch his breath. So he doesn't blurt out anything to the contrary. He just files this information away for later.

And what a torrent of information he receives. There's no way he can process all of that in an instant. The room number, he gets. More threats about security tingle at his urge to ply his skillset against them, but he bottles that up. The disk is caught with a slight, surprised fumble, and he gives it a suspicious look. There's a running theme here, though.

"You guys /really/ don't trust new people, do you?," he suddenly asks, looking back over to Stardust. "Like, half of this is common sense, y'know?" After a beat, he lifts a hand in an animated half-shrug. "I get it. You don't know me."

His focus returns to the object tossed to him. "And of /course/ I like pizza. With mushrooms. And pepperoni."

Stardust has posed:
    "Trust is earned," Stardust says simply, with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "I'm just trying to make sure you don't get yourself killed. Which really wouldn't be hard. And you're right, I /don't/ know you. So I don't know you're not suicidally foolish. This is me looking out for you. And the other people who call the Tower a home. I'm rather protective towards my team mates. So shoot me. Or rather don't, because it annoys me when people shoot me. Waste of perfectly good bullets." She breaks into a grin.

    "Mushroom and Pepperoni is on our default order, so that works out. You've just passed the first test," she says, the grin growing slightly wider. "We do eat other things though. Sometimes. You'll find that the Robins have a thing about healthy eating. The second test you haven't passed yet. That's pressing the button on your T-Com. It won't bite. It will take your fingerprint. Or thumbprint or whatever. Or maybe like a DNA sample for comparison or something, I'm not entirely sure. But probably not come to think of it, as it works for non-humans too. Honestly I don't know. But it works, and it keys it to you. You'll need to do that before it'll let you through any doors. And if you wanna come up and tell us more about yourself over pizza, that's pretty much step one. Feeling hungry? 'Cos I am."

Volt has posed:
Volt gives a little 'mnh' at the first speech. It's not a pleased sound, but at the same time, it's at least not argumentative. He can't exactly say this is what he was expecting for first impressions. But then, he wasn't really sure what to expect to begin with.

He remains contemplatively silent for a few more seconds once she makes her invitation. Is he hungry? No. He's tense. Anxious. Vestiges of doubt have crept in. He's not going to say a bit of that. "If it's all the same to you, I've got kind of a lot to take in," he says at last. "A lot to process already. Think it'd be smarter to just get situated."

He pushes the button.

"But you know where to find me."