Meet Sam Wayne, Part 9
By: C. Leuch
Gotham City was definitely a different kind of town than Metropolis, Laura thought again as she and Jenny drove up the long, winding driveway that lead to Wayne Manor. Sure, both sat along the Atlantic coast, both had a variety of neighborhoods from slums to bustling business districts, and both had a certain buzz at all times of the day and night. But her now nightly flights over Metropolis and newfound familiarity of the view of the city from above made her pretty certain that her hometown didn’t have mansions hidden in the hills surrounding the town. Metropolis’s millionaires populated the penthouses of nice hotels or swanky high rises, and they retired to their vacation homes upstate to get away from the world. The only thing surrounding Metropolis was Metropolis, almost as far as the eye could see, even from a mile up. But Bruce Wayne and son lived in an oasis perched just on the outskirts of the city proper, a small forest on the surrounding land serving to isolate it from the rest of Gotham. It was almost as if they were in a world of their own, something that she supposed was true in more ways than one.
Laura had arrived in Gotham as the sun was setting the night before. The drive had been long and boring, although it had certainly become more enjoyable after her father joined her at supper. She had been quick to point out to him for the umpteenth time that it would only take several seconds for her to reach Gotham on her own, but he had only smiled and told her to be patient. Her visit was all about appearances, he had said, and she supposed that was true. But her visit was also supposed to be a vacation, her time to go out and explore before having to endure her final year of high school, and she had been anxious to get started. Several pointless hours behind the wheel meant less time to enjoy herself, but she decided that she could put up with it if it meant seeing CJ and Jenny again.
It had been hard being around Metropolis after CJ’s plane crashed. She found herself avoiding her friends, who couldn’t hide the pity in their eyes when they looked at her. Home offered a welcome refuge, a place where she didn’t have to worry about misspeaking and didn’t have to feel guilty about being happy. But it wasn’t the same without her brother around, even if she did get to talk to him from time to time on the telephone. She missed his jokes and his knack for cheering her up, and although her dad and Jon were certainly capable of both and did their best to fill the void, they weren’t CJ.
Clark served as navigator once they finally arrived in Gotham, pointing the way through the city using the directions he had scribbled down while locating Jenny’s apartment from the air a few hours earlier. Apparently, Jenny had helped him locate her place when she summoned him using the secret word that only the Kent kids were supposed to know. Laura had never actually used that method of trying to contact her father, often deciding not to when she otherwise might have simply because she feared the damage it would bring to her image. The fear had been well founded, she decided as Jenny came down to greet them. A blush was prominent in Jenny’s cheeks as she crossed the parking lot, and even though Clark did his best to put her at ease, the embarrassment was evident in the way that she carried herself, looking around nervously as they made their way inside. It seemed to go away once they were out of the public eye and safely in the apartment building, though.
After making a quick stop to deposit Laura’s luggage in the apartment, Jenny led Laura and Clark up to the roof, where they sat down and chatted comfortably while waiting for CJ to show up. At times, all three would look off into the distance as a siren echoed through the city, searching for the Batman, sometimes finding him. Usually, though, the emergency sirens went unanswered, and Laura could see the tightness in her father’s features as he tried to ignore them. After a while, CJ finally landed on their rooftop, his appearance striking in the black Batman uniform. She had to blink a few times to clear away the image of Batman that she thought she knew, and to rectify the man she saw in front of her with her brother. Once he smiled, though, Laura found it hard not to recognize CJ beneath the cowl, and she had to stop herself from running over and hugging him.
Clark took the occasion of CJ’s arrival as his cue to head back to Metropolis. Under normal circumstances, he probably would have stuck around for a while to chat, but Laura knew that CJ and Clark had met up before supper. The meeting had left Clark in good spirits, and he’d been almost bubbly during the drive into town. Even through the long rooftop chat and the unanswered calls for help, the smile lingered on his face, and it grew broader once he saw CJ in his costume. After exchanging some pleasantries, Clark spun into the suit. As he was about to take off, Laura stopped him and asked him to pose with CJ for a picture. Both CJ and Clark groaned lightly, but each managed to put a serious expression on his face long enough for the photo to be taken. The next moment, however, the spell was broken and they started to banter like they always had in the past.
