Though it ain't for me lately it don't faze me

[centralsgreatest]

WHO: Wally West sans costume and YOU
WHERE: All over town, on the streets, in stores, in restaurants of every kind
WHEN: Today
WARNINGS: None
SUMMARY: Wally goes for a walk. Yes, a walk.
FORMAT: Whichever you prefer, I’m not picky!

For all that he hates waiting for anything, there were some things that Wally liked to take slow. Enjoying good company was one of them. Going on a walk through town. Enjoying life when there weren’t any disasters. As he walked through the city he wore a small smile, taking deep breaths of the polluted air and occasionally catching a whiff of flowers, or something cooking in a nearby restaurant. He stopped often for food. He didn’t have to eat as much when he hadn’t been running, but the hunger was always there.

He would need a job. There was no easy way around it. Even with an allowance and the apartment provided him by Stark Industries, his food bills were going to put a very large dent in his lifestyle. He kept an eye out for help wanted signs as he walked, for anything from food service to retail. What he really wanted was to get a job in the forensics lab like back home, but he imagined that was a whole lot easier said than done. Oh well. Times were hard and beggars couldn’t be choosers. He would have to make do.

Wally would make conversation everywhere he went, talking to cashiers and the homeless and even the occasional stranger waiting in line. As long as he kept the topic away from ImPorts and politics, he did alright. Otherwise, he was getting to be very good at making a polite escape.

Comments

[centralsgreatest]

"Oh, no," he started, panicking, "I'm not anything like- I mean-" He deflated when he realized how pointless it was to deny it. Having a new communicator without his name attached wouldn't do anything to take away the public video of himself as the Flash with "Wally West" written across the screen. And this guy knew who he was already, it would seem.

"Both, I guess."

[retconman]

Max smirked a little, raising one eyebrow. "Both is good. I'd like to see something get organized, but it's reassuring to see the independent heroism going on regardless. This place is a bit of a mess, if you hadn't noticed." He tilted his head slightly, and set his coffee cup down.

"... Sorry, did I cross a secret identity line?"

[centralsgreatest]

"I'm just not used to people knowing who I am when I don't know them," he tried to explain without looking too dismayed. Back home the League didn't really share their identities with each other. Now, suddenly, people knew his name and history and he was left at something of a loss.

"I still say we should get everyone together to play poker," he added with a grin.

[retconman]

"Sorry," Max said again, sipping his coffee and shrugging apologetically. "I tend to take that for granted." He made a mental note to himself to be more careful about that, in fact; he personally had had access to even secret identities that hadn't been revealed to him through the JLI and JLA, by merit of working so long with Checkmate -- and that, of course, wasn't something he was parading around.

"Justice League poker, hm? Just as long as no one cheats."

[centralsgreatest]

"Nobody cheats at League poker," Wally assured him with a growing smile. "We just make sure Supes doesn't lose." Nobody wanted to be the guy who beat Superman at poker when you had to go out on a dangerous mission afterwards.

[retconman]

"What about Batman? He's got a hell of a poker-face." Max smirked and took the first bite of his sandwich, chewed thoughtfully, swallowed. "And Wonder Woman has that lasso of hers."

[centralsgreatest]

"If Bats wants to play poker with us I say he can cheat all he likes," Wally decided. Anything to get the "crazed loner" to socialize.

"Maybe Wonder Woman can use that lasso to bring him in."

[retconman]

"You know, a poker game isn't actually a bad idea. It'd give you all a chance to reconnect. We could even get the Avengers in on the act if you want to get to know the other teams in the neighborhood."

Max added a cream to his coffee and stirred it in, slowly. "Assuming everyone was capable of getting along."

[centralsgreatest]

"Or connect for the first time," he agreed. "With so many people from other worlds, it's hard to keep track of who's who." He was, of course, of the belief that everyone would be able to get along just fine if they put their minds to it.

[retconman]

"Maybe we should really set a date, then. Or -- you all, I suppose. I'm not your manager here." Yet, at least. No, probably not at all. Even if he could convince the Avengers and the Justice Leaguers to combine forces, it was probably -- no, definitely -- tempting fate far too much. "But I know that get-togethers are always good morale boosters."

[centralsgreatest]

"That's not a bad idea! I could invite a few people out. But we'd need a place to meet up." And apparently the League didn't have a headquarters here, which made things difficult. Was a satellite fortress really so much to ask for?

[retconman]

"I could always ask the Avengers if they wouldn't mind letting you use our headquarters on occasion. Just until you have a space of your own. We're all in the same business after all, aren't we?" Max chuckled, smiling pleasantly. "Though I can't make any promises."

[centralsgreatest]

"If nothing else works out, we could all go to some club in disguise." Wally was picturing everyone in wide-brimmed hats, dark glasses and scary-looking coats.

[retconman]

"It always helps to have an alternative. But I'll help with what I can." He smiled, taking another sip of coffee. "I know this can't be easy."

[centralsgreatest]

"It's a little more long term than most of the weirdness I'm used to, but it's not so bad." He shrugged, taking a sip of his soda. It could have been much worse, yes. But it was still weird.

[retconman]

"It gets weirder, believe me. But you also adjust." Max also shrugged, gesturing idly with his hand. "I know we've just met, sort of, but you can always ask me about anything. It's the least I can do for taking your time like this."

[centralsgreatest]

"Thanks for the offer, but the only questions I've got right now are about finding a job." He laughed, more at himself than anything else.

"I should probably just settle for whatever I can get, right?"

[retconman]

Max smirked, tipping his hand outward. "What are your qualifications? It's possible to get jobs you like, if you know how to look."

[centralsgreatest]

He shook his head sadly.

"Back home I had a masters in chemistry and lab certification." He had a few other things too, but they were the kinds of things that looked good on a resume or a college application and were less useful in the actual work.

"I've got all of the knowledge, none of the papers."

[retconman]

Max took the final bites of his sandwich, chewing slowly and taking a sip of coffee to help himself swallow. He shook his head. "None of us have the papers here. That's all right. Most people -- Imports, that is -- make do without. It is possible."

[centralsgreatest]

That, while helpful, was not particularly reassuring to Wally. Lab work could be dangerous on its own, and the field of forensics was one that held a great deal of sway in some people's lives. Certification was a measure of ability and trust. Without it, could you really keep the system together? He frowned thoughtfully.

"If I could get certified here, I'd want to. But what are really my options, being an Import?"

[retconman]

"Being an Import limits you more in the retail world. Others have gotten business or police or teaching work by means of explaining their qualifications and certifications. Some allowance is given to us, considering our circumstances."

Max dabbed his mouth with his napkin.

"For instance, I work in business."

[centralsgreatest]

"And nobody gives you any trouble? That's reassuring." Maybe he would try for it after all. With his dietary needs, a part-time or even a full-time retail or minimum wage job just wasn't going to cut it.

"Anyway I can't know until I try."

[retconman]

"I sure haven't run into any. I've got a nice business job with a good yearly salary and I haven't even been here long." Of course, Max had a little help securing that job by way of his mental persuasion power -- but there were enough other Import businessmen around for him to know it was possible. It just took more time the other way.

"I do hope you find something. I'm sure you will, of course. You just need to look around."

[centralsgreatest]

"If I could just get set up in a lab..." He trailed off. The gears in his head were turning, and already he was planning where and how to go about getting himself lab certified again.