1680/A bird. A plane. You know the drill.

A bird. A plane. You know the drill.
Date of Scene:	15 May 2020
Location:	Exterior - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Raven's Coffe Brings All The Supers To The Tower
Cast of Characters:	Terry O'Neil, Wally West, Clark Kent, Donna Troy, Caitlin Fairchild

---

Terry O'Neil has posed:
To say that the week was intense was decidedly an understatement. At the Planet, the entire front page cycle was dedicated to covering recent events and the astonishing return of the Man of Steel from the jaws of death. The repercussions of this had been felt all across the world. With the return of such a beacon of hope, people were processing things in different ways*. Across the world of capes there was the feeling of a breath long held and finally released- at least, among those who had not been made privy to the secret that Superman had been back for quite some time.

Terry O'Neil parks his car and exhales softly, getting out of his old jalopy. It was an exhausting week, and he was still rather ruffled from Red X and Techno's visit to the tower... but it would be nice to crash into his room for a while, where nobody outside of the Titans knew where to find him.

<<Hey, Gar, I'm at the Tower>> Terry stops outside of his car, texting Gar and then briefly checking to see if he has any other messages.


*Footnote: Lex Luthor, probably, has had to invest in a new set of underwear. Allegedly.

Wally West has posed:
With Barry apparently off the radar for awhile and Superman out of action, the last few months have kept Wally West busy as heck. There are other speedsters, other Kryptonians, but he's kind of the fastest man alive, most able to be everywhere at once. And he has slept well during those sporadic fifteen-second catnaps. He has consumed enough food to feed the entire army that Hannibal brought across the Alps -- elephants included.

And so, since the news of Superman's reappearance broke, Wally has been breathing a sigh of relief. He actually took two hours off to check in with his parents the other day (which, he now concedes, was more or less a bad plan) and has caught up with a few friends he hasn't spoken to in months.

When Vorpal arrives at the tower, though, Wally is a red blur, and as he circles the tower at several times the speed of sound (or, in Flash parlance, a slow walk) he is gardening, apparently, as bushes and shrubs appear in his wake.

This is possibly what passes for a quiet evening for Wally.

Clark Kent has posed:
There's no preamble to the arrival of Superman. No shockwave of air rushing to fill the void cut through by his speedy appearance, just the sudden bellow of his long red cape as the Red and Blue Beacon (aforementioned) hero descends from the sky at a slow hovering speed. He's several yards away from where Terry is parked, texting on his phone, when Kal settles his feet on the pavement, staring up at the tall structure of Titan Towers with his hands down at his sides.

Head back, eyes scan upwards across the glass surface, smile on his angular face. It's then he turns, just a hair, to look over his shoulder at Terry. Recognizing the salmon colored hero from the battle in Metropolis a week past. "I don't believe I caught your name." The voice is familiar, possible. Strong and confident, turning fully then to step closer with his hand extended outward once he's within reach of the young Titan. Catching the red blur that is Wally West out of the corner of his eye, tracking him (in a sense), even Superman has upper limits to his speed, but Wally isn't really pushing himself either.

"I'm Superman, but my friends call me Kal-El."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry smirks a little at the blur. Of course, he arrived at the tower in his feline form, as he is trying to make a habit of keeping each life separate for secret identity reasons, obviously. Gar doesn't respond, which means he's probably out of range or busy.

"Wally!" he calls out, his eyes on the phone, "Do you want to g-"

We will never know what Terry was going to ask, because at that moment the phone becomes a projectile, sailing through the air with the lightest of ease after the Cheshire looks up and notices Red, Blue, S-shield, and-

Well, you've ever seen those reaction videos of cats and cucumbers? It's somewhat like this, but bipedal. Terry essentially jumps back and slams himself up against the car, his phone ejected in the opposite direction, Supermanwards, and his jaw drops.

"G-you, I, wh... S-Superman!"

The Cheshire cat is known for his eloquence.

Wally West has posed:
Wally pulls up next to Terry before the word 'do' is completely out of his mouth. And then, yes, Superman. "Hey! Kal! How you been, man! Good to have you back!" He punches Superman lightly on the shoulder -- lightly, because while Superman could take a harder punch, Wally would rather not break his fingers. His connection to the speed force gives him a lot of defense against damage, but his endurance, like Supes' speed, has upper limits.

"Between you and Barry being gone," he continues after a moment, "I don't think I've been able to sit still for more than ten minutes at a time -- and that only 'cause I don't have super hearing to let me know when somebody's screaming for help in Kuala Lampur. We are all glad you're back in action.

"Terry, what were you asking?" Because 'Do you want to g-' sometimes involves food, and when there is food, the answer, from Wally, is yes.

Clark Kent has posed:
Superman's hand is just out. Did it move? Sure, it had to right? But to anyone not connected to the speed force, it is just extended to catch Terry's phone. Gently, even, and holding it back out in the same hand previously extended to shake the young salmon colored heroes. "I think you dropped this." An easy enough grin on his face, even with Wally appearing to gently by Superman standards, nudge his shoulder.

