mental link, day...36? sure.

[headinjuries]

[ Technically, it came up a few days ago, but Sam's been letting something bounce around in his head to see if the possibility gets less troublesome after he sleeps on it. And sleeps on it a couple more times.

or he's just saying it late so the newbies can hear it too, w/e

It's not getting any less freaky. So, out of left field: ]

( So if aliens can hack our emotions, do we...actually know they can't mess with everything else? Memories? Are we actually who we think we are?

What if there is no spoon? )

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[headinjuries]

( Excuse you, they don't call me the Human Rocket for nothing. )

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[sizeofyourbaggage]

( The Human Rocket, really? That's the name you're sticking with? )

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[headinjuries]

( It's not what I go by, but they stick me with it on the news sometimes. )

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[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ There's a brief flare of some vague disgruntled feeling at the mention of the news sticking people with things, but it fades quickly. ]

( I don't know, man, you're still the one repeating it. What do you go by? )

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[headinjuries]

[ Nobody has much good to say about the press in any Marvel universe, really. ]

( Nova. )

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[sizeofyourbaggage]

( Nova, all right, yeah, that I can get behind. )

[ There's a moment of hesitation before he continues. He's mostly been trying not to think about it, but now that he's been talking more with Steve, it's been on his mind. ]

( Hey, uh. I know I haven't asked much, but where you're from - are we close, or anything? )

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[headinjuries]

( We're, uh. On the same team. )

[ If Sam seemed weirdly awkward when he first arrived, this should sure explain most of that. ]

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[sizeofyourbaggage]

( You're an Avenger. )

[ It's not a question, more of a confirmation - and honestly it's mostly just to buy him some time as he figures out how to say 'yeah the Avengers aren't really a thing where I'm from any more and I kind of ended up on the wrong side legal wise, is that gonna be a problem?' ]

( Do the Sokovia Accords mean anything to you? )

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[headinjuries]

( Yeah, I am. )

[ Well. At least that didn't go straight into "really? you?" like he'd half been expecting. ]

( Sokovia Accords? Nope, nothing. Why? )

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[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ For now, Sam'll just take that as it is. He's not sure he thinks too much of this other team of Avengers if they're putting teenagers in danger, but he's not exactly surprised. Not after Stark brought the spider kid to the airport.

His hesitation when it comes to talk about this is pretty obvious, especially considering he's usually pretty open about things. But he isn't gonna lie about it either. ]

( They caused kind of a lot of havoc back home. Part of the reason I'm not technically an Avenger anymore. )

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[headinjuries]

[ Sam first got his Avengers membership because Cap figured that if he was going to be superheroing anyway, maybe they could at least keep him from getting killed by giving him someone to call on. (You know, kind of like Hawkeye.) ]

( Yeah, well...there's always something. )

[ There's a sense of a mental shrug; he's not judging. Heroes fighting each other in 616 is just a day ending in -y. ]

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[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ ...all right, that Sam can get behind, considering that's more the strategy he's adopting with having three teenagers in the brood.

He wonders, for a moment, what it says about the place that Sam's from that his response to that is almost casual - but he's a little too relieved that he's not getting asked more about it to be willing to pursue it right now. ]

( Yeah. Kind of seems like it, huh? ) [ There's a feeling like a mental exhale, then he pulls back with a smile, letting just a trace bit of warmth through the connection. ] ( Let me know if the shielding gives you any trouble, all right? I've got a few more tricks. )

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[headinjuries]

[ "Kind of" might be an understatement. ]

( 'k. Thanks. )