12284/Seeing Things

Seeing Things
Date of Scene:	04 August 2022
Location:	Main Room - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Freddy meets Vorpal. Amazingly, he still wants to join the team after that! Also featuring: The dooming of Kian.
Cast of Characters:	Terry O'Neil, Freddy Freeman, Kian

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Terry O'Neil has posed:
The Tower, for once, seems to be in relative peace. At this very moment, there happens to be no member of the Titans currently trapped in a knot of probability that has caused them to stop existing and instead manifested an alternate version of them. No member of the Titans is currently trapped in a pocket universe where they have to force themselves to dream a world into being. Not a single person has fallen into a black hole and ended up in a bizarro reality. The Fearsome Five haven't attacked recently, and absolutely no-one has been swallowed by the mystical manifestation of trauma and loss.

Things can get pretty weird around the Titans, what can I tell ya?

Vorpal awoke in the med-bay just a little bit ago, to find that he was alone. That isn't quite true- Gar was asleep in the medbay, but in the shape of something not immediately noticeable, so the Cheshire assumed he was alone. This is not alarming in and of itself for him, as people have their schedules. What was alarming was that he was fiersomely /hungry/, his body catching up to two weeks' worth of magical inactivity. And he didn't quite trust his legs still. What was a feline to do? He needed food. He had the mad munchies.

They do say that necessity is the mother of invention. The elevator *dings* and opens up on the main room's floor, and a squeak squeak squeak squeak can be heard before the source of it is seen.

Vorpal emerges from the elevator, sitting cross-legged on one of the wheeled tables where medical implements and the like are usually stored (now scattered across the floor in the medbay). And he propels himself by virtue of a mop he had found in the cleaning closet. And, thusly, he slowly propels himself, like the strangest pirate on dry land, rowing towards treasure.

"Yo ho, Yo ho
A bagel's right for me
We love the poppy, the garlic, the berry
Eat up, me 'arties, yo ho-"

He starts chanting. The progress he is making is precarious, at one moment veering towards the sunken pit where the massive couch is. To avoid it, he uses his 'oar' in various maneuvers, the result of which leave the feline spinning in one place for a moment before he manages to stop himself, slightly dizzy and greenish.

"... I'd be sick except I've got nothing to be sick /with/..."

Freddy Freeman has posed:
Walk-thunk-walk-thunk-walk-thunk. A scrawny young man with a metal crutch is making his way over to the kitchen. He was let in a couple of hours ago. He wanted to geek out big time at Titans Tower! He still can't believe that he is allowed to just, you know, hang out at TITANS-FRICKIN-TOWER! After playing a couple of hours of Injustice 2, the eternally hungry kid decided to get something to eat. He's not used to having such free and open access to so much food. The Vasquez's do their best to keep all of the foster kids fed, but sometimes food can get in a little bit of a short supply.

Then the elevator opens and...yeah...out comes a humanoid cat riding a medical cart. Freddy blinks a few times, and a broad smile crosses his features easily. "Hi," he says, lifting his free hand in a brief wave. "You're Vorpal!" Yeah, Freddy is a massive superhero and comic book nerd. "I have an action figure of you, mint in package still. There's no...there's no cart or mop though."

Kian has posed:
    Half drowsed on the couch is one birdman, who wakes up a bit at the *ding* and... just watches with bemusement as the Good Ship Cheshire attempts the dangerous crossing of the Great Sargasso Lounge.  Or that's how Kian might think of it if he had a full and complete grounding in Terran nautical culture.
    He does *not* get up to help, at least not yet, although he can't help but giggle at Freddy's reaction.  "Yes, that's Vorpal all right... who didn't stop to think that if he needed something he could have just called me on the T-Com... or that they make wheeled chairs that he could've used instead of a table and mop."
    He flits over and engages the brake on one of the cart's wheels.  "What were you looking for, /tenar'h/?  I can get it for you and you won't have to risk piloting your cart through a window."
    Someone is familiar with the cat's luck.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal blinks very slowly in Freddy's direction, as if to first reassure himself that he is not having a hallucination. He is still having flashbacks to dreaming Wonderland, and he occasionally feels like reality is exceedingly malleable. That happens when you spent weeks dreaming up a land. You come out feeling like you've got extra geography attached. He moves his peninsulas-- no... arms, arms, he's got arms-- to row him closer to the person talking to him before Kian puts the breaks on his nautical attempt. He shoots the Akiar a blank look, probably to make sure Kian is really there. Once he has done that, he says: "Food! Food, I am starving to death! I have been abandoned to my fate, to languish and perish in the inhospitable wilds of the sterile medical wing! For shame and for--"

He turns his head to look at Freddy again, remembering he had spoken. "Y-you know me? Wait- there's, there's an /action figure?"

