9510/Retrieval Interruptus

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Retrieval Interruptus
Date of Scene: 09 October 2019
Location: New York State, Xavier's backyard
Synopsis: Hulk saves Samuel from being kidnapped, has a chat with him in the mountains, then takes him back to Xavier's, where he meets Shannon and Beast for the first time.
Cast of Characters: Samuel Morgan, Hulk, Beast, Nightingale




Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It's a gloomy afternoon, with clouds threatening rain but not quite yet ready to start coming down. Everything looks a bit darker, a bit more grey, shadows deeper than they tend to be. It's a perfect metaphor for Sam's mood. Despite yesterday's pleasant diversion, despite burning off so much energy, despite yet another long session in the gym that left his knuckles raw and requiring bandaging by the nurse, he was still restless. The Beast was still lurking just under the surface. And so it was time for his second run that day, not even bothering with classes, to work off all the nervous energy, to tire out the Beast before it could break free.

    Breath puffs in the air from underneath the grey hoodie, combat boots thudding into the hard pack shoulder of the stretch of road beyond Greymalkin Lane, where it comes through Breakstone and heads to Salem. It's miles from the gates of Xavier's school, further than he usually runs, and at a pace that he doesn't usually bother with. The staff member that was detailed to accompany him had been left far behind, beyond a few bends in the road. For all intents an purposes, Sam-Bean is alone with his thoughts.

    The car engine can be heard by now, although the vehicle is nowhere in sight.

Hulk has posed:
At the best of times, Bruce is all over the country... but today, he's come to New York for component shopping. Lab equipment for a mobile lab needs constant resupply when you're constantly looking for a means of eliminating or at least separating yourself from a nearly uncontrollable engine of destruction. Today, his path has led him to a used shop nearby Xavier's in Salem, and he's on his way in hoodie and stretchy jeans. It's a perfect day to have an excuse to cover up.

Nearby ambiance is, for the most part, ignored. He's not here to mingle with the locals... Bruce is here to get in and get out.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Miles beyond Greymalkin, the road runs into Salem through a small, now very much out of vogue shopping parade. It's perfect to grab a few second hand bargains, but not a lot of foot traffic still comes this far out, and cars tend to take the shorter route rather than dog-leg all the way around Breakstone. It's safe enough to cross, safe enough to have a quick lap of the block, although Sam-Bean has only done it once before. But with the Beast gnawing at his mind, with his thoughts running more and more frequently away from him, he figures there's no harm on jogging on and then doubling back once he hits the first lights.

    The engine note growl louder. There's the thump of tyres mounting the pavement.

    Bean looks behind him.

    The car wipes him out and Sam goes straight over the hood, into the windshield and over the roof, landing in a heap behind the car that screeches to a halt.

Hulk has posed:
When the hit occurs, Bruce is a good block or so away, so it doesn't register right away. Samuel is one more person in the crowd for Bruce, after all.

When the engine roars to life though, Bruce is looking in that direction, and he starts to walk in that general direction, already bringing up his phone and dialing 911.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    A late grey afternoon and a lack of local landmarks conspire to make the crowd very thin. There are, in fact, only a few people who know what has just happened. One of them is slowly pushing himself up off the ground, dazed. One is walking towards the scene with intent and dialing 911. The other four leap from the car, hoods and balaclava masks to hide their faces, and hurry back. To help their victim? Unlikely. All four are armed.

    The first thing Bean sees when he turns his head is the boot of someone coming at his head. Instinct takes over and he blocks the impact with his forearms, rolling away from the attack and trying to get up. Seeing that their target is not quite as subdued as they would like, three draw stun batons and the fourth goes for a bulky firearm hidden under his coat.

Hulk has posed:
Well. This could get messy. Maybe The Other Guy won't be inclined to break the streets this time?

Doubtful.

His hoodie is pulled back, and his jacket tossed to the side as he starts to walk over. Then goes his shirt. He's anticipating the transformation.

"HEY! Leave the kid alone!" Bruce shouts to the attackers as he undoes his zip on shoes and socks, tossing them to the side.

