12581/Cafe Diem

Cafe Diem
Date of Scene:	23 December 2020
Location:	Fred's Diner - Mutant Town
Synopsis:	Ted and Kara talk about the past and future over coffee
Cast of Characters:	Blue Beetle (Kord), Supergirl

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Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
Fred's is everything you could expect of an original New York Diner. Clean but not /too/ clean. The scents and sizzling sounds wafting from the kitchen a sure sign that some of the fare served is probably litterly heartstopping. And the coffee?

Mmmm, none of that cappucino/mochachine/lattechonemo stuff. Just real drip coffee. And so what if the waitresses have there arms.. or tentacles.. or tansulscent skin.

Ted ENJOYS this Diner. he may have grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth but his father had a guilty pleasure for places like this and it was one of the few things Ted and him bonded over.

So todat he sits at one of the booths, one of the few obvioulsy human patrons, sipping from a mug of Joe and reading a newspaper. A tablet on the table shows a drones eye view of a building being renovated a few blocks away with the sign of KORD Industries printed along one side.

Supergirl has posed:
Yet another day in the life of a superhero who was pushing herself entirely too hard these days. Trying to keep up with her private life as Kara, attending college classes. Then doing the Justice League and now Titans thing after classes. Then homework before falling asleep and starting the whole thing over again.

It was Superman's fault.

No, not Superman. It was Batman's fault. If Batman hadn't killed Superman leading to those dark days, then she might not be trying to push herself too much to become her famous cousin. Because really? She wasn't that good yet. Still young, still a lot to learn. The Titans were a place where she could work on that more.
Shehe was finishing up with a rescue in Mutant Town, rising into the air and waving goodbye to the purple skinned man and the polka dotted woman along with their little girl who was a blend of both, the girl's kitty now safely out of a tree and in the kid's arms.

A whoosh on the way to head home then she paused, eyeing the coffee shop. Her stomach growled, making her remember what she had forgotten to do. But she couldn't go in like this so she'd just fly home at super speed and--

Someone in the diner window caught her eye and she almost flew right in. But couldn't show up like this. Secret identities and stuff. A quick flight to a nearby shop, money left on the counter to pay for purchase they didn't even see happen. Then she was walking into the shop, dressed in jeans, an ecru sweater with a pair of red boots covering her feet. At least most of the boots were under the jeans. Civilian clothes but no wig or glasses so she was most definitely Supergirl and not Kara Danvers at the moment.

She rushed in, making a beeline for Ted's table.

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
Ted is splitting his attention between the Daily Bugle, muttering about Jameson's rant towrds Spidey being unfair, and the dark metallic blue tablet which has changed it's view from the construction to a pop up rss feed regarding another attack on drug dealers in Hell's Kitchen. He sighs and saves the feeds link and is about to reach for the menu when...

TEd looks up and spots the blonde young woman walking.. no no.. MARCHING in his direction. He blinks once, feeling panicky for some reason he can't figure out.. Then the rec ognition hits him. Because he's seen this person both in costume and, like now, in mufti.

"Ka..." he begins but then shuts his darned mouth! "I mean, Can I help you?"

Supergirl has posed:
"By Rao, it is you!"

The squeal from Supergirl is very obvious. Then she is suddenly in the booth beside him, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a big hug. Not using her full strength by any means, simply enough to give a firm hug then she sits back.

Which leaves her with the moment of can't call him Beetle so time to resort to his real name.

"Mr. Kord! I am such a fan I had to come in when I saw you!" Then she lowered her voice so it wasn't loud enough to be heard. "I...you...is this another Superman thing? I thought you were--y'know, killed."

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
Okay, lets be honest.. Not using her FULL strength is a GOOD thing and Ted is TOTALLY thankful for that, but even RESTRAINED she is STRONG.. And Ted OOFS as she hugs him.

And let consider this. Beetle and Booster were sort of gadflys, and being hugged by a nubile young woman would have brought out the WORST (if funniest) jokes and reactions in them. But Ted seems a bit.. tentative with this contact, gently and awkwardly returning the hug.

"Well I... I thank you" he says to her 'fangirl' routine, but as she releases him and sits down, he taps his tablet and there is a fuzzy sound and the sound of the rest of the cafe goes away.. a KORD Industries privacy field.

Sure that they cannot be overheard he looks back to his fellow cape. "Yes, I'm alive. And yes, I was surprised as YOU are about that at the time." he tells her. "I was in coma for over six months. And when I came out of it I had to take over the company. And to be honest, I didn't feel like going back into the game at the time.. or being around my old.. Associates." he says.. with a bit of emphassis on Ass. "They know I'm alive, not that I think they care." he adds.