“It feels like I’m part of the club now,” CJ said, his hand still locked in a staged handshake with Clark. “Feel free to let me in on the secret password anytime.”
Clark pointed his free thumb toward Laura and Jenny. “Not around the uninitiated. The league only shares its secrets with people who dare walk around in public in spandex. Meet me at the top of a darkened skyscraper some night and maybe we can talk.”
“I am so disillusioned right now,” Laura said as she slipped the cover on her camera and wrinkled her nose at them. If only the public got to see the side of the world’s most famous heroes that she saw on a daily basis.
CJ grinned. “What, like I’m supposed to be serious all the time now that I have a secret identity?”
“Make that two or three secret identities,” Jenny with some amusement, causing CJ to nod appreciatively.
Laura rolled her eyes. “Well, you know, for most people, long after the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy have had their alter egos revealed, they can at least look at their local superheroes and wonder. I’m going to watch the news now, see my local superheroes, and think of what a couple of wisenheimers they are.”
“Well, you know us. What did you expect?” CJ asked, the playfulness in his voice almost aggravating. Clark stayed prudently silent, although Laura could tell that he was thinking the same thing.
“I don’t know. You’d think that the meeting between two icons would be momentous. Maybe there would be a rumble of thunder and blare of trumpets…parting of the seas at your feet.”
Clark cocked an eyebrow and looked toward CJ. “I’m not held in this high of esteem at home, that’s for sure,” he said, gesturing toward Laura. “I know for a fact that all teenaged girls find their fathers to be highly embarrassing and silly, and comments like, ‘Dad, you’re not going to act that way when my friends come over, are you?’ tell me that I’m no exception to that rule.”
CJ was holding back his laughter, though just barely. Laura crossed her arms in front of her chest, fixed her most exasperated expression on her face and glared at her dad, whose grin was now very similar to CJ’s characteristic smirk. “I was just making a point, that’s all,” she said flatly. “I guess I had this image of what the meeting between Batman and Superman would look like, influenced no doubt by the naïve public image of you two. But now I have it burned in my brain forever, for better or worse.”
“And your camera,” CJ added. “If that picture ends up in the National Whisper, I would probably hug you. It would make for great publicity.…”
Laura smiled and sauntered toward him, deciding that it was time to turn the tables on him. “And if it doesn’t end up in the National Whisper? Would I still get that hug?” She gave him her best puppy eyes, and took a great deal of amusement as the humor seemed to drain out of him and he melted under her spell. Laura was beginning to find that she had a certain talent for manipulation, one she had learned from watching one of the true masters of the art: her mother.
Her dad saw the ploy for what it was, and had to hide a smile. He shook his head gently, said goodnight, and flew off just as CJ wrapped his spandex-clad arms around her. Laura returned the hug gladly, but took the occasion, especially now that her father was gone, to drop a not-so-subtle hint about one of other aims in visiting Gotham.
“Doesn’t Batman generally have a sidekick?” Laura asked as they pulled apart. “Someone young, looks good in spandex, is able to crack wise at the drop of a hat….”
CJ took a step back, his eyes growing wide, then quickly narrowing. He pointed a gloved finger at her and opened his mouth to say something, then stopped, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “Yes, when it suits him. Although the last couple weeks Batman has been young, looks good in spandex, if he does say so himself, and can certainly crack wise with the best of them.” He apparently knew where she was going with her hint, and was having a little fun at her expense.
“Someone to keep him company during those lonely nights,” Laura continued.
CJ looked toward Jenny, a knowing expression on his face. “He’s not all that lonely at night,” he said heavily. When Laura looked toward Jenny, she could see CJ’s expression mirrored on her face.
Turning her attention back toward CJ, Laura quickly tried to think of another excuse. “Someone with a lot of energy, a strong sense of justice, and parents who are several hundred miles away.” She smiled weakly, drawing a rather surprised look from CJ.
“You didn’t tell Mom and Dad that you were planning on playing Robin while you were out here, did you?” CJ asked, although his tone wasn’t accusatory. If she didn’t know any better, she could swear that he found the possibility amusing.
Laura shrugged. “No,” she said, her voice neutral. Her official line was that what her parents didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. Anyway, going out as a junior crime fighter wasn’t a bad thing, especially with someone looking out for her. There were many worse things that she could be doing.
