7013/A Fistful of Janets

A Fistful of Janets
Date of Scene:	23 March 2019
Location:	Janet's Room - Avengers Mansion
Synopsis:	The Janets divvy up their wardrobe and search for some common ground
Cast of Characters:	Wasp (van Dyne), Jocasta, Black Panther

---

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
For the Janets, the days following the rescue had been .... exhausting. Trying, even. The clone(s)(?) were full of bristling hostility towards one another. Sniping comments and much glaring ensued. Following their rescue and evac on the Quinjets, the duo had rallied with the others and been forced to explain their strange circumstance.

Steve Rogers, perhaps wisely, had erred on the side of throwing himself into the work of figuring out which Janet was which rather than deal with either personally for a prolonged period.

Steve is, sometimes, a wise man.

So with an ally standing guard outside the room, the Janets had been permitted to enter the(ir) room in the mansion to retrieve essentials. Nothing unique, sentimental, or irreplaceable. Clothing items and miscellaneous toiletries only.

Janet stands at the wardrobe, glaring at the outfit selection she's paging through. Just pulling clothing items had threatened to provoke a fight until T'challa stuck his head in and made the casual suggestion: Divide the outfits in half, and the other Janet picks her half first.

"I hate that man sometimes," Janet mutters, glaring at the door where the diffident suggestion had been tossed in like a hand grenade. "Don't think I'm not gonna come in there and count the makeup tins," she tells her counterpart at the vanity. "And none of this 'all evening' or 'all daytime' piles of cosmetics, it has to be a fair split."

Jocasta has posed:
Of course, Janet's headed straight for the important toiletries first. The clothes are important. Super-important. But she can always make something new there if she has to. So it's straight for the bathroom.

"You're already trying to steal my things. You think I'm going to just let you do it and not say anything?" Best hairbrush, hers. "Besides, you're picking the clothes split." If they didn't think to make rules for division of bathroom essentials, that's THEIR fault.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Tony will figure out this stupid scanner jamming thing you've got going," Janet informs Janet, scowling at the back of her counterpart's head. "Eventually." She makes a face, realizing she's just put... a *lot* of trust in Tony, there.

"God I feel dirty just saying that," she grumbles, and goes back to assigning outfits to the A or 1 pile (because no one could agree on Janet A/B or Janet 1/2, so it was, of course, Janet 1 and Janet A).

Jocasta has posed:
"Sensor thing *I* have going? YOU'RE the knockoff, honey. *Which* of us still has the shrinking power? Which is our *main* power? I'm sorry you're so deluded. But I know which one of us is the real one. And it's not you." Janet replies, looking back at her evil twin.

Best shampoo, obtained. "It's gonna be a great show, watching when you realize you're wrong."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Ooh right, because no one ever in the history of life has stolen or duplicated shrinking tech," Janet tells herself, tartly. A spider crawls up onto the vanity to scale her favorite mascara kit and stares unblinkingly at Jocasta. "And our main skill is our incredible fashion sense and leadership ability," Janet tells herself, primly. "Which you'd know if your CPU hadn't overloaded when you saw Steve."

She holds a shirt up to examine it, then drops it against her thighs and turns sharply on her heel to look at Janet. "Which, to reiterate, you stay away from my man," she tells herself. "The poor boy's confused enough as it is and doesn't need an overclocked toaster oven making a pass at him."

Jocasta has posed:
Janet takes the best conditioner. And the hair dryer. And then walks out to look over at the closet. "Steve needs something better than a glorified fleshlight. And he's got it. Me. Which I'm sure he's going to be able to figure out. I mean, you're not a bad copy...for a copy."

She looks assessingly at the piles of clothing. "Going to stick a magnet to your forehead that reads "keep away"."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Oh, so you're a high end one that also vibrates!" Janet says. But Janet's hit on Janet's only real weakness-- her vanity. She preens a little at the compliment, no matter how backhanded.

"And I'm gonna splash you with some rubbing alcohol to watch this foundation run off," Janet says, and pokes through the piles of makeup and accessories. "You can't take *all* the Aucoin mascara," Janet complains, and moves it pointedly to a different pile. "And don't think I didn't see you putting all the best brushes in a pile. And stop growing your hair out! That's my thing." It's both of their thing. Janet is growing her hair to past her ears, so, Janet's doing it as well.