Yes, Doctor Bruce Banner is stripping down to his jeans in the middle of the street, hoping not to rip his clothing apart. This time. Maybe They'll even be at the lost and found this time?

It does make it clear who he is though, if the kidnappers recognized his face.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Batons strike pavement when Bean twists like an eel and catches the knee of one of his assailants. There is a loud course in what is most likely German. Fluid German. Gun Thug racks the action on his oversized pistol and is about to fire into the melee when Bruce makes his challenge.

    Do they know him? You bet.

    The real answer to that question though comes in the form of Gun Thug shifting targets and firing three times at the bare-chested Bruce.

    THUDTHUDTHUD

    Three tranquilizer darts, in rapid succession.

Hulk has posed:
Tranq darts. It's like they've never done their research at all.

"That... Isn't..." Bruce mutters as he starts to stumble, the adrenaline and the sedative both warring in his system as his body tries to figure out whether or not it should transform or not, "a... good..."

".... idea." That last word comes out as a growl, and already the HYDRA enforcers will be able to see the growth, the slowly transforming skin turning green.

Those now green eyes as Bruce goes to his knees in the street and looks at them.

Within seconds, The Hulk will be in play. All ten feet of him.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The baton attacks stop for a moment, as three of the four attackers just stare. Gun Thug seems to realise his mistake too late and backs away from what will soon be the Hulk.

    Behind them, now unnoticed due to the spectacle of impending doom, Sam-Bean gets to his feet. And, while no Hulk, he's not in a good mood. The nearest thug gets his baton grabbed, twisted until fingers break, and then a low kick sends him to the ground, followed up with a vicious strike from the baton to make sure he's down and out. Remembering why they're around, the HYDRA snatch crew make another lunge at Sam, who has to back away to get more space.

    Gun Thug, being a bit quicker on the draw now, fires a dart at Sam and then bends down to drag his injured team mate into the car, bundling him into the back seat. "Greift Ihn, schnell!"

Hulk has posed:
A moment later, and the Jade Giant is out... and he leans forward into a feral roar right at the HYDRA Enforcers that can be heard for blocks around.

"Hulk SMASH!" Hulk shouts out as he jumps right on top of their car.

It's not going to kill them... but it will trap everyone inside. Then, one of his massive fists smashes down into the engine block with just enough force to smash it in... not completely demolish it to the point of sending components flying everywhere.

Then, his eyes go down to the one who shot him with tranqs. "Hulk may not like puny Banner... but Hulk will /not/ be controlled by YOU!" He roars in his face, before he starts to walk off the car and over to the Enforcer.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The car folds like tissue paper, which is not a good time for the people who happen to be inside. Unfortunate Thug, who is currently trying to deal with both a broken knee and broken fingers, gets trapped by sheet metal and finds his world diminished to a few square feet of musty upholstery. This is the kind of thing that really helps someone to realise that not angering the thing that just did that to a car is a really, really good idea, and he goes as rigid as it's possible to be without actually being a log.

    Behind the now mostly flattened car, a scuffle continues, with two hooded figures trying to grab the teenaged Sam. Ordinarily this would be a very short fight, two on one, but Sam had been hit by a car and is currently too busy to remove the tranquilizer dart sticking out of his chest. All this means that the thugs are winning, and a cracking blow to his arm sends Bean reeling into the wall. Kicks follow, both sides trying to inflict as much damage as possible....

    ... until they both see Gun Thug back away, slowly at first, looking with horror at the giant that is coming for him. It's too much for the three, and they bolt, dropping their equipment as they go, getting rid of anything that might slow them down, pounding down the road towards the intersection. "Verdammt! Scheisse nochmal!"

Hulk has posed:
"Humans usually stupid." Hulk muses aloud, "still try to shoot Hulk." As the Gun using Enforcer starts to run, Hulk simply jumps a few feet in front of the man, and turns around, small bits of street fly in the air from the sheer weight of the impact leaving an imprint on the ground. Not enough for a crater... but definitely enough to leave two potholes.