"Wally. Thank you. Sorry it took me so long to get back, but the situation was complicated." It really wasn't. He just doesn't want to get into it and that's Kal's perogrative! He's Superman for Christmas' sake! "Terry.."

Following Wally's accidental introduction, Kal regards the youngest hero of the trio, "You did goo din Metropolis. I just wanted to come and offer my appreciation to the Titans.. I'm glad to see the lights back on in the Tower." Phone still extended, cape still flicking around his ankles in the gentle breeze.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Was, uh, if you wanted to grab a bite but..." Terry is trying to get a hold of himself, so he takes a deep breath. He takes a few steps and takes the phone, with a nervous smile, "I... er, thank you Superman. It was nothing. I mean, literally, I just grabbed some mirrors. You guys did all the rest..." and then he shakes the hand.

Yup. Shaking Superman's hand. Perfectly normal.

"T-Terry... yeah. I go by Vorpal, but name's Terry, Terry O'Neil." He pauses. And then his eyes widen. "... that's my secret identity. I just went out and blabbed my secret identity. Wally, I just blabbed my secret identity-" a quick glance to the speedster, and then back at Superman. "... to Superman. So that's okay... sorry. I've never really met someone as... important? Epic? I don't know how you're supposed to..." he waves his hands vaguely. And then, because there is a moment of silence, he adds, "I fainted when Wonder Woman gave me her cloak."

Inner flinch. Why did he share that? "Do you want some coffee? I think we have some coffee inside. Most of the guys are on patrol right now, and I think Gar's not here- but you know Gar, of course- but I think we could get coffee and see if anyone shows up and we could get some food for Wally's fuel and I'm ramblig."

Yes, you are. He looks at Wally, pleadingly, as if asking to be rescued from his own embarrassment.

Wally West has posed:
"Oh, yeah, you guys hungry?" Wally asks, brows rising. "What do you want? Thai? Greek? I could really go for gyros right now." To Superman, "Don't even worry about it. Everybody needs to take some time now and then. We've got your back when that's you, and you've got ours when it's us." He's pretty sure Superman could handle pretty much everything if he really wanted to. And just lets the rest of them have their time in the sun because he's not that way.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get us Greek. Gyros, maybe some spanakopita... be right back!"

Clark Kent has posed:
Superman weathers Terry's excited, nervousness with a smile on his face. Not at all belittling the young man, he just nods along when Terry says he's revealed his secret identity, "You should be more careful with that, Mr. O'Neil." Still having his hand shuck, "Can I have that back?" Teasing, playful, entirely too friendly for someone who's just met.

The only time he balks at all is when his accolades are laid before him, "I wouldn't say I'm any of those things. I'm just one man. I hope that what I do inspires others to do what they're able, but that doesn't make me anymore important than someone working the resevour that gives Metropolis its power or the Law Enforcement that keeps the streets safe." Again smiling at the mention of fainting when given Wonder Woman's cape, Kal nods, but stands his ground. Conversationally distant.

"I wouldn't mind a gyro, Wally." Before the speedster speeds away, he'd likely offer to pay but the Flash is already doing what the Flash do.

"And a cup of coffee. I tend to stay away from stimulants, but a good cup of coffee? That's one of my vices." Extending his hand out to the Tower for Vorpal to lead the way, "and it would be good to catch up with the rest of the Titans. It feels like too long."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Sorry, yes, of course, it's yours." The hand, he means. Given the chance to save himself with coffee, Terry gladly does so. "Yes, careful. I have been very careful. I mean, the only people who know about it are my team-mates. And my cousin. And her room-mate. They were sort of there when I transformed for the first time, so the cat's out of that bag."

The Lobby is definitely looking great- signs of habitation, and a new photo of the original Titans has been blown up. There's Vic, Gar, Raven, Donna, Dick, and others, in their original costumes and heroic poses, all full of hope and happy futures.

"They'd be so stoked to see you. Maybe you can swing by over this weekend, we usually have a pizza lunch before going on patrol. You could drop by and make it a surprise..." he grins. He decides to forego the elevator, as it would be an awkward wait. A Rabbit Hole to the kitchen is fast and efficient.

"Raven has the best coffee. She allows me to purchase some, which I take to Miss Lane," yes, Raven apparently holds some hegemonic control over the supply of a certain brand of beans, the kind that have to be procured from little shops and which have names carefully written out in cursive along the bags. The pot has been brewing for a bit, set as it is on a timer to match Terry's schedule. "Go ahead and have a seat, I'll pour us up a cup!"

Reaching for the pot and grabbing to mugs, he is slowly starting to wind down. So, of course, coffee is the logical drink, right?

Clark Kent has posed:
It isn't the first time Superman has been in the Tower, but he looks around as if it could be. By no means Star Struck by the faces in those memorials, he knows most of them, but appreciative of the happiness he sees in their smiles. Easier times, before the troubles began.

