khajidont | MoM IC Contact

[Jaime you're talking to the guy that befriended the young version of his conqueror]

hey nothing to worry about blue its totally crash he just dropped them off at my house i never met him

Oh good. He just knows where you live. That makes me feel so much better

[...Jaime he is your neighbour you just don't realize it.]

Not that he's going to try anything on a random (probably) but be careful

[Don't ask him not to worry, Bart. Worrying is his permanent state of being.]

hey i handled reach controlled alternate you for a whole minute in a fight i can totally handle this guy

[Because that's supposed to make people feel better]

fine fine ill be careful

do you still want the roomba though

[And attached is probably the most ridiculous thing Jaime's seen since the crow debacle.]

[Well, even if Bart doesn't know how to make him feel better, he knows how to shut him up! Good job, buddy. One of these days, he's going to sit down with the Scarab and make it tell him everything and it's going to be terrible.]

Hey minimized contact with murderous psychopaths is all I'm asking

[On a slightly lighter note, he feels as if he should refuse the roomba on principle, out of some kind of weird solidarity with Skye.

But look at it. It's ridiculous. He loves it already. It's not the roomba's fault. If he got the roomba, he could probably name it, which would effectively tie all its association with Skye's threat-happy ex. This logic makes perfect sense.]

...yes. I still want the roomba

[s c o r e Bart knew he wouldn't be able to resist the roomba]

crash knew you would hermano ill bring it over later

but dude pretty sure contact with murderous psychopaths is part of the superhero thing

Thanks

Hey I said minimized contact not no contact. We step in when they you know
Start acting on the murderous part of the murderous psychopath thing

yeah never got that makes more sense to step in before the murder happens but hey when in the past act like the past ill back off

[Spoiler: he won't.]

oh uh
still up for that flyrun? i know it was a while ago but hey 100% not tired and reeeaaaaally getting bored of just sitting around florida w/nothing to do

Edited 2014-09-13 06:07 (UTC)

Yeah sure. When?

now five minutes from now ten minutes from now fifteen minutes from now duuuuude
im not going to school and theres no team or league or flash to help out i have time to kill every day

[... oh right]

except fri sat &sun 5 to 10

[It's a mystery in and of itself how Bart's managed to actually keep his job this entire time.]

If you're so bored you could always give school a shot

[Okay, he's teasing. He knows there's a few teens around ducking school, and considering that they don't plan on being here for the long-term, he can't blame them.

It does mean, however, that between school and work and his really important work, he's not got much time on his hands.]

I'm usually only free during the evenings but hey I'm free tonight. You done much traveling around yet?

pass
never stepped foot in a school in 13 years hermano not gonna start now

[He's a horrible delinquent Jaime, teach him the ways of being a responsible teenager.]

no just east coast and utah but dude i am 100% free tonight

Hey you might like it! You might even learn a thing or two. They even have spanish class and cooking class

[HINT HINT, BART.]

Okay well I haven't checked out this world's version of Texas yet. Want to come check it out with me? We can get burgers. They can't make burgers here. They're tragic

[(The burgers are okay, but they're not his dad's. Clearly this means it's a regional problem.)]

hey theres nothing wrong with my spanish knowledge ive picked up a lot chillaxin with you back home its mas bonuo

wait

muchas bueno!!

[no that still looks wrong OH WELL]

totally. havent had a good burger in ages but dude request
if were going food hunting were going chicken whizee replacement hunting bc i refuse to believe this world is moded enough that it doesnt even have a substitute

No that’s
Thats still wrong bart

We don’t have chicken whizzees but sure we can search

[As far as Jaime’s concerned, Bart’s probably caught enough flak by now. He has an absurd amount of people flooding into Heropa from his universe, and there’s likely more to come - which would be a good thing if Bart’s whole future gig didn’t throw a wrench in everyone’s plans. Jaime would be jealous of having so many friends and allies around if not for how it seems to have made things more complicated for Bart instead of actually helping the guy adjust.

So today, the plan is simple: no future talk, no alternate universe talk, just a little cross-country trip and an opportunity to hunt down some junk food. Bart could probably use something that’s more of a hang-out than it is cape business or future-past-future business.