It is no fault of Freddy's, Donna has been trying to tell Terry for over a year now that, as a Titan, he was recognizable now. He'd helped them save the world about as many times as they'd gotten lost in a paralell dimension or other. Like it or not, he was public. There would be toys, bobbleheads, posters. But he was the kid who had grown up with posters and action figures of the original Titans - the team knows, they've seen his room, Raven /took pictures/ as ammunition- and it is still wildly incomprehensible that someone, out there, might have a poster of /him/ in his bedroom.

"I... uh... er... I'm Vo- no wait you already know that," the Cheshire cat says, rubbing the back of his neck, and then he extends a hand, balancing precariously over the edge of the table, "It's nice to meet you-- you must be a new person! I haven't met you on account of the fact that I was being a country." He pauses, and reconsiders, "Although might still be one. I don't know. I'm a little hazy on the details. And I think I've got a cramp in my Fjords. And I feel a cold front co-- nevermind me! Whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?" he says, flashing the trademark Cheshire grin.

Which then falters a little as he gives Freddy a look-over, "You /are/ real, right? I know it's a weird question but things are /weird/ for me right now."

Freddy Freeman has posed:
Freddy is a sensitive young man, very attuned to the wellbeing (or lack thereof) of others. When Terry begins to wail and moan about being so hungry and having been abandoned, Freddy looks hesitantly to Kian in that Please-Fix-This-Situation type of look. He quickly walk-thunk-walk-thunks over to the counter where a box containing single-serving bags of chips lies. He quickly grabs a bag of Fritos and walk-thunk-walk-thunks over to Terry to set the snack on the HMS Weird Cat.

Again that easy smile finds his face and settles in like that is its usual home -- and, in fact, it is -- though with just a tiny tinge of sadness elicited by Terry's curious behavior. "Y-yeah, I'm real," he says, once more flashing Kian an uncertain glance. "My name is Freddy Freeman. I've been hangin' around here for a week or two. I'm trying to join the Titans!" He beams proudly at that as he accepts Terry's hand and shakes. All 145 pounds of him, complete with a physical disability and a crutch, stands there shaking Terry's hand and talking about becoming a Titan! "Right, Kian?" he says, as though he's well aware of how silly his story seems.

Kian has posed:
    Kian is still giggling as he heads for the kitchen too.  "If it helps, Freddy, this is weird even by /his/ standards.  We think he'll return to normal... he'll return to *his* normal soon, but he's right, the last several weeks have been, nnh... hard to explain.  He was supporting a whole world by himself, or at least with some help from a caterpillar and -- I suppose that's not making this sound any less weird.  Terry has some psychological recuperating to do.  I won't promise he'll make sense when he's feeling better, but he'll definitely make more sense than he does now."
    He brings bagels and cream cheese over, since Terry was singing about those.  And without thinking about it, the birdman puts his hand on Terry's shoulder -- and then removes it, after his feathers fluff out and slowly re-settle.  Oops.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Fritos /and/ bagels! This is a repast fit for a king- and I should know, I was one for two weeks!" Vorpal says, and greedily starts to eat, decimating a good amount of the bag before Kian brings his bagel over. So intent is he on getting his bites in, that he doesn't notice Kian's reaction, and is for the moment oblivious to the fact that his winged boyfriend has been subjected to a heavy dose of the distilled psychic essence of Salvador Dali meets Rube Goldberg meets Tangerine Dream.

Part of Vorpal's soul is from Wonderland, and so he is never one to assume what someone might or might not be able to do. "You want to be a Titan? Oh, that's wonderful, Freddy!" He turns to Kian, "Why didn't you tell me we had a new prospective? I love meeting prospectives!" he turns back to Freddy, nary giving Kian any time to answer, "Oh you must tell me all about it-" he slides off the table in order to stand up. That is still, however, a bad idea, as his mind's center of gravity seems to be in a different world. He starts tilting to one side, and his feet follow, slowly side-stepping himself across the floor while trying to regain the notion of what 'upright' means. He grabs a hold of the edge of the kitchen island and clings to it, like a shipwreck survivor clinging to a floating door that two people /clearly/ could occupy without issue but which narrative convenience renders a sole-occupant seat, apparently.

