| Meeting Heroes | |||||
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| What: Bunker goes to visit Titan Tower. | |||||
Bunker's been wanting to see the Titans' Tower since he first left home and decided to finally do so. It's only a couple hours from Manhattan after all. So here he is, flying toward the tower and then hovering on what looks like similar to a translucent, brick surf board outside the tower.
Wonder Girl hadn't been busy. For once. She was enjoying an extra day off, hanging out, doing some light exercise. She was leaving the gym when she saw something outside, and with a frown moved to investigate. After a bit of searching, she managed to find a balcony not too far from the floater. Leaning over the edge, she calls out to the watcher, "Heya. Looking for something?"
For the second time today, the 'incoming person of power' alarm blares out over the communicators. This time, Karolina was ready. She had fed sandwiches to the group upstairs, and she had excused herself to finishing brushing her hair out, and now had everything set in a lovely ponytail. When the communicator chirps again. Rolling her eyes, she speaks into it, "I'm on it," unaware that Wonder Girl was already way off. And so, she steps through the halls of the Tower - in normal clothes this time, to open the front door - and she hears Wonder Girl high up above. "Wonder Girl?" she says, a grin on her lips, before she glances down to the watcher. "Hi, I'm um. Lucy. Are you a friend of Wonder Girl's?"
"You!" Bunker shouts at the question and sends his platform floating over to Wonder Girl. "You're Wonder Girl!" She didn't know that, you see. "I recognize you from the internet." And then another person speaks up and he looks around for... "And Lucy! I am so pleased to meet you both. I am Bunker!"
Wonder Girl's hands go up at the 'you!' and she blinks, not sure at first whether to be flattered or worried. Especially when she hears why he knows her. Chuckling uncertainly, she offers a smile, and waves down to Lucy. "Um, hi Bunker. You're, uh, here to... sightsee?" She glances down at her friend with a shrug. She doesn't know him.
Karolina - or 'Lucy', really, had to step out of the tower a half dozen steps, to kinda look up and get a better view of the balcony. It /was/ Wonder Girl. Bringing up a hand to kinda wiggle it in a wave to her, she looks back down to Bunker. "It's nice to meet you too, Bunker. If you don't mind me saying so, I'm Karolina. Lucy in the Sky is my. Um. Codename, and it's kinda a weird one," she says, with a little shrug of her own shoulders. "And if you're not here to sightsee, what /are/ you here for?" she says.
"Sightseeing, si!" Bunker agrees in a lower volume but no less excitement. "When I heard America was making teams of heroes I knew I had come see for myself. Though first I went to New York because it is the city that never sleeps and met many wonderful people and applied to join the Avengers but now I am here to see the Hall of Justice and the Titans Tower and meet other heroes because we should all be friends." He pauses to look around. "Is Nightwing here? I have his poster on my wall at home."
Wonder Girl laughs. His enthusiasm is just... infectious. "Right. Uh, yeah. he's meeting some people inside." Hopping out, she sits on the legde of the balcony and looks down at Lina, "Want a ride up?"
Karolina looks up towards Wonder Girl, a sunny smile on her face. "Are you going to carry him up there?" she asks, glancing back down to him. "Oh - well, that's what we're billed as," she says with a smile. "We're still going through some rough spots, but what team doesn't?" she says, "And oh! About Nightwing? He's around. Although he can be a bit... hard to catch up with." Picking herself up off of the ground, Karolina starts to hover upwards, moving with a fairly slow velocity to kinda draw near that very balconly that WG and Miguel were on.
"I can meet him another time." Miguel says, shrugging both shoulder negligently though in truth he was hoping to see the tight spandex clad hero this trip. "I am meeting two Titans already and that is enough! Wait till I tell Lupe back home that I met Wonder Girl. You are her favorite, even more than Supergirl is. She has your poster on her wall." he confides. "I will have to call her later. OR! Would you let me take your picture and I can send it to her?"
Wonder Girl is looking mostly amused intil this Lupe person is brougth up. The, her smile widens, becoming brighter even than the dazzling one she shows when publicly being Wondy. "Really? Wow, yeah sure!" She gestures for Karo to come sit next to her onthe balcony ledge, "Take a picture, go for it. If you have time to bring us a print, I bet we can even sign it for you." She glances at her friend to make sure that's an ok thing to offer.
