| Salem - September 8
"Where were you? Are you okay?" Kori asked as their lips parted, concern softening her features.
[It's a long story. I'll tell you everything later. But I don't think we should keep the others waiting,] Joseph replied through a telepathic link.
[New powers?] Kori raised an eyebrow.
[You're not the only one who got stronger. I could easily beat you in hand-to-hand combat now,] Joseph smirked.
[We were evenly matched before. We'll have to test that later,] she replied, a playful, competitive gleam in her eyes. [For now, let's go down,] she said, gently taking his hand.
Joseph laced their fingers together. This felt right.
They descended toward the ground, where Kent stood with a knowing smile. Beside him was a girl dressed in dark clothes, her expression guarded.
"I should introduce you," Kori said warmly. "This is Rachel."
[She was captured by the Church of Blood in Zandia. Nearly forced to marry their cult leader. The Team and I rescued her,] Kori explained mentally.
"Hi, I'm Joseph," he said with a friendly smile.
Rachel gave a small nod, face unreadable, and said nothing.
[She's introverted—still recovering from what she went through. She hasn't shared much about her past, but she cares deeply. Don't take her silence personally,] Kori added gently.
[Of course. I'm not that petty. Everyone has their reasons,] Joseph replied.
"Old man," Joseph greeted, turning to Kent with a respectful nod.
"Kid," Kent grinned. "Didn't expect the spitfire you mentioned to be Starfire. Good job," he added with a thumbs-up, referencing their conversation weeks ago.
Joseph chuckled. "Thanks. So, what's going on here?"
"Rachel hasn't mastered her magic yet," Kent said, resting a hand on her shoulder. "She's got strong instincts, but she needs guidance. I'll be mentoring her—and I've volunteered to become her legal guardian. She'll be staying here at the Tower of Fate while going to school in Happy Harbor."
Ah, right. School. His didn't start until September 22. Honestly, it felt like a waste of time. He had already known most of the curriculum, and now he had it downright downloaded into his brain. He'd just test out of 12th grade at Gotham Academy and leave Andrew as the last one in their friend group still stuck in high school. Lol.
"Oh! M'gann and Superboy are going to Happy Harbor High too," Kori added cheerfully.
Rachel, on the other hand, looked less than thrilled. Understandable. School sucked.
"By the way," Joseph said, recalling something, "I got hit with some Order, Chaos, and Wotan's lightning magic. They're still in me. I feel fine now, but... should I be worried?"
"Come here and give me your hand," Kent said.
Joseph stepped forward and willed his Nth metal suit to peel back from his right hand. Kent took it, closing his eyes.
"Hmm. I can sense the magic—clustered near your heart, yet not integrated into your system. You say you feel nothing?"
Joseph nodded.
"Interesting. The amounts of Order and Chaos magic are small. If they clash, it might cause internal damage—but not enough to make you explode."
Joseph and Kori both snapped to attention. "Explode?"
"Yes. That's what happens when Order and Chaos interact—explosions. As for the lightning magic, it might trigger spasms or shocks if left dormant too long. And the residue of Wotan's dark magic might influence your thoughts over time. If I were still wearing the Helmet of Fate, I could remove it... but I'm retired. You're safe for now—years, probably—but if you notice anything odd, come to me immediately."
Joseph nodded, still uneasy about the idea of his thoughts being tampered with. He'd find a solution later.
He covered his hand back in Nth metal and floated up beside Kori.
"Well, it was great meeting you both. Mind if I steal Kori for the day?" he asked.
"No problem at all," Kent replied. "Come visit any time. An old man like me enjoys the company."
Kori gave Rachel a brief but warm hug. Then she returned to Joseph's side, taking his hand as they rose together.
"How fast can you fly now?" Kori teased. "I remember when you used to struggle breaking the sound barrier."
"You know I got better. I was flying at Mach 2 before. And I'm definitely faster than you now," Joseph said with a smug grin.
"Oh yeah? Last one to D.C. is a flarnop!" she shouted, blasting off so fast her hair left streaks of fire.
"Hey!" Joseph called after her, laughing. "What even is a flarnop?" he muttered as he took off in pursuit.
**
| Washington D.C. - September 8
"I won," Starfire said, smug and glowing.
"You cheated," Joseph replied, laughing.
He'd let her win—no Strength Force, no Speed Force.
She laughed too. Moments like this reminded Joseph how much he loved being with her—laughing, teasing, just living. He'd missed this.
They sat together on a rooftop in downtown D.C., arms wrapped around each other, watching the city buzz below.
"So, what've you been up to?" Joseph asked.
Kori gave him a look. "I should be asking you. You went to Thanagar. You fought the Gordanians."
Her voice carried the weight of history. The Gordanians had enslaved her people.
Joseph pulled her closer. He owed her the truth. So he told her everything: defeating Silver Swan, the espionage mission for Earth, getting trapped in subspace, arriving in a warzone, fighting beside the Thanagarians, facing Despero, nearly dying, Nova saving him, and his eventual escape in a gifted ship after a ceasefire with the Citadel.
She was his girlfriend. He loved her. She deserved honesty.
The only thing he left out was his Bullseye identity. No reason to implicate her by making her keep secrets.
She hugged him tighter at several points in the story. He hated seeing her worry—but it meant everything to know she cared.
When he finished, silence stretched between them. The world below felt so distant—so normal.
"I'm glad you came back," Kori said softly. "I thought I'd lose you... like I lost Ryand'r. If you hadn't returned in the next two days, I would've stolen a ship and gone after you myself."
When the Gordanians attacked Tamaran, her parents launched her younger brother into space to keep him safe from Komand'r. No one knew what became of him. The Gordanians said they hadn't found him, but that only meant he was out there—somewhere.
Kori had given up on ever finding him... but deep down, she still hoped.
"Before you do anything dangerous," she said, pulling him closer, "promise you'll tell me. And bring me with you. I don't want to lose you."
Warmth spread through Joseph's chest.
"I promise," he said.
Her serious look softened into a smile. "Good," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Then, hesitating, she asked, "How is my sist—Komand'r?"
It was a fragile topic. Her sister had betrayed their planet and sold her into slavery. The wound was still fresh.
"She's obeying the Citadel. That's all Nova found," Joseph said honestly.
"That's fine. Thank Nova for me," she replied quickly, clearly wanting to move on. Then she stood and tugged Joseph to his feet. "Let's go do something fun."