"... as I was saying, you must tell me more, Freddy! Did somebody bring you in? What can you do? Dish, dish as well as you dished those Fritos."

Freddy Freeman has posed:
Despite the fact that one of his arms is occupied holding the metallic crutch that is compensating for his defective leg, Freddy acts quickly to walk-thunk after Terry, holding one of his upper arms to help steady the hero until he is safely leaning against the kitchen island. From ship to sea to island. He flashes a concerned look to Kian.

"My...my sister is a member here. Mary Bromfield. I'm a member of the Shazamily," he bleats excitedly. What Terry doesn't know is that this is one of the first times he has been able to say the word 'Shazam' without actually transforming. It's a skill he has been practicing in the Rock of Eternity following an embarrassing series of unintentional transformations right here in this very part of the Titans Tower.

He touches his chest with his free hand. "I transform into Pantheon, like Mary transforms into Mary Marvel." He looks at Terry with his eyebrows steepled up in the middle, like he is unsure if he just made an ass of himself in front of someone who's action figure is displayed proudly with the remainder of his collection of posters and action figures and graphic novels and other nerdly paraphernalia in his bedroom.

Kian has posed:
    Kian can but shrug at Freddy's look of concern -- Terry is a handful at the best of times.  "We couldn't really tell you a new person was here because you weren't here to tell at the time," the birdman explains patiently.  "And you're still supposed to be recovering, Terry, don't overexert yourself."
    He leans close and adds, "I *will* call your mother if I have to."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Oh, that makes sense," Terry says to Kian, "Next time I'm not here, I'll make sure to be here so I don't miss out." He pauses, and although his fur prevents him from blanching, the threat of his mother has an effect. Grabbing a hold of the island, he swings himself up so that he is sitting on the counter. Normally he moves like a cat: the precision of a gymnast, the elegance of dancer, yada yada yada. Right now, though, the Cheshire seems to have all of the coordination of a pair of octopuses on dry land trying to make their way across a field of greased marbles. He barely misses knocking over a pitcher of water. "No need to call mom, I'm fine, I'm fine!" he says, and then focuses back on Freddy, the Cheshire grin is on again.

"Aw, you're Mary's brother? We love Mary! So you do the magical transformation thing too? That's cool- hey, we've got /that/ in common!" he chuckles, "Although I don't get the Wisdom of Suleiman, the strength of Hermokrates or the power of zoos... that sort of thing-" he pauses, slightly confused. "... I think I got that wrong..."

Nevermind. "Pantheo- WAIT!" A lightbulb goes off over Vorpal's head. A literal lightbulb appears over his head, floating in midair, and turns on. "Hey, we were in that show together that Tigra ran, the match game! That must have been... what... two years ago?" he tries to remember. Time is in flux for him. Everything is in flux, so it's hard to tell, "'course I didn't recognize you 'cause you were all Shazzamed up." He smiles, "It's really nice to meet both sides of you now. I'll say the Titans will be mighty lucky to get not just one Shazzamily member but two. Ain't that right, Kian?" He turns.

Kian isn't there. Because he's on the other side. "Isn't that right, Kian?" he turns, facing the right direction this time, his bagel half-forgotten in his hand.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
Freddy's already-smiling face lights up another notch or two. He points with one finger. "Oh a cat and a bird! You guys should be fighting if a childhood of watching cartoons has taught me anything!" Yeah. Freddy is a nerd and sometimes he says nerdy things. At the mention of Match Game momentarily shifts the majority of his weight to his right leg so he can clap his hands together once. "Heck yeah!" he blurts out. "Match Game. My brother was there. Beastboy. A bunch of other people. It was a rad time!"

Now that the excitement is starting to die down a bit, Freddy remembers why he started the sojourn from video game to kitchen: he's hungry! He walk-thumps himself over to the box of chips. He grabs a bag of Funyuns and a bag of cool ranch Doritos. He starts to turn away to return to the conversation, but decides to grab a second bag of Funyuns, you know, just in case. Then walk-thump-walk-thump back to the kitchen island. Seems like it must be a drag to constantly haul himself around with that thing. But if it bothers Freddy in even the slights bit, there is no outward sign of hit. Never once does the lively sparkle leave his eyes, never once does his happy smile fade. He just seems genuinely glad to be here.

