Chemically bonding...(Edward/Effie log)
There was a grunt as Edward's long fingers curled adeptly around the large wheels of his newest mode of transportation.
He glided easily over the newly decorated floor of the warehouse, testing the mechanism out. It would have to do for now, of course, seeing as he wasnt up to taking it apart to create something better. But it performed up to par so Eddie couldn't complain too much.
He paused the chair, twisting the wheels so that the chair spun slowly around, testing the durability and handling.
There was no way the chair would outrun anything, but it would at least get him from point A to point B and back.
Today Edward was feeling well enough to attempt seeing the museum. He needed to case the place to get a feel for the layout and there was nothing better than seeing a floor plan and artifacts for yourself.
Bruce had made Edward a secluded workspace that was accessible by wheelchair to keep the evil genius busy and out of their hair.
Eddie shot the Brute armor that looked over them a hateful look, before spinning the chair around again.
He was as dressed as he could be with a cast and bandages, but some how he had managed his usual attire with a few modifications. He was without hat and cane, not having a need for those items at the current point in his life.
But being back in regular clothes was comforting. They weren't the ones from Arkham, Marcus had gone to get the criminal fresh ones. Edward wanted nothing to do with the crazy house for now. He considered everything of his that was there gone. Guns included.
It was rather disappointing, losing his guns. He'd had them for a very long time and his hands knew them as if they were appendages rather than metallic objects. Ah well. There were plenty more guns. --
“Are you ready, daddy?” Effie asked, tugging on the bow in her hair before sliding her hands around the handles of the wheelchair, ready to push him. She gave the Brute armor a look, a sad look of longing crossing her face before she shook her head. She didn’t blame Tony for not trusting her, but it still wasn’t fair she couldn’t use the armor.
Instead, she turned her focus completely on her father, not wanting the day ruined with disappointment. She wasn’t pleased to be going to the museum with the man, having a feeling he was plotting a break in, but she couldn’t help that...and hopefully he wouldn’t do anything while she was there.
--
Edward nodded when she asked, hands moving up to the pockets of his shirt. He pressed his palms and fingers against the fabric, checking to make sure he had his notepad, little pencil and wallet. Vital things.
It amazed him how much his priorities had changed since the attack. Now all he wanted to do was plot and plan, when before he would've rushed in blindly and taken what he'd wanted in a hailstorm of bullets.
"Ready."
He knew she didn't want to take him, he could see it in her features but Bruce wasnt going to help him. So that left only Effie.
Edward set his hands in his lap, feeling empty without the feel of his old holsters nestled beneath his arms. But he only sighed and sat back with a wince.
Bruce had given him pills to take to help ease his pain, and so that was what Edward would use when it was extremely necessary. He could handle certain levels, so unless it got really bad he wouldn't depend too much on the vial of pills.
"Lets go!" --
“Aye aye!” she said, giggling as she pushed him out of the warehouse and down the street, getting a bit of speed going before hopping on the small runners on the back of the wheelchair, carefully balancing, using her foot to steer as she slid it across the ground. She slowed them around a corner, giggling softly. “Good thing it’s mostly down hill,” she teased, stopping them for a crosswalk before taking off again.
She started humming happily, content at the warm summer day, being with her father and simply having fun. All the drama was forgotten for the moment as she pushed her father.
--
When they began to move Edward took a pained breath. He hadnt left the Warehouse since he had been brought from the Tower. Part of him was afraid to leave the safety.
Despite hating the armor he knew it was there to protect them. Without it Edward wasnt sure he wanted to be any where else. But nobody could live like that and life had to move forward.
His heart raced some as she glided down the street, picking up some speed on the down-hill sidewalks. He couldn't help but smile a little, something genuine and not the usual false bearing of teeth.
"For now. Just wait until you have to bring me back," Edward said with a smirk, knowing that for every down hill slope there was an uphill battle waiting for her on the way back.
As the museum came into view Edward relaxed and took another breath.
His mind pushed away any fear or sadness and he eased into the day moving forward. Despite the reason for the journey, Edward knew they both needed the time outside of the realm of their usual dramatics to be with each other again. As a father and a daughter, and not as the usual enemies or suspicious roommates. --
“I”m tying you to Jarvis for the ride home,” she teased, hopping off the rails as they approched the museum, giving a few hops as she slowed him down before turning to look at the armor with them. “Uh...are you going to be able to move around in there, J?”
She wasn’t sure how well he could manuver and didn’t want them to break something important.
--
"Quite well, madam," Jarvis replied through the suit, the front lit up remotely as the armor moved easily after them. Tony had sent it as back up in case Edward got a wild hair and decided to try anything evil or ill. Not that he would attempt it as his health wasnt the best at current.
