Meet Sam Wayne, Part 13
By: C. Leuch
“Sheryl?” CJ asked, using one of the overstuffed throw pillows from the couch to fan his mother-in-law. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked groggily at CJ, his presence causing her eyebrows to knit together.
“Clark?” she asked. CJ smiled and looked toward Jenny, who was now standing next to him, before turning his attention back to Mrs. Sears.
“Sam Wayne,” he said. Sheryl Sears appeared confused for a moment, but as the facts apparently came together in her mind, recognition came. She looked at Clark, who was still dressed in his Superman outfit and stood directly behind CJ, then toward Bruce Wayne.
“I see,” she said as she tried to straighten up.
Jenny’s father reached over to help her, assisted by CJ. “Clark didn’t die in that plane crash, dear,” Mr. Sears said, bringing a slow nod from his wife. Before her mother had come to, Jenny had profusely apologized for letting them believe that CJ was gone, and for all the grief they had gone through before they understood the truth. CJ had been heartened to see his father-in-law dismiss the apologies without a second thought, apparently assimilating the news of CJ’s non-death just as readily as he had the fact that CJ’s dad was a famous superhero. CJ supposed that he shouldn’t question good fortune, that he should be grateful that there were no accusations or hurt feelings at the revelations, but he couldn’t help but feel that, at some point, the other shoe would drop. No matter how positive your outlook in life or how high your threshold for surprise, certainly secrets like that should cause some sort of emotion. He should know.
“But he was on the plane, right? That’s what the airline said,” Mrs. Sears said to her husband, then looked questioningly toward CJ.
“Yes, I was,” CJ said quietly as he straightened up and wrapped his arm around his wife.
“And you were saved because….”
“Good genetics,” Clark, said, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
“But those other poor people on the plane,” Mrs. Sears said as she looked between Clark and CJ, her voice still small. “Why couldn’t they be saved, too?”
CJ sighed and looked toward the floor. It always hurt to think of how things could’ve been different, if he would’ve been able to get hold of his father or Jon when he had tried, if fate had blessed him with just a little more flight ability. “I might be the son of Superman, but unfortunately I’m not super in the ways that would’ve helped that day. I tried, believe, me.”
“That’s one of the things that still baffles the NTSB,” Clark said with a grim smile. “How could a plane plunging toward the ocean slow down and level out ever so slightly?”
CJ looked toward his dad and tried to give him an encouraging smile, but it was hard, especially given his father’s pained expression. It was easy to forget that as hard as all this was for CJ and Jenny, it was equally hard for his folks, who had lost him in a way, as well. CJ couldn’t frequent his old haunts anymore, could never visit his dad outside of the rare times when they worked together after hours. His mother hadn’t seen him in over a month, and as much as she tried to downplay their reunion the night before, he could tell how excited she was to be with him again, could feel how long she lingered when she embraced him. That crash broke up their family, too, but at least they were together now. “Did you tell them it was a ghost?” CJ asked, turning up the side of his mouth, hoping that humor would work its magic and chase away the heaviness of the moment.
“Something like that,” Clark answered with the barest of grins.
“But what about you?” Jenny’s mom asked CJ. “Why couldn’t you have saved Clark Kent?”
CJ looked at Jenny, trying to figure out how to frame his response, but Jenny’s father answered for him. “Would you have believed it if he had been the only survivor of that crash, and without a scratch on him? Would you have honestly not questioned how that could be?” he said, and CJ smiled gratefully at him.
“We live in a world where miracles are taken at something less than face value,” Jenny said, tilting her head so that it was resting on CJ’s shoulder. “Clark knows the power of the press, he grew up watching it on full display. So for the sake of his family, he just…died.”
The expressions on the faces of Jenny’s parents softened as they turned toward CJ and Jenny, and then Lois and Clark. Even confronted with the incredible fact that the Kent family contained the world’s most recognizable superheroes, it was hard to see them as anything less than a family who had just experienced a loss of their own. Sheryl turned her head sideways as she regarded CJ, then stood with a sigh. “Oh, Clark,” she said as she reached out to hug him. “You poor thing.”
“It’s Sam now,” Jenny said as she stepped away and let CJ return the embrace unencumbered.
“That’s right, Sam Wayne,” Jenny’s father said, suddenly remembering where he was.