“Why not?” he asked, cocking his head. “I realize you’re a delicate flower, but surely you didn’t think they’d say no, did you?”
Laura’s cheeks began to burn at his delicate flower crack. He knew darn well that she was invulnerable now, and that she had been for the better part of the last two years, even if she didn’t look it. Of course, she’d never tested herself against her brothers or her dad, so she very well could be delicate compared to them, but she chalked up the comment to CJ’s charm and his inherent ability to make her blush at least once during every conversation they had. “Well, I AM seventeen. It not like I have virgin eyes, but I’m sure there’s plenty of sick stuff out there than can take away anyone’s innocence pretty fast. I know Daddy, and something tells me that he’ll want to keep his little girl away from the ugly side of hero work until I’m a little more mature.” The last line was spoken with a fair amount of sarcasm, which Laura supposed wasn’t justified. She loved that her father tried to shield her from the worst in the world, but honestly she was going to have to see it sooner or later. And Laura was sure that she was more mature than he wanted to admit.
CJ put up his hands up and cringed. “Look, the last thing I want to do is get on Mom and Dad’s bad side. I think I’m perfectly capable of making sure that you remain as pure as the wind driven snow while you’re under my care, though, so when I tell them sometime next week that I had something for you to take care of in an after hours type of capacity...”
Laura couldn’t stop herself from jumping once. “Yay!”
CJ chuckled cautiously, his hands still up. “…there’s no way they can say no or get mad at me because I kinda forgot to mention that I was planning on having you help me all along.”
Laura’s smile abruptly faded, although the giddiness still remained. She had thought that she was sweet talking him into letting her tag along, and now he was saying that he had planned on it all along? It took some of the wind out of her sails, but not too much – she was getting what she wanted, after all. After a moment, she narrowed her eyes and looked at him closely, wondering what exactly he had up his sleeve. The more she thought about it, though, the more she didn’t care, even if his confession told her that it might not be what she expected.
“Before I say yes, though, I need proof that you are fit for sidekick duty. I need to hear your best one-liner.” CJ’s grin was back in full force as he spoke, contrasting heavily with the image that the costume and cowl were trying to portray. Laura had a hard time viewing him as menacing, even with the cool outfit, and she wondered how seriously the criminal element really took him. She supposed that if he concentrated, got down to work, and wiped the characteristic smirk off his face, then maybe. But beneath it all, he was still just CJ, and as far as she knew, CJ had never hurt a fly.
Laura folded her arms across her chest and looked at him with disbelief. “So, you don’t need a demonstration of my newly acquired powers or proof that I can hold my own with a theoretical bad guy? You just need me to give a zinger that will bring down the house?”
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression,” CJ said. “So, come on, let’s have it. You come upon a bad guy who’s about to assault a woman, and you say….”
Laura rolled her eyes, then assumed a typical sidekick attack position, and blurted out the first response that popped into her head. “Have you seen this one? It’s a real kick,” she said, then did an awkward roundhouse kick. Beside her, Jenny let out a small snort. CJ just looked at her appraisingly, although his eyes were positively dancing behind the cowl.
“I guess that will work,” he said. “But your moves are in need of help.” He grinned again, then stepped toward her. “Meet me at one AM at the top of the Gotham State stadium parking ramp. Bring something to write with.” At Laura’s nod, he stepped sideways and regarded Jenny. They looked at each other for a moment before leaning in for a quick, light kiss. “Tomorrow,” he said.
“Tomorrow,” Jenny said with a smile. “Watch out Gotham City.” They both grinned, kissed lightly again, then CJ was gone.
