ic Big City Lights

[Thevshi]

Jordan International Airport

Freedom City, New Jersey

Monday July 15, 2024. 3:35 PM

 

Ever since Matilda ("Mattie") Hopper had accepted the invitation to attend Claremont Academy the coming fall, there had been a stream of communication from the school, providing her information to help her prepare for the coming year. This included the big change of leaving small town Rumblefall and coming to the big city. To help some with that, the school put her in touch with the girl who was assigned to be her roommate at the start of the school year, Lynn Conners.

 

Mattie and Lynn had traded a few emails, quite a few text messages and even spoke on the phone a couple of times. Ultimately it made sense for Mattie to come out and spend a bit of time in Freedom City over the summer, to help her get accustomed to the city so it would be one less thing to adjust to when school started. So, Lynn’s family offered to host Mattie for a week.

So, a little over six hours ago, Mattie had departed Witchita, Kansas, flying across half the country to Freedom City. She had gotten off the plane a little bit ago and was making her way to the main terminal, where Lynn and her mother should be waiting to greet her.

 

---------------------------------------------- 

In the arrival waiting area outside of security, Megan Howell-Harrow was waiting with Lynn Conners, the temporal refugee who was her daughter in another timeline. The blonde teenager was wearing a grey, white and black plaid skirt and white short sleeve blouse. While Megan could tell Lynn was looking forward to meeting Mattie, there were no easily visible signs of exactment or anticipation that one would normally expect. But of course, that was not unexpected, given the recent traumatic events Lynn had lived through. In many ways, she had made great progress. There was just more to go.

 

Lynn looked up from her brand-new iPhone. "Her plane has been deboarding for about twenty minutes, hopefully won’t be much longer."

[RocketLord]

BOUNCE!

 

"It should this way, ma'am," Mattie says to the older woman looking for her grandson, as she tries to help her navigate from the luggage area and into the arrival area proper. It's only her second time in an airport now, the first time being when she had boarded the flight, but the nice old woman that sat next to her in the plane needs help, so of course she is going to help!

 

Soon after, once they have found the woman's grandson, Mattie is happily waving at her and wishing her the best, before turning around with her huge purple suitcase covered in stickers to look for Lynn and her mom. It can't be that hard, can it? Of course, the Jordan International Airport is huge...

 

By the time she finally finds them, it's been 40 minutes since boarding. Of course, it was only 10 minutes since she had started actively looking, but Mattie still feels bad as she comes running up, dragging the suitcase behind her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I got caught up helping this nice old lady find her grandson and then I had to find you guys and I'm so so sorry and..." She finally stops to breathe in front of Lynn and Megan. She is wearing a pair of worn jeans with holes at the knees, big well worn boots and a purple t-shirt with a white star on her chest. It is not in quite the same purple color as her suitcase, but it is close. "Hi! I'm Mattie, it's so great to finally meet you!"

[Thevshi]

Velocity

 

Megan had noted that Lynn was seeming to get impatient as they waited, something the older woman was all too familiar with given the very different perspective of time they both had. While Megan was not letting herself grow impatient, she had started to feel a slight bit of concern.

 

But then Mattie arrived, very apologetic for taking so long. Megan gave the teen a wide smile. "So very nice to meet you Mattie, I'm Megan. No need to apologize, sounds like you were delayed for a very good reason."

 

Lynn had actually seemed to brighten up some when Mattie arrived, even managing a slight smile. "Hi Mattie, I’m Lynn." The blonde teen responded. "I am so glad to finally meet you as well. I hope the flight wasn't too long."

[RocketLord]

BOUNCE!

 

"It was awesome!" Mattie is beaming, her hair and eyes shifting to purple while she's speaking. "I've never flown before! And we got peanuts, and drinks and everythin', and the headmistress had paid for everythin' so I didn't even have to pay or anythin' and it was awesome! I'd never been that far above the ground before, and we had turbulence and the nice old lady sitting next to me was telling me all about her grandson and..."

 

Noticing her hair, she smiles sheepishly. "Whoops, sorry. I keep forgettin' that whole secret identity thing!" It quickly shifts back to black.

 

"So, uh, can I, like, give you a hug?" she asks Lynn. "It's been great talkin' and textin' and all that, but back home, we always give our friends hugs, but, I don't want to overstep or anythin' and I'm not sure if that's how we do it here and I'll stop talkin' now."

