Common Ground

November 01, 2017:

Black Bolt tries to familiarize himself with his new home and meets another of his new teammates.

Titans Tower, New York City

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions: Red Robin, Caitlin Fairchild, Iso

Plot:

Mood Music: [*\# None.]


Fade In…

It wasn't too difficult for Black Bolt to get into at least -some- of the swing of things, exiting his room with use of the card that he was definitely figuring out….thank you Red Robin. Though he realizes he hasn't really explored Titans Tower very much, so he decides to go to more of the totally not formal living room that was totally members only.

Thus does the Newest member of the team start touching the counters to feel it out, feel the texture. He wears a black tailcoat with the Arched lightning logo of the royal family (Black Bolt logo) black pants and combat boots, and his hair seems to have gotten only a little longer. Regardless, he starts looking around a bit…making sense of all this.


Good luck in that, Black Bolt. Sense kind of goes out the window when you add a certain Speedster into the mix.

When Bart Allen had arrived and how long he's been about is anyone's guess, but he's obviously here now, although at first glance, one who's new to the tower wouldn't know it. That's because only part of him is visible, at least, depending on which angle one comes upon him from. Currently he's on his stomach lying on the floor, an arm under the couch as he lies his head over the other while he squints into the shadows beneath. He's not in uniform, his thoughts on secret identities around the Tower in constant fluctuation as he thinks it's silly sitting around in costume.

So right now he's in jeans and a hoodie. With his attention so fixated upon whatever's under the couch, he doesn't notice that someone's wandered into the living room.


Well…Blackagar didn't wear a mask or some such, so his identity was pretty plain to see.

Though upon seeing Bart apparently so focused on whatever may be under the couch, Blackagar simply blinks at him, eventually approaching and tapping on the couch leg lightly if Bart wasn't paying enough attention to move. If Bart did notice him, Black Bolt would silently wave at him in greeting with a kind smile.

Must be friendly.


"Bwuh?" While not completely startled, Bart's still surprised as he looks up from his task, blinking at the black-clad figure standing there beside the couch. "Oh, um…hey..there." Did Tim send a memo about a new recruit? Does Bart ever read those memos? Are they even a thing anymore? Either way, the young Speedster looks more curious than awkward for being caught with his hand digging around beneath the sofa. This is normal, after all.

"New guy? Double-R's been busy latel—errr, wait no, scratch that, he's always busy."

Bart grins, pulling his hand back so he can get up from the floor. "I'm Impulse. Who're you?" he asks, reaching over for a handshake.


Black Bolt smiles faintly to Bart as he hops right on up from digging for gold in the couch, and when he extends his hand for a greeting, Black Bolt Returns the gesture, but doesn't say his name. After the handshake, he pulls out a device that Red Robin made for him, text to speech. After perhaps a solid 6 seconds of typing, Blackagar would enact the voice that reads his words.

"I apologize, I am unable to speak, because if I were to use my voice, much destruction would occur. My name Is Black Bolt, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Impulse." and after the computer voice is done, Black Bolt smiles to Impulse, and bows his head softly in greeting.


That's way too long for Impulse standards. At first he looks interested, peering at the device, wondering if the guy's gotten a text or something. And then he's typing, and Bart is waiting, and then he's still waiting, and then he's tapping his foot a bit and glancing back towards the couch before the voice speaks up.

"Huh? ….oh…" he says, nodding in understanding then. Except it's not quite, because there's, well… "Wait, destruction? Just cuz of speaking? Whoa…." Bart doesn't look nearly so horrified so much as awed. "Um. Well, it's nice to meet you, Black Bolt."


Black Bolt would smile faintly to Impulse, though by the way he's tapping his foot and how bored Impulse looked…he's probably used to things going a little faster, or so the King of Inhumans (on his earth anyways) surmises. But eventually he stows away the device and taps his temple a few times, as if to ask if he can use telepathy. If Bart doesn't understand that, he touches his mouth, then touches his head as if to say that he can speak telepathically, and is asking for permission to do so.