As Mrs. Sears pulled away from CJ, she looked at him with confusion. “But how can you be Sam Wayne?” she asked, turning her attention toward Bruce Wayne.
Since entering the room, Bruce had been observing the interaction quietly, his expression blank. CJ knew that Bruce viewed the exchange with a fair amount of curiosity, even if he didn’t show it outwardly. The ways of family relationships were largely foreign to the reclusive billionaire, and the revelation that had taken place was even more so. But it was Bruce’s turn to make a revelation of his own, and hopefully he’d learned a little something from his observations.
“Clark and I have been friends for many years,” Bruce said in an almost emotionless, authoritative voice, nodding toward Superman. “We’ve also worked together in, shall we say, a professional capacity.”
“Professional capacity?” Jenny’s dad said with raised eyebrows.
“The Kents don’t corner the market on secrets,” Wayne said dryly. “Or alternate identities.”
The Sears family looked at Bruce more closely, their eyes squinting slightly. CJ tried to hide a smile as he watched them try to decipher Bruce’s alter ego without any luck. Bruce, unfazed by the appraising stares, started to pace as he continued. “I’m not as young as I used to be. Faced with a future without any family and a profession where the limitations of age were mounting, I had begun to realize that I needed a partner, a successor.” Bruce paused and gestured towards CJ. “I had been grooming young Clark for several years to take care of the nighttime duties.”
“Jen and I met one summer when I was here, working in Gotham for Bruce,” CJ said, bringing curious glances from her parents.
“When this whole unfortunate incident happened, he agreed to be not just my successor, but my heir. Thus, Sam Wayne was born”
Jenny’s father shook his head and turned toward CJ, his smile teasing. “Are you sure you didn’t die and go to heaven?” he asked, causing CJ to grin. The two had always had a certain rapport, and Jenny’s father often managed to surprise CJ with how unexpectedly humorous he could be beneath his otherwise bland façade. He and CJ were probably a lot more similar than either of them wanted to admit, a thought that CJ found perplexing, if not a little scary. Wasn’t there an old wives tale that said women married men who reminded them of their fathers?
“It’s had its moments, I guess. But then there have been all the paparazzi, tabloids, and stalkers…they make things a little less than heavenly,” CJ countered, although the protest sounded weak even to him. Most people would be more than willing to put up with such minor inconveniences for a several billion dollar fortune.
Jenny rolled her eyes. “You like some of the attention, admit it,” she said, and CJ bobbed his head in reluctant agreement.
He opened his mouth to respond, but Jenny’s mother, whose gaze hadn’t left Bruce since he began his tale, interrupted their banter. “You’re some sort of superhero, too?” she asked him, her voice reflecting her disbelief. “Forgive me, I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to the news coming from Gotham City, but I didn’t know that this town even had a resident hero.”
“I’m just a man,” Bruce said, glancing at Clark and raising his eyebrows. “I’m not a superhero in the conventional sense, or at least I wasn’t. All I did was fight crime anonymously.”
“If you put on the spandex and cape, then you’re a superhero,” Clark said, and CJ nodded absently.
“You’re Batman,” Jenny’s father said, snapping his fingers and pointing to Bruce.
Bruce smiled lightly and shook his head. “The kid is now,” he said, and both Jenny’s parents turned and looked at CJ. Sheryl’s gaze seemed different than it had been previously; she was appraising him, measuring him up, trying to see a part of him that she thought she was unfamiliar with, and it was making CJ slightly uncomfortable.
“Guilty,” CJ said with a self-conscious smile, hoping that his natural charm would deflect the calculating stare. “Call me an opportunist, or maybe just a guy with a healthy respect for tradition, but I couldn’t refuse the chance to continue the legacy. I guess it was kind of a foregone conclusion that I would do something heroic with my life…or afterlife, and Batman was the best fit, given my particular skill set.”
Sheryl nodded, then glanced toward Clark before looking at CJ again. “So,” she said, a smile starting to form on her face. “Do you have a costume? I bet you look great in it.”
Beside CJ, Jenny nodded vehemently, and CJ couldn’t help but react with a grin of his own. “Well, yeah, but I, uh, don’t do the whoosh thing, so I can’t show you right now.”
“Just keep an eye on the news, he’ll show up,” Jenny added, bringing a shrug from CJ.
“Both you and your father will, I bet,” Jenny’s dad said.