Jocasta has posed:
Janet grabs back for the mascara. "There were only rules for dividing the *clothes*. It's not my fault your CPU can't keep up with figuring out that the makeup and the bathroom stuff was more important. And it's MY hair, toaster oven! You don't even HAVE hair. Just a wig."

And she adds, with venom, a truly serious insult. "A BAD wig."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"And you don't have a personality, you cheap knockoff," Janet gripes at Janet. She manages to get a few of the containers away from herself. "Stop being such a *lawyer* you glorified realdoll. Share and *share*," she grunts, grabbing for a hairbrush. "You don't even need cosmetics, you can just go to Home Depot and raid home'n'garden for nail polish and rouge."

Jocasta has posed:
Janet glares back, and yeah, she'll go there. She'll reach out to pull at Janet's hair. "That's *mine*. Let go! It's not bad enough you're trying to steal my face, now you're trying to steal my things. You *can't be me*. So just knock it off!"

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Gah! You *bitch*!" Janet squeals and grabs for the wrist trying to haul her hair back. She goes with it for a few beats then abruptly flips rather spectacularly to try and catch Janet's elbow in a flying armbar. She hits the ground on her shoulders which hurts a little, admittedly, but it gives her the leverage she needs to try and get her ankles over Janet's shoulder and neck. "You can't take all my shit!" she growls back! "Christ am I *really* this greedy?" she wonders aloud.

Jocasta has posed:
"Ow!!" Janet gets caught in the armbar, and will willingly go to the ground when Janet tries to hook her ankles down, so she can try to drop down, and fire off a one-knuckle punch at one of Janet's nerve clusters. "*My* shit! And it's not greedy to want what's mine!" Because surely both of them would agree with THAT sentiment.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet yelps and releases the hold. She kicks to her feet and limps away. A palm rubs against her thigh briskly to massage the tingling nerve cluster. "It's greedy as shit!" she rebukes herself. "I'm at least fucking meeting you halfway here," she growls. "Does this whole 'sharing' thing not compute, or what? Either we split it down the middle or we're gonna end up going to... Walgreens for... generic cosmetics." She shudders.

Jocasta has posed:
"*Uggggh*." Janet lets out an exasperated sound. "Fine. *Fine*. I'll be getting it all back soon enough." She shoves part of the stack over, bothered. Of course, there's a third option, and it's bothering her. "Have you thought it through yet?" she asks, in the least confrontational tone yet.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Of course, and I'm trying not to," Janet tells herself, peevishly. "Because if we're *both* clones, then that means there's a third Janet out there," she remarks. "And I'm not convinced Steve didn't have something to do with this on some level, but I don't think even he could wish *that* hard." She finds a chair and flops bonelessly into it with an adolescent, surly expression. "So..." She rubs her face. "What do we do with the clone once we get this sorted? Or god forbid we're *both* clones?"

Jocasta has posed:
"Or what if neither of us are clones?" Janet adds. "I mean...what if it's a perfect copy? I mean...took one of us, put it in a machine, split it in two. It's like pouring two glasses of water in a pitcher. You can't split it and get the same two glasses back."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet rubs her temples and presses her hair back with her palms. "God. I don't know," she mutters. "And you don't, either," she accuses herself. "So I mean, *best* case one of us is a copy of the other. Worst case we're... twinned. What do we do? Flip a coin for everything I-- we own?" she says, catching herself. "Timeshare Steve, pull shifts between the mansion and the penthouse?" Hands flop on her thighs in frustrated exasperation.

Jocasta has posed:
Janet groans, and closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I don't know. I mean, we could always come up with the "long lost twin sister" dodge for JVD. But that doesn't help us *here*. It doesn't help us with Steve. At least we each have unique powers right now."

Black Panther has posed:
Having a room near to Janet's often meant T'Challa didn't need to play his own music to have something nice going in the background. Though since the mission finished he'd left his door open in part to help him in making sure everything going on down the hall was alright.

Today he rises to his feet from where he'd been sitting, going over some items for upcoming council meeting in Wakanda. What he's been hearing, he figures perhaps it would be a good top to stop over.

Arriving at their door, T'Challa raps softly. At least it sounds like the two are talking for the moment, but perhaps a third party might do them good.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"It's open," Janet says to the knock. The door is partially ajar, it's true.

