The Equivalents

8. Roy and Kate.

Roy had been wandering around the place when he came across a room filled with lots of arrow heads. He walked inside and took a look at one before noticing Kate was in there listening to music while she worked on another arrow head. As soon as she saw him, she took her headphones off and said hi.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you come in." Kate said.

"Did you make these?" Roy asked.

"Some of them. Basically all the ones that don't work." She joked. "I've been trying to make something that will impress Clint. But I guess that this stuff is not my thing. I'm better at shooting arrows rather then making them."

"Maybe you just need some help from a dashingly handsome red head," Roy joked. "Who also happens to be good at making things."

"Can you make arrowheads?" Kate asked.

"I can make some fancy, sharp, BOOM arrowheads." Roy laughed.

"Can you make something extremely special? It's kinda hard to impress Clint when he has Pym particle arrows." Kate explained her scenario.

"I think I might be able to help you figure something out." Roy cracked his knuckles. "Let's see what we can do. I'm Roy by the way. Roy Harper."

"Kate Bishop."

Roy and Kate spent the next few hours laughing and talking and getting to know each other. They learned that they were both pretty similar. In fact, maybe a little too similar. But they both learned something else about the other that they didn't think the other knew. How much they liked each other. As a friend? Or maybe more. No one else came into the room either. It was just the two of them. Laughing, learning, building arrows. It was almost perfect. But of course, nothing perfect can ever last for long. Dick came bursting into the room.

"There you are, Roy!" He panted out of breath. "I've been running all over this place looking for you."

"I've been here the whole time." Roy sighed. Sad that the moment was ruined.

"We need to talk. Everyone here is exactly like us. In a way. Like doubles. Equivalents." Dick tried to explain. He looked over and saw Kate. "Is she yours?"

"Dick, are you drunk?" Roy asked.

"What? No!" Dick replied.

"Maybe I should go." Kate stood up and walked towards the door.

"No! You can't leave! Not until we find out if you and Roy are the same person!" Dick stated as he put his arm up to block the door. "Alright, let me just ask you this. Have you guys found out that you both happen to be very similar and share a lot of interests and/or traits?"

"Umm, I guess." Kate answered.

"I'll take that as a yes." Dick then burst out of the room.

"You're friend is weird." Kate laughed.

"Yeah, people tend to tell me that a lot when he's around." Roy joked. "He usually doesn't act like this though. He's usually dramatically flipping while he talks. Did you catch even one word he said?"

"Nope!" Kate answered.

"So..." Roy said, trying to remember where their conversation left off.

"I should probably go. But let's maybe keep working on our arrow later?" Kate suggested.

Roy nodded as she left. He was saddened. He didn't want her to leave. But he didn't know how to tell her to stay either.

When she left, he thought about finishing the arrow for her as a surprise, but then he'd lose the time he'd get to spend making it with her. So he decided not to.
Since there was nothing left for him to do, he decided to go find Dick and see what the heck he was talking about.

He ran down the hallway and even though he didn't find Dick, he found Jason in the kitchen. Roy didn't pay much attention on the tour, even before he ran off and saw Kate, but he did pay attention on how to get to the kitchen. To the food really.

"Jaybird? You mind telling me what's going on?" Roy asked.

"I told you guys it was a bad idea to send Dick. So in this world, all of us have, as Bruce called them, equivalents. It's like us from a different universe, but not us. And yet at the same time, they're basically us." Jason tried to explain it. He didn't do much better then Dick. "So here's an example. Diana, she met a guy who fought in world war two, lost the love of his life due to a plane crash, and is still somehow young all these years later. He also carries a shield by the way."

"So then Kate is mine?" Roy asked.

"You'd know more then me." Jason joked. "Wait, who's Kate? Do you like her?"

"Would it be so wrong if I did?" Roy questioned.

"Yes! That's like dating yourself. It's weird." Jason answered.

"But I've never met anyone like her."

Jason just stared at him.

"Can't meet myself, can I?" Roy smirked.

"Ok, you know I would want you to be happy, as insane as you sound, but what about our world? We can't take her with us, and we can't stay here." Jason pointed out.

"I know, I just..." Roy trailed off. "Ever since Kory and I broke up, I haven't been in a relationship like it sense. Now, I finally have interest in someone again."

"In yourself!" Jason exclaimed.

"Fine. I won't talk to her anymore." Roy sighed.

"Look, I know you miss her, but no one else is Kory. Well actually, there might be one here too." Jason laughed. Not realizing he wasn't helping himself. "But I wouldn't make you stop talking to her. If she makes you happy? Go for it. Just know that we're gonna have to go back eventually."

"I know, Jay." Roy nodded. "Trust me, I know."