“Among other family members,” Jenny continued, causing the surprise to return to her mother’s face, but only for a moment. With the identities of two heroes revealed, it wasn’t too much of a stretch to connect all the dots and uncover the identities of all the famous Metropolis superheroes.
“Wow, this is…remarkable,” Sheryl said, turning her attention to CJ’s folks, all anxiety that she had apparently held earlier now gone. “You know, I always felt your son was something special, although I guess I never had any idea how right I was. I was proud of him before I ever knew about any of this, when was he was just a good kid and gifted athlete. Now that I know the truth, I can’t wait to read the paper every day, learn about the work he’s doing here, and be proud of him all over again.”
Clark smiled gratefully as he snaked an arm behind Lois. “I couldn’t agree more,” he said softly to Sheryl. After a moment, both turned their attention toward CJ, who was staring intently at the carpet and was well aware of the fact that he had turned a deep shade of red. If he could have one wish at that moment, it would be for the gushing to end without further comment. “It’s just too bad that we have to show our pride from afar,” Clark continued, laughing lightly at CJ’s discomfort.
CJ sighed and turned toward the Sears family, deciding that turnabout was fair play, that one stream of glowing praise deserved another. “This coming from the man who has saved the planet…how many times?” He looked toward his mother for the answer, but she didn’t get a chance to answer.
“I lost count after the first dozen,” Bruce said flatly, apparently unimpressed by the fact. CJ could almost swear that there was a twinge of jealousy behind the words, and he wouldn’t be surprised if there were. Bruce’s heroic feats were impressive by any measure, but saving the city from various mentally unstable criminals just didn’t inspire as much awe as saving the planet from asteroids and aliens, and he knew it.
Jenny nudged CJ. “Jeez, honey, learn to take a compliment,” she said in a playful voice. Her hand, which had been wrapped behind him, made its way up his back and clasped onto his shoulder, turning him slightly toward her. As he met her eyes, he couldn’t help but lean in and give her a quick kiss, even if they were in the company of their parents and in the middle of a conversation.
Lois, who had appeared almost distracted throughout the exchange, cleared her throat a few seconds into the kiss, coaxing CJ and Jenny apart. She gave the two a look of exasperation perfected by mothers throughout the years, and turned toward Jenny’s parents. “Now that we have the first order of business wrapped up, maybe we should get down to the issue that you came here to discuss. Didn’t you have some concerns about your daughter’s relationship with Sam Wayne?” Lois asked, which instantly brought a change of mood to the room.
Somewhere along the line, while identities were being revealed and half-truths replaced with fact, they had managed to detach themselves from reality and all the preconceived prejudices that they had held before entering Wayne Manor that day. Jenny’s parents had been preparing for a battle, had been steeling themselves against the charms of a man who they didn’t approve of. Now that they knew that man was someone they couldn’t possibly condemn, the situation changed, but that didn’t mean the circumstances surrounding it had. Jenny was still pregnant, her husband was still officially dead, and she was very publicly involved with another man, even while the memory of CJ Kent was still fresh.
“I told you that once you met him, there was no way you could disapprove,” Jenny said, trying to keep things light, and at least partially succeeding. The seriousness that had momentarily appeared on the faces of the Sears family was gone, but some hesitation remained, and CJ knew that the upcoming conversation wouldn’t necessarily be easy.
“You were right,” Jenny’s dad said, with a slight smile. “I know how the two of you compliment each other, how you were almost made for each other, but….” He sighed, then wrapped his arm around his wife. “A love like that only comes around once in a lifetime if you’re lucky. I don’t think people will believe that lightning can strike twice.”
“We know the truth,” Sheryl continued quickly, regarding Jenny. “And we see where you are coming from. In your place, I’m sure I would run to my husband as soon as possible, too, consequences be damned. The problem is the rest of the world doesn’t know the truth, and they can’t be made to understand the circumstances surrounding your relationship.”
“People love a scandal,” Lois said, shaking her head. “People also love to condemn others based on preconceptions and nothing else. Sam Wayne and Jenny Kent might have every reason in the world to be together, but to the public it’ll still look like a greedy widow is taking advantage of a naive or bewitched fool. Ultimately, it will taint not just your current relationship, but your former marriage, as well. Once the public finds out your identity, Jenny, they will say that there’s no way you could’ve loved CJ as much as you claimed, especially given how quickly after his death you were willing to take up with another man. And if you are willing to dishonor your late husband’s memory so unashamedly, what does that say about your feelings toward men in general? You will be branded a woman who only wants to marry for status and money, who is probably incapable of loyalty unless there’s something in it for her.”