Except Rachel. Because she's never happy.

There's a permiance of silence that follows him, not at all omenous, but contemplative as they wormhole into the kitchen rather than taking the elevator. Too mundane, he decides. Fitting really. And does take a seat, brushing his cape as he settles onto a stool facing Vorpal tolling to get thier cups poured.

"Perhaps I will." Surprise the Titans during pizza lunch.

"I don't want to disrupt anything, I'm only come to give my appreciation for the Titans assistance and extend my pleasure seeing the team reformed. There's been a lot going on and while I have no doubt in the capabilities of the Avengers, I don't know them as well as I do the Titans and Justice League. Call me old fashioned, I guess." After a short pause, leaning his elbows forward against the counter with his fingers laced together. "Four sugars, seven creams."

Doesn't like stimulates, he says.

Donna Troy has posed:
    There's already an occupant in the Tower's main room, seated on the giant sofa with a cup of coffee of her own cooling, half-forgotten, as she works her way through a huge inventory list. Part of the job of getting the Tower functional as a heroing headquarters again after three years is making sure they actually have everything they need. Donna prefers swinging a sword at things really, but she can't leave all the hard work to the techie folks.

    Terry's arrival via Rabbit Hole is becoming a common event at the Tower and doesn't attract too much attention, but his colorfully robed companion is less of a fixture.

    "The big S himself," she says with a smile. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Kal-el. It has been a while. I do hope Vorpal managed to let you into the tower without fainting. "

    Donna puts down the tablet she'd been working on, relieved to have an excuse, and hops to her feet. She glances down at her cooling coffee, then to Vorpal. "I could do with a fresh cup please, Vorp" she says as she walks over to offer Superman a handshake and a rather huge grin.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry raises an eyebrow as he prepares Superman's coffee. It was the diametric opposite of how Lois had her coffee, which was so black and inky that some have occasionally caught sight of the Hubble telescope in it, and any light that passes its even horizon is forever trapped. He is quite proud of the fact that he did /not/ faint, although his knees got pretty shaky there for a minute. "Here you go!" he says, offering the mug to Superman, and then he takes Donna's, giving her a brief knife of a glance, "I'll top you off. Provided I don't faint and spill it all over the floor," he says with a smirk, and returns to the pot.

"It took some work. It all started with Gar, really- and an alien who crash-landed not too far from here. Those were the first two pieces that set the reunion en route."

Clark Kent has posed:
"Ah, Donna. Good to see you. Thanks." Superman stands as Troia enters, letting his easy smile spread a little wider at one of the familiar faces makes herself known, "I wish it had been sooner, but some things can't be helped." None have asked about where he was or why he suddenly appeared and that suited him fine. Some questions were better left to speculation anyways, right?

Settling back on the stool with the arrival of his coffee, Kal reaches for it and drinks a small taste without letting it cool because he's Superman and he can do that. "Gar always did have a positive attitude that people could gravitate towards." Remembering, only a week past, the genuine delight seen in the green heroes eyes... nevermind the sudden hug.

"Nothing worth doing was ever done without work doing it." he points out with a finger extending out from the mug in hand. "I may have my own work cut out for me in the same vein. Putting the League back together.. Finding a dynamic with the Avengers having filled the gap left by our absence. It's daunting, but you all here have shown it's possible." Motioning about at the interior of the Tower. "And done a wonderful job of it, by my estimation."

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Gar has a unique talent," Donna says with a slight grin. "It's hard to refuse those puppy-dog eyes when he can become an actual puppy. Even so..." she glances around the room, marvelling as if Gar had built it himself. "He excelled himself."

     I can't quite believe how fast everything has happened. I came back to America when I heard the first rumors that things were happening here, but by the time I got here somehow he's managed to not just reassemble virtually the whole team, but recruit four new young heroes. We've got about another... eight possibilities?" Her grin goes wide. "You better be careful Kal-el... at the current rate we're going, I'm not sure there's going to be room for the League."

    There was a time, years ago, when the Titans were sometimes a touch resentful of the League's status - or rather their status as the League's second string - but time has passed, and the original Titans are adults. There may be a reference to old debates, but it's all in jest now.

    Donna takes her refreshed cup from Vorpal with a grateful smile. "I know, it's a little unfair of me. I mean I'm in a pretty good position to not faint from excitement when meeting Wonder Woman, I really shouldn't tease you about it."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"I know where you store your boots, Donna Troy," Vorpal says, teasing right back and hinting at a future of strategically-hidden hairballs. Not that he actually produces those- he's not some barbarian giving himself tongue baths. He uses the shower, like everybody else.

Which reminds him to talk to Vic about potentially getting a stronger, more resilient drainage system for the shower...

"I guess by that token I am the first of Gar's new recruits, Kian being the second."