Then he turns around, and one massive hand reaches out to grab up the man in his fist, and bring the man up to his face. "Puny human thinks he can outrun Hulk? Stupid human." Sniff. Hulk looks to Samuel, and a curious frown comes to his face before he looks back to the HYDRA Enforcer. "What you want with human?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Deer in headlights doesn't describe the expression on Gun Thug's face. There is a moment of absolute panic, then a few seconds of sheer catatonia, until his eyes take in his two compatriots making it all the way to the intersection. A car runs the lights, screeches to a halt, and the two get in before the car screams off with a cavalier disregard for traffic laws and other road users.

    After that, Gun Thug seems to become calm, almost unnaturally so. "Ich sage dir ganz nichts. Quetsch denn, Klotz, aber ich werde dir niemals etwas sagen." It's a lot of sass coming from someone who is likely to be turned into jelly soon. For his part, Bean is trying to leave, using the wall as support and stumbling every other step. The baton falls from his hand, he pulls out the dart, looks at it with an expression of disgust, and then falls on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Whoo... pretty colors...

Hulk has posed:
Ok, this is going nowhere... and Hulk has better things to do.

his other hand comes up, a finger flicks at the mans head just enough to knock him out, and Hulk moves over to deposit him on the wrecked car. No doubt the police were on their way.

Then, Hulk turns around, and starts to walk after Samuel. He can easily hear the loud thumping sounds as a ton of Hulk heads in his direction.

He's not making aggressive moves yet, but given his reputation as a loose cannon, a lot of people just tend to steer clear of him.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The sound of sirens can be heard in the distance, as response unites are on their way to what they expect to be a traffic accident. Undoubtedly by now there are a few mentions of the Hulk as well, with people cowering behind corners and shooting shaky footage with their phones.

    Sam-Bean hears the footsteps and hauls himself upright, holding his left arm across his chest, hopping on his right foot and dragging the left. Away is the key. Away from the sirens, away from the crash site, away from...

    In euphemism, the road rises up to meet him.

    Turning around, Bean crawls backwards, seeing the large green shape through blurry vision, shaking his head. "Not fair... why now? Not now, can't be now. Standing order six, have to... get clear..." Despite his condition and clearly not going anywhere in a hurry, he practically glowers at where he suspects the real Hulk is. He has a choice of five by now. "Stay back!"

Hulk has posed:
He doesn't stay back.

Hulk, in fact, reaches out and tries to bring his fist around Samuel to grab him.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There is a punch and a kick aimed at that fist. The wrong one of five, and the blows go wide, causing Sam-Bean to roll over. It was the last bit of fight left in him, the world spinning and pulsing before his very eyes. Arms and legs feel heavy, the rest of him might as well not exist. Fingers wrap around the mutant, and he has been caught.

    "Please... don't wanna... go back. Don't let... let them..." The sound of the sirens is louder, and causing Sam to try to wriggle free. It's hopeless, of course, but he very clearly doesn't want to be caught anywhere near here.

Hulk has posed:
Hulk might not be as smart as Banner, but he can recognize a fleeing animal when he sees it.

With one last look to the car wreck, Hulk crouches... and suddenly /LEAPS/ into the air with a strained grunt. In moments, the two are airborn, with Samuel coming along for the ride as Hulk heads east, aiming for the mountains that way.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The leap does it. It's too much motion at once, too much to take in. Senses refuse to make sense, and at that point Sam's brain decides that it's going to defer reality until it had some time to reflect. In short, the kid passes out, safely grabbed in the Hulk's fist.

Hulk has posed:
As usual, the impact creates a new crater in the mountain. if Samuel wasn't in Hulk's fist, the debris might seriously injure him. Instead, all it does is pelt the Hulks' green skin... before he realizes Samuel is passed out.

"Uh... Hulk squeeze too hard?" Hulk sniffs at Samuel in his grip, "Hulk doesn't think human is dead..." Hulk muses aloud, his free hand coming up to scratch at the back of his head in a 'what now? gesture.

In a few moments, Hulk moves over to a nearby flat rock, and places Samuel on it. Then, he sits down on a nearby rock himself, watching the human, his angry breathing giving just a hint of steam to it from the mountain air.