Laura looked down at her watch, noting that she had a couple of hours to burn before leaving. Jenny caught her attention and gestured toward the roof access, and the two of them made their way down to Jenny’s apartment. Susan, who hadn’t been home when Laura first arrived, was there now. It was a couple of years ago when Laura had first been introduced to Susan, although the circumstances certainly were less than ideal. Her parents had been somewhat less than forthcoming in explaining how Susan had happened upon the family secret, but Laura hadn’t been above eavesdropping to obtain the information. After hearing the story, she could understand why her parents had been so mysterious. The prospect of what could have been had Susan not been stopped was scary, and Laura found herself more distrustful of people than she had been before the whole sordid affair. The loss of her innocence alone should have made her resentful of Jenny’s roommate, but Laura was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, at least until she got to know her. Susan had disappeared without saying so much as word to Laura, and after a while, Laura found herself forgetting about her and everything she had done. Then, a few weeks ago, Susan showed up out of the blue at CJ’s funeral, and that was the beginning of her reunion with Jenny. Laura had given Susan a wide berth at the time, not sure what to think, delaying the inevitable confrontation. Delay wasn’t an option now, however.
All the old feelings came back once Laura was reintroduced to Susan, but after talking with her for a little while, the fears and doubts were once again relegated to the past. Susan had changed, that much was certain. The slightly awed expression that she had held at the Kent house all those years ago was nowhere to be seen, replaced with a certain quiet ease. Susan had a reputation for being impulsive, for taking things a little too seriously, but now she seemed entirely normal and pleasant. As anxious as Laura was to go out and play hero, she found herself absorbed in conversation with both Susan and Jenny, and forgetting to look at the clock. It was almost one when Jenny reminded Laura of her impending meeting, and Laura had to rush to change clothes and take off across the city, utilizing Jenny and Susan’s window.
To say that Laura was unfamiliar with Gotham would be an overstatement, but she figured that it couldn’t be too hard to find a college stadium among the high rises. She had to fly a couple miles up into the air to get a good view of the city, but after a moment she located the stadium, and a prominent parking structure next to it. The structure looked practically deserted, with the exception of a solitary shadowy figure leaning against the barrier rail on the uppermost level. Almost as soon as she found him, he looked up and casually raised a hand in greeting. She quickly descended and landed next to him, eagerly watching his expression as his eyes followed her movement. A smile quickly spread across her face as she got her reward. CJ’s expression seemed almost nostalgic as he sighed and regarded her for a moment.
“My baby sister, flying already,” he said. “Where does the time go?”
“You like the outfit?” she said, turning so that he could get a better look.
He smiled lightly. “You look very heroic,” he answered, then furrowed his brow. “Isn’t that Diane’s Shadow Woman costume?”
Laura nodded gently. “She doesn’t have any use for it since the powers faded away, and we’re the same size….”
“You’re swapping clothes now?” CJ asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
“I went as a cop last Halloween. I think she gets the better end of the deal, though, since she’s in uniform most of the time.”
CJ’s expression was odd. He looked like he wanted to make a joke that even he found in poor taste, and was waging an inner battle over what exactly to say. Laura smiled at him, hoping to ease away the awkwardness. “So, uh, what did you need me to do for you, boss?” she asked after a moment, trying to steer the conversation into safer waters.
She thought that she saw him raise an eyebrow under the mask, although it was hard to tell. His expression turned more congenial as he cleared his throat and got to the heart of the matter. “You, dear sister, are going to be my eye in the sky.”
“Wayne Enterprises needs a new traffic copter?” she asked, watching as his grin reappeared and he ducked his head. Laura had discovered a long time ago that the best way to gain CJ’s attention and respect was to throw in a few non-sequiturs, to make him react the way he usually forced others to react to him. He was always at least good for a smile.
He wagged a finger at her. “No, but I like your thinking.” He took a deep breath and forced the smile away. His tone was suddenly very businesslike. “To make a long story short, I’m in the middle of an investigation, and have managed to identify my number one suspect. Before I can act on my suspicions, though, I need to get a little more dirt on the guy. This is where you come in.”
“Can’t you plant some bugs or something? Isn’t that the usual protocol for mysterious superheroes slash detectives?” she asked. Somehow, when she had asked CJ to let her tag along, she hadn’t envisioned that she would spend her time following someone around, and she was sure it showed on her face. CJ didn’t seem to notice.
His small was small, sly. “What do you think I’ve been doing for the last couple hours?” he asked. “Good thing for me our man’s not much of a homebody. At the same time, though, the fact that he’s not around tonight probably means that he’s not home much at other times, either. That’s where you come in.”
“Eye in the sky. I get it,” Laura said with a small nod.