He tears open the Doritos and starts munching away happily. "So I take it something happened?" he says/asks to the room in general. "Like Vorpal was injured or somethin'?" Freddy beams. "C'mon, what's the scoop? I need my insider bennies!"

Kian has posed:
    Kian blinks at Freddy with a clear lack of understanding.  "Why should we fight?  I don't want to fight with Terry!"
    Kian /has/ particularly resisted watching cartoons with cat and bird violence, Terry will know.  They just don't make any sense to him.
    "No, Terry wasn't injured as such.  He was propping up a world when it was in danger of falling apart," he explains briefly.  "And I would still like to know who knocked me out to keep me from staying with him."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal laughs, "Oh you'd think we'd be going Tweetie and Sylvester, but it couldn't be further from the truth." He sticks his tongue out at Kian, "Although his people do have stories of demons that look remarkably like cats and I have decided, for the sake of our relationship, to completely ignore those stories as nothing more than unflattering propaganda propagated by some canine aliens that must have swung by his world at the dawn of his people's prehistory." He reaches over to grab Kian's hand, and then realizes what that would entail in his current condition, and stops himself. "Irrational superstitions about cats aside, the three of us are perfectly happy. When one of us isn't falling into another reality." And by 'one of us' he mostly means himself. Something Kian will no doubt take great pleasure in pointing out.

To Kian's exaplanation, he elaborates: "Well... long story short. Or at least I'll try... part of me is from Wonderland. You know... Cheshire cat and all. Wonderland was created by the Red King, who was a wizard of sorts, to escape the trauma of his dead daughter. And then Alice fell through a rabbit hole - a portal between the worlds - and started asking lots of questions, and those questions made the king's subconscious start remembering what he had been trying to forget, so the Jabberwock was born. And it was the embodyment of all the king's trauma, and wanted to kill him, thus putting Wonderland at risk."

He pauses, trying to decide how much to say, or whether to summarize. Monopolizing the conversation, he has been told, is impolite, so he decides to take a big shortcut. "And so we went to Wonderland and fixed things. But that meant that the Red King no longer was hiding from his past. And he didn't need to dream the dream anymore so he left. Which made Wonderland start to disappear... so I and two other Wonderlanders took his place and started dreaming the world into existence again. And I spent two weeks... being Wonderland, I guess?"

He glances over at Kian, "And then... Raven and Troia went and talked to someone very pale and someone who looed like a colorful mess and they came up with a way to save Wonderland without me having to be there trapped, dreaming it. And now I'm here... and my mind is still... recovering from thinking I'm Wonderland."

He reaches over to grab the pitcher of water. He misses it by at least a foot, "It's going well."

Freddy Freeman has posed:
At Kian's words about not wanting to fight Terry, Freddy's expression grows embarrassed and sympathetic. "Oh, Kian, I didn't mean that literally. I'm so sorry. I was just talking about silly cartoons. I'm sorry if I offended you!"

As Terry resumes his tale, Freddy idly munches on salty snacks while he listens raptly to Terry's. He's a very active listener, which probably makes him a satisfying audience for a raconteur. His eyes go wide at several points. His lips part as he exhales an audible breath a couple of times. At least once he pauses with a Funyun held halfway between the bag and his mouth.

"That. Is. The. Dopest. Story. I. Have. Ever. Heard." the young godling murmurs. "So what would have happened if Wonderland disappeared?" he murmurs in a low, awed voice.

Kian has posed:
    Kian shivers.  "I don't want to think about what happens if there is no Wonderland.  I'm afraid Terry might disappear with it."
    He pours Terry a tumbler of water since the cat's aim is less than optimal, and presses the glass into his hand just to be sure.  "I'm not offended," he explains to Freddy.  "I just don't understand how it's supposed to be entertaining.  It must be an Earth thing."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry proceeds to be Cultural Ambassador, and translates for Kian. "Birds are often prey animals to cats, who are natural hunters. That rivalry has become a cultural meme, and since the dawn of animation creators have pitched birds and cats against each other in enmity for comedic effect, though they never kill each other in cartoons. It's mostly slapstick fights and pranks." He carefully sips the water, at least he remembers how throats work.