Supergirl has posed:
"I'm certain they care," Supergirl says as she takes up her spot beside him. She glances around, curious about the field he put up to block noise. She eyes the tablet a moment then if focused back on him. "I mean things have been kind of crazy. Or maybe they had problems coping. I know that's a thing." Like on a personal level.

"So right now you are just being Ted and giving up being the Blue Beetle? At least for now? I mean what happened? I know you were shot. I thought you were killed but admittedly I wasn't real big in the hero thing yet. Just starting I think when it happened. And you just...woke up? After six months?"

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
Ted Kord looks a bit.. furative.. and then looks down at his coffee. "They care, did they? I told everyone that something was going wrong. That someone was funneling money from KORD industries, through different companies.. Wayne Industries included." he tells her. "I TOLD your cousin that someone had broken in to one of my warehouses and stolen TONS of Kryptonite KORD was securely storing for the government. The /exact/ kryptonite that, i might add, fell to Earth when /you/ landed here. I told Clark. I told the /other/ Kara. I told J'onn, I even told /Batman/. And no one believed me. No one. They brushed me off like I was.. was /nothing/. Only /Booster/ believed me. And he almost got killed when a freaking satelithe destroyed my house."

HE looks up from the cup, looking.. frustrated. "I tracked down who it was. No one else figured it out. /I/ Did. And I was beaten half to death by Max Lord and his robot buddies.. And when I wouldn't join him in trying to rid the world of /super powered induviduals/ he shot me in the head. And I woke up months later in a critical care ward. No one knows how I got to the hospital in the first place. Batman got news that I was in that hospital and told the others. But never found out who saved me from dying. And everyone was /soooo/ sorry about what happened.. and I couldn't take it, so I left."

And with that he closes his eyes shut. "And for the last year and a half since I woke up I have been trying to be the best I could be. By myself."

Supergirl has posed:
As Ted explains what happened, Supergirl pays very close attention. Her face is expressive, brow furrowed as she hears that everyone was told but no one believed him. Only when he finishes does she open her mouth.

"That's--strange. I don't understand why they wouldn't believe you? You're brilliant. Obviously." She waves a hand toward his tablet which is giving them privacy as they speak.

"I don't have any excuses for them. I'm so sorry that I didn't know more. I know. Sorry doesn't help." She sighs. "I didn't even realize you were in a coma or I would've come to visit. Brought flowers. Given you some company and hope." Since the latter was sort of her thing.

Supergirl nibbled her bottom lip a moment. "So we don't know who saved you by getting you to the hospital? Or who did it? I can help. Or try to."

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
Ted looks.. wary now, where just before she showed up (and she saw him through the window) he had looks so much more.. well free maybe? But now he looks older, more worn, and he shakes his head. "It's not strange. We were a joke, Kara. The JLI was a jokle and me and booster were the biggest jokes of all. Lets not lie about it. We knew what was said behind our backs. 'We have good harts, if only our brains were as good'. he says, making an eeire impression of a certain man in dark blat leather tights and a predeliction for flying rodents. 'Always can be couinted on doing the wrong thing'." Same voice.

"It didn't mean anything that I was a genius. That Booster had a heart of TRUE gold and was doing things that even the LEAGUE didn't know he was doing. We were considered third stringers."

HE sips his coffee, then sets it down. "You don't need to apologize, Kara. You didn't do anything wrong. Hell, I don't even know if the rest did anything wrong either because what else should they have thought about me? The Bombastic Blue Beetle." he grunts.

"And it doesn't matter what happened to me. I need to move on. I.. have put the costume on again.. a little.. seeing if I could take it."

Supergirl has posed:
"Could you?" Supergirl asks immediately. She continues before giving him time to really answer though, realizing that the simple two-word question was not getting across the depth of what she actually meant.

"I mean, do you even want to have on the costume? Cause not all heroes have to wear capes or tights. It's just a matter of doing what is right for you. If it's to be the Bombastic Blue Beetle, than great. If it is running your company and creating amazing tech like the thing you are using to keep everyone out of our business? Just as great."

She shakes her head a little bit. "I think a lot of heroes are considered lesser by some others. I mean you have someone like me that can do so much just because I was born on another planet and the sun on this one is the right color. I mean, it's hard to hurt me. How heroic is it really to go running into a fire to save someone if I can't be hurt by fire? But the people like you are more heroic. Like Booster. Having that real danger of being hurt or killed, every single time you put yourself on the line? Maybe others don't respect that enough. Or some are too embroiled in their own problems and egos to move beyond their self-centric isolation to look upon others with more open eyes. I dunno."