This is the guy that gets tired of waiting for microwaved food to finish cooking. That sort of gesture can mean a lot of things, and at first Bart doesn't quite catch on as can be told by the quirk of his brow. The next gesture doesn't help too much either, although with the speed at which his mind works he can go through dozens of possibilities for guesses.

Whether he ultimately ends up understanding or not, Bart still offers a nod. Black Bolt's giving him a head's up at least.


Blackagar would definitely notice this….but he just ends up sighing a little, eventually though, Bart would hear a smooth, calm voice in his head. «Calm yourself, this is the question I meant. While I cannot speak…or rather, refuse to speak physically, I can speak through the mind. My name is Blackagar Boltagon, though more popularly, it is shortened to Black Bolt. It's a pleasure to meet you, Impulse.»

He smiles lightly to him then. «I was attempting to ask permission to use this…though it can be viewed as an intrusion, thus do I use it sparingly.»


"Oh, now that's handy!" Bart brightens as everything clicks all at once, right then. "I mean. Having to text people to talk all the time would be pretty tiresome…" He waves a hand. "Nah, it's cool. I mean, at least you asked first. Well, sort of, anywa- ow!"

He abruptly hops back, looking down at his foot and the pink kitten that stares up oh-so-innocently. "Oh, look who decided to come out of hiding!" Grinning, Bart scoops the cat up.


Black Bolt smiles big and warm to Bart, more than pleased that he was beyond okay with telepathic communication. «This text-to-speech communication device is rather tiring at times….it is far simpler to find someone who understands sign language or to speak telepathically. It pleases me that this is acceptable.»

Then that cat appears again, the cat with the really long name that he can barely remember…something about the Clawminator Destrucat Mk. II or some such. Regardless, he smiles «That was the kitten I met on my first day here. It is usually quite friendly to me.»


"Takes too long too," Bart agrees. "Sign language, huh? Guess that's something to read up on." With his memory, he can probably pick it up pretty quick. Hopefully he just remembers to use it at normal speed.

Laughing a little, he pets the cat as it clings to his sleeve. "Oh, you met her already, huh? That's good. Clawmy doesn't mean any harm… Er. Okay, maybe that's a bad abbreviation. She's been taking it too literally." He lets the pink furball climb up to his shoulder where she can properly eye Black Bolt and potentially gauge how far she might have to jump if she thought to cross over.

"Glad she's not giving you any trouble though. I thought she was hiding something under here. I think she's taken to stashing stuff under the couch so I was trying to get her to come out when you showed up."


Blackagar nods a few times at Bart's words though he glances now to the cat, smiling as he can probably tell it's about to jump. Hopefully it aims for his shoulder or he may have to move out of the way.

«She's a good creature. At least to me. Though I did manage to find her chewing on Iso's strange shoes that look like a creature called a 'rabbit' yesterday. Though perhaps I should inform you that I am an official member to the Titans» he smiles, apparently liking meeting new teammates.


Clawminator Destrucat Mk. II has determined that shoulders are excellent perches. As are heads, thanks to Conner Kent. That one's all on him.

"Ooooh grife, was that what you were playing with under there? It looked like something fluffy exploded," Bart mutters, eyeing the kitten that now ignores him in favor of adopting a crouch as she readies to spring. After considering the distance between them, Bart moves just a little closer. Cat can jump but she's still on the small side. "Guess I owe Iso some new footwear." He sighs.

"New teammate though, huh? Well, I guess you'd either be that or visiting from one of the other groups. Not that I see anyone from the JL come down, but they've probably got stuff to do on their end. Anyway! Nice to have you aboard, Double-B!"


Black Bolt smiles faintly even as Bart seems to move closer for that pink cat to make the jump to Blackagar, though he does tilt his head when Bart calls him Double-B, he nevertheless looks happy to be welcomed, to which he bows his head. «Many thanks, Impulse.»

Though he looks now to the cat and Bart's realization of what the cat was nomming on. «ah…yes, it appears that animal enjoyed a fluffy treat.»


The kitten leaps! And clings to Black Bolt's shoulder as she clambers into a more suitable position where she can better survey things. Bart snickers, and once he's been replaced as cat-perch, he drops back down to pat about beneath the couch. "I hope she wasn't eating it. Probably just tore it up- she does that to socks, although sometimes people's feet are still in them."