He looks thoughtful for a moment. "If Wonderland were no more, then it's likely a large part of me would simply vanish. I'd... be human again. But I'd also feel like a large part of me was missing, like that one time when my Doppelganger stole my soul. When Gar had the Cheshire in him it wasn't so bad because we were close by and he could give it back at any time, but if Wonderland vanished then..." he says quietly, "It'd be gone. Out, like a candle," he says, paraphrasing the famous Tweedle quote.

And then he brightens up, "But we don't need to worry about /that/, it's all come to a good ending, and all we need to do is..." he pauses, and gives Kian a sidelong glance, "... perform three favors for a being of indescribable power and of an incomprehensible nature.... are you /sure/ you made the right tradeoff here?"

Back at Freddy, "In any case, have you met the rest of the team? If you want to join, you definitely have to meet Vic. And Gar. Donna! You couldn't have just a bit ago because she was busy not existing at the time, but she's existing now, so you shouldn't have any trouble." He grins, confident in the fact that this makes perfect sense. And, sadly, none of it is made up.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
Freddy is quickly coming to the conclusion that attempting to understand or keep up with the antics of this being known as Vorpal is a fool's errand. Freddy does, after all, have access to the Wisdom of Solomon. So he just more or less decides to roll with. And when Terry gets to the optimistic part of the tale, Freddy's face brightens immediately. "Hell yeah. It all worked out in the end." He glances back and forth between Vorpal and Kian, seeming to be pleased with what he takes in.

"I haven't met most of the team, I don't think," Freddy replies as he hobbles over to the fridge to get a Mtn Dew. Not exactly a health food nut, this one. "I met Kian, of course. I've known Bart for a few years now, he is basically sponsoring me here. I met Wally and Irie and Kaida and Caitlin." Freddy screws up his youthful face in concentration. "Probably one or two more that I'm forgetting." He pops open the soda can and takes a massive pull from it, draining at least two thirds of the can in one, long drink.

Kian has posed:
    "Meeting the rest of the team is easier now that you've met Terry," Kian says with a grin.  "Except for maybe Raven.  She can be challenging."
    The bird is a diplomat sometimes.
    "I wouldn't worry too much about the team.  We're a pretty easy to get along with bunch."  He briefly brushes Terry's shoulder for another taste of cat brain, and his feathers ruffle.  "You may have to watch out for being pulled through holes in the universe or being sucked into ancient boxes or whatever."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Oh, Kian. That doesn't happen to /everybody/" Vorpal grins, "He makes it sound like an epidemic. It's only happened... what, twice?" He starts counting on his fingers, but suddenly begins suspecting he has more fingers than he should, or fewer, and that he can't tell the difference. He stares at his hands for a few seconds. "But you've already met Gar- he's my other boyfriend, so you just gotta meet the rest of the crew. I know!"

He holds up a finger in the air, as someone who just had a brilliant idea. "We will have a pizza party to welcome you in, and you can meet the others! That's an excellent idea. I should be rewarded for it." He nods sagely. "So what made you want to join the Titans?" He asks, reaching up to wrap his arms around his knees to sit comfortably on the counter. Fortunately Caitlin is not around to yell at him to keep his feet off.

"Bart is the nicest hummingbird! With that sponsor, you're pretty much considered a shoo-in, I think. Things do get a little crazy around here, sometimes," he says, speaking as if he is dropping the news scoop of the year, "But by and large it's okay. We get along well, we have pizza together, and we're pretty much like a big, noisy family."

He rubs the back of his neck and smirks a little, "Technically speaking I guess you could consider me one of the founding members of the second iteration of the team. But that isn't important- no-one's voice is louder than the others'." He pauses and taps his chin, "Unless you're Black Canary. But since you aren't, then it's a moot point."

He stifles a yawn, and shakes his head, "Geez, you'd think I wouldn't be gettin' sleepy after snoozing for two weeks..."

Freddy Freeman has posed:
It's curious how when Kian mentions getting pulled through holes in the universe or getting sucked into ancient boxes, Freddy looks excitedly at the winged, avian hero, his eye gleaming with energy. But when Terry dismisses it as a rarity, the young godling seems almost disappointed. Everyone wants adventure when they're young.

