Video

[rushing_by]

I have to say, all the many downsides aside? This is pretty cool. We're basically in the Star Trek future. With aliens!  I mean, I've met an alien before, in a different universe, but she did look fairly human. Aside from the whole faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to fly thing she had.

Anyways, hi. [He gives a little wave.] My name's Barry Allen, and I'm the Flash.  Not this universe's version of the Flash, though. I'm from a different one entirely. It's similar, but they showed me a couple pictures of the one from this reality and he wore a lot more spandex than I'm entirely comfortable with.

Getting off of that, it's nice to meet you guys, and I look forward to working with all of you.

Comments

[whyarewehere]

you don't know that! and excuse you but i'm a great friend ask anybody.

[unrecovered]

[After a few minutes, Wash replies with a link to a video of Grif running into the wall. It's about two minutes long: the first several loops just show Grif running into the wall, and every loop afterwards has some type of effect added, from slow-mo to cartoonish sound effects upon impact to overblown Michael Bay explosions. There's a reason it's taken Wash a few minutes to respond: while he looks relatively composed now, it's fairly obvious that, off camera, he's been laughing his ass off at the video.]

I think I found your friend.

[Would you take a look at that smirk.]

[whyarewehere]

fuck you, wash.

[ He's seen a lot of edits of that clip, but this one's new. Will the net ever forget and let Grif live? The answer is no. ]

[whyarewehere]

ew.

[rushing_by]

There's not really a step-by-step to this sort of thing. Getting it right, especially the first time, is partly a state of mind. I'd feel better about the whole thing if I could be there to talk them through it.

[whyarewehere]

oh okay nvm.

[ He really has painted himself into a corner here. How can he introduce himself without this clever ruse completely coming apart?

By just not doing it, apparently.]

Private tezt

[rushing_by]

Look, I really don't have any problem helping out with this. I won't even tell anyone if you're that worried about it.

You shouldn't be, though. There is definitely a learning curve to being a speedster. Even I 'm not 100% sure of everything I can do yet.

[unrecovered]

[There's an easy, automatic reply here - nah, that's your mom's job - but he bites it back. Not his place. Not today.]

Look, I kept this private for a reason. You talked to me when you needed help. It's going to be a lot easier for you if you talk to Barry and actually ask for help. Otherwise, it's just going to be more of this.

[Is that the two-minute-long wall clip again? You bet it is.]

[whyarewehere]

[ This response takes a bit longer than it should. ]

okay okay fine. god. i almost miss sarge just yelling at me to do things better. all this giving a shit about me stuff is weird.

[ In some ways, just taking a crack about his mom would've been a lot simpler for Grif. ]

Permafilter

[whyarewehere]

[ Grif has to go wrangle with Wash in another thread for a minute or two before getting back to Barry, then... ]
okay.

i'm grif. i've been here basically since all this shit started and i'm still figuring out the whole speed thing. it's kind of not gone great for me.

Re: Permafilter

[rushing_by]

It's fine, I get it. I had trouble getting a handle on my powers too. When was I first starting out I occasionally set my clothes on fire by running too fast.

Whenever you feel up for it, come down to the S.T.A.R Labs building on the Habitat deck.

[notthatjason]

I wouldn't worry about that. They'll be equal opportunities at trying to take out everyone here it seems.

[Jason seems to be used to it already...that's reassuring, right?]

You're also the second person to get a movie reference. Are Star Trek and Star Wars really all over the multiverse?

[rushing_by]

Yeah, apparently. Also around on a bunch of universes? Harry Potter, Moby Dick, Empire of the Sun, and Gladiator. Although I know one universe where that last one was called Sweaty Men.

[Barry hadn't been around for that conversation with HR, but Cisco had shared it with him later]

[walkingballpit]

For details on the second millenium or... you? Cause if it's for you, I'm joining you on S.S. Super Weird.

[ There's a break in the feed, wherein Robbie looks Barry up on his comm.

And then he's back, aghast. ]

You're officially creeping me out here. Who are you?

[rushing_by]

Someone who's so famous in the future that an evil time-traveler came back specifically to mess with my life.

To be fair? The museum's not entirely, or even mostly, about this version of me It's about everyone who's ever gone by the Flash codename.

[walkingballpit]

Does the evil time-traveler do birthday parties? Because I'd pay for him to do one of mine.

[ Like the first one. ]

That's got to put you on the map. Also, B? Saying the museum isn't all about you is still making it all about you if you were the first one.

I could paint myself red, white, and blue and call myself Captain America, but I'd be deluding myself if I tried to claim Captain America was about anybody else than Steve Rogers.

[rushing_by]

[Barry's usual good nature slips away very quickly at that comment.]

Don't. Do not joke about that. He killed my mom, and set my dad up to take the blame for it.

[walkingballpit]

[ Robbie's face freezes in mirth, at first. The happiness evaporates in a few seconds, but the stiffness remains. ]

I'm sorry. I didn't know - I didn't search that hard because I figured you'd want me to learn about you the old-fashioned way.

[ There's always families, involved, when he shoots his mouth off and ruins everything. Always. ]

I hope your dad... I'm sorry.

[rushing_by]

[Barry sighs. It's not anything that happened was Robbie's fault, and there was literally no way he could have ever known about it beforehand either.]

It's fine, man. You didn't know, and I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. Don't beat yourself up over it.

[There's silence on Barry's end for a few moments, before his stomach choosesto growl.]

...I guess my stomach's decided we needed an awkward subject change.

[notthatjason]

Mythology has been hit or miss based on a few conversations I've had. I guess some worlds are more similar than others then. [Specifically he's thinking of conversations he's had with Azula and Kubo.]

Why would you call a movie that? How would that sell at all?

[rushing_by]

From what I heard, it didn't. I don't have any explanation for why anyone thought it was a good idea to name it that way in the first place, though.

Still, not quite as weird as knowing that a couple of good friends of mine are from a reality where Beyoncé became a senator.

video;

[deafleppard]

Pretty sure that someone out there is already looking to make commercials and action figures out of you.

Like, I'm 99% sure of this.

Re: video;

[rushing_by]

...I hate to say it, but that's not exactly new for me. The action figures already exist back home.

And the local coffee shop has a drink named after me.

video;

[deafleppard]

...

You big showoff.

[notthatjason]

That...[He thinks about it for a second and shakes his head in a combination of disbelief and resignation.]...well I guess that's actually not so bad. Just...unexpected.

It's one thing dealing with realities that are very different, like where we are now, but I'm not sure what I would do if I was suddenly confronted with a different version of my friends. It seems like it'd be weird.