Edward grumbled at the armor, and settled down into the chair. His mood had deflated like an old balloon at Jarvis' voice.
Even the sight of the still growing skyline of the museum wasnt able to cheer him up. --
“Daddy, play nice with Jarvis...he’s a friend,” Effie said softly, paying their way into the museum and wheeling him up the ramp, returning to her happy humming as she slowly wheeled Eddie around the exhibits, taking them in along with her father, reading the information aloud to him.
She was going to treasure every moment of this day, her first real time with her father outside their lives.
--
Edward said nothing in response to playing nice with the armor.
When they were finally inside of the museum, Edward took the small pencil and notepad from his pocket, scrawled a few notes on to it and then returned both items to the pocket.
He was good at memorizing layouts and such just by look and feel. He would take mental notes and transfer them later to paper.
The armor moved in and out of the exhibits and displays as if it were a ghost instead of an actual, real suit.
Edward pretended it didn't exist and instead motioned to a few exhibits and preceded to educate his daughter on the artifacts. --
Effie eagerly listened to everything her father had to say, eagerly drinking in his words as they moved through the first toom. “Ohh, Egyptian exibit!” she said, bouncing. “I love ancient Egypt!” She wheeled her father into the room, listening for Jarvis to follow as she all but plowed over a smal child in her eagerness to see the mummy.
--
Edward's eyes flickered as she moved the wheeled chair in the direction of the Egyptian exhibit, not seeing anything there that particularly delighted him or that he hadnt run into before.
His eyes did widen, though, as Effie almost ran down a small child.
Lucky for them Jarvis had the Brute armor nab the child from harm before Effie could mow the poor toddler down. Jarvis set the child on its feet and it toddled away to find its mother.
With a sigh, Eddie sank back against the seat and allowed Effie to continue pushing.
"See anything you like, baby?" Eddie inquired, scanning the exhibits though the look on his face was one of bordem.
--
“Everything…” she said in a breathy tone, moving them past the mummy and his elaborate sarcophagus towards the jewlery, a touch of Enigma peeking out as she stared at the glittering gemstones. “They’re so pretty,” she whispered, reaching out as if she could touch them though the glass.
--
Edward mused at the thought. Most of this stuff was for show. Some of it was worth his time, but not everything.
When she wheeled him to the display case with the jewelry, though, Eddie's smile returned. He looked over the gems, taking them in.
Lifting a finger, Eddie pointed at a necklace and instantly his mouth began to water, "That one there would look dashing on you." It was said in a breath, his mind running over the gold, etched necklace inlayed with green and red gems. So pretty.
Licking over his lips, Edward nodded to himself.
He knew exactly where that one was going.
--
“Yeah, but I can’t afford something like that,” Effie said, not realizing how money worked in this world yet. “But I do love green..”
She had found some of Enigma’s gemstones and some nights, when she couldn’t sleep, she just sat and stared at them, watching the lights play off the facets of the stones. She didn’t realize they were stolen, or else she would have sent them back to the stores, and she often wondered where they came from, guessing Bruce got the money from Tony to spoil her.
And the stones from her father...she knew where those came from.
“The scarab is pretty,” she said, pointing to the jeweled beetle. “It’s for an eternal life.”
--
He knew that her knowledge of the City was limited but that was alright with him. "I can..." Edward breathed, keeping his voice very low.
Instantly he shifted in the chair and used his hands to wrench the chair from her, "Stay here."
With that, Eddie wheeled himself out of the exhibit and to the office of the curator. It was time to talk business.
The Brute armor turned to watch Eddie wheel away, and opted to stay and protect Effie instead of following the known criminal.
It took almost forty minutes before Edward returned with the curator, both of them jabbering together like old friends. Edward had worked his charm and the curator took the necklace out of the display and offered it to Effie.
"Miss, this is now your property."
Edward leaned back in the seat and nodded, "Thank you for your time, Mr. Weathersby," Eddie said casually.
The curator only waved a hand, "Call me Paul! Edward it has been a delight! Please enjoy the rest of your day."
With that, they were left alone and Edward looked up at his daughter. "Early Christmas." --
Effie stepped back when Edward jerked away from her, a look of pain crossing her face. “A-Alright daddy,” she whispered, her hands twisting into her shirt. As he wheeled away, her head fell, shoulders slumping. “Why can’t I make him happy?” she whispered, mostly to herself but loud enough for Jarvis to hear.