CJ sighed. “It’s not like we’re ignoring the issue and passively waiting for it to go away. As I recall, you’ve already taken an active role in trying to diffuse the situation,” he said to Lois. “That is why Laura is here, isn’t it?”
Lois nodded, but wasn’t about to concede the point. “She’s supposed to help keep you two out of trouble, but she’s not going to be around forever. Her presence doesn’t stop the problem, though, nor does it repair the damage that’s already been done. There’s a fundamental issue, here: how you get on with your lives together and do it in such a way that there’s no appearance of impropriety? How do you honor what you had and still build a respectable future?”
CJ shifted his weight and frowned. It had felt a little like his mother was meddling when she sent Laura to Gotham City to babysit CJ and Jenny. With this discussion, the feeling only intensified, and CJ found himself a little perplexed as to a motive. Lois had said in the past how much she resented her own mother intruding on her affairs, and had assured CJ that he wouldn’t have to worry about that from her, but here she was, discussing an issue that should, by all rights, be a private matter between CJ and Jenny. He didn’t fault Jenny’s parents for their concerns, especially since they were unaware until a few moments ago of the motives behind Jenny’s relationship with Sam Wayne. Lois, however, was a different matter. “Mom,” he said, knitting his brow together and regarding her, wondering how to say what he wanted to say without sounding condescending. “Why is this so important to you?” he asked after a moment.
Lois’s expression softened, the defensive steely exterior that she so expertly erected during emotional times giving way, revealing her true emotions. “We all wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t a problem, honey. Your father and I also have had more than our fair share of run-ins with the tabloids, and we know how much damage a seemingly innocent story can do.”
“Shortly after we were married, we weren’t as careful as we should’ve been,” Clark said, his demeanor resigned. “It resulted in accusations that Superman was having an affair with a married woman, Lois, and led to a firestorm of publicity just as some delicate negotiations were happening. A war almost broke out because we didn’t take the power of the paparazzi seriously. You shouldn’t have to go through the same thing.”
CJ smiled, understanding. “I appreciate your concern,” he said, then turned toward the Sears family. “I also appreciate just what it was that brought you here in the first place. But believe me when I say that Jen and I have discussed this topic to death, no pun intended. We’re well aware of the potential damage to our reputations, but we’re even more aware of the fact that every minute we spend apart is time that we can never get back. It’s all about priorities, and our relationship was more important than vanity. I honestly don’t care if the public believes that I’m a sucker for a pretty face. Heck, as far as they’re concerned, it’s probably a family trait, and that’s fine, let them think that. They don’t know the facts, will never know the facts, and I don’t want to waste time that could spent with my wife and my unborn child because we somehow have to honor my own memory or secure my own legacy.”
“The problem is that it isn’t just your memory or legacy that’s being tainted,” Jenny’s mom said to CJ, taking up Lois’s arguments as if they were her own. She then turned toward her daughter, a pained expression on her face. “Either of yours. Your baby will have to weather the accusations, too. Even years from now, women will probably come up to your child and ask him or her what it was like to know that his mommy didn’t really love his daddy. It’s sad but it’s true.”
Jenny hung her head, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. When she looked up again, her expression was determined. Part of the reason CJ loved her, would always love her, was the force of will within her. She was gentle, caring, and loving, but when push came to shove, she could always be counted on to stand up for what she believed. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to spend my life afraid of what the gossips and rumormongers of this world believe. If I know in my heart that what I’m doing is right, then I will do it. To stay away from Clark, to deny him the joys of fatherhood and to deny him our love would be wrong, and cruel, and I’m not going to do that. He goes through so much, sees so much as a result of what Batman does, the least I can do is be there for him to comfort him and let him know that there is goodness and love in this world.”
CJ brought up his free hand and cupped her chin, gently turning her face so that she was facing him. Her expression spoke of defiance, but in her eyes was love in its purest form. A single tear worked its way down her cheek, and he gently brushed it away. She shuddered at his touch, the floodgates threatening to open, but was stopped at Clark’s words.