“Follow him around. Make a running list of where he goes and when, who he talks to, what they say. You think you can do that from…?” he asked, pointing up. Laura sighed and nodded, drawing a small smile from him. “You didn’t think that the hero thing was all kicking butt and taking names, did you?” he asked.
“Well, yeah,” she said, allowing a small grin to form on her face. “It certainly sounds like more fun.”
“Sure, it’s fun. But something like this, when it works out, is incredible. It’s not just stopping a crime, it’s stopping a cycle of crime, it’s saving the lives of however many people in the future and avenging the lives of those who fell victim to this nutball in the past. It’s….”
Laura held up her hands. “Okay, I get it, the payoff is worth the effort. This guy sounds really bad. Who is he?”
CJ proceeded to explain who Brad Ross was, what he might have done, and what he could be planning to do. Laura felt all traces of humor drain away as he told his story, the hardness in his voice telling. It wasn’t in CJ’s nature to hate, or to accuse, but she could understand why he seemed to hate this man that he suspected of essentially killing him and 200 others. In his shoes, she would probably not bother with gathering evidence and undergoing hours of surveillance, she would probably go in there, impose a little righteous justice of her own, and be done with it. Probably. Maybe. But…after thinking for a second, she knew that she wouldn’t, she couldn’t, just as CJ couldn’t. They both knew better than to stoop to the level of criminals that they were trying to stop, they both had been brought up better than that.
She regarded him sadly, wondering for the first time what it was that he went through, what all this must be like for him. The perfect life was laid out for him, and then it was gone, cruelly taken away. It wasn’t all bad, though, she supposed. His new life had certain advantages, ones that would probably become more apparent the longer she stuck around town. Still, the whole experience had to leave him with a certain void in his soul. And maybe this investigation was his way of filling that void, of really moving on.
Laura blinked and focused her attention on CJ’s words, pulling out a notebook after a moment to scribble down some notes. Her gaze followed his movements as he pointed out Ross’s apartment, only a couple of blocks distant. Ross was currently at a bar not too far away, CJ said, looking toward the location and frowning as he apparently found a very drunk Brad Ross inside. “There’s no point in observing him tonight. You can start tomorrow.”
“Morning?” Laura said, the obvious distaste in her voice drawing out CJ’s smile.
“Drunks trying to sleep off a hangover aren’t usually morning people, so…probably not. But if you lose him, you have to find him.”
Laura sighed and made a face. “The new boss is a slave driver,” she said, shoving the notebook back into her pocket, then nervously picking at her uniform.
CJ stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “A little hard work won’t kill you. Besides, the boss isn’t asking you to do anything that he didn’t have to do on his vacations in Gotham City, so he’s not all that sympathetic.”
Laura looked toward him, noting the obviously teasing expression. The sympathy card worked a lot better with her dad, Laura thought. CJ had a definite soft spot, but it took a lot more than a look or a little complaining to gain his compassion. “You flew over town?” she asked, deciding to use humor to get to him, instead.
“Gravity’s not as kind to me as it is to you. I had to stand on top of a building, but you get my point. It could be worse. Working for me is a cake walk compared to working for Bruce.”
Laura nodded. “You have a point, I guess,” she said. “So tomorrow, not too early, but before the crack of noon?”
CJ nodded and pulled away from her. “And you’re just watching, okay? If he does anything, call me. If you see anything else of interest while you’re up there – crimes, accidents, whatever – call the police. Don’t confront anyone yourself.”
“What, my lines are that bad?” Laura said with a half-smile, although his expression was suddenly serious.
“I was just kidding about the lines. You know that, right?” At her nod, his expression softened. “Criminals don’t appreciate them anyway, believe me. The hero game is one in which image matters, and the further you can move your alter ego away from your real persona, the better off you are.”
“It works for Daddy,” Laura said with a nod, causing CJ’s smile to widen.
“Right,” he said, his eyes somewhat distant as he no doubt thought back to that moment when he had to put their father and Superman together into the same package. Laura knew that she still sometimes found it hard to believe that her boring family was full of superheroes, but that was just proof that what CJ said was true. “That image, it comes from your actions, but it also comes from those observing your actions. Your life will be a lot simpler without the press hounding you, which is why you call the police instead of playing superhero, okay?”
