While her presence at Galahd had dropped a little, Sara still came out for Karaoke night. Despite the fact that when she looked over the counter and no longer found Julia working there, she still got a kick out of the whole thing. It was a needed break for her anyway since she had found ways to keep herself very busy between the defence teams, the training grounds, and now with the arrival of her sister.
She was a few minutes late for the start of the event, but she at least recognized all of the faces she saw. She even knew most of the locals who made Galahd a regular haunt. She stopped to greet a few of them when she came in and then headed to the bar, her usual place to sit.
As she got closer, she noted all of the people who were there, both to see if she knew them and to size them up and make note of any threats. It was there she spotted Carol.
Sara was pretty sure she still had a few bruises from the fight club. She’d made it far that night, but ultimately lost to Carol, and Sara wasn’t remotely mad about it. That woman was powerful, and to Sara, yep, that was hot. The night had helped her get back to feeling more like herself again.
She approached the bar and slid into the open space beside Carol, leaning against the bar surface with a smile. “You beat my ass at fight club, are you here to beat my ass at Karaoke too? Totally fine if you are, but give a gal a little warning.”
***
After getting knocked out in the first round during her first fight club, Carol was pleased that she’d made it to the final round this time, even if she had ultimately lost. She’d had some good fights that night and the one with Sara was by far the hardest she won. The other woman was in charge of the Department of Defense for good reason, she realized, and Carol had nothing but respect for her.
When she realized it was Sara next to her at the bar, she laughed. “We could always duet,” she offered. “If you’re up on your 80s songs, that is.” Since she’d left Earth in 1989, Carol wasn’t up on more current music, though she wasn’t crazy about most of what she had heard here and there.
She signaled for another round of drinks for both of them, figuring that the least she could do was buy Sara a drink.
***
“80s. So many people shit on the 80s, but it’s like most of the iconic songs they know come from that decade.” So many potential songs for duets, which Sara was definitely down for. “Thanks.” she added when she realized Carol was buying a round of drinks “Next one is on me.” That only seemed fair.
“So what’s your story then?” she asked as she watched the bartender start on the drinks. “What training did you have, I mean, to be such a badass?” Sara knew Carol had powers, which was an entirely different question, but she was always interested in fighting styles and training. If she was remembering right, Carol might have been military. From the same world as Steve and Bucky.
When their drinks came, she thanks the bartender and then picked up her glass to take a sip. She definitely needed it.
***
“United States Air Force,” Carol said. “I wanted to fly for as long as I can remember. I was the middle child. Only daughter. Unfortunately my parents believed in traditional gender roles so my love of all things daring was… let’s say… not appreciated.”
That was probably an understatement, but she didn’t really want to bring down the mood of karaoke night. “Enlisted pretty much as soon as I turned eighteen and focused on my training. Back then, the military was very much still a boys club and a lot of my fellow airmen weren’t pleased about having a woman in the cockpit. Especially one who could fly rings around them.” She smiled to herself, thinking about the many times she showed up some blow hard. “Course, my best friend was a black woman, so she had it even worse than I did.”
She really missed Maria. And Monica.
“Then there was an incident and this incredibly powerful artifact blew up and I ended up with powers,” Carol explained. “Except I also lost my memories and ended up being drafted to join an alien race that was hell bent on wiping out another alien race. They convinced me the others were the bad guys. Luckily, I figured out the truth before I could do too much harm.” Though she still felt guilty for her time with the Kree, even though it wasn’t her fault at all.
“How about you?” Sara had a style that she hadn’t seen before and made her curious.
***
Military she could kind of see in her movements and the way she fought. Alien training and superpowers seemed pretty standard in some way. Not for her, but for many people in her world. “I guess I grew up learning some basic self-defence. Dad was a cop- retired now.” her dad being alive again was still surreal. “So he taught us how to throw a punch from a young age.”
But that wasn’t what got her where she was no. “The rest is a long story, but the super short condensed version is I was an assassin. In a very elite organization for assassins,” she said casually, though set her eyes on Carol to watch for any reaction. “Then I myself was assassinated, was dead for a while, and then was brought back to life. Joined a time traveller’s crew on his time ship to help put an end to an immortal asshole murdering people throughout time, end eventually became the leader of the team and captain of the ship.” She could go into more details, being a Paragon, dying more than once technically, but there was no point, that would take forever. “I’ve had powers on and off a few times. But I’m back to human me right now and I’m good with it.”