“I don’t think any of us would dare suggest that you two avoid each other completely for the sake of posterity,” he said softly, evenly. “You can always have time together in private, where no photographers or paparazzi can find you. And as far as the public knows, maybe you are building a relationship, one that’ll be serious a few months down the line. Don’t give them any reason to think that anything more than some innocent hand holding is going on, and don’t let them believe that there’s a chance of any indecency. That’s not too much to ask, is it?”
As CJ and Jenny shook their heads, Lois grinned in approval. “It’s none of their business anyway,” she said.
“Spoken like a true reporter,” Clark said in his fatherly voice, the quip unexpected enough to elicit a snort from CJ, even despite the emotion of the moment.
“To refer to those tabloid slimeballs as reporters is an insult to respectable journalists everywhere,” Lois answered, giving her husband a dirty look, which Clark answered with an innocent smile.
“So, how does that sound?” CJ asked as he looked toward Jenny, then her parents. “We can still get together in public if we keep our hormones in check, and then after the baby comes, maybe we can run off to the magistrate and makes things official.”
“That sounds very responsible,” Sheryl answered with an approving nod.
“And in the meantime, I don’t think a stolen kiss caught on film is going to lead to war. Call me silly,” CJ said.
“Big business IS war,” Bruce said, standing. “And trading on celebrity is big business. The war is already on, whether you like it or not. It’s not enough to just try and be careful, you have to take this seriously. Assume there’s someone with a hidden camera around every corner, and you can’t go wrong.”
CJ opened his mouth to protest, but his father shook his head and held up a hand. “All the superhearing and x-ray vision in the world isn’t going to help you if all you can see is your lovely wife. Trust me on this.”
CJ nodded, deciding that his dad probably knew what he was talking about. Love could make a person blind, and CJ was certainly aware of that. It was tough to think of evenings in public with Jenny when they weren’t allowed so much as a loving smile or a quick kiss, but he supposed it wasn’t the end of the world. If they wanted to see a movie, Wayne Manor had rooms that were more than suitable for watching a DVD and were probably bigger than a lot of movie theaters around town. Without an audience, they could have a truly romantic dinner in one of the manor’s dining rooms or play games better left to private places. It could be fun, he decided as he finally allowed a grin to creep onto his face. “I think I can handle that. How about you?” He turned toward Jenny, who almost seemed relieved as she nodded.
“If it means being able to be with you, then I can turn myself into the model of virtue in public, as hard as it is to believe.”
Everyone smiled at each other for a silent, blissful moment, then Bruce took a step toward the door. “Now that we’ve taken care of what we needed to, how about taking some time to enjoy Sam Wayne’s new position in life?”
“Parents dream of this day,” Clark said wistfully, bringing amused glances from CJ and Lois.
“Did you have something in mind?” Jenny’s father asked Bruce, eliciting a nod.
“Do you golf?” Bruce asked, and a giddy smile spread across Jenny’s father’s face. “We have a tee time reserved at the country club at four. Come on, I’m driving and the kid is buying.”
Bruce led the way out of the room, followed closely by Sheryl and Lois. Clark quietly changed back into civilian clothes and accompanied Jenny out of the room. CJ hung back and waited for Jenny’s father, discreetly creeping up next to him as they trailed the group out of the room. He almost hated to broach the subject that he wanted to discuss with his father-in-law, but curiosity was a powerful thing, and CJ was never the shy type. “So, uh, Randy,” CJ said as he pulled the study door closed behind them. “You seem to be taking all this very well.” Jenny’s father shoved his hands in his pocket and shrugged, no words immediately forthcoming. Not wanting to wait for the inevitable uncomfortable silence to descend between them, CJ continued, keeping the tone of his voice light. “I mean, when I found out about my dad, well, I wasn’t exactly calm. And I can’t say that I’ve ever known anyone who came back from the dead.”
Randy looked at CJ, a strange twinkle in his eye, and ambled down the hallway. “You’ve told all your secrets, so I suppose I’ll tell mine,” he said with a grin. CJ took a few quick steps to catch up, then matched his father-in-law stride for stride. Randy glanced at him, then looked ahead, toward the rest of the family well ahead of them. “I had most of this figured out before we came out here,” he said, causing CJ to stumble slightly.