“Got it,” she said with a thumbs up, trying not to roll her eyes at the line that she had heard from her father so many times. Don’t try and grow up so fast, he always told her. You only get one chance to be a kid, so enjoy it while you can, blah blah blah. Laura was never the patient type, though, and it was hard not to want to go out and make a name for herself, especially since she had all the abilities that she needed to do so.
“You don’t look convinced,” he said with amusement, which drew an annoyed look from her. “Look, I know it’s Dad’s chapter and verse, but that doesn’t make it any less true. And, you know, I’m your boss, so….”
She smiled sarcastically. “I get it,” she said, crossing her arms and looking at him for a moment. “Is that all you needed?”
“Yeah, that’s pretty much it.” He took a step away from her and glanced down the street below before returning his attention to her. “We both have to work tomorrow, so we might as well get home and try to catch some z’s.”
“You need a lift?” she asked, pointing toward upward. He simply shook his head, although a shadow of something unpleasant lurked behind his expression. Sometimes she wondered how much the fact that he couldn’t fly bothered him, and just when she became convinced that he didn’t worry about it, looks like that would come along and make her think again. The darkness in his eyes only lingered for a moment before being replaced by his usual, easygoing expression.
“Thanks, no,” he said. “Have a good night.” With that, he turned and started running, then took a leap and soared through the air, landing in full stride on the pavement below. What he lacked in flight skills he made up for in grace, she decided as she watched him move. After a moment, she took off into the air, bound for Jenny’s place.
The next day was spent in the skies over Gotham. Fortunately the day was overcast, and she was able to slip into the clouds and conceal herself. Watching Brad Ross was, for the most part, one of the most boring things she’d ever done. He got up, he watched TV, he went out and grabbed a sandwich, then met up with a friend and complained about everything that was wrong with the world. She managed to get a feel for the town while Ross and his friend did some reading at the library, and she found her attention turning toward the Gotham Knights baseball game across town as Ross shopped for groceries. In all, a days worth of work netted a couple pages of notes, a couple of anonymous calls to the police to report some crimes she witnessed, and a fair amount of resentment toward her brother. As dinner approached, she abandoned her search, knowing that her other job, the one of chaperone, beckoned.
After a change of clothing and a little freshening up, she and Jenny hopped into the car and made their way through town to Wayne Manor. Winding up the driveway beneath the canopy of trees, seeing glimpses of the massive building through the foliage, Laura found any remaining pity she had for CJ quickly disappearing. If she lived in a place like that, a castle-like home with its own forest and a quick five minute jaunt to the nearest grocery store, she could probably forget about a lot of the petty concerns in her life. After all, how bad could things be in a place like that? At the same time, though, it would be easy to hide away from the world here, which made it a perfect place for people like CJ and Bruce Wayne and, soon, Jenny, people who would all have something to hide. It would be perfect for her, too, if she wanted to pursue the part of sidekick in a more public capacity.
The thought caused her eyebrows to rise, and it wasn’t long before another thought presented itself. Metropolis had plenty of work for two Supermen. Gotham, on the other hand, had just one Batman and, if her flight over the town today was any indication, enough crime to keep several superheroes busy. Plus, CJ’s role was more that of a detective, the guy who fought crime or solved cases that the police couldn’t or wouldn’t handle. Superman, on the other hand, had a more varied workload, which consisted primarily of rescues or other super acts. While CJ could do some of that, and probably would do what he could even if Batman was supposed to be a mere mortal, he lacked certain abilities necessary to do a lot of that work. Yes, there was a need for another super being in Gotham, and maybe she was the person to fill that role.
It was a move that made sense, she supposed. She would be entering college in a year, and although her mother and two brothers were graduates of Metropolis University, it didn’t mean that she had to attend that particular school. Laura had a reputation for being strong willed and more than a little ready to blaze her own trail. Nobody would raise too much of a stink, then, if she enrolled at Gotham State University. Outwardly, she could be a concerned sister-in-law or a doting aunt, keeping close to her late brother’s wife and baby. Jenny and CJ would probably need a babysitter from time to time, and she would gladly oblige. She would also play the sidekick until she was willing to spread her own wings, at least if CJ agreed to it. It was a plan that had possibilities, and one that even her parents would have to admit was feasible.
