Shield 02 | video

[tactilekonesis]

[Today, Kon's standing outside the Talon, a renovated movie theater that currently serves as a coffee shop and hangout for teenagers... in Smallville, Kansas.

Needless to say, he looks kind of speechless as he turns the screen to show the marquee and then the outside of the building before focusing it back on him. He coughs, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose before he quietly says:]

I know you guys've said you've started seeing stuff from your worlds... well, you can add me to that list. This place here's the Talon. It's a coffee shop, though I haven't bothered to go inside yet.

I'm kinda afraid it's locked or something. [Not that it'd really be a bother for him, what with his heat vision, but he certainly had to keep up the illusion of a smalltown boy from Earth.] But if it's got food, I'll definitely be taking it down to the safehouse later.

[He stops, opens the door, and blankly stares as a basketball pummels him into the face. Wait, since when did the Talon come equipped with those?] OW! [He rubs his face, even though he was more surprised than hurt by SUDDEN BASKETBALL TO THE FACE.] Where the hell did that come----

[Voices interrupt his cursing. Around the Talon, it's the voices of rambunctious teenagers talking about their after-school plans: writing articles for the school newspaper, figuring out how to get drunk in a dry county, events for this week's church youth group, the best way to tip over the cows in Mr. Stein's yard.... Despite the normalcy of it all, there's one conversation that makes Kon shudder.

They're talking about "meteor freaks," the kids who were powered by kryptonite, the alien rocks that fell from Krypton several years ago in Smallville. Although no one's ever been able to prove that Kon WAS one, they weren't able to disprove it either. They wonder about his origins for a minute, before launching back into their original conversation.

Kon presses his lips.] ... Is it just me, or are there voices in the area too?

Comments

[desertdaggers]

Well, it should be an ordinary lock, right? We can get that open easily enough. So on the whole, that sounds like good news.

[He tilts his head for a few moments, then jerks back when the basketball hits Kon, eyes wide] …hah! Well, that's… a bit more than voices, isn't it?

[tactilekonesis]

[Kon rubs his cheek, but it's pretty obvious that the basketball didn't even leave a scratch.]

Just a little bit, yeah. At least there's more food here for the others. I'll be fine without it, but I'm not sure about anyone else.

[desertdaggers]

[…oh, huh. That's curious- could be he's tougher than other people, for whatever reason.]

I can manage on small rations for a while, but… not forever. I'm glad you'll be alright, though… and you're sure? [He tilts his head, looking a little concerned.]

[tactilekonesis]

Very sure. [Kon nods.] If I'm anything like my dad, I'll be fine until we get everything up and running again.

[desertdaggers]

Good. Your family must be pretty tough, then. [He nods.] Hopefully that won't be too much longer… I wish I knew more about how this place operated.

[tactilekonesis]

Me too. I know you guys have been here longer than I have, but it's not anything like my world.

[desertdaggers]

I don't know if there's anyone who's come from somewhere else much like it.

[tactilekonesis]

It wouldn't hurt to ask around. I've only been to outer space once, but that was on another planet... not like this.

[desertdaggers]

That's true! Even if we don't find anyone, we'll still learn something about each other.

Ah, really? Even so… what was it like?

[tactilekonesis]

[Crap, Kon was supposed to NOT tell people about his outer space adventures...]

It sucked. [Blunt Kon is blunt.] I was only there to take back my friend and kick some alien butt, so I did what I said I would and came home.

[desertdaggers]

[well it's not like he'll tell anyone from Kon's world…]

Ahhh, that's too bad! I haven't heard a lot, but it sounds like it ought to be a lot more exciting.

[tactilekonesis]

Probably. I'm not much into exploring outer space, but I'm sure it'll be better the second or even third time around.

[desertdaggers]

Particularly if you have the time to spend seeing the sights instead of worrying!

[tactilekonesis]

Exactly! Whenever we get off this place, I might look into it again... assuming they don't come visit Earth instead.

[desertdaggers]

[He nods.] Hopefully they won't. Would you have to be the one involved in fighting them?

[tactilekonesis]

If they want to invade my planet, heck yeah. No sense in being left out of a good fight, you know?

[desertdaggers]

It's not so much my thing, but I get where you're coming from.

[tactilekonesis]

You weren't much of a fighter back home? Could've fooled me. [He definitely doesn't mean it harshly; if anything, Kon thought Hawk was a pretty capable fighter.]

[desertdaggers]

Haha, it's just… Getting into a fight for the sake of fighting isn't really my thing. [Hawk lifts his hands and grins, tipping his head a little.] I don't mind a good spar, though.

[tactilekonesis]

Yeah? I'll have to remember that for next time.

[desertdaggers]

On Earth, you mean?

[tactilekonesis]

Over here, actually. I don't doubt that we'll be fighting some weird outer space creatures in the future.

[desertdaggers]

Ahh… I suppose we can't rule anything out. And since it's already in space, that does seem possible! I'll certainly be with you should any come.