She took another sip of her drink, savouring the flavour for a moment. “This is my second alternate reality like this. It was actually Steve Rogers - Captain America? I think he’s from your world - that founded the Defense Department. I knew him from another alternate reality we were both in. Once he vanished the department ended up with me.”
***
Hearing that the person she was sharing a drink with had been an assassin probably should have given Carol a moment of pause. It didn’t, though, and she took a drink of her beer, nodding as she listened to Sara’s story. From what it sounded like, the other woman had been through much more than Carol herself, which was really saying something. No wonder she could fight so well though.
“I’m familiar with Captain America,” she said. His story was taught in every school in the US in history classes. Plus, her military experience meant that she had heard even more than the average school child. “I never got to meet him, though I’ve been told we will work together in my future.”
She didn’t know a whole lot of details about the fight with Thanos, but she’d heard names and basics. “It was 95 or 96 for me at home.” Traveling through the galaxy didn’t exactly allow for keeping strict track of a calendar. “I’ve heard that I return to Earth in 2018 though. And again in 2023.” Part of her hoped that when she eventually went home, she would remember this place and possibly be able to stop Thanos before all of that even happened.
***
“Different points in time, got it. I was familiar with that before this place.” Time travel, and the previous existence of the multiverse made something like this place easier to grasp overall. “He’s a boy scout, but he’s good. If he ever comes back he’ll have to fight me for the teams though.” She’d been bored out of her mind until she’d stepped up to the teams and the training grounds. She’d needed them to focus on.
Ah the 90s. “The 90s. The decade just before I became a teenager and learned to start breaking rules.” Sara nodded her head. “I’m familiar with Thanos.” she offered, “And the shit he pulled and what you guys had to go through. Or will go through.”
But the last thing she wanted to talk about was a depressing futures that would only happen if new memories were put in their head, or they were sent back. “So do you have a go-to 80s themed Karaoke, or are you up for a random selection? Because I’m definitely going to take you up on that duet option, just so you’re prepared now.”
***
What she was saying matched what Carol had heard from Valkyrie so none of it was a surprise. It would be kind of cool to meet Steve at some point, or really any of the folks she would apparently work with, though she’d much rather have Maria or Monica show up. Fury would also be cool, though she wasn’t sure he’d do well being stuck here.
“It’s hard to go wrong with Heart or Joan Jett,” she said. “Though if you were only a teenager in the 90s, those might be a little before your time.” The fact that Sara looked to be around her age despite being born several decades after her was a little weird, but she supposed that was how time travel worked. Plus, as far as she knew, with her Kree healing powers, she’d never really age beyond how she looked now.
She grinned, making it obvious that her comment was both a joke and a challenge.
***
Sara did her very best to look as overly offended as possible. “Excuse you, of course I know who Heart and Joan Jett. How can I not?” Plus Sara had spent plenty of time in the 90s as an adult thanks to time travel. “Pick a song, if I don’t know it the next two rounds are on me.” She was fairly confident she’d likely know most of the lyrics. That’s what they had the screens for.
This would also be the first time she’d bothered to sing anything since Julia had left. That was probably a good sign or something.
“Also that wasn’t a challenge. Pick like an awesome song.” Something people were going to know and would love.
***
“Kiss Me Deadly. Lita Ford.” It was one of Carol’s favorites and, while it was popular in her time, she had no idea how successful Lita was with her solo career after leaving the Runaways so it was an awesome song that Sara may or may not know.
If she did know it, all the better and Carol would be happy to buy the next two rounds of drinks. Either way, she was having fun getting to know Sara as more than just the leader of the Defense teams.
***
“Went to a party last Saturday night…” she responded in a sing-song voice. “Admittedly, I don’t remember all the lyrics. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that one. But I’m familiar, so the lyrics screen can remind me.” Still, she’d buy the next rounds, “Fake it until you make it and all.”
It had been a while since she had heard any Lita Ford at all, actually. Time to brush off the record player on the ship. “Next drinks are still on me though, since I only half know it.”
***
Carol grinned. “We can split them. You buy one round and I’ll buy one.” That seemed fair since Sara half knew the song. She put in the request for them to sing it and then sat back to drink her beer. Tonight was a good night and she was glad she’d come out.