All that's left to do is wait.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It's a surprisingly short wait. Despite being dressed for the season, injury and the mountain air drive down Bean's core temperature until he wakes up with a shudder and the mother of all headaches. Within moments he knows he's in the mountains, and it's not just the view. It's the lack of signals, any signals... a perfect area of calm, unmarred by functioning technology.

    Which is a problem, because that includes his phone, which has been left smashed in his pocket. So much for hitting the emergency button.

    It's only after those musings that he looks around and spots the Hulk. This time there's no attempt to escape, although his vision still wavers from side to side quite alarmingly. "H-hi?"

Hulk has posed:
"Human attacked by other humans, and humans had sleepy guns meant for puny Banner." Hulk states to him, his hands on his lap as he watches Samuel. "Human wanted to leave, so Hulk left with human." He leans forward, his expression a mixture of anger and curiosity, "why did humans want you?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Because I got away from them." is the immediate answer, as Bean tries to sit up, biting his lip when he feels his knee and ankle grind. That's going to be an issue sooner rather than later. But at least he's upright now. As much as he can, Bean seeks out the Hulk's eyes and continues.

    "They belong to a group of very bad people. They tried to make me one of them, but I got away. Now they want me back."

Hulk has posed:
"Humans used to try to capture Hulk all the time, before they realized they were stupid and Hulk strongest," Hulk shares, "what do the humans want you for?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Oh boy. How to put this to a being that could, quite literally, crush him on a whim? Bean thinks for a moment, and then makes his sally. "I know things they don't want anyone to know, and I can do things that few other people can. If they can't take me, they'll try to kill me. You've probably saved my life today, thank you."

    And here he holds out a hand, in what he hopes is vaguely the right direction. "I'm Sam Morgan. My friends call me Bean."

Hulk has posed:
Hulk brings up his own hand... and very lightly taps Samuels own with the end of his index finger (his hand is /way/ too big for anything else). He can most definitely feel the solid brick wall behind that hand that could 'crush him on a whim', but Hulk seems to have an instinctual grasp of his own strength, "Hulk is Hulk. Hulk's friends call him Hulk too."

For his reputation as a rage monster, he seems surprisingly in control of himself here, even with the angry breathing.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean nods, regretting the gesture immediately and stops until the world stops spinning, swaying alarmingly where he sits. "I know. We've never met, but I know. For what it's worth, I'm sure the people that want to grab me have tried to grab you as well at some point."

    "Speaking of friends. I need to call my friends, so they can come get me. But my phone is broken. Do you have a phone, Hulk?" Yeah, Sam's an optimist.

Hulk has posed:
"Phones are for humans. Puny Banner has one for Avengers stuff, but Hulk doesn't have many friends." There's a hint of sadness in that statement, an undertone of pain. "Humans almost always afraid of Hulk, only a few aren't."

With that, Hulk stands, his full ten feet of height probably looming over Samuel, "Hulk can bring Bean Man where he needs to go, before Hulk goes back to mountains." Hulk looks around, his finger scratching the back of his head as he gets his bearings, "Where does Bean Man need to go?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "I'll be your friend, Hulk." And yes, Bean does smile when he says that, seemingly genuine. "I don't have a lot of friends either. People are scared of me too." Why? He doesn't elaborate, he certainly doesn't look scary. But then he was hit by a car and got up to fight four people...

    "There's a school, shouldn't be too far away. Xavier's. Do you know it? There should be plenty of space to get in unseen via the back yard."

Hulk has posed:
"Hulk knows it." Hulk looks in a direction. Far off in the distance, Samuel can see New York city from here in that direction. "Hulk can get you close, at least." Hulk then stoops over, his back now in perfect positioning for Samuel to climb onto it and grab his neck.

Hulk seems to have done this before, given he's doing it without prompting.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Limping, with great difficulty, Bean climbs up on the Hulk's back, wrapping his right arm around that broad neck. "Right... this is the best I can do, my friend. I trust you. Let's go."

Hulk has posed:
When it becomes clear that Samuel is injured, Hulk simply grabs Samuel into one of his massive fists, closing said fist around him in a protective shell, before Samuel can feel Hulk start running. Rocks and debris follow in his wake as he gets a good bit of momentum, before he jumps; another act Samuel can feel from the shift in gravity.