“Huh? How?” CJ asked. The people who had figured out the family secret on their own in the past had done so in part because of the power of love, and in part because they had some help. CJ and Jon would be the first to admit that they’d been less than careful in protecting their identities when their relationships with their wives had been fresh. But in-laws, friends of the family, somewhat distant relatives, all had been shielded from the secret, mostly for their protection, but also because there was no good reason for them to know. CJ had supposed that it was possible that some people closest to the family suspected, but he had never been confronted by any of them, so he assumed that they were all still blissfully unaware of the nighttime hobbies of the Kent family. It was shocking to think that maybe more people knew that Clark Kent was Superman than he had ever suspected, and he found himself shaken by Randy’s admission.
Mr. Sears looked at CJ curiously. “It was nothing any of you did,” he said, easily picking up on CJ’s discomfort. “It’s just that when you spend enough time with someone, you can’t help but pick out the little traits that make them who they are. The first time I saw Superman on the news after meeting your father, it occurred to me that there was something familiar about him that I hadn’t noticed before. Then, at your ‘funeral,’ it seemed odd that nobody in your family seemed overly upset that you were gone. I guess one and one came together at some point and my subconscious gave me the answer. This was just the affirmation.” He paused and smiled at CJ. “Surprised?” he asked.
CJ bobbed his head and raised his eyebrows, but after a moment he made eye contact with Randy, and couldn’t help but smirk. “You daughter found out on her own, so I guess not,” he said. “Still, you must be a heck of a poker player.”
Randy laughed and slapped CJ on the back. “We can sit down for a game sometime and you can try me,” he said. “Just don’t tell my wife. She has no idea that I had you guys figured out, and something tells me that if she did, I would be banished to the couch for a long time.”
CJ laughed lightly. “I like to think I’m pretty good at keeping a secret,” he said, bringing a nod from Randy.
“That you are, son,” he said. As they continued down the hallway, the conversation turned to other things, but CJ found his fears easing, replaced with excitement about what the future would hold. Far from being burdened with his new knowledge, Jenny’s father had embraced it without a second thought. That’s what true friends did, CJ supposed, and Randy Sears was nothing if not a true friend. Those were all too valuable in his world.
***
Laura Kent sighed and looked up at the sky, taking note of the position of the sun and wondering where the day had gone. Her parents were in town, hanging out with Jenny and her family, probably having a great time, and Laura was stuck on a godforsaken roof watching some criminal do routine paperwork in his office. The life of a superhero was losing more glamour every second, she thought, wondering if a quick fifteen minute jaunt to somewhere, anywhere other than the sticky, tarpaper-covered roof would cause any harm. Her ponderings were interrupted by a distinctive thud on the far side of the building. That could only be one person, she thought, looking toward the sound and confirming her suspicions.
“Please tell me you’re here to relieve me,” she said to Nightwing. Over the past couple of weeks, she’d gotten comfortable, but not exactly familiar, with the reclusive local hero. Their interactions tended to consist of brief conversations before one took over surveillance operations from the other. She often tried to coax stories out of him about the things he had seen and done while acting as Robin to Bruce Wayne’s Batman, but he was always reluctant to talk when the topic was broached. More often than not, she would leave their encounters frustrated and in search of someone to talk to who would actually talk back.
“No such luck,” Nightwing answered as he strode across the roof toward her. “Ross decided to make a stop to visit his pal.”
Laura knit her brow together and turned toward the factory where Armstrong worked. She saw Ross’s car parked in the otherwise deserted lot, and its owner approaching the factory door. Laura quickly turned toward Nightwing. “He’s never done that before,” she said, excitement creeping into her voice. Ross would never have any reason to be at the factory, and would in all likelihood avoid it like the plague if he were smart and wanted to dodge suspicion. His arrival probably meant one thing and one thing only.
Nightwing smiled and took a seat next to her. “No, he hasn’t,” he replied. “The fancy electronic gadget he’s carting around and the various other wires and whatnot he’s got on him aren’t the types of things you’d take with you go visit a friend, either.”
Laura’s eyes grew wide as she found the items her companion was taking about, and she quickly reached for her cell phone. Her actions were stopped, though, by Nightwing’s hand on her arm.
“You don’t need to call in the cavalry just yet,” he said. “Let’s wait until something actually happens.”
She looked at him in surprise, then nodded and relaxed. “He’d probably kill me if he had to come out for a false alarm today, anyway,” she said, settling back down onto the rooftop. Usually her statements or questions tended to be ignored by Nightwing, but tonight he looked at her questioningly.
