01 ☼ audio

[hackingyoursensors]

[Suddenly, there's an unfamiliar voice on the network. Young, male, probably prepubescent and very, very familiar to some residents of Keeliai.]

These are some seriously nice digs. It's hard to believe that they have so many rooms "just in case," so I'm guessing this might be little more common than I was lead to believe. Do they employ kedan to wander around the Shell's Edge, plucking people out of the ocean? I wonder what you'd put on your resume: Plucker of Maybe Dead People Out of a Magical Ocean?

[The joke sounds slightly strained, but joking tends to make him feel a little more at ease.]

Anyway, I got the basic rundown from those kedan. Very friendly guys-- at least I think they were guys. But it'd be nice to have confirmation from more than one person. No offense to them, but I like cross-checking my sources.

And while we're on the subject: does anyone know anything about the Emperor? The kedan didn't speak about him too much.

Comments

[ Permavideo ]

[sciencewhizard]

[ Day off from work, he's just browsing the network, and what does he see? Only his best friend in the world. Is it any surprise that a video feed opens right up with a gingerhaired speedster practically bouncing in place? ]

Dude! Didn't think you'd make it here too!

[ Permavideo ; encrypted 70% ]

[hackingyoursensors]

[It takes him a second to reply (he has to set a stronger encryption) but oh man he's so relieved to see KF]

KF! Man, I'm glad to see you. What about everyone else? Are they okay? Did Klarion do this?

[sciencewhizard]

[ Wally paused - how to explain this... ]

No, not Klarion, as far as I know. There are a few people from back home.

[ Or so he thinks; he's yet to find out the truth about Bruce and Clark. ]

A reporter from Metropolis and... [ He scratches his cheek, nervousness growing. ] Mr. Wayne.

[hackingyoursensors]

[Reporter from Metropolis... that could be a lot of people. So it's only a slight possibility it's Superman. And--]

Bruce is here? But I thought the worlds were supposed to merge back together not send us to-- what did they call it-- a world between death and dreams.

[sciencewhizard]

I dunno, dude - I'm still not buying that "death and dreams" thing.

[ Too much like magic; not admitting that anytime soon. ]

But everything else the kedan told you was pretty much true. But talk about bad timing; it was almost New Year's Day when I got here!

[hackingyoursensors]

Same here. But I'm honestly not sure what to believe at this point.

[Not enough information. It's driving him nuts.]

Wait-- New Year's?

[sciencewhizard]

...

[ Crud. He wasn't expecting another case of time travel. ]

Dude, what's the last thing you remember?

[hackingyoursensors]

[He looks puzzled but obliges.]

The world was split in two-- one for us and one for adults. We were fighting Klarion and I got KO'd, I think, and woke up here.

[sciencewhizard]

Dude, that was all the way back in November! A lot's happened since then.

[hackingyoursensors]

Dude, what're you talking about?

[sciencewhizard]

Last thing I remember is New Year's Eve.

[ There was a bit of hesitation - should he say this next bit...? Why not? This was his best friend. ]

You don't remember anything about the battle on the Watchtower?

[hackingyoursensors]

I've never even been to the Watchtower.

[Er...]

Uh, maybe we should talk in person. Batman would kill us if he saw us talking like this over the network.

[sciencewhizard]

Ri-

[ He said "Batman." No one had confirmed it for him yet, but... ]

Right. By the way, dude - the world's safe back home, for now.

[ He wasn't putting the weight of some of their losses on his friend. Not now. ]

[hackingyoursensors]

[Well, he meant "if Batman were here" but it doesn't quite occur to him to phrase it any other way.

Though it's a moot point because Batman is here.]

It sounds like it took a lot of... unexpected turns to get there between now and New Years'.

[sciencewhizard]

You have no idea.

[ In hindsight - with those couple of weeks he's had to process everything from that battle, he could enjoy that victory even more. He chuckled. ]

I'll tell you in person.

[hackingyoursensors]

You better.

Where do you want to meet?

[Because finding Wally right off the bat (lol pun) was probably the best thing that could've happened to him here. He already feels infinitely better.]

[sciencewhizard]

First thing's first, what sector do they have you in?

[ Not like he had to worry about time with getting most places on the turtle, but it might help in setting things up. ]

[hackingyoursensors]

Wood.

[sciencewhizard]

Dude. SCORE. We're probably neighbors!

[hackingyoursensors]

Seriously? Awesome!

[sciencewhizard]

I could zip by your place tomorrow, let you get settled today?

[hackingyoursensors]

Yeah. We can throw the best and smallest housewarming party this place has seen.

[sciencewhizard]

Haha, I'll definitely bring the food. Just let me know what suite and I'll be there.

[ Though he still wasn't totally used to the substitutes the Kedan had on here. ]

[hackingyoursensors]

WO-3A.

And make sure you bring at least a little food for me too.

[sciencewhizard]

...

[ Spazzing. Can he be seen spazzing? He's spazzing. ]

You're practically next door! I'm in WO-2A!