He takes a seat, careful not to squish his tail again, "Wally went to get food, Donna. He'll probably be back in half an hour or so," because, even though he may be the fastest man alive, you can't /force/ food to cook faster than it can. Well, there are microwaves, but he doubts the restaurant will pop a Gyro into that.

"And yes, I do think that fainting in the presence of your /older sister/ would be a bit weird," he smirks.

He glances over at Superman. Feline curiosity is, of course, a thing, and that thing is definitely burning. But he's not going to ask. You don't ask some things when you are a complete stranger. "Have you seen Miss Lane since the event? She's the busiest I've seen in a while... you've definitely made her year, career-wise. I thought it would be hard to top a year with Tony Stark and Lex Luthor running for president..." he trails off. He realizes he doesn't know just how long Superman has been back for, some of this might be a shock. "Lex Luthor is running for president, by the way," he adds, helpfully.

Clark Kent has posed:
"He certainly does. A talent well honed and dangerously tempered into a weapon of mass adorable." Kal intones, smirking around the rim of his mug brought up for another hot swallow of dangerously sweet coffee. "I'm not surprised at all that he was able to make all of this happen." Likewise said with his usual mixture of confidence and genuine good nature.

Is it possible to anger the Man of Steel? Sure. But it doesn't happen often.

Or usually more than once.

"Hah.. I have no doubt of that!" Pointing out to Donna, "Already upwards of sixteen or so members, you say? Try to leave a few for us meager old timers." The joke apparent in his tone, if not the crinkle to his eyes, "Honestly, I'm not even sure the world /needs/ the League anymore." After another sip, he settles one elbow on the counter and looks back and forth between Vorpal and Donna.

"It's a completely different environment out there, now. The Worlds Mightiest Heroes, I believe their slogan goes." Not even a hint of mockery, "I've watched some of the footage from the battle in New York and I can't say I disagree..." Trailing off when Vorpal mentions the presidential bid, but it was a natural evolution of the conversation in retrospect.

"I have." Spoken with Lois and, possibly, heard Lex is running for President. His expression sours noticably, "Always up to something, that one, but I'm genuinely surprised it took him this long to consider running for President. Tony's bid was a surprise, but ..." Hand splaying to the side of his cup, "It's definitely going to be an interesting election year."

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Uh, yeah. Diana's my older sister," Donna confirms. Because that was not something she was able to admit to during the heyday of the Titans, not least because almost nobody had heard of Wonder Woman until Doomsday, and she has no idea whether Superman is privy to that fact.

    Donna pulls out a stool for herself, half sitting on it, half leaning. "The world /does/ need the League. Take what's happening here as an inspiration for yourselves, not a reason to sit back. The world needs what the League stands for, as well as what it can do. Honestly, the Avengers is a bonus. There are more and more of us now willing to step up, but the problems seem to multiply just as fast."

    "Your cousin may be joining us by the way, Kal-el." Donna grins a little. "Or maybe she just wants to visit the tower to practise lifting our fleet of vehicles, she seems to enjoy picking up cars for some reason. If you're worried we're recruiting everyone... well. It may be some of the older Titans could make way for the next generation. There's only so much space in the tower, after all. Maybe Cyborg and Caitlin... Worth thinking about."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"No way! The world not needing the Justice League? Please tell me you're joking. You're pullin' my tail, right?" He sips his coffee, eyebrow raised, "The world needs all the help it can get. People with weird powers popping up on both sides of the equation- people who need to be mentored, or stopped, or sometimes both. And, to be frank, nobody can do what you do, or what Wonder Woman does. I sure as hell can't- I'm just a refugee from Wonderland with a penchant for holes. You put me in front of a massive threat and see how squishy I go!"

He leans back a little. "Cyborg and Cait are definitely primed for league time. So are Kori and Donna, but you guys can only take two, we need the others. And Raven would probably not let Donna go. Besides, there's already one Themysciran in the league, we'd be short of our quota." He grins.

Clark Kent has posed:
Obviously Kal had heard Vorpal refer to Donna as Diana's younger sister, but the thought hadn't crossed his mind to dive into that personal business until Donna herself repeated it. "Huh... Well the similarities are pretty obvious once you point them out." Squinting at her, leaning closer to get a better look, "Uncanny, really."

Which leads nicely to the defense of the Justice League, "Don't get me wrong, obviously I know that the world needs what the Justice League represents, otherwise I wouldn't have come back like I did. It's a symbol more than anything.. but at what point does what we were stand in oposition of what the where the world is now?" There's no sense that he's feeling self conscious about himself, not even the other Leaguers, just that he's looking at the whole picture. "Nor am I decided on it, honestly just rambling my thoughts out loud, which is unfair."

The return of his grin is easy, shaking his head as he sips more coffee. "Cyborg /would/ make a good addition. Likewise Caitlin, but I believe they're staples to your team, aren't they?" And his cousin? "Supergirl? Really... She hadn't mentioned. Well she would certainly be a good addition, in my opinion, but I'm obviously bias."