“Big day?” he asked, catching her off guard. She looked at him for a moment, her brain vainly trying to figure out a comeback, but only the truth came to mind. Supposedly they didn’t have any secrets, and she believed completely that anyone who would know the familial relationship between the new Batman, his sidekick, and the Crimson Superman was probably well aware of who they were when not in spandex, too.
Laura sighed. “Mom and Dad are in town, revealing everything that’s worth knowing to my brother’s in-laws.”
“And you’re stuck on a roof?” he said, his voice containing a subtle amount of humor mixed with surprise.
Laura just shrugged. “It’s a crummy job, but someone has to do it,” she answered. “Besides, I get to be with my folks 24-7 when I go home next month.”
Nightwing cocked his head sideways and smiled gently. “Your parents can’t be that bad to hang around with. I mean, your dad is Superman, right?”
“He’s still my dad, and dads are embarrassing. That’s just a fact of life.” Maybe sons had different relationships with their fathers, she thought, watching how he seemed to greet her statement with amusement.
“Well, okay, but isn’t a day around family and friends still preferable to this?” he said, waving his arm toward the large expanse of roof. “You’re…how old?”
“Seventeen,” Laura answered, crossing her hands across her chest.
Nightwing raised his eyebrows, then continued. “Which is way too young to doing a job like this. Kids your age should be enjoying the freedom that comes with having absolutely no responsibility.”
“You sound like my dad,” Laura said, bringing a look of astonishment from her companion. “Anyway, aren’t you the original boy wonder? You’re one to talk.” She was aware that she had become a little defensive, but that always seemed to happen whenever anyone suggested that she was too young to be playing superhero. She was just as capable of doing the job as her brothers, if not more so, since she actually got all of her father’s talents and neither of them did. Maybe wisdom came with age, but she didn’t need wisdom to stop an accident or save a life.
Nightwing seemed to relax as he regarded her, although there was a hint of concern in his features. “Let me ask you something,” he said. “Why ARE you up here instead of out there having fun with your family?”
Laura looked at him incredulously. “To do my part to stop the bad guy. You know, truth, justice, the American way, all that stuff.”
“So it’s a duty you have to do?” he asked, and Laura had to pause before answering. She wanted to tell him that she was out here for a far more noble reason than simple duty, that she genuinely wanted to be on this rooftop, watching Simon Armstrong while everyone else she knew was out having fun, but it wasn’t the truth. Mere moments before Nightwing’s arrival, she had been scheming to get away for a while, so obviously it wasn’t pure desire keeping her on the rooftop. She opened her mouth to give her answer, but stopped, realizing that there was something about the premise of the question that bothered her.
“Are you saying I shouldn’t be here if the answer to that question is yes?” If Laura had learned nothing from living under the same roof as two successful journalists, it was to never take anything at face value, especially apparently leading questions. He seemed caught off guard at her evasion, which prompted a small, private smile to spread across her face. People who underestimated Laura Kent did so at their own peril.
“I suppose I am,” he answered, then shook his head, his frustration apparently building. “I guess what I’m saying is that, years from now, when you’re some washed out, mostly forgotten recluse, you’ll probably look back on the long, boring nights you spent sitting on rooftops during the prime of your life and wonder what you were doing.” He sighed and looked away, and Laura realized that this conversation wasn’t about her at all, but about him. He might have been a childhood hero prodigy, but he probably looked back on those as lost years and resented the lifestyle that led him to miss out on a lot of the normal things that kids did.
“Do you hate Bruce for letting you be Robin?” she asked, knowing that the question was abrupt. His reaction showed that it wasn’t unexpected, though, and for a moment there was silence. She wouldn’t be surprised if he dropped the conversation like he did all other attempts to talk about his past, changing the subject to something safer or deciding not to talk at all. In anticipation of continued quiet, Laura looked toward the factory and Simon Armstrong, noting that Ross was making his way through the building, pointing the device in his hand at security cameras as he passed them.
“He couldn’t have stopped me from becoming Robin,” Dick said, diverting her attention away from her surveillance. His voice was small, his manner resigned, and she wondered if he had ever told anyone what he was telling her. “I was going to take out my aggression one way or the other. I hate him for encouraging me, for putting me in situations that no kid should ever have to be in, and ultimately for taking advantage of my eagerness to help.”
“But didn’t he do other things for you, good things? You had a billionaire as a guardian and all the advantages too, I imagine.”
