The lights of Tokyo sparkled like a carpet of diamonds beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of Marcus's luxurious apartment. A pot of kombu-rich water simmered gently on the induction cooktop, awaiting the perfectly marbled slices of Wagyu beef and the selection of fresh vegetables. The atmosphere was intimate, peaceful.
Without a sound, a silhouette appeared outside the window, then slipped through it with the grace of a bird of prey. Awkgirl landed softly on the floor, folding her metallic wings.
Awkgirl: Hey Marcus, how are you?
Marcus,smiling at her: I'm good. I figured after all these missions, we deserved a good meal. I'm making Shabu-Shabu. Or maybe Sukiyaki, I haven't decided yet. You like both anyway.
Awkgirl,sniffing the air appreciatively: Oh, that smells amazing. Is that for both of us?
Marcus,focused on slicing the shiitake mushrooms: Yeah. There have been a lot of missions lately, for both of us. I wanted to do something nice, something normal.
Awkgirl didn't reply immediately. She just watched him, her golden eyes betraying deep affection. She observed his skilled hands handling the knife with a chef's precision, the concentration on his face. There was a serenity in this domestic scene that she deeply cherished.
Awkgirl: Oh, I see... she finally said, her voice soft.
After a moment of comfortable silence, Marcus broke the spell.
Marcus: So, that space mission? Tell me about it.
Awkgirl,shaking her head slightly as if to dispel a complex memory: Oh, that's right, I have to tell you. It was... something else. Green Lantern was summoned to a tribunal on a distant planet, accused of having destroyed a planet.
Marcus, who had just picked up a slice of exceptionally high-grade Wagyu, froze, his eyes wide.
Marcus, shocked: He destroyed a planet?!
Awkgirl,raising a calming hand: No, no, of course not! The real culprits were the Manhunters.
Marcus:The Manhunters? Those androids created by the Guardians of the Universe?
Awkgirl:Exactly. Those little blue-skinned elders on Oa who created the rings. Well, they probably never expected their first creations to rebel one day.
Marcus, intrigued:Rebel? How?
Awkgirl made herself comfortable, savoring the chance to share the story.
Awkgirl: While we were at the tribunal, pleading John's innocence, the Manhunters took advantage of the planet's reduced surveillance to attack it. Their goal: to steal the energy from the Green Lanterns' Central Power Battery. They thought that without the Lanterns, no one could stop them.
Marcus:My god... And John managed to stop them?
Awkgirl, with a proud smile:He did more than that. Thanks to his courage and pure willpower, he stood up to their leader, turned their own technology against them, and routed them. It was impressive to see.
She fell silent for a moment, then her gaze became more intense, more curious.
Awkgirl: And you, meanwhile? Your mission with the Justice Society? I've heard rumors... Kahndaq, Black Adam...
A wide smile spread across Marcus's face. He put down his knife and turned fully towards her, his eyes sparkling with contained excitement.
Marcus: Ah, that... That's a whole other story. Get comfortable. I'll have to start from the beginning... with a guy named Doctor Fate recruiting me in a Tokyo park...
The hot pot continued to simmer, forgotten for the moment, as Marcus launched into the tale of his own adventure, from the ruins of Kahndaq to the birth of Black Adam, while Awkgirl listened, fascinated, completely forgetting the call of the Shabu-Shabu.