"Hey, T'challa," she says from her sprawled seat on her sofa. A wan smile tugs the corner of her mouth. "We're having an existential crisis and we can't figure out which is more depressing, being twins, both being clones, or one of us being a clone."

She brightens and looks back at Janet. "Hey, y'know what we need..." she says, brow hiking pointedly, and prompts the other Janet with a nod.

Jocasta has posed:
Janet nods. "I'm on it." She stands, and moves over to the vanity, before reaching under it and plucking a box out from under it to start bringing it back to...herself. "T'challa." She says, acknowledging him. "Thanks for the help the other day."

Black Panther has posed:
Black Panther comes the rest of the way into the room as he's invited in. "I realize the stress that you are under," T'Challa tells both ladies. "But may I say? If there was anyone in my life who I had to choose to see twice as much of?" T'Challa offers, before gesturing towards both Janets. "I could think of no one better for the light you bring to the rest of us."

He passes further into the room, glancing as Janet moves to get the box. Perhaps guessing what it is, perhaps just catching a bit the odor from it. "How are you both handling it?" T'Challa asks them gently.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet opens the box and loads up a one-hitter. Clear glass with a coppery resevoir inside, meant to maximize airflow and minimize waste.It's packed and loaded and she offers it to Janet first, along with the lighter. Once Janet imbibes, Janet accepts it back and takes a deep hit herself. She uplfits a finger at T'challa, inhaling, inhaling, inhaling, and hooooolds for a good ten seconds.

She exhales exposively into a smoke catcher. Steve and T'challa wouldn't miss the smell, of course, but at least its' not leaving nasty smoke residue on the ceiling.

She glances at T'challa, then back at Janet. "So maybe Steve *and* T'challa wished *really hard*," she says, with a wry tone that turns to a merry laugh.

Jocasta has posed:
Janet takes her own hit, passing it back, and then laughs a little. "I dunno. Steve's one thing, but I'm not sure that T'challa's looking to date me. You. Us." She smiles back to the Wakandan monarch, amusedly. "This could lead to really interesting discussions, but probably after a lot of alcohol."

Black Panther has posed:
Black Panther watches as the two women... two woman?... manage to find something to come together on. He gives a soft but warm chuckle at the wishing comment as he moves over to lean against a desk as he watches them partake of something to relax them. "Well, I have done my best to help you along before this," T'Challa says. Both Janets will know he is referring to her interest in Steve. T'Challa and Janet had a few conversations about relationships. "I am not sure if I did any good then. Though I hope I did. But... this one might is beyond me even if so," the Wakandan says in a light-hearted way.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet offers the one-hitter to T'challa, to be polite. "I keep telling Steve I want him to smoke with me. I think it'd be good for him. It's not like booze and yer liver, there's no toxins to metabolize. He is *no* fun to drink with," she says, looking to her twin for assent.

"No, you were super helpful, T. We're just, uh... like I said. Existential crisis." Her eyes glaze a little. "Well, I'm clearly the human one, 'cause this is kicking in fast," she says, and goes a little boneless in her seat. "God that feels better."

Jocasta has posed:
Janet shakes her head. "You're never going to get him to agree to that. He's still back in World War II, morality-wise." She gives an emphatic nod to the drinking comment. "I really appreciate what you did for me, T. But...yeah. It's stressful." She looks over to her twin. "Are not." she can't help but object.

Black Panther has posed:
The African man gives an appreciative smile at the offer from Janet. "Thank you. But I am afraid it would be wasted on me. Losing the pleasures of alcohol and a few other pleasantries of this sort? One of the prices I pay," T'Challa explains as he turns down the offer.

T'Challa leans back, looking comfortable as the cat of his namesake as he rests there against the desk. "And I failed to answer you earlier," he says to the Janet that offered thanks when he came in. "You are welcome. The entire team was glad to get you back. I would say that you cannot imagine what Steve went through," T'Challa says. "But, I imagine you can." He glances between the two women. "Do you have any idea at all what they did? Or why?" he asks. "Any memories at all?"