By the time Edward returned, Effie was sitting on the floor, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. She had thought he had left her there, abandoning her again. She blinked in confusion, raising her head as the necklace was dangled before her, reaching up a trembling hand to accept it. “Thank you,” she said softly, tryin to figure out what was going on.
At Edward’s words, she threw herself on him, hugging his legs tightly, crying again. “Thank you!” she said, before sniffling, wiping at her eyes and offering the necklace to her father before turning around, still kneeling at his feet, holding up her hair. “Put it on me?”
--
Eddie watched her face, not liking the tears that had silently stained her cheeks nor the color that the emotion had brought to her eyes and face.
The necklace was probably the first actual piece that Eddie had paid honestly for, but Edward knew that it was key in getting Effie to trust him. Proving that he could come by things honestly from time to time.
And the fact that she wanted to wear out a million dollar, ancient Egyptian artifact didn't phase him in the least.
Through the pain of her squeezing his casted leg, Edward took the necklace, clasped it around her neck and then sat back with a grunt. He fished out a pill, took it dry and then sighed softly.
"Where to next?" --
“Oops, sorry, daddy!” she said, watching as he took a pill before standing and kissing his cheek, rubbing lipstick off after. “You need to shave,” she said before gripping his chair again. “What do you want to see now?” she asked, standing on the back of his chair again, tilting it slightly in a wheelie, though not enough to disturb him.
--
He shrugged.
With a glance around, despite the angled tilt of the chair, Edward took in the rest of the museum.
"How about we get some lunch and then see the rest?"
It wasnt that he needed the break, despite being a tiny bit hungry, he needed to account for the loss of the necklace to his collection. He would rather Effie have it and enjoy it, but he needed to catolog it as well so he didn't forget. And that was not a process he wanted to do sitting in the middle of an exhibit. --
“Mm, alright, where shall we eat?” she said, still having the admission tickets in case he wanted to leave the museum. She started wheeling him towards the door, one foot on the rail, the other pushing them along like a skateboard. “We could get sushi, or chinese, or french or hamburgers or…”
--
"You pick. Whatever you want," Edward replied, sliding the notebook and pencil from his pocket. He jotted down the loss, noting that it was for Effie and the amount from the collection, before deciding that was enough.
He idled in the chair as she pushed him, figuring wherever they ended up for lunch would be fine.
The Brute armor kept easy pace, making sure no more patrons or children were in the way as Effie used the wheelchair as a makeshift skateboard.
Edward slid the book and pencil back into his pocket and waited for Effie to decide. --
“SUSHI!” Effie cheered, wheeling them out of the museum and towards a restaurant they had passed earlier, humming happily, her brand new, expensive as hell necklace shining in the sun as she maneuvered them around, the smile on her lips brighter then any diamond.
She slowed them as they approached the restaurant, carefully wheeling Edward in and up to a table, getting them menus.
--
He had a feeling that was going to her choice. But he only nodded and continued to let her wheel him towards the establishment.
He found sushi tolerable and once they were set up at a table, Edward didn't even bother with a menu. He knew what he wanted, and also figured that since he was on pills that drinking was out of the question. Much to his dislike.The Brute armor waited outside for them, earning looks and keeping the peace.
"What're you getting?" --
Of course Effie chose sushi, it was her favorite food! She bounced s she sat in her chair, giggling. “Everything!” she cheered, even though that was not really an option. Not only because of price (which actually didn’t matter that much anymore) but simply because she was a small sized girl with a limited capacity.
“What looks good to you, daddy?”
--
The waiter approached their table and Edward leaned causally back in the wheeled chair and looked up. He closed his menu, set it aside and cleared his throat.
"One of everything."
The waiter blinked at him and Eddie waved the slack-jawed male away.
"You're still standing there?" Eddie huffed, rolling his eyes.
The waiter scurried away to fill the rather large, extravagant order. -- Effie covered her mouth to hide her giggles, before frowning at him. “Daddy, that was mean!” she chastised, covering the fact she laughed at the poor man’s misery. She couldn’t help it, parts of her were still the teen bitch queen, no matter how she tried to bury it.
To cover for her actions, she pulled a straw from it’s holder, blowing the paper off the end at her father playfully, beaming at him.
--
If she wanted all of the sushi in the whole place, she would get it. A happy daughter was a loyal one and Eddie was finally beginning to see that. No matter what, she would always be his. Good or bad.
He swiped a hand at the air as she blew the straw paper, the thing landing miserably on the table ages before it would've even begun to hit him. But he couldn't help a smile.