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Vorpal, you have already proven your both your courage and your capability, and you haven't truly established the range of your powers. " Donna rests a hand on his shoulder and gives him a smile. "You have a huge amount of promise, don't do yourself down. Give me a few months to give you some serious combat training and you'll feel ready to take on the world."

    Kal-el's scrutiny elicits an odd reaction from Donna - something not quite discomfort, but not far from it. "The weird thing is, I'm adopted. I know, everyone says it. We look very alike." She gives a shrug. "Maybe it's something in the water. Or people hear the accents and it exaggerates the effect, I don't know. I guess whoever my real parents were came from the same stock at least." As it happens, Superman's vision isn't wrong - Donna simply doesn't know that she really is closely related to Diana.

    The change of subject is welcome. "Very much staples, but we're changing. Shortly the new members will outnumber the old members. I think we have a balance to find, to be there for them, yes. But we founded the Titans to have a degree of freedom I do not wish our new members to miss out on. It's something to think about..."

    Donna sips her coffee, which definitely did need refreshing. "Ah. Is this Rae's blend, Vorp? Good coffee. One thing I think we should look to doing as soon as possible though, is improving the communication between the teams. I suggest the League, the Titans and the Avengers should each appoint one member as a kind of ambassador to each of the other two teams."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Yeah, we'll see just how ready the world may be to be taken over by the Cheshire cat," Terry says with a grin, "Don't tempt me. I'd be the coolest supervillain of them all."

On Donna's likeness, Vorpal weighs in, "It really is very interesting that you are adopted. You really do look like her. It's not just the accent, I know her face by heart and you look like biological sisters." He steeples his fingers, "I wonder if there are more similarities in this island of yours? It would certainly be interesting to research..." To see Themyscira- wouldn't that be something? But, alas, he is a man.

Unless animals don't really count? Would he fall through a loophole in his feline form? That's a question to ask for another time.

"A sort of liaison? That is a /great/ idea, Donna! You're going to need something with diplomatic skills, smooth communication, someone people love to work with." He gives her a side-glance with an emerald glint that says: girl, you may have inadvertedly nominated yourself.

Clark Kent has posed:
Even with the subject shift away, Kal hasn't stopped inspecting Donna. He's trying not to be weird about it, just casual glances in her direction, but he's certainly not in the business of calling people out for any familia heritage discrepancies. Not his circus, not his monkeys.

Besides, it's Amazon bitniz and Super(man) need not apply.

"That actually 'isn't' a bad idea." Kal seconds, motioning with is mug between the pair of Titans, "A coordinated effort to communicate between teams might alleviate some of the tensions should we have to come together for a threat bigger than anyone of us." The 'Big' Us. Groups over individuals.

"We're still a ways off from having the League together, however. I've only just returned and it seems it fell apart while I was.. away." He wasn't dead. And while only a few people know that, saying it seems wrong, even for the sake of pretenses.

"Perhaps the Titans can spearhead that as well? Present it to the Avengers while us old timers moving around furniture?" Superman's jokes are almost as bad as Clark's.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
The elevator door *dings* open and Caitlin steps out in a black knee-length business skirt and a plum-colored blouse. It's hard to tell if she's coming from Happy Harbor or Stark Industries; either way, the outfit looks like professional attire rather than casual wear.

A beaming smile splits her face at the Man of Steel as a guest in the Tower. "Kal!" she says, looking pleasantly surprised. "I didn't know you were dropping in. If you're here for that pie, I haven't got it started yet," she apologizes to him. "I've got too many plates in the air with the school, SI, things here..." Hands lift and fall to wave away the franticism of life, and she heads into the kitchen proper.

"Is that Rae's coffee?" she inquires, peering into Terry's cup in passing. "You know how she gets about that," she tells the Cheshire. "Better make sure she's at least got a couple day's worth in the larder."

Caitlin's already tying an apron on and starts puttering around to dig out bowls and containers. Donna's in the way; she pulls a drawer and bumps Donna obnoxiously with it a few times, smiling impishly. "In the waay~," she sings, with mock impatience.

"So what brings you by today?" she inquires of Superman.

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna shifts a little unconfortably in her seat under the combined scrutiny, casual as it is, and Vorpal's own contribution to the topic. She knows she's not Hippolyta's actual daughter, and what more is there to say? The truth is she's curious about her actual parents, but the only information she's ever been given is that she was saved from the sea. The obvious assumption is her parents were from one of the Aegean islands nearby; descendents of the same people who became the Amazons too. It's surely just that, but it does raise questions she has no answers for.

    Caitlin's obnoxious arrival is a welcome distraction. Donna leans agains the drawer, hard, and locks her legs in place. The impish smile is returned.