(Does Bart even have friends who aren’t capes?)

Either way, they have to start in costume, and out of deference for Bart’s possible secret ID, texts him to meet at a park just a few blocks away from Heropa’s housing. He’s already fully suited up by the time Bart arrives, a map of this universe's United States streaming from his fingers, just to check whether or not anything significant has changed.]

[Not for the first time, Bart had been about to respond before figuring that, by the time he actually typed out the text at a speed the keys would still register, hit send, and waiting for the signal to actually get to Jaime, he could definitely be dressed and out the door and running to the park.

So, that's exactly what he does.

The Impulse costume is easy enough to get in and out of - and he definitely takes advantage of his vibrating technique to save exactly half a second of trying to get the speedster one piece on - so he grins to himself as he snaps his goggles down and tears through his house and out the door, hitting the street with a little crack that rocks the cars he passes and kicks up a gust of wind. Totally faster.

Even if Jaime's still there first if just because while Bart has and address, that doesn't mean he even remotely knows where he's going the first two dozen tries.]

Okay wait, wait, wait- [He's coming to a sudden stop at Jaime's side, leaning in and squinting at the map even if he's not actually reading it] -this world doesn't have Chicken Whizees? Or your world doesn't have Chicken Whizees because if that's true, amigo, you are missing out on the single most crashin' deep fried chicken experience.

[It's a testament to how accustomed he's become to having speedsters around that he hardly bats an eye when he finds himself in sudden, rapidly talking company, and falls right into conversation like they had been talking in person all along.]

It's just deep fried chicken? [He waves one hand at the map, enlarging Texas enough to take a look at all the roadways crisscrossing its surface. It looks more or less the same, albeit with different street names.] Like KFC, you mean? 'Cause we've got that, and so does this world. Or universe, I guess. I keep on mixing up my alternate-whatever terminologies.

[Hey, Bart appreciates that Jaime's used to it. It makes it feel more natural, makes it easier for him to use his powers as he wants. Which, to someone who spent so long living with them suppressed, means a lot]

Just deep fried chicken?! [GASP] If it was just deep fried chicken it wouldn't be such a big deal. The whole appeal is the mystery of it, her-man-o. No one knows what a Chicken Whizee really is.

So they're like, chicken-y hot dogs. Got it.

[Mystery meat. They're probably awful for you, but everyone eats it anyway. He joins his fingers together with a quiet click and closes up the map.]

Anyway, let's get going before everything closes. We'll stock up on food and take a look around. [He pushes off the ground, wings springing out from his suit.] You ready?

Chicken-y deep fried hot dogs. [He's waving a finger in warning, Jaime. You better not be forgetting this.

But he does grin and skip back a few steps as Blue closes the map, reaching up and wiggling his goggles a little further into place.]

Dude, I was ready ages ago. Ready before I even left I'm not someone to worry about in a cross country trek Mr. Flies Like Molasses.

Hey. [Jaime jabs a finger at Bart.] Don't talk trash you can't back up.

[Bart is going to win, and Jaime knows it, but it's no fun unless he plays along. He tells Bart their exact coordinates, which is, predictably, El Paso.

Jaime's been avoiding the place up until now. He doesn't want to see it look so different, doesn't want to go to where his home and family should be and see nothing but strangers.

They're not taking a trip to his home, or even near it, but he figures he can deal with ducking into town long enough to grab some provisions before they head to a different kind of destination.]

[Some day, Bart'll find someone here who can move as fast as he can. And he'll be the happiest kid ever. But until then, he's more than content to take up these challenges, to run even though he knows he can move faster because, well, maybe he really is learning something. Maybe forcing himself to limit his speed and find other things to occupy himself is a test in and of itself.

Either way, all Bart really needs to hear is El Paso and he's grinning and starting off, moving at what is, to him, a jog, as he waits for Jaime to hit his stride. After that? He's punching it.

The first few states are a little wobbly, his path zig zagging as he gets distracted and has to find and follow a freeway in order to get back on track, because while he's been to visit Jaime in his world time and time again, he either Zeta's part of the way there, or he's starting out from Missouri. But once he catches sight of familiar landmarks, once his feet are hitting down on familiar terrain, he's back in business. He's able to cut across the landscape at whatever speed he likes, able to cut through the sound barrier with a crack and laugh in a way that makes his heart pound because his speed just sucks away the sound before it can even leave his mouth.