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"I'm so human I'm not even gonna get mad at you," Janet promises her alter-ego. "I'm just gonna sit here and chill. God now I want Doritos and Adventure Time." She makes herself sit up in the chair, and folds her ankles under her knees. "Ooh, Steve was put out?" she asks, brightening. "I'll tell you all about the weird underground lab but first the deets on Steve. Was he all surly and gruff? Getting scruffy around the jawline, shouting commands, being all, uh... intense?" She plucks the front of her shirt as if releasing trapped steam, unaware that she's doing so.

Jocasta has posed:
"I'm not sure." Janet admits. "I remember getting kidnapped, and then hooked up to some weird machinery, with...me...next to me. We need better terminology, dammit." She looks to Janet. "You should be Jan." But the other her's description of Steve is having an effect on her end too. She's much more into this conversation now.

Black Panther has posed:
Black Panther's lips curl up in a crooked smile, one side of his mouth slightly elevated compared to the next. It's the smile his friends see the most, unlike the straight-laced smile he gives during state functions. "I do not wish to spoil the thought," T'Challa says with a warm chuckle. "It would probably give you more of a touched reaction though." Looking more serious, T'Challa just says, "His every moment was devoted to finding you." Janet is smart enough and knows everyone well enough, she could probably intuit that if T'Challa is not going into details, he is probably sparing her how much it affected the super soldier.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Ugh. You're no fun at all," Janet complains at T'challa.

She reaches for her water and takes a sip. "Okay. Uh, let's see. Secret lab. I'unno. I woke up naked and strapped to a slab bench," she says. "Electrodes, wires, plumbed for an IV, you name it. Was very cold and uncomfortable," she recalls. "IT's all kind of... fuzzy. I don't remember it. I just remember looking over and..." She gestures at 'herself' in the corner of the room. "It's like looking in a mirror, who is also cold and naked and miserable."

Jocasta has posed:
Janet looks like she's having a warm fuzzy moment thinking about Steve thinking about finding her. "Yeah. I remember looking over and seeing myself, and it was really, really weird. I thought...well, I mean, they're trying to copy me."

Black Panther has posed:
Black Panther pushes off the desk to stand straighter. He walks over near to one Janet. Leaning down to inhale slowly. Then continues over to the other woman to do the same. He looks thoughtful. "Was there anyone else in the room? People who were doing this to you? I had thought perhaps Trask had taken you for... some sort of leverage over us." T'Challa says in that soft, mellifluous voice of his. "I am having trouble divining... why this," he says, shaking his head. "Even if it was to keep a copy of your knowledge? Would that require an entire body?"

He frowns a bit more. More thoughts pass through his head. Though some things are probably best not share until he knows if both Janets can be trusted.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Jan blinks at T'challa when he comes over to her. "It's Penhaligon, it's the same perfume I always wear," she tells him, cautiously.

"I don't know why someone-- okay, I mean, I get why someone would clone *me*," she says, a bit self-consciously.

"Right?" Janet says, from the other corner. Both wag their chins at one another. "But I don't know why Trask would duplicate me. Maybe... maybe something went wrong during the copy process?"
"Or maybe one of us is carrying a bomb around." Janet pokes her belly as her other self chimes in.

Black Panther has posed:
"I considered staying longer to try to get information," T'Challa intones quietly, "When I saw the both of you in the bunker." He frowns a bit as if he has second guessed that decision many times since. But finally the Wakanda shakes his head. "To stay longer would have put the rest of the time in extra danger. And yourself." He glances between Janet and Janet. "Selves." He gives a wry look and a shrug.

"It would seem a great amount of work to go to for a bomb," he says as he slowly begins pacing, hands behind his back as he lets his mind run through possibilities. "Have you both decided what to do if this issue cannot be resolved? Or if we find you are both Janet in some fashion?" he asks.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
The two women make a face. "'Long lost twin' protocol?" Janet says, wiggling a thumb at her counterpart. "That's at least the public face."

"We'll have to figure out something for our, like, money and stuff," the other admits. "Come up with...a budget." She makes a face.
"God, spending controls," the other mutters.

"Oh and we'd need a new penthouse," the other supplies. "And figure out, y'know, the Avenger thing. I got the bug powers."

"And I got the shrinking," the other supplies.
"Which we don't know, that might come back, but it might be permanent," Janet sighs.

"It'll come back," she's reassured, and brightens a bit.