Soon, wind comes flitting through his fist as the wind picks up from the jump... and about ten seconds later, Samuel is rocked just as bit as Hulk lands somewhere near the school.

He goes to one knee, and lowers the hand, opening the fist to let Samuel out.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It's surprising how safe Bean feels, wrapped inside that fist, like a pea in a pod. He has no idea just how fast the Hulk really is, how far he can jump... how incredible are his feats?

    The answer comes with a rushing of air, the feeling of momentary weightlessness as they pass through the apogee of their trajectory, and then rather than the bone jarring thud there is nothing more than a slight nudge. With as much dignity as he can fake, Bean rolls out of the fist, looking around. "That... took me nearly an hour to run. Wow."

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy rushes back up the elevator to come up. Last time he had to do this, it was a Guthrie arriving at the school. Now he sees a big green guy? Sure. Hank jogs toward the fence, taking a look at what's going on outside.

Nightingale has posed:
     Something was definitely not right. Bean hadn't been at his best yesterday, and for the second day in a row, he'd missed classes. While she did not dare leave the school grounds proper, Shannon figured a quick flight about to keep an eye out for him would not hurt. So she leaves a note in her dorm room and heads outside, taking to the air. As she gains altitude, the first thing she sees is Mr. McCoy running for the fence. And as she follows his path with her gaze, to see what lies beyond....

"Holy crow!" She's quick to pull her phone from her pocket and tap out a text message and fire it off to Mr. McCoy. <<I'm on your six 'o clock high. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?>>

Hulk has posed:
Samuel is dropped to the ground, and Hulk stands back up. "Hulk likes mountains and deserts. East has a lot of them, when Banner comes back to Avengers mansion." Hulk informs Samuel, "is Bean Man able to get home?" Hulk asks, before he turns to regard the two newcomers. The ten foot Jade Giant frowns slightly in their direction, and his right hand comes up to scratch the back of his head yet again.

"Humans and... blue person?... are coming." Hulk helpfully informs Samuel, "Hulk doesn't need to worry about them?"

The Hulk, for his part, is /covered/ in rock dust, dirt, and concrete dust, sticking to his sweat like a second skin.

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy does recognize. He does a running jump of his own to get over the fence, climbing over to come close. "Hulk. Hank McCoy. I've been spending more time with the Avengers lately," he says overhearing that last bit. "You brought him back? Thank you very much. Why don't you both come inside?" He jogs up to Samuel, and kneels down to check on him.

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy probably should have taken out his phone and seen the text from Shannon, but well, seeing Hulk and an apparently injured student in front of him... he had to act first.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean is looking a state. But then he /was/ run over by a car, so that's to be expected. Hearing the description, he smiles at the Hulk. "Those are friends. It's okay Hulk, it's okay."

    Then he looks over to Hank, missing the circling sight of Shannon in the air entirely. "In my defense, they ran me over with a car first."

Nightingale has posed:
     For her part, Shannon waits until it becomes clear on sight that Mr. McCoy is familiar with the newcomer, prior to backwinging to a landing nearby. This had to easily be the tallest being she had yet encountered, leaving her having to crane her neck a little bit to look up at him. She's not quite sure what to make of this one, but she does see that Bean is hurt--even if she doesn't know how. She glances between Mr. McCoy, Bean, and the Hulk, a little bewildered.

Hulk has posed:
When Beast comes over, his attention is on him... then Shannon lands, and Hulk turns his attention to her completely, having never seen her before. "Wings Lady... not humans?" Hulk half inquires, half muses, as he tries to reach out for the tips of her wings.

Obviously, Hulk is curious how they feel, from the looks of it... and he seems to be ignoring Henry's invitation to go inside for the moment.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean manages to get himself upright, with some effort and a few false starts, hopping on his right foot towards the mansion. "C'mon in, Hulk. Let me at least get you something to drink." It does seem like he can't maintain a straight line, weaving nearly drunkenly in a limping stagger-hop. When the Hulk seems distracted, he finally notices Shannon, and gives her a look and a shake of his head.

