trans_9 | It was no Enterprise, but it would do for now

Entry tags:

It was no Enterprise, but it would do for now

With no layout of the ship to go by, and no escort for now, Picard was winding his own way through the strange living ship, learning and memorizing the hallways and doors, teaching himself where every section led, and what awaited at the end of each corridor. It was difficult work, but it gave the older captain something to do to keep himself occupied while the current command staff began the easy transition between COs.

"Certainly a remarkable ship," Picard remarked, running one hand against a wall curiously. "I've little doubt her crew is equally remarkable, if half of what Captain Bennet says is true."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Picard turned to the rather surprised sound, regarding the floating, shocked boy with a look that seemed to be both friendly and surprised in his own way. "Well, hello," he greeted, holding out his hand. "I see you're rather surprised by my appearance. Do you know me, then, or something?" Probably another person who 'grew up' hearing of his exploits. That could rapidly become disorienting.

Oh wait."Oh."

He squints one eye and scratches his head. "No, it's--sorry, I have a thing...about...baldness..."

That doesn't make sense. He tries to clarify.

"There's someone I'm really hoping not to see here that's kinda known for being a big bald bastard, and every time there's a pod release, I'm worried I'm gonna see him--hence the doubletake."

If Lex Luthor does show up, he's going to shit a brick.

He floats back down the floor again, and the squinting increases.

"I think I do know who you are though. Ish. Not by choice. I had a lot of TV shows programmed in." He knocks on his noggin. "And they tended to be nerd sci-fi shows 'cause of who was doing the programming."

So he's not a huge fan. He was way more into Wendy the Werewolf stalker. More tube tops. Plus, he wouldn't gush anyway. It's weird that people recognize the S and not from superheroic exploits either, although they recognize Kal and Robin way more.

"So I merely bear a passing resemblance to someone you're ... afraid of?"

"... I'm not scared of him."

Liar.

He pushes his hair back. "But yeah, every time I see someone with a head with something of a reflection--" He waves his hand over his own head. "--it does give me a minor heart attack. Just a little one."

Subject change.

"I'm Superboy. Or Kon. I go by both." He isn't using "Conner" on the ship. If he's gonna be Superboy here and any villains from their world show up? He wants nothing connecting him to the Kent name. Kal'd been doing the same, not giving anyone 'Clark Kent.' Too risky.

He holds out a hand.

Picard took the hand easily enough, smiling wryly. "Mister Kon. I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard, of the USS Enterprise. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm sure."

Kid has a strong grip, Picard, though not as strong as usual and he tries very hard not to squish people.

"...You have to be the first person in the history of ever to call me 'mister.' I mean, like...ever."

"Is there a problem with it, Mister Kon?"

"No, it's just weird," Kon answers. "People usually act like I'm Captain Immaturity, so...it just kinda has never happened."

He admits with a grin. "I kinda like it."

"Well, I would conjecture that people viewing you as being immature would be because you act like it. Isn't that the usual reason, Mister Kon?"

"I'm not as bad as I used to be?" Kon laughs. "I used to be a lot worse, and I...okay, I have my moments, sometimes, but I know when to be serious now. It's hard to shake a rep as 'that guys that destroys entire city streets when he fights bad guys' though. I kinda used to suck at collateral damage when I first started superheroing--although not with people. I always made sure people were clear. It was just, um, their stuff. Like cars. And...houses. I got way better at it, though, unless I was fighting someone way out of my league."

"Did you make a habit out of fighting people that were way out of your league, Mister Kon?"

"Somebody's gotta do it," he says. "It's either me or some little guy on the street that doesn't have the superstrength and invulnerability. It's better he gets out of the way and gets somewhere safe and I get my ass handed to me instead."

He thinks of Superboy Prime, fighting him halfway through Kansas, beating him half to death as he did it. People screaming around them and him desperately trying to stay alive and keep him from smashing them through innocent people the entire time.

