Golden Bay Airport, Golden Bay, California, May 22nd, 7:29:04 am
Ro Rowen plopped down at the small round table with her scone and steaming hot cappuccino.
"Caffeine. . ." she remarked, then took a deep swig of the drink. Zeta sat down opposite her and mimicked her with his own cup of coffee. No sooner than he had taken a huge gulp, he swallowed with a pained expression on his face, coughing and grasping his throat.
"It's hot!"
Ro rolled her eyes, a grin on her face.
"Coffee's supposed to be hot, Zee," she said, laughing at his animated expressions.
"But it burns! And it's too bitter. I don't like it." He said firmly, pushing the cup over to her. "I like chocolate a lot better."
Ro knew that. It seemed that Zeta had quite a sweet tooth, but he wasn't fond of anything bitter, spicy, or sour. His tastes were rather like those of a small child, which made sense seeing as he was new to being able to eat and drink Ro handed him her chocolate chip scone, which he took gladly and began to chew.
"Zee, Dr. Selig's going to hate me."
Zeta looked perplexed. "Why?"
"Because! You're eating all junk food!" she giggled. And junk food was worse for Zeta than a normal person, seeing as he didn't eat much, only enough to keep the cellular components of his body functioning properly. "Is there anything you like that isn't made out of processed sugar?"
He looked thoughtful. "I don't think so. I guess I like blueberries."
"Well, that's a start," said Ro, defeated. But she was still giggling, it was sometimes funny putting up with Zee's new eating habits. The other day when she had forced him to go shopping and buy something other than the horrible old clothes that had probably been picked out by Dr. Selig himself, she offered to get him a soda. When he drank it, he spit that out, too, saying that he didn't like it. A hysterical Ro informed him that it was Root beer cherry cola. Zeta didn't really find the joke as funny as she had. But Ro had fun just being with him, showing him around Golden Bay even though she hadn't really seen much of it before he arrived.
"What time does your flight leave?" Ro asked casually. Zeta didn't even have to check his ticket. "7:45"
Ro glanced at her watch. "We should get you onboard, then, so you can have a good seat. . .Casey's bringing all of your things to the baggage check, right?"
"Yes, Ro," said Zee, without his hologram unable to disguise the disgust on his face. Ro giggled again- Zeta obviously wasn't a fan of her fashion choices.
The two of them stood up, Zeta still finishing the scone as Ro pulled him to his terminal. Casey was waiting for them at the gate with tickets in hand. It appeared that Ro's watch was a little off, because the flight was already boarding.
"Bye, Zee," Ro said, pulling him into a hug. "I'll miss you. Say hi to Dr. Selig for me, and tell him I'll be coming to Gotham in a couple weeks when your final operations are over. Eat lots of blueberries, okay?"
"I will. Goodbye, Ro." Zeta kissed her, a kiss that lasted longer than expected and drew the attention of most of the people waiting at the gate. Finally a polite cough from Casey reminded them that Zeta had to board the plane. Ro pulled away, her cheeks as red as her sibling's.
"Yeah, so, bye," she said embarrassedly, and Zee waved, not seeming to register her embarrassment, and walked onto the plane.
Ro and Casey waited in the terminal in silence until the plane began to glide away from the gate 5 minutes later. They both waved, although they knew Zee couldn't see them. Or actually, maybe he could. Ro got the impression his eyesight wasn't as amazing as it had been, but it was likely still very good.
"So, he's going back to Gotham to see Dr. Selig?" Casey asked, more to break the silence than anything else. "Isn't he that guy who died?"
Ro nodded. "We thought he'd died, but he's just been in higher security. After Eta hurt Zee, his body had been destroyed by the EM ray, but his mind was still okay. So Agent Bennett tracked down Dr. Selig and had him build a new body for Zee. A semi-organic one this time."
Casey cocked his head, looking bemused. "Why didn't anyone tell you? Bennett came to visit you in the hospital, right?"