"Of course I can sign it for her too, but if ~you're~ her real hero - well, what about if I hold the camera, and you can show that you really did meet Wonder Girl?" Karolina asks. At that moment, though, she was kinda slowly drifting over towards Wonder Girl there on the balcony, holding her hand out to grab ahold of it and yank herself up to a sit there. It seemed easier for her to do that, then to fly over there herself.
"Yes!" Bunker almost bounces on his platform. "Lucy do join Wonder Girl. Lupe will be SO excited to have a picture of the both of you! She will make me a cake next time I am home and we will finally be even for the time she convinced Raphael to let me kiss him." At Karolina's offer he shakes his head but then pauses. "Wait. That is a most wonderful idea. We will all be in the picture!"
Wonder Girl bites her lip, trying not to laugh. Its nice, though, to meet someone so... happy. "Mmmm... how are you gonna do that? Got a timer on the camera or something?"
Karolina was grateful to laugh, really. There was a moment, though, as she kinda settles there on the ledge, before she brings her hand up to her bracelet, pulling it off. She blossoms into a rainbow corona of energy, her entire body shimmering with light as she tucks the bracelet back into her pocket. "And even if we can... well, we can turn it around so that we're looking out over the city, and put it on a chair or something?" she asks, glancing over her shoulder back into the Tower.
Bunker starts rummaging in a backpack that was on the platform by his feet and after a moment comes up with a digital camera. "A timer, no. I shall use bricks!" Holding the camera up to his eye, he adjusts the focus till it perfectly frames Lucy and Wonder Girl with room for him in between. "Oh, pretty!" he comments about Karolina's rainbow and then little bricks start appearing under and around the edges of the camera to hold it in place and one little brick appears hovering right over the button to activate it. "Perfect!" The surf board zips over to the balcony and Bunker hops off it and poses between the two girls. "Cheese!" And the little brick moves down and *CLICK* *FLASH* picture taken.
Wonder Girl watches the display of bricks with interest. She's ready, though, when Bunker takes his place. Smiling brightly, she leans in close and raises a hand as though to wave at the camera.
"Oh, that's clever," Karolina begins, noting the use of bricks. Karolina was much less cool. She leans in towards Wonder Girl and raises a hand, holding index and middle fingers apart in the 'peace' sort of symbol, even going so far as to bring up a hand and rest on Bunker's shoulder as she does so.
The brick framework holding the camera floats over to Bunker and disappears as he takes it in hand. He looks to see the picture and beams. "Magnifico!" He holds the camera so the others can see it. "She will love me forever and show the entire village who will all oo and ah about it."
Laughing, Wonder Girl leans back to a more comfortable position, "Very cool. Glad to hear it. And cool powers, by the way." She leans back on her hands, the balcony being quite wide enough, and regards the purple-clad hero, "So how long you planning to be here?"
Karolina nods in agreement with Cassie, giving Bunker's shoulder a squeeze before she straightens up, and scoots over to give him some room. A little smile dances on her lips, and she inclines her head just so to the side. "Definitely cool. You should try to find a superhero team to join. They would be glad to have you, for sure."
Bunker turns the camera off and puts it back in the backpack which remains on the platform. "Oh, I do not plan to leave America. It is a most wonderful place full or wonderful things and people and I am having much too much fun. Especially if the Avengers will let me and my friends join them." he agrees, nodding to Karolina.
"Ahah." Wonder Girl seems to get it, "Is that why you want to meet Nightwing, by any chance? Looking to join our little group?" It would be nice, she thinks, to have some more males on the team. Even if they'll be just as inclined to want to go dancing with Aqualad as she is.
Now, of all the complaints Karolina could make about the Titans, being female-heavy wasn't one of them. Not just for /that/ reason - she just was a bit more comfortable around women. "They do say it is a stepping stone into the Justice League - if the Justice League needs help, they'll look to us, right?" she says, glancing towards Wonder Girl at first, before she turns her smile to Bunker.
"I want to meet Nightwing because he is so strong and handsome." Bunker tells Wonder Girl and gives her and Karolina a knowing look. "The costume he wears, it is very tight, si?" But he did come to America for that reason in fact. "I have friends in New York and we are hoping to join the Avengers. If they say no... Could we all join? Wiccan and Axiom, they are very brave and powerful and make very good heroes. You would be proud to have them on your team."
Wonder Girl laughs, "It sure is. And I'll let him know you're interested. In joining, that is." Cause other interests are not hers to share. "We're always happy to have more members. But you'll have to meet him first, stuff like that's up to him in the end."