She reaches out to try to touch his arm if he lets her. "Do you. That's the only advice I can give. If it doesn't feel right, keep the tights in the closet. If it does, by all means go hit the rooftops."

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
Ted is very silent now.. The entire speech from Kara having robbed him of his voice and sent him into contemplation again as he tries to FIND the words.. It takes a few awkward moments for him. In fact, he doesn't speak OR move until she touches his arm and he finally snaps out of it. "I.. I made a promise." he finally says, quietly. "I made a promise to Dan Garret.. to keep fighting the fight, like he did as the original Blue Beetle. And because I coudln't get that scarab of his to work I had to take a different approach. I had to use my brains, not some magic totem. I had to train my body."

He bites his lower lip. "Maybe.. after a while I didn't take it as serisouly as I should have, but I tried. And if I don't go back to trying I.. I will have broken my promise. Do you get it? So long as I /can/ be The Blue Beetle, I /must/ be the Blue Beetle. Thats why I have been.. sort of secretly running around the city.. And I admit it hasn't been the best so far but.. I need to keep trying. There are people who need me. Not just as some pecenik CEO but as the Beetle. There are.. young heroes, on the street, who need to be shown what they /can/ be."

Becase I know what it's like to know what I /can/ be yet not being it. If I can't be the hero I should be, maybe I can at least help others, rookies, from making all the mistakes I did..."

Supergirl has posed:
"I understand. And as long as you get that, know that in your heart, that's the hard part." As he mentions helping new heroes, Supergirl has to grin though.

"Great minds, as the saying goes. Although I don't consider my mind great. I get some stuff but I'm not a genius like you. But you get the thought at least. I was thinking the same thing though. That I need to learn more, grow more."

She tilts her head a bit, regarding him as she draws her hand back to not be intruding on his personal space. "I was considering starting a team of young heroes for just that. To learn more. Train together. Become better. After I lost Kal last year, I realized how not ready I am. I am a hero, certainly. But I can't do what he does. Not yet. But someday, I might need to again and I want to be ready."

She leans back in her seat. "Then I was approached by Garth of the Titans. Same sort of plan and thought. So I joined up. To try to help myself and others to train to be better so one day, we can fill those big boots in the Justice League should tragedy happen. Again."

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
Ted leans back and his eyes go wider as she explains her 'project' to him. He nods slowly every so often, understanding what she is getting at and.. agreeing with her. He didn't even notice her hand on his. At least he didn't seem to mind it. When she finishes he blinks and his brow furrows in thought.

"First off, Kara. You are a great hero. And you are smart as hell. Fine, I'm classified as a genius but I have done some STUPID stupid things, both as Beetle and as Myself. Genius is just.. a title.. It doesn't mean bad or good. /Hero/ does."

"Second.. Do you think the titans would acceot a bit of.. funding? And some support from an old broken hero like me?" he asks. "Because.. I know these two young street heroes who could use some help, maybe.. If I can talk them in to working with you guys. nd if they accepted I would want to stay close to make sure they are ok."

Supergirl has posed:
"I don't see why they wouldn't. While we get some funding from others too, they don't really do anything hands on. It would be helpful to have someone really there that can offer advice and information," Supergirl says, grinning and leaning forward a little.

"I don't know all the ins-and-outs I admit. I've been part of the group for a couple of months. But not sure what would keep anyone out. We want to help other young heroes. To get them to the point they can do better."

She settles back again. "So do I know these two heroes? Names I've heard?"

Blue Beetle (Kord) has posed:
Ted looks a bit reluctant to name names but.. He KNOWS Kara. Not KNOWS knows but She is perhaps one of the most honest heroes he has met. So he sighs and shrugs. "I dunno if you know them but.. They are called Cloak and Dagger and.. they have had it rough." he admits. "I know their methods are.. harsh.. but thats because of what happened to them and I'm trying to show them a different way. But first I need them to trust me."

"And I think something like the Titans could really help them so.. Please.. Maybe get in touch with Garth for me? And don't tell any of, you know, the 'others' that I'm sorta kinda back in the fold. I don't.. I'm not ready to talk to them yet. I may never be."

Supergirl has posed:
"Don't tell anyone?" Supergirl has to consider that one a bit. Not that she has a problem keeping a secret. After all, there's her identity and that of her cousin. But keeping the secret /from/ her cousin? Now that was getting tricky!

She could do that though. She was certain of it. Almost. Mostly. Sort of. Okay, she'd give it a shot. And pray to Rao for help.

"I'll talk to Garth." There, focusing on the part that was far simpler. "I haven't heard of this Cloak and Dagger. If you manage to get their trust and they are interested, let me know and I'll do what I can."