 

[Thevshi]

Velocity

 

Megan smiled at Mattie’s excited description of her first experience flying, but had a slightly concerned look when the teen inadvertently changed her hair and eye color in her excitement. Glancing around to ensure no one really notice, Megan gave Mattie another smile. "It's alright, people here are rather accustomed to the unusual. But, still good to be careful."

 

Lynn seemed a bit surprised at Mattie's asking permission to hug her, but then gave the other teen a faint smile. "We hug here too." The blonde teen replied, she then opened her arms to hug Mattie.

 

Watching the two teen girls hug, Megan gave another smile. "Mattie, if you have everything, we should head out to the car so we can try to beat the worst of the rush hour traffic."

[RocketLord]

BOUNCE!

 

"Well I don't know!" Mattie exclaims, before quickly rushing in for a tight hug, and then, pulling back, continues. "I'd heard it's rude to just go ahead and hug someone in case they don't want it, right? I don't wanna cause any trouble or make anyone mad or anythin' when we're just meetin'!" 

 

She is smiling widely by now. This is so great. Both Lynn and Mrs. Howell are so nice, it's everything she hoped for.

 

"Yes, sorry Mrs. Howell! I'm ready when you guys are!"

[Thevshi]

Velocity

 

"No need to apologize Mattie." Megan replied with a smile as the three started towards the exit of the terminal. The airport was certainly busy with activity and outside Mattie found it to been even busier, the street in front of the terminal crowded with cars and buses. Luckily they were able to take sky bridge over all of that to the short-term parking building.

 

It was not long before Mattie and Lynn were sitting in the back of an electric BMW SUV as they started away from the airport, with Megan taking them along State Route 4 to the south of the airport. The freeway was already busy, but they were not on very long before they turned off onto South Bay and headed into the hills south of Freedom City. As they were driving through the wooded area along South Bay, Megan pointed off to the south not long after they had gotten off the freeway. "Claremont Academy a short way south of here. We will be sure to take you there for a tour while you're here."

 

Lynn had been a bit quiet since they had gotten into the car, seeming as if she was a bit nervous about something. "Is there anything in particular you are looking forward to doing while here?" She finally asked the other girl.

[RocketLord]

BOUNCE!

 

"Sorry, ma'am," Mattie apologizes again, not really realizing the irony in apologizing for her apology when she was told not to apologize. 

 

Once they are in the car and approaching the city, Mattie finds herself staring out the window in wonder, her mouth hanging just slightly open as she stares at the city and all the people. It's just so big and amazing. She's honestly amazed that Mrs. Howell can find her way around in a place like this, even if she's lived her all her life. All the houses are so big, she can see the skyscrapers in town and she's never seen one of those in real life before! She loves it!

 

Mattie smiles brightly when Lynn asks her about what she is looking forward to doing. "Well, I'm really hopin' to make a lot of friends! And see the city! And meet all the big and famous super heroes like the Freedom League, Atom Family and everyone!" Her smile is growing big, slightly cartoony. "How about you, Lynn? Anythin' you wanna do together?"

[Thevshi]

Velocity

 

Megan glanced in the mirror to look back at Mattie as the teen talked about some of the things she wanted to do this trip. "We will see how much of that we can arrange for this trip." The blonde woman said. "There will be other opportunities once you are here for school as well." She added with a smile before focusing fully on the road once again.

 

Their route had merged with a freeway as they started north. It was not long before they were crossing the Century Bridge over towards Kingston and North Bay. While the bridge was fairly busy, the slower traffic also affords a longer opportunity for Mattie to look out towards downtown freedom city, the massive Sentry Statute facing in her direction from the edge of the skyline.

 

"Well…I am good with just getting a chance to know you better and take you to as many of the sites as we can." Lynn responded to Mattie's question, although she seemed a bit distracted by something, as well as a bit hesitant.

After a few moments pause, the blonde teen continued. "Mattie….there is something you should know, something that was not something I could talk about on the phone or in email or texts." Lynn paused again, seeming as if she was trying to collect herself. "I…am not from this timeline."

[RocketLord]

BOUNCE!

 

Mattie opens her mouth, like she is about to say something. Then closes it again, looking at Lynn, like she gives what her friend just said a second thought, wrapping her mind around it.

 

"I, uh... I'm not really sure what that means? But... are you alright?" 

 

She looks back at Lynn with a wide-eyed expression. It's more than clear that she understands that it is something big and important, and probably something that weighs heavily on Lynn, but she's grown up far from all the super people in the big cities, and well, she guesses she still has a lot to learn.