Laura was aware that she was smiling too wide as they pulled up to the main entrance of Wayne manor. Jenny glanced her way, the smile on her face overly large, too. Almost before they had left the car, CJ had pulled open the massive front door, although Laura did a double take as she looked his way.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?” she asked as he approached. He was dressed in a pair of khakis and a crimson, expensive-looking button down shirt, his hair longer than she ever remembered it being, styled neatly with a light application of some sort of hair product. Then, of course, there were the glasses, which, in concert with the new hair style, served to make the shape of his face seem entirely different. He looked like a pretty boy, which was par for the course for Jon and her father, but very unusual on CJ, who almost always sported denim and a t-shirt and looked very much the part of someone who spent all his free time on a football field. In an odd way, she supposed that he finally appeared to be the charming nerd, the side of his personality that was always there, but which he tended to only show to people he was close to. As a total package, the look suited him, she decided after a moment.
CJ gave her a sympathetic glance, although she could see in his eyes that he was joking. “Poor bereaved girl doesn’t accept that her brother passed away. I’m Sam Wayne, his evil twin,” CJ stuck out his hand, which she looked at for a moment, then shook. He was smiling now, and it was infectious.
“My mistake,” she said with a fair amount of sarcasm. “I should’ve known; my brother never cleaned up this well.”
Jenny, who had moved next to CJ, circled her arm around his waist, leaned in, and gave him a peck on the cheek. “You have that right,” she said, smiling as she inhaled a whiff of his cologne, something that CJ would never have worn. “You even smell expensive,” she said to him with a giggle.
“I guess that’s better than the alternative,” he said with a wrinkle of his nose. “But it really bothers my sense of smell, to the point that I can practically taste this stuff. The things I do for fashion.”
Laura nodded, knowing the feeling. To a super nose, perfume and cologne were almost painful, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t sometimes indulge in a little fragrance to make an impression. “Women have been torturing themselves in the name of fashion for years, dear. Don’t expect any sympathy from me,” Jenny said, stepping away from him slightly as they all made their way toward the mansion.
“So you must be planning to make an impression on…someone tonight,” Laura said, trailing behind them somewhat. “Someone who would be close enough to notice your new torture device.”
CJ looked over his shoulder. “You never know,” he said, then smiled. “Jenny seems appropriately swayed. How about you?”
Laura gave him her widest smile. “It wasn’t your cologne that impressed me, CJ.”
His smile faded, “Sam,” he said, his voice suddenly devoid of humor. “CJ is gone.”
Laura’s smile faded for a moment as she realized her mistake. She couldn’t help but call him by his real name, it was only natural. She’d never been forced to call any of her family members by anything other than their real names, thankfully, and she had wondered how it would work when the time came to assume her own secret identity. To address her dad as “Superman” in public would just be odd, even though she knew perfectly well that was who he was. She just had to think before speaking, she decided, and the same would be true tonight. “I’m sorry, SAM,” she said, which brought his smile back. “What impressed me were the fine set of glasses you have there. You now look your IQ,” she said.
CJ gave his best self-effacing smirk. “My inner nerd has finally been set free, it’s true,” he said.
“Plenty of people wear glasses who aren’t nerds,” Jenny said defensively.
CJ gave her a grateful look, then smiled. “No, I’ll admit to my nerd heritage, I don’t mind.” His smile broadened as he turned his gaze to Laura. “But it’s the nerds who end up with the Ferraris and the big mansion.”
“Oh, are we taking the Ferrari?” Laura asked, defusing his attempt at humor. CJ’s expression turned very smug as the entered the mansion.
“What’s the magic word?” he asked, drawing a laugh from Jenny, who continued down the hallway, waving at Bruce, who was watching them with interest from afar.
Laura gave CJ her best little sister smile, then grabbed his arm and started walking slowly down the hallway. “On second thought, I think I’m going to save the magic word and the groveling for something else.”
“Oh?”
“I have this great idea,” Laura said, eliciting a groan from CJ.
“Why do I got the feeling that I won’t like this?” he asked.
Laura ignored his comment. “It occurred to me that you and Jenny might need a little…companionship here in Gotham City….”