"And sometimes the fight comes to you, and all you can do is try to keep innocent people from getting hurt and try to stay alive until help can come."

A slight grin. "That's why Superman calls it the never-ending battle. That's what it is. Bad guys show up, bad guys try to hurt innocent people, we punch bad guys until they stop. Rinse, repeat--" A pause. "--well, at least until one of 'em gets you and you go to the little superhero HQ in the sky."

"Well, then, Mister Kon," Picard said with a smile, "I think you're just the kind of man I want on my crew."

Beaming grin.

"So, I've heard some stuff, and like, I've got some stuff stuck in here,--"

He taps his noggin.

"--but I'm kinda wondering the full story. Starship captain, ongoing mission, seek out new life and new civilizations blah blah blah? The exploration stuff must be really cool. I was in the future for a while, with this superteam called the Legion of Superheroes (this guy Brainy--and the other Brainy here on the ship are from versions of that team), when there were starships and stuff. It was crazy cool. But we didn't explore. The Legion's kinda based in the UP--United Planets? Sort of a federation of...okay, you probably know what it is."

He waves a hand. "Anyway, we didn't get to do a ton of exploring but I did get to see some other planets and that was really cool. But nothing other than UP worlds."

"As an explorer, our primary mission is indeed what you just said. What is your question, then, Mister Kon?"

"What's the coolest thing you've ever seen? What's the coolest thing you've ever done?" There's an earnestness in his voice. He thrives on seeing new things, on new experiences. The first bit of his life he'd flown around the world just checking stuff out with Rex and Roxy, before settling in Hawaii, and then that had been a life of activity--surfing, cliff-diving, fighting supervillains. Young Justice had taken him all over the place, so had the Titans, and his time with the Legion had taken not only to new places, but a new time, as well.

But there's more out there.

There's so much he hasn't done yet in his young life, and so much he wants to do and see--and if the future turns out the way Blue Beetle told it, so much he might not get to do. But here, this guy's seen it all. Let him live vicariously through you for a second, Jean-Luc. He tries to live vicariously in every other way possible.

"You've been a captain and stuff for, like, forty years, right? And I bet you saw stuff before you were even a captain. Forty years is forever."

His perception of time is and age a little different from other people's.

"Coolest... Ah. You mean the most interesting, yes?" Picard thought hard on that.

"I've met entities who could change reality with a thought, living shapeshifters, and initiated first contact with several species over the years. But the best thing I've ever seen is two people fall in love and marry while under my command. Close to that would be the view of Earth from space. It's something I never tired of." Say what you will about Picard, but even with his love of the unknown and mysterious, he's still a sentimental softy at heart.

Cooornball.

But.

But, there is that little intensely fuzzy place in his heart for a certain blonde Amazon, so...yeah. He can dig it. And actually, it sounds like something Kal would say.

As for Earth from space, "It is a nice view--a lot nicer than some other planets I've seen. You can see it really good from the viewing window of the Watchtower--that's this base for the Justice League in our world. The World's Greatest Superheroes. It orbits around the planet. And sometimes Kal--uh, that's Superman--and Supergirl and I go up into orbit sometimes just for the view. Not that we can stay there very long though--only as long as we can hold our breaths."

"I have to admit, you're not coming across as immature to me, Mister Kon."

That seems to leave him taken aback, and then he admits, "People...don't usually talk to me like you are right now. Like I'm an adult. Kal does sometimes, but he's always kind of...guiding me, and the K--the people that raise me do. And the older Titans do--uh, my team-mates. The older ones were kind the first sidekicks and stuff. But they're closer to my age than the old guys. But that's about it."

It's not as bad as with Bart, but they do seem to think he's a numbnuts sometimes.

"Well, then," Picard replied, "you can look forward to me treating you this way in the future as well, unless you do something to make me treat you otherwise."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It was no Enterprise, but it would do for now

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject