wingedwarrior | IC inbox

Hey, Shayera. How're you doing? Should we be more concerned about this Tea?

I'm holding up all right. [It's not like she's going to burst into tears from what Galatea said.] She's dangerous. She's a homicidal clone of Supergirl. At least, the Supergirl from my universe.

What idiot cloned a Kryptonian? [He's ticked, yes he is, and then he just sighs.] We'll keep an eye on her anyway, she's unlikely to do anything with so many powerhouses around.

[A pause.]

You need to punch something? I still owe you that bar fight.

Cadmus. [Oh, Kyle, you couldn't be more wrong.] Don't be so sure. She led an attack on the Watchtower without batting an eye.

[You know her so well already.] A drink or a fight sounds like something I could go for right now.

Ah, them again. [Now he knows why the name's familiar, they cloned Kon.] Finally made something that came all the way to our house?

[Still grumpy.]

Anyway, I've got some time, meet you in Earth Sector?

I'm guessing they're a pain in the ass across universes. At least ours eventually came to respect us and stopped trying to kill us. [Fond memories, really.] Try an army of clones.

[Don't worry, she is, too.] Yeah. You know where my place is?

I'd say the one in ours was gone, but... things like that just go underground and tend to come back when you least expect it.

[The shudder at 'clones' is almost audible.]

Yeah, I'll meet you above it? Nice day to stretch your wings, I can race you.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to start up the Cadmus project again. Ticked off, but not surprised.

[You know how to please a girl.] Yeah, that sounds good. Even if it won't be much of a race with you behind me the whole time. [Lies, she knows you guys can fly fast.]

[The 'what can you do' shrug is almost audible.]

You'll eat your words soon enough.

Get over here already and we'll find out. [When he does get there, she'll be waiting above her suite, just like she said.]

[Barry shows up for the first session right on time—which is to say, he shows up ten minutes after the session's slated to have started, huffing a little from exertion as he dashes through the door with an extremely apologetic look on his face.]

Sorry I'm late! I got—sidetracked.

[pls don't yell at him.]

[Being late on the first lesson? Not something she hopes becomes a habit, but understandable at times.] It's not like I'm strapped for time, just don't make it a habit.

[She does raise an eyebrow at him.] I hope it was a good kind of sidetracked that's understandable and not going to make me want to punch you. [ie hitting on a girl or something.]

[Luckily for Shayera, the words 'hitting on' and all its synonyms don't exist in Barry's dictionary.]

—Uh, about that.

[He fidgets slightly, still unsure of how best to bring up the topic, despite the fact that he'd spent a good hour pondering the matter last night. Shayera isn't his Shayera (in the loosest sense of the word) but it felt wrong to tiptoe around her insofar as the subject of his secret identity was concerned.

And if he wanted to give training his all, he couldn't afford to hide behind the guise of a normal human being.]

There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about, before we get started.

[That sends up a wave of red flags for her, and she'd rather cut this conversation short. But no, he deserves to have a chance to voice himself. Please don't say you think we're reincarnated lovers, too. She simply crosses her arms, face calming and bracing herself.] I'm listening.

[GOSH HE'S MARRIED OK and not to you. (nottalking) But hmm.]

Actually, it might be easier to show you.

[He's never been good with words anyway. Not waiting for an answer, he hits the hidden switch on the side of his ring, grabs the costume that comes ballooning out, and changes into it—all within the blink of an eye.

Hesitantly, he gives her a small half-smile that seems to say, so what do you think? ~~Please don't inflict physical violence on him.~~]

[HEY, YOU NEVER KNOW. As he changes from regular civilian clothes to the vibrant red of the Flash costume she's seen more times than she can count, it clicks.] You're a Flash.

[Not The Flash. A Flash.] Like Wally. He came up with that ring trick. [Of course she thinks he came after him...]

[Well, she's not screaming, which he takes as a good sign. Given that Diana hadn't recognized the Flash outfit at all, this is a very, very good sign.]

Technically it's my ring trick. [Look, he's very proud of it.] But Wally's probably come up with some enhancements. Mine's pretty old-fashioned.

[She's seen way worse things than someone change into the Flash.] How the hell did you even manage to get a costume in that ring, anyway?