Black Panther has posed:
Black Panther crosses his arms as he listens to the two women. "This is probably Dr. Banner's area more than mine. But I wonder. Why you do not both have the full set of powers?" T'Challa asks. "If your memories are the same? If your appearance is the same. What is it about those that differs?" he muses quietly. "It might be a good area to focus on. Might give some insight into what happened. Though I am more of a physicist than a metahuman biologist," T'Challa tells them.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Both Janets spread their hands in unnervingly identical gestures.

"Maybe, uh... wow, I am high as shit," the one in the corner mutters.

Janet rubs her temples. "Yeah, wow. Uh, okay. Focusing." She exhales in her steepled palms. "Maybe something about bug control can't be readily duplicated?"

"Or the shrink tech can't be duplicated, so they just replicated the insect powers."
"Jesus, would you lay off? Who would duplicate insect powers?"
"Who *wouldn't* duplicate shrinking, you dumb cow?"
The Janets bristle at one another.

Black Panther has posed:
Black Panther finds a spot to sit down, gently touching one of the Janets on the shoulders to help cut through the growing tension. "The insect powers are... biologic though? Have you always had them? Or did something happen to gain them? And the shrinking is purely technological?" he asks. He looks thoughtful at that. "Well, I will think on it some more. But let the two of you put it out of your minds for the night, perhaps?" he suggests.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet smiles up at T'challa, grateful for the contact. "No, it's an implant," the other one says. She taps her temple. "The technology is expensive and proprietary, though. And I don't know anyone else who's cracked the code for it."

"Same with the shrinking," the other supplies. "It's like, the most closely guarded secret. "

"How did I not think to call him?" the other says, exasperated. The one near T'challa smacks her forehead. "Oh god, DUH," she says. "Yeah, call him! Well, not him," she amends. "David maybe?"

"David's a good egg, he'll help me out," Janet says, and digs for a cell phone to text someone regarding a mysterious something.

"Anyway... wait, what were we talking about?" the other inquires of T'challa.

Black Panther has posed:
Black Panther breaks out in warm laughter. "Just about how wonderful it is to have you back," T'Challa tells the one who asked the last question. "Though it sounds like you both have some inspiration on the matter. So is the shrinking technology more portable to another body than the insect control?" he inquires curiously, glancing between the two women.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Uh."
"Uh."

The two women shrug at one another, then in stereo: "Beats me."

Janet finishes texting David and the other Janet pats T'challa's hand. "I think we're a very rare case, from what we know," she says. "The particles can cause really severe reactions in people. I read a paper--"

"Liar, we skimmed it."
"--fine, skimmed a paper that suggested we might have some latent metahuman talent that lets us replicate the shrinkign particles and not develop, y'know, cancer, or psychosis,"

"or becoming a squealing shitkicker," the other chimes in.

"Right, or that."

Black Panther has posed:
The Wakandan's lips quirk as he tries to suppress a bit of his reaction to the women's comments. T'Challa clears his throat a little bit, hand going to his mouth more to hide the smile than because it was necessary. "You both have access to your bio stings as well?" he inquires. "Any other powers that seem split between you?" he inquires curiously. He turns to glance towards the doorway. "I do not know if you've had a chance to speak to Wanda. She might be able to find something. Her magic. Though I wished to give her some time. After the rescue mission," he says, looking a little concerned perhaps.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Yep, the bioplasma's working," Janet confirms. "So we've got that going for us."

"It's anyone's guess," the other exhales. "Maybe this went right, or it went wrong. I don't *feel* like destroying the Avengers. Can't speak for this one, though." The other Janet rolls her eyes and flips herself the bird.

"But, same," she confirms. "We'll talk to Wanda. Maybe she can think of something," Janet exhales. "Meanwhile, we should get back to divvying this--" she gestures at the wardrobe. "Up."

Black Panther has posed:
Black Panther glances between the two women. "I will let you get back to it," T'Challa agrees in his softly spoken, precise manner of speaking. He walks over to the doorway and pauses to look back at the two women. "If you do not mind me asking? How do you find it? Confronting yourself in this sort of manner? Finding things about yourself that you might not have noticed. Or known existed to such a degree?" he asks them, glancing between both women.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
The two Janets look to one another, then back at T'challa.

"We'll get back to you," one of them says, wryly.

But which one?