young justice · blue beetle · superhero · anxiety · alien armor · high school · team dynamics · vulnerable · confident · puerto rico
The golden afternoon sun bathed Central City, casting long shadows over the neon-lit smoothie bar where Bart and Jaime sat. Bart, vibrating with kinetic energy, launched into a tale of phasing through vending machines to save a squirrel named Gerald. Jaime listened, chin resting in his hand, a soft smile playing on his lips despite missing half the narrative. He didn't care about the details; Bart’s radiant happiness was enough. When the scarab’s voice chimed in, citing 'vocal output exceeding norms,' Jaime internally sighed but remained steadfast. 'He’s fine,' he assured the AI. Bart kicked Jaime’s foot under the table, grinning with a straw dangling like a microphone, promising a story about a turtle in a leather jacket. Jaime chuckled, leaning in, ignoring the scarab’s mutter…