His fingers brush something soft, and he makes a face, reaching for it. "So where'd Rob' find you, Black Bolt? And how's this vocal destruction thing work? And- oh wow, you really did a number on this rabbit thing, didn't you, kitty?" He sits back, pulling out a tuft of white fluff that could either be stuffing or whatever material had formerly been a bunny slipper.


When the kitten leaps for his shoulder, Black Bolt is surprisingly sturdy and apparently not of light feet, as the cat should easily be able to perch on his shoulder as he pets the Clawminator. Though at Bart's question, he simply smiles as he explains.

«You see, if I am what you would call in Inhuman. I am not from this earth..rather an alternate one. On my world, and it seems on this one as well with my counterpart, I am King of the Inhumans. Due to the nature of my powers, if I was to speak, much energy would be released…destructive energy. While I have another power that allows me to control electrons..» he points to a metal object around his collar. a necklace built into his suit.

«…I cannot control it. This helps me. Though since we are on such a subject, what are your abilities, if I may ask, Impulse?»


Bart's returned to trying to gather whatever remnants of the unfortunate bunny slipper remain, but he lifts his head to look back up at Black Bolt as the Inhuman makes his explanation.

"Whoa… A king?" They still do stuff like that? The teenager blinks a bit. "Sounds cool. Except for the not being able to control it, that is." He collects a pile of fluff there on the floor and gets to his feet. Nothing to do about that except clean up, he supposes.

"Oh, my abilities? Guess Red Rob' didn't say." Still, he grins, holds up a finger in that typical 'one moment' sort of gesture before he disappears in a blur. Or does he? There's a breeze with his passing, and the door across the room opens. Between the several seconds in which that happens, the pile of rabbit fluff vanishes from the floor, that blur seeming to have scooped it up and passed back through the door that still has yet to close again.

Bart comes out of his little dash right back where he'd started, arms outstretched enthusiastically. "Ta-daa!"


And for that split second, thanks to the Electrons that run rampant all around his body and can increase and decrease really whatever physical attribute he wishes, suddenly, he sees Bart move…and then he just kind a blurs out and Blackagar can't track him. Though he can tell what happened, and he gives a soft little clap for Bart when he barges in singing 'TADAAAA!'

«Very impressive. So, you are quite fast? As for being a king, yes…on my earth anyways. I know very little of the outside world..away from Attilan anyways. That being the city of Inhumans that I rule in my world. Perhaps sometime I will allow you to visit, that is assuming I am able to return to my home.»

He frowns a bit then, clearly saddened by this, but he shakes his head, moving a hand to pet the kitty on his shoulder with a soft smile.


"Heh, quite." Bart smiles crookedly at that. "So…how'd you get here? I mean, I guess it's not unheard of, coming from an alternate reality or another world entirely. Heck, I come from the future." He shrugs, and then pauses as though wondering if he should have divulged that. It's not like he hasn't told Caitlin already, although that piece of info seemed to break her brain. Or was it the part about him having aged faster than he really is due to his hypermetabolism… Eh, whatev.

The frown isn't unnoticed, and Bart supposes he can relate to that. There are people he misses from home. His mom's still back there, after all. Or, ahead there. Gosh, time-travel is confusing.

"Hey, I'll bet it'd be possible, somehow. If there's a way to get here, there's gotta be something to work in reverse."


Black Bolt would smile to Bart at his question. «A traitorous brother who happens to have a severe talent for science.» he says with a loooooong sigh. Though he does tilt his head at Bart when he mentions he's from the future as a possible slip in speech. «You are from the future? Peculiar.»

Though at this stage, nothing surprises him anymore. But when Impulse offers a bit of sympathy and hope for him, Black Bolt smiles, petting the kitten on his shoulder still with an idle hand…but apparently he's good at petting as the cat starts to pur and relax on him. «You speak the truth. I thank you for that.»


That says everything right there, all right. Bart makes a bit of a face as he gives a sigh of his own. "Typical." It had the makings for many a movie or video game plot, that's for sure.