Ro had asked all of these questions to Zee when the initial shock of his arrival had worn off. "Bennett hadn't actually recovered the body when he visited me, but he wouldn't have told me anyways. No one was sure if the procedure would work, since Zee was so badly damaged. They thought that a part of his mind might be missing, and it would've been harder to fix than any other synthoid. Zee's a lot more complex, and Dr. Selig himself doesn't even know exactly what makes him tick."
"So. . .he's getting another operation done on Gotham?"
Ro shrugged. "I think it's just like working out the bugs or something. I'll probably fly up there when it's all finished, but since Zee would be offline the whole time, it'd be pretty pointless to go now." She didn't mention the other reason, that she wanted to make up for lost time with her brother, but it was understood.
Casey gestured to the clear sky out the terminal window. "What did I tell you, Ro? It's already clearing up, and we haven't hit June yet."
Ro grinned. "Yeah, you're right."
Casey shook his head. "No, it's usually a lot more overcast in May, and often in June, too. The best time of year is actually late summer, like August. But while it's such a nice day, let's enjoy it."
Ro laughed. "Alright then, what do you want to do?"
"Something really great. . .I don't have to go into the office today."
"Do you have any money?" Ro asked, laughing at Casey's infectious mood.
"Damn! No, I'm totally broke. Why didn't you ask Zee for some creds before he got on the plane?" Casey chastised, laughing as well.
"There must be something we can do for cheap," Ro giggled.
"You obviously haven't been in the city long enough. They charge you to go to the beach now!"
"Really?" asked Ro, who hadn't noticed because Zeta always paid all of her fares.
Casey nodded. "It wasn't like this before, when we lived with Grandma and Grandpa. We weren't in Golden Bay, but we'd drive up to the beach on nice days, and it was free then. But you know how the feds are," he chuckled. "You really know!"
Ro nodded. "Casey? I've never had the chance to ask you- what were they like? Our grandparents, I mean."
Casey thought about this. "It's been along time, and I might get mixed up. But I'll try to tell you over some ice cream," he said.
"Only if you pay," Ro said slyly.
"Come on, I have enough money for ice cream," Casey grinned, and the two of them left the building together.
Ro Rowen plopped down at the small round table with her scone and steaming hot cappuccino.
"Caffeine. . ." she remarked, then took a deep swig of the drink. Zeta sat down opposite her and mimicked her with his own cup of coffee. No sooner than he had taken a huge gulp, he swallowed with a pained expression on his face, coughing and grasping his throat.
"It's hot!"
Ro rolled her eyes, a grin on her face.
"Coffee's supposed to be hot, Zee," she said, laughing at his animated expressions.
"But it burns! And it's too bitter. I don't like it." He said firmly, pushing the cup over to her. "I like chocolate a lot better."
Ro knew that. It seemed that Zeta had quite a sweet tooth, but he wasn't fond of anything bitter, spicy, or sour. His tastes were rather like those of a small child, which made sense seeing as he was new to being able to eat and drink Ro handed him her chocolate chip scone, which he took gladly and began to chew.
"Zee, Dr. Selig's going to hate me."
Zeta looked perplexed. "Why?"
"Because! You're eating all junk food!" she giggled. And junk food was worse for Zeta than a normal person, seeing as he didn't eat much, only enough to keep the cellular components of his body functioning properly. "Is there anything you like that isn't made out of processed sugar?"
He looked thoughtful. "I don't think so. I guess I like blueberries."
"Well, that's a start," said Ro, defeated. But she was still giggling, it was sometimes funny putting up with Zee's new eating habits. The other day when she had forced him to go shopping and buy something other than the horrible old clothes that had probably been picked out by Dr. Selig himself, she offered to get him a soda. When he drank it, he spit that out, too, saying that he didn't like it. A hysterical Ro informed him that it was Root beer cherry cola. Zeta didn't really find the joke as funny as she had. But Ro had fun just being with him, showing him around Golden Bay even though she hadn't really seen much of it before he arrived.
"What time does your flight leave?" Ro asked casually. Zeta didn't even have to check his ticket. "7:45"
Ro glanced at her watch. "We should get you onboard, then, so you can have a good seat. . .Casey's bringing all of your things to the baggage check, right?"
