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Who: Kate Bishop and YOU.
Broadcast: Fleetwide.
Action: Aboard the Blameless, as well as in Málum aboard the Iskaulit.
When: Today.

So I know I'm not the only one here who can boast both some experience and frustration with alternate worlds, dimensions, timelines, so on and futzing so forth. [ kate hits the network like she hits the ground: running. no hello, no hi, no how-do-you-do. ]

But, uh, I figured it might be good to gather some intel from people outside my little social circle. Personally, I've counted no fewer than six different versions of home. Including mine, but not including any other generally Earth-based worlds. I'm talking we had mutual acquaintances in common, but details were...different. Shout out to anyone who can identify me a seventh. It's like Pokemon at this point: gotta learn'em all.

What about the rest of you? Are other worlds a thing where you're from? A fact of life? Or are they pretty much the stuff of sci-fi -- culty, but soon to be a blockbuster reboot on a big screen near you?

Hawkeye, out.

[ -- and with that, she kicks back and waits to discuss the existential can-o-worms she just opened. part of it is almost masochistic, because she knows how little she doesn't want to learn about yet another world where the avengers exist, but she doesn't.

to take her mind off things, kate heads for her shift at málum over on the iskaulit. but something's...off, tonight. usually a paragon of coordination and balance, she's been breaking a lot of glasses tonight. futz, that's gonna come out of her pay. it puts her in a foul mood, so patrons can expect a bit of petulant surliness with their drinks. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It doesn't matter if I believe him or not. [ the courts certainly did. ] Clint's always insisted that Avengers don't kill. Can't kill.

So he must have a reason. Maybe, if your friend went cray he would have - done things, you know? I mean. I told you, if I ever go Reverb, I'll be just fine with Barry stopping me in whatever way possible.

[ ... ]

Would your friend be able to go back on what he was about to do?

He's not just my friend, Cisco. Clint -- Clint was my hero. [ amazing, despite his many flaws.] My partner. We were meant to be a team.

[ kate takes a deep breath. sharp and unhappy. she grinds the palm of her hand against her eye, grimacing through a wave of frustration. ] But after he turned himself in, he didn't even call. And when he got his bogus-ass acquittal, he just...left.

[ they were the hawkeyes. they were supposed to help each other through these kinds of things. if he'd been in trouble, he should have come to her. ]

Hi hold on.

[ he puts a hand on her shoulder, comforting and careful. ]

He's probably - you know. It's like you said, he didn't think it would happen. Maybe he's ashamed. You just have to find him.

[ something shudders in her chest during her next inhale. ]

Oh, he knew it would happen. He had a special arrow prepared just for Bruce. Him. He was waiting, bow drawn. Pre-futzing-meditated.

[ kate leans against cisco. ] Clint's still here but he's, like, a year away from all this bullshit. He doesn't think it's possible. I dunno -- maybe it isn't, for him.

[ maybe this is a branching universes problem. that's what she's trying to figure out. what she's hoping for. ]

--- When we found Barry, I created a cold gun. It was set to absolute zero. I meant for it to stop him if he ever went too far. I didn't know him so I figured he could go nuts, too but I didn't destroy it after I knew him. It got stolen, that's how we got Captain Cold.

[ he sighs and oh hell, hugs her. ]

Barry was right to be angry with me, you're right to be angry with him but I bet there's an explanation. You'll get home and you'll find him and you'll punch him and he'll tell you.

[ -- she slumps easily into the hug. since she'd woken up, she'd been a hard and flinty person. protected. but this moment is tender; this moment is necessary. ]

He's taken off. He doesn't wanna be found. Fair enough -- the public loves him for what he did, but I know Clint. He'll be coming apart at the seams. Watching the news footage, it looked like he wanted to go to jail.

Who's asking him?

[ he squeezes her shoulder. ]

You'll find him, because like you said. you're a team. a team sticks together even when one of them is being a knucklehead.

It's a nice thought.

[ kate isn't usually given to things like doubt and dreariness. she can be serious, certainly, but it's hard to put a damper on her spirits in the way that this has done. ever since she'd woken up in january, she's been carrying this around on her shoulders. ]

You look like you need a few.

[ he offers her a fist ]

whatever happens, you got Vibe on your side.

I dunno if you realize quite how much of a very real comfort that is.

I mean, there's always a comfort knowing you'll never want for ice cream. and hugs. and a really awesome dance partner.

-- Or ears. [ because that's what's humbling her right now. ] Good listening ones, I mean.

Hey - whenever you need them, they're all yours.

[ he smiles , cheerful and stubbornly optimistic. ]

It's gonna be fine, Kate.

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