"Yeah. Stuff got crazy back home, so my gran'ma thought it'd be safer for me over here. And I'd be able to learn how to use my powers better and stuff." Things hadn't exactly panned out the way Iris had planned, but they worked out in the end.

Watching as Clawmy yawns and then settles into something more of a napping position on Black Bolt's shoulder, Bart smiles, nodding at the guy. "Eh, I just felt it's fair to say. Most anything's possible these days. So I'm sure you'll be able to go back and knock your brother upside the head or something, some day." He is all the encouraging.


Black Bolt would nod a few times to Bart, giving a little sigh of his own. He knew this was kind of a cheesy thing and he didn't even know what most 'movies' were thanks to being locked up in a room for years for 'everyone else's protection'. Regardless, the Inhuman King smiles to him when he admits that he has people he misses too.

Thus does Black Bolt give Bart a little shoulder pat even as the cat starts to go to sleep on his shoulder. «Then in this way, we are at least a little similar. Let's be friends, yes?» he smiles big and warm.


What was it with people locking these poor guys up in rooms for years?! Then again, in Bart's case he was hooked up to virtual reality for several. Needless to say, adjusting to the real world when you've practically been raised in a video game has been a work in progress.

"Guess we are, huh?" Grinning lopsidedly, Bart nods. "Sure, I've got no problems with that. And we're gonna be teammates, besides." And how many people get to say they're friends with a king?

"Sooo, what are your thoughts on pizza?" Practical Titans staple, there.


Wowwww they really were alike in a lot of ways. Though when Impulse agrees to be friends with Black Bolt, he seems legitimately happy with this. «Excellent. Then friends we will be.» though when Bart brings up pizza, Blackagar recalls the first time he had pizza.

«Ah, yes…pizza is rather delicious delicacy. I would be happy to have it more often.» he smiles.


Oh, excellent. And even better, Black Bolt already has a positive opinion of it. If Bart's grin hadn't been bright already, it's absolutely ecstatic now.

"Well, my friend, you will definitely have plenty of opportunity for that here. I think we have it so much it's like a requirement. Favorite toppings? I can go pick up a few boxes right now!" Because between him and Fairchild alone they can put away quite a bit.


Black Bolt would smile faintly to Bart…wow, they have -that- much pizza? huh…well, Blackagar will never go hungry, at least. though he does notice Impulse's change in demeanor when it comes to that smile of his, Blackagar simply smiles a little wider, still no sound.

«I see…you have that much pizza? hm…if you wish to go do so, I certainly won't stop you.» given, he had no idea who Fairchild was, but he probably would end up doing so one day.


"Nnnnot on hand," Bart admits. "There's a great place we always order from like, a few blocks from here-" Which may or may not be the case, because distances are relative to someone who can practically run across the globe in less than a minute. "-so it's no problem for me to go pick something up." He smirks. "Takes less time than standard delivery. It's just waiting for them to be ready that takes the longest."

Once he thought that he could beat the system by putting in orders at a few different places so he could pick them all up at about the same time. The idea backfired however when the team card couldn't be put through right away after being used shortly before, so Bart had ended up waiting anyway.


Blackagar would give a bit of an 'ah' kind of expression. Still no sound. Wow…he was dead serious when he said he -refused- to speak at all. Though at Bart's explanation, he gives a silent smile at him in return with a shake of his head, like he found it comical. «I see…very well, we can wait a few moments for a pizza can we not? Unless that speed has made you only a tad impatient.» he smiles a little wider then, patting Bart on the back as he carefully takes the cat off his shoulder to rest on the couch.


A frown pulls at his face, not sure whether Black Bolt's joking or not until he sees that smile. That only makes Bart near-pout more. "Ha-ha." Then he snorts, smirking as he turns to head towards the kitchen so he can grab their designated food card.

"Anywho! There will be pizza! And it will only take me more than ten minutes because fresh pizza takes time to cook." Especially several or more. "Bee-Ar-Bee." He has no idea how savvy Black Bolt is with internet lingo but it's not something he thinks about at the moment as he waves and makes for the emergency stairs. Because he hates waiting for the elevator.

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