"Yes, Ro," said Zee, without his hologram unable to disguise the disgust on his face. Ro giggled again- Zeta obviously wasn't a fan of her fashion choices.
The two of them stood up, Zeta still finishing the scone as Ro pulled him to his terminal. Casey was waiting for them at the gate with tickets in hand. It appeared that Ro's watch was a little off, because the flight was already boarding.
"Bye, Zee," Ro said, pulling him into a hug. "I'll miss you. Say hi to Dr. Selig for me, and tell him I'll be coming to Gotham in a couple weeks when your final operations are over. Eat lots of blueberries, okay?"
"I will. Goodbye, Ro." Zeta kissed her, a kiss that lasted longer than expected and drew the attention of most of the people waiting at the gate. Finally a polite cough from Casey reminded them that Zeta had to board the plane. Ro pulled away, her cheeks as red as her sibling's.
"Yeah, so, bye," she said embarrassedly, and Zee waved, not seeming to register her embarrassment, and walked onto the plane.
Ro and Casey waited in the terminal in silence until the plane began to glide away from the gate 5 minutes later. They both waved, although they knew Zee couldn't see them. Or actually, maybe he could. Ro got the impression his eyesight wasn't as amazing as it had been, but it was likely still very good.
"So, he's going back to Gotham to see Dr. Selig?" Casey asked, more to break the silence than anything else. "Isn't he that guy who died?"
Ro nodded. "We thought he'd died, but he's just been in higher security. After Eta hurt Zee, his body had been destroyed by the EM ray, but his mind was still okay. So Agent Bennett tracked down Dr. Selig and had him build a new body for Zee. A semi-organic one this time."
Casey cocked his head, looking bemused. "Why didn't anyone tell you? Bennett came to visit you in the hospital, right?"
Ro had asked all of these questions to Zee when the initial shock of his arrival had worn off. "Bennett hadn't actually recovered the body when he visited me, but he wouldn't have told me anyways. No one was sure if the procedure would work, since Zee was so badly damaged. They thought that a part of his mind might be missing, and it would've been harder to fix than any other synthoid. Zee's a lot more complex, and Dr. Selig himself doesn't even know exactly what makes him tick."
"So. . .he's getting another operation done on Gotham?"
Ro shrugged. "I think it's just like working out the bugs or something. I'll probably fly up there when it's all finished, but since Zee would be offline the whole time, it'd be pretty pointless to go now." She didn't mention the other reason, that she wanted to make up for lost time with her brother, but it was understood.
Casey gestured to the clear sky out the terminal window. "What did I tell you, Ro? It's already clearing up, and we haven't hit June yet."
Ro grinned. "Yeah, you're right."
Casey shook his head. "No, it's usually a lot more overcast in May, and often in June, too. The best time of year is actually late summer, like August. But while it's such a nice day, let's enjoy it."
Ro laughed. "Alright then, what do you want to do?"
"Something really great. . .I don't have to go into the office today."
"Do you have any money?" Ro asked, laughing at Casey's infectious mood.
"Damn! No, I'm totally broke. Why didn't you ask Zee for some creds before he got on the plane?" Casey chastised, laughing as well.
"There must be something we can do for cheap," Ro giggled.
"You obviously haven't been in the city long enough. They charge you to go to the beach now!"
"Really?" asked Ro, who hadn't noticed because Zeta always paid all of her fares.
Casey nodded. "It wasn't like this before, when we lived with Grandma and Grandpa. We weren't in Golden Bay, but we'd drive up to the beach on nice days, and it was free then. But you know how the feds are," he chuckled. "You really know!"
Ro nodded. "Casey? I've never had the chance to ask you- what were they like? Our grandparents, I mean."
Casey thought about this. "It's been along time, and I might get mixed up. But I'll try to tell you over some ice cream," he said.
"Only if you pay," Ro said slyly.
"Come on, I have enough money for ice cream," Casey grinned, and the two of them left the building together.