Summary:Julia feels the need to cover her tracks a bit after getting Barton's attention, which prompts a check-in by Bruce. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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The SRR buried the existence of Julia Pennyworth years ago and Julia Perry was born. Well, Julia Perry is at least the latest in a succession of 'births'. It keeps her friends and family from that former life safe from the attention of those shady sorts she had to deal with. The whole 'official Agent' thing is a change to Julia's usual MO. Dealing with people that aren't predators is a change. And apparently, it's put her off her game.
Julia maintains an apartment closer to the Triskelion as part of Perry's cover. Living at Wayne Manor would draw attention and clearly, the Bat doesn't like attention unless it's being carefully directed in a manner of his choosing. But Julia doesn't normally spend a lot of time at that apartment. She starts her day down in the Batcave running Operations for the Bats, maybe catches a nap and then heads to work at SHIELD and then turns in for a few hours before doing it all over again. But now Julia's gotten the Attention of someone at work, and it has her reconsidering things. Which is why she's at her room in Wayne Manor packing up her stuff.
Not that there's ever been a lot there. Julia picked one of the old servant rooms, small and simple and then even when she moved in it was positively Spartan. It doesn't take her long to get everything shoved into a few bags.
Alfred was the one that had made notice of Julia's change. And while he may have wanted to approach his daughter to try to figure out what was going on, he figures it is serious enough that perhaps Bruce would need to be involved. Not that Alfred doesn't /want/ to help. He's just still getting settled on the fact that he has a twenty-something year old daughter with a French superspy and she's British and it's confusing!
That's why there's a knock on the door before it opens. Bruce is dressed down - a black t-shirt and blue jeans, with nice shoes. Even dressed down, he makes sure that he looks at his very best. There's a glance around the room, and his lips pull a thin line of thought. "There's no flight itenerary, and your visa is extended through the next year while you consider your citizenship." comes the comment finally. After all, Alfred is British and is here on a permament visa.
"I saw the paperwork for the lease. I appreciate that you are staying in Staten Island - but I could have at least made some recommendations." Which means he's not going to /make/ her stay. Like his wards, Julia always, always has that choice on stay or go as he moves and picks up a small snowglobe to consider it as he turns the small key on the bottom. "But I would at least like to know what's driven this decision. It is sudden."
Julia Pennyworth wasn't lying when she told Barton she had 'Daddy Issues'. They're just not the type that most think of when the term is used. She and Alfred have a long way to go on the sort of close relationship say, Bruce enjoys with Helena.
While the mocha skinned woman glances up at the knock, she doesn't pause. While her attention seems to be on her packing, Bruce can tell she's watching as he indulges in what equates to fidgeting. Though given it's Bruce, it's all calculated. "I wouldn't skip town without sayin' anything." The words are a bit clipped, but that's hardly anything new. "And makin' quick decisions is part of why you wanted me to stick around and help, ain't it?"
Finally, Julia stops what she's doing and gives Bruce the full of her attention. Hands coming to rest on her hips she has to pause, looking him over and gives a huff of a laugh. "I didn't think you *owned* jeans." She remarks with a shake of her head before continuing. "I garnered some attention at SHIELD and if they start lookin', I don't want them to see anything out o' the ordinary, y'know?" Because the Bats take their secrecy *very* seriously. They're worse than spies.
"Quick decisions, hastily made, aren't always the right decisions." Bruce points out. He doesn't need to point out how hastily she wrote off Calendar Man in the breakout from Ravencroft. He sets back down the snowglobe, featuring Big Ben on it. There was a reason for that as he lifts a brow. "I cannot be dressed for work all the time, Julia." he says dryly before he makes his way into the room fully.
"Part of that may be because of Helena." Bruce finally explains. Why he doesn't think the world revolves around him, it is a significant possible piece of this puzzle. "She's made some waves recently with her decision to attend the SHIELD Academy, and it could just be their background checks - and someone linking you to her." he points out.
Or, it could be something else. "Who was it that you feel like you got the attention of?" he finally decides to ask, as he moves to sit on the edge of the bed, making some room form himself as he pushes a garment back to the side.