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy pats Samuel on the shoulder than tries to help him up. "You alright?" he'll ask, before trying to give him something to lean on while walking him back i. This time the gate will be OPENED instead of climbed over. "Hulk, you're welcome to come in with us. Or if you want, send Banner later. We'll treat him, if you prefer. Thank you again. Come on inside though. Oh, and she's as human as I am. That is to say, completely."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon glances between the Hulk and Bean, and thinks for a moment. The Jade Giant had been gentle with Bean and returned him safely, plus she trusted Mr. McCoy to keep them both safe. With a light smile, she slowly spreads her wings to their full--and not inconsiderable--span, allowing him to satisfy his curiosity while avoiding sudden movements. "It's as Mr. McCoy said. I am as human as he is. My name is Shannon."

The glance from Bean is not lost on her and she sighs lightly. Matters would have to be discussed inside. She shoots him a pleading look, but had a feeling it might be futile for the time being.

Hulk has posed:
Hulk is actually surprisingly gentle with her wings. Despite his reputation as a rage monster with no control, here he is, angrily breathing, but keeping his fingers along the edges as he tests them.

After about five seconds of this, Hulk brings his hand back, "Not often see wings on humans. Hulk only see Wasp Lady use them." Hulk replies to Henry, before he turns to Samuel and Henry, "Puny Banner not here right now, but Hulk curious."

With that, Hulk starts to walk along, his massive bulk thumping with minor earthquakes around him as he does so.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Thinks we need t'talk about." Bean slurs, leaning heavily against Hank. Now that he's nearly home again, and with friends, his strength is starting to fail. His left arm is held securely across his chest, and his left leg clearly doesn't want to bear any weight. "Inside. Safer. Outside not safe."

    But really, anywhere is safe with the Hulk around, surely? He's obscurely glad to hear those footsteps, a far cry from the primal terror he felt in Salem earlier. "Are we going to have big enough glasses?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy pulls out his phone. He opens the gate while walking Samuel and the group in. "Samuel, we'll manage. I'm asking for some sturdy chairs, a table, a plate of chicken, and a cooler full of juice to be brought out. We'll sit and eat outside."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles lightly at the Hulk, tucking her wings in neatly behind her when he is finished examining them. For such a large, strong, very angry being, he had indeed been quite gentle. Certainly this was nobody to trifle with, but... in his own way, he had been nice. "I wasn't born with these. They grew in about two years ago, when I turned fourteen." She stays roughly in the middle of the group, at least until she sees Bean having trouble walking. But she sees he has help already, so holds back for the moment, a little bit closer to the Hulk--though she does shoot Bean another pleading look.

Hulk has posed:
Given the massive thumps in his footsteps, Henry will plainly deduce it'd take a specialty chair designed for at least two tons to be able to handle the Hulk sitting down, just from his sheer weight.

Then again, this is Xaviers. They probably have something like that just for Colossus.

"Hulk eat gamma radiation, but Hulk hasn't had human food for a while." Hulk states as he stops at the gate, studies it, then steps /over/ it, instead of trying to go under.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There are things that Bean has always known about the Hulk that, so it turns out, are just patently not true. For one, he has found him to be a remarkably gentle, if angry, creature. Moreover, with a capacity for creative thought, or so the teenager believes when he notices the giant step over the gate rather than try to go underneath. And now there is to be a party on the lawn. Dining al fresco... It sounds... well...

    "I'm gonna go inside an' see the nurse, just for a bit." Eating right now sounds like a bad idea. Still, he flashes a smile to Shannon. "Maybe there's some fried chicken left?"

Beast has posed:
Henry McCoy will gladly sit with the others, and enjoy some food, giving Hulk a chance to enjoy himself, while mkaing sure Samuel is taken care fo, and Shannon is rewarded for trying to help.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly. "And probably other goodies. Maybe some potato salad as well." She tilts her head and looks up at the Hulk. Waaaaaaaaay up. "What kind of food do you like?" To Bean, she frowns lightly. "Please, will you let me help you? This is a little bit more than having your fingers braced and wrapped up...."