    There are differing opinions as to which of the two is strongest - they are both strong enough that things tend to break when they test their strength, so it could go either way. However the grip on Donna's shoes is definitely the weakest link and she's not going to win that battle for long, so she quickly relents and scoots her stool a couple of feet over to give Cait room to do her domestic act.

    "Aleviate tensions and improve the sharing of information," Donna continues, winking at Caitlin. "There are a few obvious choices to consider already. Diana has been working closely with the Avengers. Wally's been working with the League. I'm not sure whether he'd be the League's ambassador to the Titans or the Titan's to the League, though. I'll talk to a few people, work things out."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Yes ma'am, Rae's coffee- I don't think she'd object if we break out the good beans for honored guests, though. But don't worry, I've got a meeting with Lois tomorrow morning and I have to bring a bag for the coffe anyways. I'll just get three and bring two back home." Vorpal turns to Superman and says, conspiratorially, "Miss Lane drinks more coffee than I do. I thought that was impossible but then I saw her put away a whole pot by herself less than mid-morning through. Now I know how she gets all of her scoops... she musn't sleep. She just goes to the top of the Planet building and stares into the night. She's had so much coffee by then that she can hear a canary break wind in Fort Lauderdale..." he chuckles and sips his coffee. "But I kid. She's a great connoisseur of the power of coffee. If I'm lucky someday I'll get to be a third as good as she is."

His green eyes go up to Cait and he smiles the sweetest smile he can muster, "Incideeentallyyy~" he sings, "I still need to talk to a certain someone about maybe letting me interview her for the Titans Together At Last article?" He is pushing his luck.

Clark Kent has posed:
Kal is already turning towards the sound of the arriving elevator, even before the doors begin to open. The subtle vibrations, the silent turn of machinary, as clear to him as a loud speaker. "Caitlin, hello!" Raising a hand in greeting, standing as she enters the kitchen and only returning to his stool once she's chosen an apron rather than joining them at the center island.

Likewise looking into his mug at the mention it might be Raven's, one dark brow perking slightly at the obvious implications of being caught drinking the Dark Titans special blend. "You know it's rude to get your guest thrown into a dark dimension after he's just returned from the great beyond, Vorpal?" Teasing. Teasing AND drinking more from his mug. It's good coffee. It would be a shame to let it go to waste of a trivial thing like potential magical calamity.

"Ah, if only." Said to Caitlin, smiling across the counter at her, "I could certainly do with a slice of pie right about now, but I must admit my visit was more social than that. I'd come by to extend my gratitude to the Titans who were present last week... young Terry amongst them." Motioning with his mug. "And was roped into coffee. Which didn't require much roping at all.. and-" Same mug pointing to Donna, head bowing forward.

"Discussion about tensions and communication between teams. With the League and Titans resurfacing, and the Avengers coming into its own, Donna thought a liason between the three groups."

Inclining his head to Vorpal, "Does she? I hadn't any idea." Clark isn't good at lying, it's just not something he does. So he doesn't try. Grinning slightly into his mug as he finishes the last bit at the bottom with all those extra scoops of sugar turned into something like a sludge in his mug.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Bowls, spoons, flour-- aside from the scale of it (Caitlin is incapable of cooking for less than ten people at a time), it's all the usual implements of the kitchen. She quickly whips up some dough while the others talk, listening attentively to the topic of discussion.

A large fistful of dough hits the countertop with a wet, meaty *thud*, and Caitlin starts spreading it out by hand. "Don't know why you'd wanna interview me, Terry, but I guess I can oblige you," she tells him with a nod.

"But as for the liasion stuff: I can do it," she offers nonchalantly, and shrugs at the others. "Avengers, or League. Probably not both," she hesitates. "I don't know what Wally's status is, but I've still got my Reserve ID card somewhere in my condo. I'm working at SI and I've met Captain America a couple times doing SHIELD stuff, so that'd be an 'in' unless someone's got, like, a relative or something who is affiliated with the Avengers."

Cue a slooooow side lean and look at Donna.

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Maybe you should interview Rae, Vorpal. She clearly needs the P.R." Donna says it with a teasing smile, but it's /partly/ an act. It's not as if Raven's reputation is exactly undeserved - she really is scary. It's just that nobody really gets to see the other side of the half-demon, and Donna wishes they could. Not that Raven would want that...

    "Or maybe not," she mutters into her cup of coffee, considering the fact that being scary IS Raven's idea of PR. "Yeah, stick to Caitlin. It's your turn, Cait." No doubt everyone, with the possible exception of Raven, is going to get the Terry treatment. "You could give him some of your baby photos for the article." Revenge.

    "Well, a relative works for both really, as far as I'm concerned. I've got no problem being one of the Titans' reps. We could do one each if you like, Cait. Wally could be the League's rep to us, Diana the League's rep to the Avengers. We'll have to see what the Avengers think of the idea. But we have Hawkeye's protege on the team here now, so that would be an obvious link to chase up."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal remembers* the Red Queen. The Queen of Hearts. He even remembers the Jabberwock. Raven can be scarier, much scarier, than them- and the Jabberwock is nightmare made flesh. On the other hand, if Raven were only that she would be incapable of loving Donna. "Sure, I can do Rae next, when you get me those baby paintings Hippolyta had made of you. For the article, you know."