"Well who WOULDN'T want to be a Titan," Freddy launches into an excited ramble. "You guys stand firm when shit gets..." He blink-blink-blinks. "Oh...is it...should I not swear in here?" His cheeks redden a bit. "...when *stuff* gets rough. The immortal elders and my brother, Billy, have shared a rare power with me. It's my responsibility to use it to help those who can't help themselves. And what better place than from Titans Tower? To be a part of something bigger than myself." He shrugs. "Plus my sis and Bart are so dope, and if they think this is a place to do good from then I'm all onboard." And he downs the last of the soda in the can he's holding. His eyes glitter playfully when he quips, "Plus I'm gonna bring in all my Titans trading cards and posters and get you guys to sign 'em so they go up in value!" Insert impish grin here.

Kian has posed:
    Kian chuckles.  "I didn't even know what a Titan *was* and I became one without realizing it.  The Tower has a way of drawing people in if they're not careful."
    He reaches into the fridge and pulls out a pitcher of what looks like purple Kool-Ade.  It's labeled with his name, so it might not be merely that.  "But Terry is right, Bart is a good one to introduce you, and Mary has been around for... well, I don't know how long."
    He takes a long pull on his drink.  "Oh, but you'll want to keep an eye out for the little robot vacuum cleaners," he adds without further clarification.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry shakes his head and grins, "You don't need to worry too much about swearing unless Caitlin is around. Then she will shake the swear jar at you." He thumbs in the direction of the jar, which sports enough quarters and dollar bills to potentially buy them a vacation in Aruba at this point. "But your reasons are perfectly valid, we always welcome people with hearts just like yours. I mean, I'm not surprised, you're a Shazamfam. You have been deemed worthy by powers far wiser than I." He grins, "Oh... and Donna is an actual Titan. Like, a Titan of Myth, so she's kind of an extended family to some of your godly patrons. Isn't that cool? I have been meaning to ask her if we could go to Themyscira for a week's vacation, since we've all been so stressed. Maybe you can come along, if you can spare to be away for a week."

He yawns again, and shakes his head, "Man... I'd better get back to the med wing and take a couple of z's."

He glances at the bird man with a raised eyebrowm " The roombas are perfectly FINE, Kian. I haven't glitter-bombed the tower in a long time and my magical glitt..." he pauses.

Then he remembers.

"Oh... Garfield was Cheshire for a bi-"

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

It's a sound that comes down the corridor, and then it finally is upon them. At least a dozen little roombas march by them, attired in little scraps of cloth that approximate what a marching band uniform would look like, if it were designed to fit the disk-like shape of a Roomba. The dozen or so roombas seem to be playing little instruments made of scrap metal and plastic, some vaguely recognizable, others a whole new invention. The merry caravan passes by our heroes, plinking and plonking away in an electronic and rather janky version of 'Come Follow The Band' from the musical 'Barnum', and disappear up into the corridor leading to the women's dorm.

Where Raven's room is.

"Soooooooo I think it's time i went to take another nap for realz, yo." The Cheshire slides off the island and grabbing on to the wheeled table, he starts making his way back to the elevator. Colliding with things seems like a secondary danger when compared to what might happen if Raven comes across the parade. "Freddy, it's a pleasure to meetcha! Let's get together for that pizza party, ok?"

Ding, the elevator.

"That's my ride! Byee!" he vanishes into it, and the doors close.

Good luck, Kian.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
When Vorpal says he was deemed worthy by wise powers, that right there hit The Nerve. Freddy looks downward, his cheeks growing pink and his eyes glistening, bordering on teary. That's where he lives, right there, at that junction of power and trust. It's why he walks around with with a smile on his face when he has to use a crutch and a leg that will never stop hurting for all the days of his life when he could simply transform into Pantheon. He doesn't believe that his powers -- really, the powers that were loaned to him -- should be used lightly and without justification.

"Thanks, Vorpal," he whispers huskily, emotionally. He swallows heavily, still looking down. "Thank you."

Once he composes himself, he looks over Kian and offers the winged hero an honest-to-goodness, aw-shucks Freddy smile. "Nice t'see you again, Kian."

Walk-thunk-walk-thunk-walk-thunk-walk-thunk to the elevator, where he will go down and call an Uber. Under no circumstances would this kid transform just to make it easier to get home.

Kian has posed:
    Kian sees Freddy to the elevator.  "And you.  You'll definitely want to meet the rest of the team."
    Of course, Kian himself doesn't use the elevator.  The bell goes ding, the doors slide shut, and then Kian takes the open elevator shaft next to it, going up to his room.  He's supposed to call home anyway.
    And there's no *way* he's going to be around if and when Rae notices the Roomba marching band.  That blame can fall on Vic and Terry where it belongs....