Julia Pennyworth's mouth sets into a thin, annoyed line as she looks at him. It's not quite a glare. Maybe. It doesn't help that part of Julia's Daddy Issues is the fact Alfred already has a son he adores. That he chose over Julia and her mother. One that's giving her grief right now. "No, they're not. But sittin' too long on making a decision can be worse sometimes. You make the calls best you can. 'S all you can do."
"I'm not one of y'r kids, Bruce, I don't need your lessons." This hot, aggressive side of Julia is what pushed her through the ranks. What got her her spot in the SRR. What's *lacking* in her SHIELD performance, because she's doing double duty. That brought her to someone's attention to start with.
Grudgingly, she admits: "Clint Barton. Mr. Avenger, Hawkeye. He noticed I was flying a bit *too* under the radar an' I don't think I managed to convince him everything's on the up and up. He might look a bit deeper and I didn't figure you'd take kindly to him findin' anything."
The suggestion of Helena's involvement with SHIELD gets a huff of surprise. "She's gonna do what? Huh." That's followed by a frown. "They shouldn't find me on any check of her. Got nothing to link me back to dad." She even manages to say that without a trace of wry bitterness. Maybe. Kinda.
"Hawkeye. Ever think he might be looking for the future ex-Mrs. Barton?" Bruce asks, trying to get at least Julia to consider the idea for a moment that Clint's not stalking her for business, but rather personaly reasons. He turns his attention from Julia's garment bag to the woman herself. "So, you're just going to walk away from Overwatch and what? Be the best SHIELD agent you could be? Do you not think that would draw even more attention?" he asks her curiously.
There's a nod at the link to Helena. "You never know with SHIELD. But." he considers her for a moment as he taps his finger on his knee and gives it some thought. "I may not have pull with SHEILD, but I do know a few of it's higher members pretty well. Members that know of my own activities." he offers to her. "It may draw Barton's interest even more - but perhaps a visit from Steve or Natasha will kindly give him some distance."
There's a moment where he pauses, and considers. Out of the ones he has the closest ties to - the ones that know his secret, Steve, Bucky, Natasha.. he'd never considered. But. "Play the angle." he tells her finally. "See what he thinks he knows, and what he really knows. In the meantime, turn the tables. Learn his own secrets. If he's snooping on you, there's a reason. Find that out. He may be checking to see if he can confide in you. Perhaps it's time I consider confiding in him."
Julia Pennyworth snorts, amused at Bruce's suggestion. "The man's more'n half again my age, Bruce. Nah, he's got the look of someone that's figured out somethin' doesn't add up."
The question gets a pause from her, and she cocks her head to the side as she considers him. "You think I'd walk way without sayin' anything?" Her tone is a sort of careful neutral. One that doesn't give anything away. Like if she's upset at the suggestion. "I was just plannin' on spending more time at where I'm s'pposed to be livin'."
Bruce gets a look from those dark brown eyes. "You go havin' high profile sorts like Captain America and Black Widow tellin' him to sod off he's likely to push harder, you know. He's not the sort to let things go.
The suggestion to try to learn about Barton in return gets a thoughtful frown his way. "You think somethin's up? I just figured I came to his attention and he saw things didn't quite add up so he's lookin'. Thing about being around a bunch of spies. They're paranoid." She points out. That Bruce even considers confiding in Clint gets her looking long and hard at Bruce. Wondering what's going on in his head. He's a damned sight harder to read than most people.
Julia finally frowns and moves over to sit on the bed as well, though still with some distance between herself and Bruce. Given the minimal furnishings in the room, there's nowhere else to sit down. "Dad went into a panic, didn't he? Thinkin' I was leaavin'."
"He's concerned. Concerned that you didn't come to any of us first. I know you're used to doing things on your own, Julia. But when you signed on to this, you agreed that you would be part of a team." he points out to her as he settles his hands into his lap, folding them together as he hunches slightly. At the moment, he probably looks more like a concerned father talking to one of his children than the big bad Bat.
