001 - Video

[hawkfire]

[The feed crackles to life on the face of what seems to be your typical Southern California girl. Blonde, tan, athletic, perky. A close look at her eys belies a sort of fire there, though. A steely-eyed determination punctuated by the sparkle of promise. She's a stranger in a strange land, sure, but she's also aware that she's not the only one. More than that, she's been chosen. CHOSEN. Not as a tennis champ. Not as a childhood beauty pageant queen. No. She's been chosen as a HERO. The excitement all over her face is hard to miss.]

Hi! I'm Bette. Kane. Bette Kane. Is me. And that could probably have gone a little bit smoother. Some of you might know me as Flamebird. Maybe Hawkfire. Most likely not, though? I'm not, like, as popular as Batgirl.

[She even sounds like your stereotypical SoCal girl. A little Cher Horowitz, a little Elle Woods, a little Summer Roberts. Bright, warm, perky. A slight uptick. The excitement that was on her face a moment ago is shadowed by a little bit of self-doubt, suddenly.]

Actually, is there anyone from home here? I mean, I'm obviously new, but you know. If you've heard of Gotham City, or Metropolis, or Coast City... Drop a hey my way? I mean, even if you're not from back home, say hey. I could use some help getting acclimated. Find the hotspots for food, clothes.

Meting out justice.

You know how it goes. I'm thinking I'll brave the rain and head into the city later, but. A buddy might be nice.

So yeah. ...This doesn't sound like a Tinder or Hooq profile, does it?

[She opens her mouth to say something more and then visibly thinks better of it. Click.]

Comments

voice; sent from Timothy Drake-Wayne

[alreadywon]

[Yes hello, she gets an amused:] It sounds a little like a Tinder or Hooq profile. [Of course he recognizes her name(s) (although he wasn't aware of her changing to Hawkfire), but since the two of them were never exactly close, he figures he'd get pretty much the same result talking to her as himself or as Red Robin.]

voice

[hawkfire]

There really is no way to introduce yourself to a whole group of people without sounding like one, is there?

[There's a very brief pause.]

Wayne?

voice;

[dogsled]

What's a Tinder?

voice;

[hawkfire]

It's like a dating app? Kind of like OKCupid or that weird Bagel Meets Coffee one. I've never gotten a good bagel or coffee out of that one, let me tell you.

[flynnnotjunior]

I mean, yeah, I've heard but not like... kinda like Madeupsville?

[hawkfire]

Madeups...hey. HEY.

Gotham City is not made up.

...I think.

[She's not having like a psychotic break, is she?]

voice. private, id is Bruce Wayne

[chiroptophobic]

I may have heard of Gotham City...

voice

[hawkfire]

[There's a very heavy moment of silence. He sounds familiar enough. And then there's the name...]

Cousin Bruce?

[Because that's how you spring it on someone.]

voice; ID is Jonathan Crane

[restingstitchface]

You seem overly eager to leap into the role of a superhero. Is that a common thing back where you're from?

[If she's heard of Gotham City, it stands to reason she's heard of both his names. He might as well go the whole way and reap the rewards.]

Re: voice; ID is Jonathan Crane

[hawkfire]

[Bette is silent for a long, long moment. She knows this name. She's seen it in the files. She might be brash and impulsive, but she's no fool.]

You would know, wouldn't you, Scarecrow? Funny. I didn't think they were picking up villains as well as heroes. What, is it some sort of power balance thing?

video;

[heliophilic]

All you're missing from your definitely-not-a-Hooq-profile is your hobbies. Maybe a piece about beaches and sunsets. But you're mostly there.

I wasn't aware you heroes from Gotham were forthcoming with your secret identities. Doesn't the Bat make you keep them close to your chest

Re: video;

[hawkfire]

I love the beach. You know, the way any proper California girl does.

[Brief pause. Okay, she maybe ought to have played that close to the vest.]

I'm not affiliated with that crazy old Bat.

video

[khajidont]

Hey.

[That's good enough, right? Okay, maybe not. Give him a second.]
I'm not from any of the cities that don't exist here, but I sure know about them; they exist where I'm from too. So... you're one of the superheroes that doesn't bother with the whole secret ID thing, then?

Video

[hawkfire]

Funny story. I usually do? But I was kind of excited and may have blurted out a thing or two I shouldn't have.

Heh. Oops.

[video]

[helladoomed]

Hmm.

[Here Bette, have a blue-haired young woman considering your post thoughtfully. Finally she shrugs and grins jokingly.]

Eh. I'd swipe right.

[video]

[hawkfire]

[Have Bette blink a time or two at that. Not in shock. More in flattery. A small smile curves up the corners of her lips.]

I...uh. Thank you! You have really cool hair.

video | id reads "karen starr"

[boobwindow]

You're related to Kate Kane, aren't you?

video | id reads "karen starr"

[hawkfire]

[The name doesn't mean much to Bette, but she feels certain she's read it in a magazine or something.]

She's my cousin! [This said proudly. As though there was ever any doubt that Bette looked up to Kate.] Wait, how did you know?

video;

[exceptfebruary]

Not even on a holiday. A shame. Unless you are particularly fond of apples?

video;

[hawkfire]

I mean, back in junior high, I had a thing for those caramel apple lollipops? Does that count?

video

[performance]

Bette Kane...?

[ She looks too old to be the one he knows, or at least the one he knows from when he knows her — but. ]

Okay, sorry in advance if this is weird. Dick Grayson. We went to school together? Or didn't. Either way, yes to Gotham and, hey, congrats on the not-so-secret identity.

video

[hawkfire]

[Boy does he look kind of familiar though.]

Dick?

[This is beyond weird. This is the guy she's had a crush on ever since she saw him at her cousin Bruce's place years ago.]

...Yeah, thanks? The identity thing is kind of a...snafu. I thought people went public with that here, being chosen and all. [Heh. Oops.]

How... [So many questions. How was he here? What version of Bette did Dick remember? They went to school together, what?]

I'm sorry. I'm just like super-weirded out right now.

text;

[textualhealing]

Hawkfire? Award for bad ass hero name goes to you.

text;

[hawkfire]

Well thank you! It wasn't exactly me who came up with it - I had some help.

video.

[tardily]

Does it count if I've heard of those places when I got here? Except for Coast City. That one I knew because of some wonderful pizza.

[ A pause. That was not the point and yet Barry thought it was valid to mention. ]

Do you just alternate between those names or is this just one of those— first name got used and then you decided Hawkfire was better? Which it is, but— maybe a little confusing if you don't turn into a hawk or something.

Re: video.

[hawkfire]

Coast City's actually got really great pizza. Not as good as LA's, but really good. [What? She's loyal to her city.]

Hawkfire was a...rebirth, for me. Flamebird...I could never make her work. [It's a long story, but having been cut open from groin to sternum, having suffered some severe head trauma, and having her heart stop twice...well. In essence, it meant that Flamebird had died. Hawkfire had risen in her place.]

Oh hey. It's not like Batman turns into a bat or the Green Lantern turns into a giant green lamp.