#i know tubetube comes from steven universe so i picked this instead

[rocksandmirrors]

she can have some internet fame. as a treat

(the pic behind her is a screenshot from the show!! don't be fooled!!!)

[pink-hero-search-podcast]

Part One Here

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As soon as I go in the diner, I spot the kid and make a beeline for a booth near him. He's got a kind face. Doesn't look like the sort of guy who'd blare rock music out of his window in the dead of the night and lead a cop in a high speed chase, but you never really know people.

The waitress, Dot, comes out carrying a full plate of waffles and gives it to the kid. She comes up to me and I order my usual with a glass of water instead of coffee. She goes off, and I don't even have time to form a plan when I see the kid stand up, carrying his plate. Well, right now, I'm thinking "what the hell am I gonna do, I have minimal time and maximum questions" but then the kid sits down right across from me.

"Hi," he greets, cheery and chipper.

"Hi," I parrot back.

I'm gonna be honest, I'm not really sure where to go from here. I have my badge in my breast pocket but I don't wanna just pull it out 'cause I know it's probably gonna freak the kid out and we're not gonna get anywhere if we're both panicking.

"Uh..." the kid begins, picking at his waffles with his fork, "I saw that you were... taking selfies, I think? Out by my car?"

So he did see me. That makes this much easier.

I lean forwards. "I know that car," I tell him.

He rubs the back of his neck. "It's kinda famous now, isn't it? I've seen some stuff about "Pink boy" and "Pink hero" on TubeTube, which is... kinda weird? But in a good way?"

I nod. "So, that Dondai..." I thumb out to it. "It's always been yours?"

"Well, it was my Dad's first," he explains easily. "But now it's mine, yeah!"

Dot comes back carrying a plate of hot eggs and bacon like a prized trophy (which they might as well be, in my opinion). I smile at her, nodding. The kid says "Thanks, Mrs. Addams!" and she responds with a hearty "You know you can call me Dot, honey!"

Now there are only two people who are allowed to call that woman "Dot": me and her partner. I figure that this kid must be a hell of a kid if he's gotten into that upper echelon of society.

And then, I look at him, I really look... And I don't see a question to be answered, or some mysterious cryptid out to save everybody from themselves. I see a kid in a diner, with nothing but potential ahead of him.

I dip the white of my eggs into the yolk and lean back into my the cushions of the booth as I take a bite and look at the sun just peeking over the clouds, lighting up the diner with a soft golden hue.

It's almost tempting to let this go.

"Is that a badge?" Steve asks, pulling me back to the booth.

I glance down to the little piece of gold medal blinking up at me from my pocket.

Cat's out of the bag, it seemed to say. Do what you came here to do.

I take a deep breath. "Kid..."

"Steven."

I give my name right back.

"Look, Steven," I say, "I have seen that car before. And it wasn't on TubeTube, or Tumblr, or Cheeper, or whatever you kids are using these days. The first time I saw that car..." I pointed to it, a smoking gun bathed in the summer sun of a diner parking lot. "Was two years ago, when I was chasing it from Beach City to Ocean Town in the dead of night."

The kid -- Steven -- looks confused for all of two seconds before his eyes widen in disbelief.

"That was you?" He asked.

I nod.

The kid starts laughing and I do too. I mean... hell of a reason to come out all this way, right?

Steven wipes the tears away from his eyes. "Okay, uh..." he manages through the giggles. "I can tell you what happened, but it's a bit of a crazy story."

I lean back in the booth with a grin. "I got nothing but time."

...

A few minutes later, we say our goodbyes and I watch that Supremo pull out of the parking lot and onto the next great adventure. And I start thinking, maybe it's time I start my next adventure, too.

I'm going to Empire City with somebody special next week and if things work out, Universe willing, then we'll be having a wedding.

If there's anything I wanted to say, it would be this:

Thank you, Steven. And wherever you are now, whatever you're doing... I hope their heart feels just as light as mine does. I hope you know the impact you're having. I hope you give yourself credit for it.

And I hope you find everything you're looking for.

- M.

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Submitted by @unknownmorsel

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His name has been revealed! I'm so happy we got a continuation. I wish luck on your wedding!

-Sorry about editing God to Universe. Rebecca Sugar confirmed there is no religious figures in the canon. Sorry again.-