"If you want to make your home look more lived in, that's fine. But we both know that's not going to keep you out of that chair from sundown to sunup if you can help it - and Barton's going to be looking into your social life." he comments as he glances aside to her. "It's what I'd do." See, Barton may be willing to look into it, but Bruce has been scrubbing his tracks for years and has the know-how to keep it hidden.
"Talk to Barbara. See what she can do about scrubbing your social profile to keep him off your trail. Give him a false echo. Give him a cold trail to follow. In the meantime, continue to talk him up. I know what I know about him. The only reason I haven't extended the invitation to him yet is.." he shrugs. "He tends to go off the rails on occassion, and I'm not a fan of that. But Natasha speaks well of him. Perhaps I'll pay him a visit. If that would be fine with you?"
Something should tell her that the visit won't be in blue jeans.
The look that Julia gives Bruce is a bit dubious as he mentions being part of a team. "Like Dick? What about Jason, hmm? Didn't seem like bein' on the team meant talkin' over every decision." She pushes up to her feet, needing the room to express her nervous energy. In this case, by pacing.
She does pause, picking up the snowglobe that Bruce had been looking at earlier. "I know how much y'r secret matters to you. I'll talk to Barbara about helping me with the background stuff and see if she'll help me cover runnin' overwatch. I'll take some time off, see if there's any good bands in town." After fiddling with the globe for a bit she sets it down as well.
When Bruce suggests she keep chatting Clint up, she gives him a look of bland amusement. "He'll start to think *I'm* aimin' to be the next ex-Mrs. Barton."
As to Bruce paying Clint a visit, she looks at him long and steady for a moment. "You're the one with all the risk, here. He might go off the rails but his history is solid. I'm not too worried he's gonna go gunnin' for my family if he finds out *my* secrets."
"Your father could take him." That's Bruce's feelings on all of this as the man watches her for a moment. "Talk to Barbara. Get the scrub. I'll find Clint. We'll have a nice chat." he considers for a moment, then asks, "How do you think SHIELD is going to react to you working with me?" he asks her.
Julia Pennyworth chuckles at Bruce's faith in her father. "The old codger is still pretty spry." She agrees, nodding as well to talking with Barbara.
As to Bruce meeting with Clint? She chuckles. "Do I get to be in the chair to listen in when you do?" She sobers at the followup and she hitches a shoulder in a shrug. "If they take real exception, SRR can pull me out." She doesn't have a huge loyalty to SHIELD, they get it by proxy from her affiliation to SRR that's asked her to work with them while she chases leads while working with the Bats.
There's a pause, as Bruce is considering - two steps ahead. The what ifs, the what could bes. His eyes rise in thought as he looks towards Julia as she looks at the snowglobe as well. "And if the SSR decides to cute ties?" he asks her. The offer is there on the table. If they're both cut, she can stay here. But that is her decision to make.
Julia Pennyworth's dark eyes shift over to meet his, and there's a long moment of silence. "You wanna jump that fence now?" She sets the globe down again on the nightstand next to the bed. "I've worked hard to get where I am with the SRR. You've got folks that can do my job." And *had* been doing it. That's why she's 'Two'. It's not a definitive choice, but if he pushes her for one now, it might be.
Bruce nods. He's not gonna push. But he is making Julia think ahead. And it answers the question that Bruce had asked earlier. "Then we'll play this your way until you're ready to change it." he says and rises to his feet. "I never made anyone stay. You're not going to be the first, Julia." he says as he gives her a small, if grim smile. "But as long as you can balance both, you're welcome." But he's not going into the flipside of that coin.
Julia Pennyworth gives a nod in return. "I never figured you'd try t' *make* me stay." She assures him. "And I get somethin' out of doin' this." Time with her father. Access to the Bat's resources to chase down her own projects for the SRR. "But I don't know that I'm willing to give up everything for this. For you." Like her father did. And that might be the sticking point, right there.
"As I said." Bruce says as he rises smoothly to his feet. "This is always going to be your choice." he says to her finally. "No matter what it is, I'll support you." he explains, before giving a small smile. "But if you want me to scare the hell outta him. I haven't had a chance to work on my dad skills much. Helena's boyfriend is nice, but I expect it to be a summer thing." He gives her a little wink before he slips out of the room.