He shifted in his seat, winced in pain and swallowed a pill that was stashed in the lining of his jacket with a gulp of water. --
“Be careful with how many of those you take, daddy,” she said softly, worried for her father. “I can get you an ice pack if you want...or we can go home…”
She wasn’t ready to leave, but she wanted her father comfortable. It made no sense touring the museum when Eddie was miserable. She wished she could take him back to Stark tower and properly care for him, but Tony was being an ass about it, refusing to let her father stay. She didn’t want to leave his side, not while he was still vulnerable.
--
Edward nodded at her, swallowing another gulp of water from the glass. He had to take them less he be in a world of pain. And that was liable to make him grouchy and unpredictable. " No, baby. I'm fine. Don't worry....Bruce is keeping your daddy running up to speed as best he can."
Wether Tony was being a dick or not wasnt the real concern as far as Eddie's health was the subject. Bruce could take what he needed from the tower, and had. Edward was being well-cared for with the machines from the MedLab that Annie wasn't utilizing but Bruce could only do so much.
Edward was a fighter, though, and while he looked still so injured, he knew what his body was capable of. He would heal better than most because of the high end equipment, so he wasn't too worried.
When the sushi finally began to come, Eddie helped himself to a few pieces with a pair of chopsticks, filling his plate with an assortment of rolls.
"Eat up, baby." --
She beamed at him, unsnapping her chopsticks and digging in, putting a large selectiong on her plate before happily muching away, little moans of happiness and pleasure escaping her as she chewed.
“Are you having a good day, daddy?”
--
Edward are like nobody had ever fed him before in his entire life. He consumed at least ten different rolls of sushi before setting his chopsticks aside and leaning back casually against the seat of the wheel chair.
At her question, Eddie could only smile and nod, "Of course! Spending time with my daughter, going to a place to case and a lunch date...I can say that it is quite a good day." --
“Do you have to case the place?” she asked, pouting at him before filling her mouth with another piece of spider roll, wiggling in her seat at the pleasurable taste. For such a tiny girl, Effie was putting away quite a bit of the sushi, indicating a very upset stomach to come.
But she couldn’t stop! --
He shrugged. He didn't have to but it was what he did. At least he wasn't out torturing and killing innocent people. Yet.
"I shouldn't really call it casing, persay. It's more of an inventory check," he explained, waving his fingers around in the air as he spoke, "I have to keep up with what is new on the market, and make sure nobody is out to get the things I want."
He tilted his head and looked at her, "Think of it in terms of Hello Kitty. You want to stay hip to what comes out on the market with the ideal to get all of the collections and such. Right? I mean what would a set be without all of the pieces included?" --
She blinked at him slowly, before pouting. “Now I want Hello Kitty,” she said, jabbing at a piece of rainbow roll. She understood what he meant and had accepted it, but now she had a burning desire to get all things Hello Kitty.
Damn him.
--
He only laughed softly at the expression of want on her face. With a delighted sigh, Edward looked down at his empty, soy sauce smeared plate.
He picked up his chopsticks and poked absently at a grain of rice, pushing it back and forth across the stained platter. --
“Do you need more to eat, daddy?” she asked mid bite, blushing as she realized she had eaten most of their lunch in a mad sushi frenzi, trying to hide behind her long hair even though it was pulled away from her face in such a manner that she couldn’t. “I could give you the rest…”
--
He shook his head at her. He didn't hunger for sushi. He wanted to get his life back to operational status and this idling was making him starved.
Instead he set down the chopsticks and looked back up at her, "No no. Full. What you don't eat we will take with us."
There was going to be PLENTY left over. -- “Kay!” she said, before stuffing three rolls in her mouth at once, chewing slowly, her cheeks poked out to resemble a chipmonk...which, considering she still had a lot of ‘baby fat’ in her face, wasn’t that hard. “Ready?” she asked, hoping that if they went back to the museum Edward would be cheered up again.
She coughed for a moment, a bit of rice going the wrong way before she got the sushi pieces down, beaming.
-- He smirked as she ate, finding the gesture of resembling a chipmunk to be quite amusing.
"Yes. Let's go."
He signaled to the waiter, took care of the bill and had the young man wrap the rest up for them.
-- Effie accepted the bag of food, carrying it outside and offering it to Jarvis to carry for them (what else of use was he?) before happily pushing her father back towards the museum. “What do you wanna see now, daddy’?” she asked as she jumped on the bac rail.
--
The Brute armor took the bag willingly and held on to it.
Edward looked at the looming structure of the museum, and shook his head at her, "Nothing else there. How about we go find you some Hello Kitty instead? Hm?" --
“Really, really?!” she asked, excited as she slid them to a stop before re-angling them towardes the giant Sanrio store the City had brought in. “Yay!” she cheered as they wheeled across the street, hyperactivity flooding her, almost causing the girl to vibrate from happiness.