[She still thinks all you Flashes are crazy.] Who knows what he's done to it. Most times, I'm not sure I want to know.

[A smile.]

Trade secret.

[Or rather, he doesn't want to bore her with the sciencey details ~~and I don't want to write it out.~~ But the smile fades, because it's interesting that she knows Wally but not him.]

You and Wally are friends, then?

Of course. [She smirks. That sort of reminded her of Wally.] Yeah. We work on the League together, and he's like a little brother to me. A very annoying, showoffy little brother.

[Sounds like Wally. Barry can't help but smile wider at the comment, even if it does bring a little pang of homesickness with it.]

By League, you don't mean Justice League of America do you?

[There's that name again. She shakes her head.] No. Mine's just the Justice League. I'm guessing that means more multi-universe complications.

At this rate, multiverse complication is going to win out over time travel as my least favorite thing.

[And he reeeeally hates time travel. But! He's curious about this Justice League of apparently not America.]

Apart from Wally and yourself, who else is on the League?

You've had issues with it, too? [Going back to World War II and stopping Vandal Savage from ruling the world. Good times. Good. Times.]

Who isn't? The founding members are Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, John Stewart, J'onn J'onzz, and me. We had dozens of heroes join since then.

Wally was one of the founding members?

[Superhero-wise, everyone's there. Identity-wise...Barry frowns, tilts his head.]

And Hal wasn't there?

I know, hard to believe. He still wants to paint his logo on his chair in the conference room.

[And there's that name again. Apparently, having a John Stewart is rare.] I've never met him before he showed up here.

I got to paint my logo on my chair.

[His tone is only slightly smug. Note to self: rub that in alternate-Wally's face if/when they ever meet. Things to do after he figures this all out.

All things considered, he's not overly bothered by the fact that neither he nor Hal seem to exist in whatever universe Shayera comes from. Sure it's a little disconcerting, but it's not his universe and the Earth is still being protected by a Justice League.]

That's probably for the best. [Anyway.] But hopefully I can give you about as good a run for your money as Wally did.

[Personally, he's thinking better.]

You better not tell Wally, he'll get jealous. [By which she means of course you should tell him. She'd love to see that.

Hearing about more Flashes in a different universe? Not bothering her. There could be plenty of worse things to hear about, like an army of Lex Luthor.] I'll be the judge of that, thanks. [WALLY WEST HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN HER HEART and she will never tell anyone that.] You want to spar in or out of costume?

[Wally should hold a special place in everyone's heart tbh.

Barry looks down at his uniform, then looks back up at Shayera.]

Depends. How fast am I allowed to go?

Out of costume? Only as fast as a normal human. In it? As fast as you want. [[And she'll still kick your ass.]

[Well that's a given, Shayera. He taps his chin, weighing the pros and cons of each option before finally de-costuming a second later. With his speed he's nigh untouchable, but Barry's always been pragmatic. If something happens and he loses his speed, he wants to be at least remotely prepared.]

Out of costume it is then.

All right. So, just so I have a vague idea of how much to teach you, you ever done any sort of martial arts before? Aside from brawling with villains, of course. [That way, she can determine whether or not she should skip the basics, or start with those.]

[HAHA...ha...........he looks extremely embarrassed at the question.]

No. I never really found the time. [HELP HIM, SHAYERA SENPAI.]

Now that's just ironic. (GET IT, CAUSE YOU'RE FAST...) The basics it is, then.

(Which she explains and demonstrates here because it's ass o'clock and I don't know martial art.)

[At the door, there’s a crate, glowing a faint green, the Corps insignia emblazoned on it. When touched it emits a quiet whirr, that of a scanner, the AI announces VERIFIED. HOL, SHAYERA. , and promptly floats into the living room, where the glow vanishes. Inside, there’s rows of bottles with variously coloured liquids. Some are alcoholic, and marked as such.]

[Attached is a note:]

Thought you might want to try some. If you find any you like, maybe they have them in your universe too.

- GL 2814.4

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SUPER BACKDATED ACTION TO FIRST TRAINING SESSION

AW YEAH which was probs a week or two after he got here

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delivery | landfall