Hurts Like Heaven

Chapter 24 - Just Wanna Fill Up The Trophy Case Again

***CONNER***

I want to hold Donna's hand as we approach the war room, but we've barely even met, and would that be too forward of me? Probably. I want to move fast because I'm so behind the curve, but that's no excuse when every bit of media I've ever seen (admittedly, very few) tells me that women like to control any potential relationship at a slower speed.

If Donna were a dude, though, I'd probably pluck up the courage and ask, thinking that a guy would be more open to my affections. Assuming he liked guys too, that is. Then again, since Donna's said she's bi, it fits that she would be no matter what gender she is.

In any case, though, it's hardly a good time to hold anyone's hand right now. Kara needs my help, pretty urgently. And - I can't suppress a smile as I see him - so does Barry. When did he get here - oh wait, Cisco's here too. But who's that lady with the black hair and the perpetual scowl? She looks like someone skimped on the pepperoni on her pizza. I'm not sure I want to get to know her, but if she's here, she must be good to have around.

"Hey, Conner." Barry's arm snakes out and he grabs me in a side-hug.

Kara clicks her tongue. "Go on, boys, you're family. Hug it out for real, huh?"

He and I eyeball her for a long second before we obey her command.

"Cute," says the scowling woman. "But you don't gotta make them hug to make me feel welcome. If anything, I'm allergic to hugs."

I knew there was a reason I didn't like her.

Cisco bumps fists with me, and also shakes hands with Donna, as does Barry. Then, unfortunately, I have to meet the scowler, aka Lisa Snart. "They used to call me Golden Glider," she adds as she shakes my hand with an overly tight grip. Then again, my own grip is unexpectedly tight because of my yellow sun-enhanced strength.

"We still do," Cisco chimes in.

"At least be polite and do it behind my back so I don't have to know."

I clap my hands and bring a brewing future fight to a premature stop. "So, uh, what's brought the whole gang together again?" I ask. "Plus one," I add, cocking my head in Lisa's general direction.

"A little something about lost Kryptonian tech," says Lisa. "Mind-stealing shit or something." She pauses, then adds, "Uh, nobody's gonna tell me to watch my language around the kid?"

"I'm an adult," I tell her.

"Sorry, I prefer my guys actually looking like they're old enough to shave." She finally smiles, as if she's told the funniest joke of her life. Which, let's face it, it probably was.

I pretend she hasn't put me down something fierce and get back down to business. "'Mind-stealing shit?'" I repeat. "If I ever saw that when I was with the Luthors, they wiped my mind so I'd forget all about it."

Winn, for some reason, sounds like he wants to laugh about it. But he stops when he realizes I'm not joking.

Barry asks, "Do you think, if they wiped your mind, maybe they did it with a botxat?"

"If they did," I say, "it must've been a super experimental one. Version 1.0. And I'd probably have been left brain-dead or something." I look up at the ceiling, wondering if one of the security cameras up there might have some infrared scanner or something, able to look into my brain and see if there's anything in there that doesn't belong. Like a microchip.

Wait, are there even any cameras up in the ceiling? Would J'onn allow it, or is this place too top secret to be held accountable for anything? Nah, he's not the Luthors, he wouldn't play that kind of game.