Tama of Tomeowrrow

Phone home

Ray stood in the middle of the room, his enthusiasm radiating. "What makes a hero? Is it power? Strength? Bravery? No. A hero is defined by their relationships and the bonds of brotherhood or sisterhood. That's why I'm taking everyone through the 10-step team-building process I perfected at Palmer Tech. Step one, part one: ice breakers!"

"Dude, we've been stuck on a ship with one bathroom. I think we know each other well enough," Jax scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"And your timing couldn't be worse, given that we're being chased by a water-wielding assassin and the Time Bureau," the professor added, clearly frustrated.

Ray, undeterred, plowed ahead. "We need to grow as a team. First up is 'Two Truths and a Lie'. It's gonna be fun!"

"Lie," Mick chimed in, taking a swig of his beer.

"I haven't even started yet. Look, I know you guys probably think this is lame," Ray said, trying to rally the group.

"Truth," Sara interjected, prompting Nyssa to gently chide her for not taking things seriously.

"But we have a new crew member," Ray continued, "and it's important for Zari to bond with us, not just as team members but as individuals."

Zari, crossing her arms, scoffed. "Yeah, well, I'm no hero, and I'm not a member of any team. Besides, I have you all figured out."

She began pointing out her observations. "The old guy wants to be anywhere but on this ship," she said, nodding at the professor.

"These two have some will-they-won't-they thing going on," she gestured at Amaya and Nate.

"Rory's been drunk since breakfast. Jax is wondering if I'm single. The cat's kinda creepy. The captain is low-key whipped for the scary woman, and your ship is still mad at me for doing a teeny hack on her subsystems."

"Now, what's this about one bathroom?" she added, raising an eyebrow.

*Meow!* Hey! I'm not creepy.

I let out a small growl and slinked over to my bed. With a huff, I curled up, opting for a much-needed nap while the humans continued their chatter.

_____

"C'mon, Tam-Tam, wake up. We gotta save Ray from dying" Sara chirped, shaking be awake and pulling me into her arms. I let out a grumble, burrowing deeper into her arms, reluctant to leave the comfort of my nap. Mreow I protested softly, hoping she'd let me stay put just a little longer.

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So, it turns out that Younger Ray got caught up in an anachronism that led to him dying when he wasn't supposed to. Now, we're all scrambling to stop whatever's about to happen from going down.

As I patrolled the neighborhood, the team was busy coordinating to ensure young Ray's safety and prevent any further disruptions.

"Guys, here I come— I mean, little me's coming at you. Catch up with me on Main Street? And, um... keep me alive," Ray's voice crackled through the comms.

"Got eyes on, ready to make a move," Jax responded, his focus sharp as he trailed after the younger version of Ray.

"Looks like you're taking a detour. Did you frequent the Ivy Town newsstand as a boy?" The professor mused, peering over his newspaper.

"Yeah, I must be picking up the new issue of Scientific American," Ray replied.

"I was more of a National Geographic boy myself," the professor commented with a nostalgic tone.