He shook his head, giving her a bitter smile. “Never love, or respect, and those were what this scared, lonely kid needed more than anything. I always got the impression that the things he did, even the outwardly altruistic things, were always about him and nobody else. Fighting crime? It was all about his revenge on the people who killed his parents years ago. Giving money to charity? It helped quell the guilt that he felt over his station in life. Helping out a kid who had lost his parents? Well, maybe he just saw something in me that reminded him of himself, but he sure did a damn fine job in making sure I didn’t turn out the same way.”
Laura shrugged and gave a half smile. “Are you sure? You’re still hanging out on rooftops and wearing a mask.”
“I made it my job a long time ago to try and be a different type of hero. I never believed in intimidation as a method for solving crimes.” His expression was determined, sincere, but she wondered what the other side of the story was. She didn’t know Bruce Wayne too well, but as far as she was concerned, anyone who could do what Bruce did to help CJ couldn’t be as bad as Nightwing seemed to think he was. His friendship with Superman spoke volumes, too. Laura thought about trying to argue the point with her companion, but one look at his defiant expression told her that he would not be swayed. Whether or not Bruce had actually been the tyrant that he was being portrayed as, Nightwing would probably always begrudge him the things that had happened in the past. Besides, as far as he was concerned, she was just some kid who didn’t know anything. Better to leave the persuasion to someone who had a better perspective and more knowledge of the situation.
“So, what, do you think the same think will happen to me? I’ll somehow resent my brother for stealing my childhood?” Laura asked, starting to feel impatient to get to the point of the conversation.
He frowned and looked at her in a manner that she was quite familiar with, an exasperated expression that told her she was controlling the conversation too much. It was strange how often her mother tended to get that look herself. “Not exactly. All I’m saying is that you’re only young once. Maybe there are better things that you should be doing.”
She regarded him, and decided that maybe it wasn’t age that gave a person wisdom, it was their perspective on life and their experiences. He might be a costumed hero, but beneath the spandex was someone who was as normal as the next guy. He really didn’t understand what drove the people like her to do what they did night in and night out, and that was a shame. “I can FLY,” she said, her voice soft yet surprisingly impassioned. “I might look like the kid next door, but I have the power to move mountains if I really wanted to. I have all these incredible talents, but for what purpose? Sure, I could be out there shopping, playing sports, going on meaningless dates with boys I hardly know, or doing whatever it is that kids my age are supposed to do, or I can use my gifts to make a real difference in the world. How many seventeen year olds can say that? How many people of any age can say that?”
“But just because you are willing and able to take on the world doesn’t mean you’re ready for what the world throws back at you. There is more truly terrible stuff out there than you can imagine.” His words were coming from personal experience, she had no doubt, but he obviously didn’t know her family very well. His life as a young superhero was one devoid of family, and the benefits that unconditional love brought.
“Look, I am the most sheltered sidekick in history. My brother won’t let me near the more notorious sections of town, because he doesn’t want to answer to my dad if, God forbid, my virgin eyes see something they shouldn’t. If Daddy had his way, I probably wouldn’t be out here at all. Instead, I’d be joining him on the occasional patrol until I’m ready to venture out there by myself, probably after I’m finished with college. If the world wants to get to me, it’s got a couple of pretty intimidating people to get past first.”
Nightwing’s smile was sad as he looked at her. “Your family sounds great,” he said. Laura felt the urge to roll her eyes and remind him that families existed to torment teenage girls, but she decided that this wasn’t the time. His own family had been taken from him when he was younger than her, and he probably envied her for hers.
“They have their moments,” she said with a smile, her eyes locking into his for a second. The words had barely been spoken when the sound of Brad Ross’s voice drew her attention away.
“Let’s do it,” Ross said from behind the factory walls. Laura looked him, and her eyes widened as she saw Ross remove what looked like an explosive device from his jacket.
“Oh no,” Laura muttered. Nightwing looked at her, confused, before turning toward the factory.
“Is something happening?” he asked, the heavy emotion of mere moments ago gone. He stood and walked toward the edge of the roof, producing a pair of binoculars and peering toward the building, although there was no way that he could see what she was seeing.
“That’s a bomb,” Laura answered, and reached for her cell phone. Well, she thought as she dialed her brother’s number, maybe she would be able to spend some time with her family today, after all.