There was a flush of color from Karolina, and she brings up a hand to scratch at her own cheek. "Well; like she said, Nightwing is the person in charge of such things. I believe I met Axiom, though - ask him about weird rats, sometime," she says towards Bunker, before looking towards Wonder Girl.
Bunker nods. "I would be honored to be one of the Titans if the Avengers decide not to let me join. I will need to talk to the other though and see what they think. I would miss them even if it is only a flight of a couple hours to visit and Wiccan can just teleport him and Axiom here but you do have a very nice tower and I can not live in Thor's apartment forever even if he is being nice because I am Axiom's friend."
Cassie is looking thoughtful when she hears Thor's name. Her eyebrows go up in interest, "Thor, huh? He's cool. And I think... I think Wiccan came to our original meeting. He left, but I can't remember why. I had wanted to look him up though, and talk to him about it."
"Perhaps it was something said at the meeting? I just showed up and asked to join, one day. Kinda like what you're doing," Karolina says, picking up a foot to kinda waggle at Bunker. She seemed... more relaxed, smiled a lot easier with the bracelet off. Although Wonder Girl would probably be the one to notice that.
"Thor is very generous." Bunker agrees. "And he has the best meat and a drink called mead that Senior Ortega could only wish to be able to brew at home it is that strong and tasty. If you've already met Wiccan and Axiom, that makes things easy then. I can't wait to go tell them about this since we all do the same things anyway right?"
Cassie nods with Lina, "Probably, yeah. it was kinda tension-y." She smiles at Karolina, her smile warming as she notes the happier smile of her froend. Then she sighs happily, "Honey Mead, yeah. Awesome stuff. And sure, yeah, let them know. We can all meet up sometime or something."
"Have lunch, talk about life, the universe, and everything," Karolina says, although she pauses, chewing on her lip a little bit. "Thor... he was kinda that weird guy in the apartment, wasn't he?" she asks, glancing back towards Cassie. "I mean. Eccentric. Thee's, thou's, all that sort of thing?" she asks.
"Meet up and go to the beach!" Bunker agrees, expanding on the idea. "I saw the ocean for the very first time last week and it was SO big and went on FOREVER. But the sand was so soft and the sun was so warm and the waves just rocked back and forth and almost put me to sleep. That would be very nice since there is no beach at home and no real river or lake big enough to swim in." He nods to Karolina. "Yes, that is him. And Sif too who is also a little goddess but, they assure me, they don't demand that anyone be sacrificed to them."
Cassie nods, grinning at Lina. "Yep, Mr. Antiquated speech and manners." Her eyebrows go up as Buker calls Sif 'little'. "Yeah, sure. The beach would be cool, before it gets all coold n' stuff."
"I /love/ the beach. Illyana and I went shopping for swimsuits the other day - I have a wonderful one all ready to go," says Karolina Dean. "Just so long as we bring a volleyball. Then you guys - all you guys, better watch out," she says, that little smile lingering on her lips. "I should hope that they wouldn't ask for anything to be sacrificed to them! That would make me feel all sorts of bad," she says.
"Oh, we used to do that." Bunker confides to Karolina. "But then the priests came a long time ago and taught us that it was wrong so now we don't even though some of the older ones still pray to the little gods and maybe some of the younger ones too because it is best to be on the safe side, si?"
Cassie just offers a tiny luttle laugh of 'did I just hear that right? "Uh, yeah, good to be, uh, careful and stuff." She nods, not sure what to say about that. Sacrificing, and all, not really something she's dealt with outside of discussions with her mother on theology.
Karolina pauses a long moment, considering. But then, there was a return of that smile, and she cants her head a bit to the side. "I suppose. And seeing gods like that in the flesh must be pretty... well... it kinda makes everything like that seem a little more plausible, right? I mean, people didn't just sacrifice things and so on because it was fun," she says. "But... I'm just not sure that 'Thor' is an actual god god. Although... I've been kinda reading up on all the Amazon goddesses. /Those/ are cool," she says.
Bunker gives Wonder Girl a very serious nod. "Si, it is best to be safe and I will never again make fun of those to still try to keep to the old ways as much as they can while still obeying the priest. If I can meet Thor and Sif then why would Tezcatlipoca not exist too? And he is not one you want to make angry." No, never ever.