"And Cait, you can't possibly be clueless about the why- you're fascinating. Heck, all of you are," he waves his hand, "Here I am, having coffee right across from Superman next to two basically Amazons. None of this /should/ feel normal. And I am /very/ keenly aware that the only reason I'm sitting here is because of a total fluke. Because my father happened to be the Cheshire cat and because I got mixed into things and I apparently have the self-preservation instincts of a ferret on crack." He grins and sets down his mug.

"Hawkeye is a blast. And a huge nerd, too, so she's great company- she ran a simulation for us, the battle of Helm's Keep. Just FYI, we're changing her codename to Legolas."

He grins over at Superman and says, "You don't need to fear. Everybody here knows that if Rae decides to send someone to the nightmare dimensions, it'll probably be me."


*Footnote: That is, he 'remembers' from his father's point of view. Memory is such a strange, unreliable thing- it is very easy for someone to implant the suggestion of a memory into our minds through persuasiveness and the right approach, and we'll believe the memory is wholly ours. You can imagine how confusing it may be for Terry to have someone else's actual memories implanted into him. Fortunately, the cache of memories seems to be selective and informative, but largely incomplete, and fortunately bereft of every single type of memory that no offspring ever wants to know about their parents.

Clark Kent has posed:
"Sounds a lot more confusing when you start spilling out the lines between, doesn't it?" Kal points out with a smirk. Whooshing around the counter to the sink, washing it out while chatting absently with the trio. "Trying to remember who is whose liason and to which group... This is specifically why I don't get involved in politics."

The mug is set back in the counter after spinning it around his finger like the fan on a V-8 engine to dry it off quickly. "Suffice that I trust the Titans-" Even Raven, "-and would welcome Captain America to work in conjunction with the League /anyways/, so if he's vouching for the liason-" He shrugs and whips around back onto his stool at the same speed. Careful about his path so as not to displace Caitlin's dough.

"I think you're grossly underestimating yourself, Vorpal." Kal says with a shake of his head, "There's no such thing as flukes in this world. There's situations and experiences that define a person..." Pausing temporarily, glancing off for a half second before continuing, "There were any number of things that you could have done with your new found powers and you 'chose' to use them to help people. There's no fluke in that, there's character. One of the best men I know has no powers at all... and while he's hardly a conversationalist, I'd say it is the measure of his character as a /person/ that defines him. The same goes for you, Terry... and you shouldn't ever sell the manner in which you conduct yourself short."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin just pulls a face at Donna, screwing up her features in the sort of sneer one comes up with for lack of a witty rejoinder. Donna is one of the very few even among the Titans privileged to know why there are no baby pictures of Caitlin.

Which is totally the only reason Caitlin can't come up with a witty clapback.

"Show you baby pictures," Caitlin mutters sotto voce, and slaps another handful of dough onto the counter to roll it out.

She listens attentively to Superman, unaware of a smile on her face; the hometown corn-fed sentiments speak deeply to Caitlin's personal conscience. Kansas and Iowa aren't terribly dissimilar.

"Weird is relative, Terry," Caitlin agrees, after Superman's said his piece. "We all had a terrible time adjusting. I was so shy I barely spoke to anyone. Victor was still dealing with his cybernetics. The only one who was really, like, at all normal was /Gar/," she says with a wry expression. "And he's a green-skinned animal impersonator."

Pie crusts are cut into neat circles and arranged over tins; next she starts in on the filling, using a knife to chop apples with a terrifying disregard for fingertips. Fortunately the sharp blade is in about as much danger of cutting Caitlin as it is scratch the hard granite countertops. "Donna, would you grab me the sugar from the pantry please?" she requests politely, and nods at the cupboard behind the Amazon.

Donna Troy has posed:
    "Sure thing, Vorpal. I'll get some duplicates painted up and shipped over, some time next year good for your deadline?" Donna smirks at him from under a highly-arched brow. He is never going to see those paintings.

    Ever.

    "There are flukes," Donna disagrees with Kal. "It's a fluke your ship landed where it did, Kal-el. A fluke my boat washed up where /it/ did. And it may be a fluke that you gained your powers, Vorpal. It's not a fluke what we chose to do with the... that roll of the dice."

    Donna gets up checks the cupboard for sugar, without whooshing. It's her downtime. "It is certainly no fluke that you are sitting here, because there are a million choices you could have made that would not have lead to this spot. You chose to take that lucky roll of the dice and use it to do what you know is right, regardless of the cost to yourself. That's what a hero does, and this is a place for heroes. Cait, are you /sure/ there's sug... oh, found it."