He doubles back once, after catching sight of a familiar plateau, a familiar landscape that he knows his universe' Blue tends to fly over - whether because he likes the route or because its just part of the straight line from point A to B - and waits for that speck of Blue on the horizon. It doesn't take much of a run up to get the momentum he needs, for him to push off the ground and match the speed Jaime's flying at, for him to tap against his friend's ankle and laugh as he stumbles a bit when he meets the ground before tearing off towards their destination again.

He does stop just outside of El Paso though, at a large expanse of nothing and sits on the crest of a small hill, looking out at the flat landscape in front of him. Whether he's waiting for Jaime to catch up or waiting for him to join him is- well, even Bart's not really sure. All he knows is he's frowning and thinking and still, and its weird, but he can't help it.]

[If Jaime wasn't so busy just trying to keep pace, he would have stopped just to watch Bart and marvel. It's one thing to see Bart zipping around the house, but it's something else to see him actually get to let loose. Many people would describe him as having superpowers, but in his heart of hearts, he knows that's not true; his powers are inside him, but they're technology, simple as that. When he goes as quickly as he does, he knows that it's powered by machinery and jets, no different from a plane or a rocket ship.

He's more than okay with that, but what it means is that anytime he sees someone with real superpowers let loose... it's an awe-inspiring sight. It's amazing to think that some people just move that fast, that some people can just fly, easy as that. He's got no idea what that must feel like, the shock of cold wind on your face instead of being beaten against lenses and layers of armour.

Bart sure looks like he enjoys it.

And, to be fair, Jaime enjoys it too; he's always said that flying is the best part of the suit, and he stands by it. He loves getting to go as fast as he can, soaring above all the houses and trees and cars, and with Bart, there's no worries about leaving anyone behind.

He stops once Bart does, but he doesn't return to the ground immediately. Instead, he hovers, staring at the big, familiar Welcome to El Paso! sign. Back home, they've amended it to say Home of the Blue Beetle!, and while it's not a surprise to see that absent here, it makes him feel a little wistful. He's no great fan of fame, but he always kind of liked that sign. It had been a point of pride for him, he's beginning to realize, that his home thought he was exceptional enough to brag about him, and to use him as both a boast and a warning; they may be proud of him, but it also lets the visitors know that no matter what, they've got a superhero looking after them. There's something special about that.

He does land next to Bart eventually, though, and takes a closer look at the thoughtful expression on his face.] Something on your mind?

[Bart stays put for a moment, thinking back on the first time he dragged his world's version of Jaime out. When he took them to a spot that looked almost identical to this and tried to show him how much better creation was than destruction. He thinks, and stays uncharacteristically still and silent for a handful of seconds after Jaime lands, before rolling up to his feet, stretching his arms above his head and bouncing from leg to leg to warm himself back up.]

Kinda. [He stops, sweeps his arm to the side to gesture at the flat landscape in front of him.] This is where I used to hang out with my universe's Blue. Back home. And it's- I think its the same. [He can't help the grin tugging at his lips] Less broken boulders, though.

But I was just thinking. Not counting the two months my Blue was on mode back home, I've almost known both of you the same amount of time. [He crosses his arms, frowns at the land in front of him, fingers drumming against his bicep] What happens when I've known you longer than my best friend?

[Jaime spares a moment to wonder why there would be a bunch of broken boulders way out here - not that it seems important enough to vocalize - mostly because it's never occurred to him to go out and bust up a bunch of rocks. Bart does pose an important question, and it's one that Jaime doesn't know the answer to, even if the truth of the matter has been hanging over their heads.]

Dunno. Maybe all that happens is you've got one best friend, and another good one. I know I'm not his replacement or whatever.

[If Jaime had to guess, he'd say that he and this other version of himself must be pretty different. He has no real desire to replace this guy he doesn't even know, this guy who has somehow become a monumentally important part of Bart's life.]

What d'you figure?

[It's an honest question. Jaime doesn't know what's going on in that head of his.]

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hope you don't mind myskipping ahead a bit!