"I don't think there is ever a 'simple' day anymore." This thought ran through Bern's head for some time now. What seems like so much time has come to pass since that "little bug" as he has referred to it came into his life. The world suddenly seemed so much bigger to him, this is very evident to him as he has spent what feels like hours upon hours staring out one of the windows of the Watchtower looking down on the planet Earth, meeting and teaming with people and beings not of this world in any shape or form. Magic, alternate dimensions, aliens and super powers have all become normal conversations and day to day occurrences for him now. Bern remembered his favorite little corner java shop in Metropolis he would go to and find some quiet time before or after all the blasting from his former career.
"I need a cup a coffee" Bern thought to himself. Shortly after that another thought entered his head; "do superheroes get days off?" If that question were posed to someone like Batman one would imagine that to be met with a cold stare that shot through your very soul and some short statement of the consequences of letting your guard down. Making the choice to get back to basics a little, Bern donned his "civilian" attire for the first time in what felt like forever and found his way back to Metropolis. Exiting the PD he walked among the people feeling in some ways "naked". His skin was still red and rocky from the exobyte contact but that wasn't what seemed to the most unsettling for him, nor the civilians walking among the streets. It seems that seeing people who look "different" from us has become somewhat common place now. What was most unsettling to him was being away from the fight or feeling "vulnerable" in some ways, as if his armor also protected other parts of his being.
Bern found his way to the coffee shop and made his way to the counter. The cashier, a girl no more than 19, looked at him and asked "um..can I help you?" Bern, looking back just as startled "Um..yeah, can I get a large ice coffee.....uh....cream and sugar?" The two stood there looking at each other and the cashier finally nodded and went to make it for him. Bern exhaled while she was away. "Why does this feel so weird? At the heart of things I am no different than them. I am just a guy going to get a cup of coffee" The girl returned with his order and Bern pulled out his wallet to pay. The cashier stopped him and said "it's been taken care of" and pointed to the dark haired woman sitting at one of the tables on the sidewalk side of the cafe. Bern approaches her to thank her for the generosity, to Bern's surprise it was Zatanna.
"Oh.....uh....hey..", he stumbled over himself as Bern had a bit of a crush on the sorceress. Despite being a red, rock skinned individual now, it was probably noticeable that Bern was blushing. "Have a seat big guy" as she motioned to the seat across from her. Bern did acquiesce her request and sat across from her. "So, um...how are you Miss Zatanna?" It was as if Bern was in Junior High again at the dreaded dance where all the girls were one side of the gym, the boys on the other and that one brave girl crossed the line to ask him to dance. She laughed slightly, "Please call me Zee", he felt a rush again to his face and was certain he was as red as an apple. "Um.... OK.. Zee, what are you up to today? Not out fighting off some bringer of doom somewhere?"
She sips her drink and Bern seemed to be focusing on her lips as it wrapped around the straw. He shook his head a little to re-focus himself. "There's always something to do, no doubt about that, but it's nice to get out a little and try to be normal, we are people too you know." Bern nodded, "yeah, I am trying to remind myself of that as best I can." She went on to explain "I remember you from the PD that day, what was that? a few months ago? You have a lot of heart, I like that, we need people like that in this world." Bern, trying not to get lost in the soothing sounds of her voice mixed with what sounded like compliments nodded "Um...Thanks....I...appreciate that...." Bern swallowed a bit of his ice coffee, the cool drink helped to ease some of the nervous feelings going inside of him. One would think that after facing countless alien threats, beating down Sub Avatars and demons of an alternate dimension that asking a woman out for dinner would be a cake walk.....nope.
Bern looked at the raven haired sorceress nervously "So...do you ever do anything for fun?" Zatanna put her drink down "Yeah, I love dancing, movies, hiking, casting dark spells and animal sacrifice." Bern was too busy staring at her to pick up that the last two were sarcasm. ".....wait...what? Did you say sacrifice?” Zatanna laughed. Bern re-focused in efforts to try to be more direct "Movies and dancing, that's cool....maybe....if you...." at that moment alerts came in from the Watchtower indicating that there was a break out from Containment and that all available hands were needed. "We better go, always something to do right?" Bern nodded "yeah, always something" and Bern cued up to be transported up to the Watchtower. "Maybe we can do this again, sans containment breach?" Bern got out just before Zatanna zapped herself up to the Watchtower.
"Always something, just like the last ones"Bern thought to himself as he felt the light of the transporter rays swelling around him.