    Donna closes the cupboard and hands a bag of sugar over to Caitlin, using the excuse to pull a face of her own back at her. She returns to her seat and her coffee, giving Kal a nod. "Captain America himself would be a good choice. I imagine the pair of you would get on well."

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Vorpal looks slightly embarrassed, not accustomed to being referred to in that way. "Maybe when I feel I've earnned that, I'll consider it. Or maybe I'm letting Gar rub off on me." He says, referring to Gar's own habit of downplaying himself. He stands up to get a refill, and then immediately looks back upon what he just said in his mind, and shoots Donna a 1.21 Gigawatts cautionary glare, "... one word out of you, Donna Troy, and I'll tell Raven you suggested we replace her brand with Krispy Kreme brand coffee."

Ultimatum delivered, he refills his mug. "There's so much I need to learn. The whole secret identity thing. Gar thinks I should come clean and tell Lois. And my mom. And I just don't know if I can deal with that." He gestures with the mug, "Like, can you imagine what my mom would do? She thinks I'm only covering you guys as the attached journalist. The idea of me going out there in the middle of a battle... oh god I'd never hear the end of it."

"I think Lois would take it better... you trust her..." he glances at Superman, "Right? But I just don't know. It seems that every person who isn't..." he gestures to the group "It's a burden being placed on them, to know. But maybe I've got this all wrong." He shrugs, "Maybe I should set up a therapy appointment with Harley and get this all sussed out." He sits back down, sipping his coffee and looking at the time on his phone. "Speaking of which, I'll have to go to my room soon. I promised mom I'd call and that I'd catch her up on everything."

Clark Kent has posed:
Slow blink.

Something Vorpal says has Kal dumb struck and it isn't hard to figure out what it is, "Therapy session with Harley? As in... Harley 'Quinn', Harley?" Another blink.. Staring at the salmon colored young Titan as if he'd admitted something that simply doesn't compute. "Okay... Well.. You.. why? Is it a money thing? I.. I shouldn't be like that. If you..." He opens his mouth, trying to say something nice, but the words just wont come.

Some bridges are just too burnt to really salvage.

So he shakes his head and motions. Focus on the Lois part, "It took me years to come finally come forward to Lois about my identity, but I can assure you that if you were going to tell anyone, the safest bet would be Lois Lane." As good a recommendation as a person can give really.

Likewise, he agrees with Donna's correction. "Fair." Since their points are the same. With a smile, easy and true, he pushes up from his stool. "Caitlin, I'd love to come back by for one of those pies when they're finished." Glancing off in the direction of Metropolis proper, tilting his head so his ear is pointed in the same direction he looked. "For now, I have to go. Thank you for the coffee and the hospitality. Perhaps I'll take Vorpal up on that pizza lunch Saturday?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"I've never much bothered with secret identities," Caitlin points out. "There aren't enough disguises in the world that'll help me blend in. Plus, my parents died a long time ago, so I don't think anyone's gonna be using them for leverage. I think Victor's dad is still alive, Kori's parents are in space..."

She frowns. "Y'know what, Richard's always been really cagey about his identity though. It was almost two years before he told anyone his first name. I still know almost nothing about him," she admits. "He keeps it close to the chest. I guess he's really worried about protecting his family."

"Anyway--" she throws her hands up to shake it off. "Kal, c'mon by in about two hours and they'll be cooling on the windowsill," she promises the Man of Steel. "I imagine it's been a little while since you had any home cooking, so if you get hungry for something to eat, just shoot me a text and I'll make some comfort food. Seems like I'm back to being the full-time chef around here again anyway," she laments with a droll humor.

Donna Troy has posed:
    "You earned it when you fought demons to save the life of a woman you had barely even met. Or when you leapt on the back of a man with a jetpack to stop him from hurting people." Donna is looking the other way; like a medusa's gaze, a 1.21 gigawatt - or jiggawatt - stare has no impact if your eyes don't meet. "Gar has proven himself a hero many times over, but sometimes he lacks confidence too, that is true. Perhaps you can stiffen each other's resolve."

    "Secret identities..." There's a quick, somewhat guilty look that Donna gives to Caitlin there. "It's not easy. Having part of your life that you can't tell to people who are close to you... hurts. If you take my advice, tell your mom. She's going to know one day, and if you leave it too long, she'll be hurt you didn't tell her sooner. "

    Donna downs the rest of her coffee, and takes the cup to the sink to rinse it out. "I should get back to work too, inventorying to be done. Cait, cooking is totally your super power. I notice that your ordering of fresh fruit vegetables was has taken up approximately eighty percent of the tower's restocking orders so far. That's dedication."

    "Kal, it's wonderful to see you again. " Donna beams a bright smile at him "Drop in any time for pizza. Or give us a little warning and Caitlin will cook us up a storm. She's complaining now, but the alternative is what happens when we let Vic or Gar at 'her kitchen', so she won't be able to resist."

    Donna gives Caitlin a wink. She will pay for that later, but it's totally worth it.