The Drums, Listen to them!

“Boo. Fine. Whatever. You know that I’ll get you next time.” Kate pauses. “Games aside, we should talk about the fact that everything’s apparently gone to hell.”

“I will not be that easy to fool again.” He chided. Listening to what she had to say he nodded. “Hell and back. Offer stands to take you across the galaxy and run away, as always.”

Kate’s definitely going to google this when she gets a second to be on her phone. She believes him, of course, but she also is morbidly interested in what the heck he’s talking about. “See, I’d love something like that. I feel like every hero my age is all split up. There’s a girl named America Chavez that hangs with Doctor Strange. I’ve never met her. Scott Lang has a daughter, but I don’t think she’s a superhero. My point is that we’re pretty far off from being a team.”

The names were all very familiar to Noh but he tried not to show too much. “I get that. But every team starts out as a bunch of unrelated people at first. When I first met the Young Avenger’s my nervous system was being manipulated keeping me in a constant state of fight or flight where I perceived everyone as a threat and was sent after them. Nearly killed them. Now we’re friends most days. Life’s crazy.”

“I don’t know, is it working?”

“No, because I’m refusing to play those games. I’ve grown to wise to them.” After she had already successfully used them on him several times.

“Tympanic mem– yeah. Sounds great.” Kate tries to shrug coolly. “Noh-Varr with the tympanic membranes. That’ll be easier to be remember. I’m Kate Bishop, as you know. I am she of no current team but the unofficial partner of Hawkeye. The Young Avengers sound sick, though.”

“I guess if that helps, though don’t forget, everyone you’ve ever met has likely had them. But whatever works I guess.” He replied with a shrug. “The Young Avengers were fun. Adventure, foot, love, mistakes, exes and multiversal travel.”

“–Yeah, no. None at all. It’s more about being connected to ants than being one.”

“I really feel you should look into doing both. Combine your pym particle effects with strength enough to carry ten to fifty times your body weight.”

She held her hands up. “Nothing, nothing. Just making conversation. Why – did you do something? Are you telegraphing?” 

“You’re using those therapy words on me again to try and get me to admit to something when I don’t think I’ve done anything in recent history to confess.... Right?”

“Your what now?” It was embarrassing, but Kate had no idea what the hell he was talking about. She floundered for a second. Was this who her other self was friends with? Kate, admittedly, didn’t have many friends anymore. She had some at school, but ever since she had dropped out they had fallen out of touch. Her new life was a little time consuming. “– o-kay. That’s fair. Hate to ask, but what’s your name?”

It was certainly interesting to see her scramble. His Kate always seemed more put together in situations like this. However he wasn’t surprised, he of all people knows just how big a place the multiverse was. “Tympanic membrane to answer your first question. You have two, they’re just in your ears, whereas mine are all over my body. As for my name, I’m Noh-Varr, Kree Ensign, former Avenger, Young Avenger, and current Guardian of the Galaxy.”