Wonder Girl grins at Lina, "They are, totally." She nods a little, the name ringing a bell, "And I suppose that is true. I've just always felt pretty squicky about sacrifice and all. But for me, its just something to read about, not something so... real I guess."
"Some of the goddesses seem to be believed by Wonder Woman, for certain," Karolina says, with a little grin dancing into her lips, giving Cassie a little nudge. "I'd feel squicky about sacrifice too, really," she says. Bunker draws her attention, though. "I'm afraid I don't know anything about that god; although from what you are saying, that may be the best?"
"Yes, well, we haven't done any human sacrifices in a very long time." Bunker lets them know. They aren't barbarians after all and the priests let them know that was a very bad thing in His eyes. "You do not know of Tezcatlipoca? One of his names is Smoking Mirror. Every year, there would be a handsome young man, usually a captive from a war, who would be taught to be Tezcatlipoca. He would be treated with the greatest respect , given the finest clothes to wear and food to eat. And then during the feast of Toxcatl, he would have his heart cut out and his flesh flayed from his body and the nobles would eat it and there would be a new young man playing the part of Tezcatlipoca for the next year."
Wonder Girl makes a face, "Yeah, my mom told be about him. Less... with the details, though. His story mirrors many other pagan rituals as well, so she would talk about it sometimes." Yes, she knows about him. Her version was censored, though, and due entirely to knowing her mother.
Karolina couldn't quite help the look of horror that settles unto her face when that story was told. "Oh my god," she says, holding up a hand to her own mouth. "W-well, let's be glad that that guy isn't really worshipped like that anymore, right?"
Bunker nods quite seriously. "Oh, yes. Tezcatlipoca demanded things that were very wicked." As did most of the gods of his ancestors. "But it was dangerous to make him angry." But that was then and this is now and the one God trumps the little gods.
"It was a scary time." Wonder Girl nods. Then she smiles brightly, and oh-so-smoothly changes the subject with, "So! Moving to New York then, yeah? And you're from mexico, then right? That's where Tezapioca's from." Just because she's heard the name doesn't mean she can pronounce it properly. 'So big change and all."
Such a smooth subject change. Karolina goes with it, because wow, it was getting kinda scary. "Well, or maybe Metropolis? I'd probably recommend Metropolis over New York. Because we're here," she says with a wink. "Unless... New York and Metropolis are pretty much the same. I've lived here for a couple months, I still don't know."
"Oh, yes." Bunker agrees. "My village is far south of here in Mexico. It is very small and New York is so big. I am sure everyone in my village could fit in just one of those large apartment buildings and our animals too. Only once did I go to Mexico City with my parents and I thought that was big but New York is so much bigger. And it is true; it never sleeps. Even in the middle of the night when everyone back home would be fast asleep there are people walking around, eating and buying things. It is most amazing. I have never been to Metropolis before this so don't know if they're alike. If I do become a Titan though, I will need to move here. If I become an Avenger, I will stay there. It will be as He wills it to be."
Wonder Girl gives a 'uh, okaaay,' look, but shrugs. "Well, yeah I guess. Wherever. Though," She laughs a little, "Only someon who has lived really and truly small would call a New York apartment large. Unless we're talking Park Avenue or something like that."
Karolina does listen quietly, but ends up bobbing her head with a nod and a smile. "Well, it was great to meet you guys - but I need to meet up with someone for training in fifteen. Talk to Nightwing, Bunker - he'll get you in, I promise," she says with a wink, lifting up off of the balcony, and starting to slowly hover down towards the front.
"Oh, no that is not what I meant. We had lots and lots of room in the village and I would not want to live in such a small place as some I have seen." Bunker tells Wonder Girl. "But there are more people living in one than in my entire village. I do not know how they do it or why they would want to." As Karolina begins to leave, he says "Goodbye Lucy! I am so very glad to have met you and I will most certainly talk to Nightwing if I am not an Avenger!"
"Oh." Wonder Girl laughs and shrugs, "Sorry, I get it." She stands as well, balancing on the ledge, "I'll let him know you stopped by all the same, I'm sure he'll be glad to hear of your interest. And it would be good to know the Avengers as well as the Justice League."
Bunker beams at Wonder Girl then moves forward to try to hug her. "Thank you! And I will send the picture to Lupe as soon as I get back to New York and tell you just how crazy she goes when she gets it. It willl be like the time Raphael ordered a special box of chocolates filled witht hat cream she likes so much from the internet and surprised her with them for her birthday but even better!"