--
"Really, really," Edward replied with a nod knowing he would find the trip regrettable. But it made Effie happy and that was all he wanted. He had spent years ignoring her and trying to kill her when he should've been doting on her and making her happy.
They would still probably never function as a normal parent and child but they would at least have some ground to stand on that wasnt fragile and loose.
When they entered the Sanrio store, instantly they were greeted by giggles, a life-sized Hello Kitty and a person in a Baditz Maru costume handing out coupons.
"Dear Lord," Eddie breathed, unable to believe what he was seeing. It was kind of icky. --
“Oh. My. Goshies!” Effie cheered, hugging the life sized Hellow Kitty before bouncing back to her father, eagerly pushing him along, squeeling every few seconds over something she found. She was in teen girl heaven, slowly losing all semblence of maturity and control as she dove head long into the cuteness overload.
--
Edward looked up at the shelves lined with kitties, frogs, foxes and penguins, plus whatever else the Sanrio line had come up with.
He tried not to have an anxiety attack from the cuteness and instead sat quietly to let Effie have her day.
"What's that one?" Eddie inquired, pulling a frog plush from the shelf. --
“Keroppi!” Effie cheered, holding a Chococat plushie. “He’s way popular, especially at Donut Pond.” She grinned at her father, bouncing in place slowly, though growing faster. “You should get him for your desk!”
--
Eddie blinked and set the frog back on to the shelf. It reminded him too much of Bruce.
Instead he plucked a penguin with a sour look on his face from the shelf, holding the plush up, "I think this one would look perfect holding my papers down." --
Effie made a face at the penguin, not liking the character much before shrugging. “Your choice, it’s your desk!” She selected a few more plushes, for herself, for Bruce, for Tony, one for Annie and another for her, piling them in Edward’s lap before bouncing off to the clothing section, returning after a moment to retrieve her father and dragging him with her. --
Eddie tried not to drop any of the plushies as Effie wheeled him over to a section of clothing. He winced at the brightness of everything, pink and glittery, settling down in the chair.
The Baditz Maru penguin plushie sat idly on Eddie's lap, his obvious favorite.
"This store is icky, but pick what you want baby." -- “It is not icky!” Effie called from a rack where she was trying on clothes. Several shirts came flying at Eddie, a bra dangling off his ear before she emerged, dressed in a tiny pink skirt, tank top, and hello kitty ears.
She put her hands on her hips, pouting at him. “You just don’t like fun and have spent too much time in Crane’s Halloween Town,” she huffed, before giving a turn. “Cute?”
-- Eddie made a face at the clothes as they flew at him, managing to pull the bra from his ear, setting it in one of the bags on the side of the mobile chair.
He took the frog plushie, Keroppi, and set it on the top of his own head like a hat and stuck his tongue out playfully at his daughter, "Too cute. Icky!" --
“Not icky!” she said, before leaning in to kiss his cheek.
An hour later Edward and Jarvis managed to drag her from the store, both the Armor and Edward’s wheelchair loaded down, eveyrthing from clothes to bedsheets to candies bought. Effie was chewing on a gummi Hello Kitty head as she turned them back towards the warehouse, humming happily.
“I had a great day, Daddy!” -- He could only smile at her as the plushie tumbled back into his lap with the tilt of his head.
Finally he couldn't take it anymore and had to have her dragged out of the store, but not before loading up with bags of all of her favorites. Paid for by him, of course.
"Me too," Edward replied, honestly. He couldn't recall having such a good time recently. Most of his days consisted of work and trying not to die. Or that had been his usual agenda.
Now....well, besides missing Jonathan terribly it consisted of healing and planning. Of course the time with his daughter too. -- Effie got them back to the warehouse without major damage to them or the city, wheeling Edward up to his room and next to the bed so he could rest after the day, humming as she got his stuff out of the bags, not only his plushie, but a few little things she got for him to remember her by when she wasn’t there (which was rare).
“Rest now, daddy, and when you wake up I have a treat!” she beamed at him.
-- Edward shifted from the seat and into the bed, settling against the soft mattress. At the mention of a treat, Eddie winced, "Should I be afraid of its cuteness?"
The Baditz Maru plushie was settled on the night stand by the bed, as if it were meant to keep watch. -- “Never be afraid of cute!” Effie cheered as she tucked her father in, kissing his forehead before bouncing downstairs, heading to call Bruce and prepare a bunch of Hello Kitty rice balls for her father’s dinner.