Disclaimer: Lightning Lad and Legion owned by DC Comics. Ebony Dent owned by me.
Garth Ranzz of New Earth: Red hair, blue eyes, stubble, tattoo on left arm of Legion "L" and two lightning bolts.
Ebony Dent: Jet black hair, blue eyes.
"…so what did we learn today?""Medicine balls are not for water volleyball."
"Exactly."
Twenty-something Garth Ranzz of New Earth sat on a couch in the lounge area of Legion of Super-Heroes HQ, holding in his arms seven-year old Ebony Dent of Earth-22. The two were both strangers to the Earth they were currently on. Garth and the members of HIS respective Legion had come to this Earth because of a plot that was still mostly in the dark, but involved Ebony. And when she came to this earth she was ten years older. Now she was a little girl again, with no memory of the last few months, or rather, the last ten years of her life. In her temporal-induced amnesia, she bonded with Garth, and his wife Imra, and their friend Rokk. Garth in particular, her "monkey boy".
They had just come from a… rather interesting session in the pool of the HQ's gym.
"It did make things interesting." Ebony pointed out.
"The only reason you're not grounded is because half the people in this building have super strength." Garth reminded her.
"Hmmph." She pouted.
"Hey no lip young lady." He lectured.
"Sorry." She begrudgingly apologized.
"Better." He shifted his weight. "Are you sure you're comfortable like this?" Garth asked her.
"Uh-huh." She nodded her head. Ebony was sitting in his lap with his arms around her. The TV was on, but the two weren't really paying attention. She repositioned herself. "You're warm, I like it."
"Thanks."
"I guess it's because of the fat." That was her thing. She'd be snarky about, oh, everything. She'd like teasing him about his weight, even though he was ripped.
"You know, I could put you in a sleeper hold." And he'd tease back by giving noogies or putting her in said sleeping hold.
"I have all my teeth in."
"I generate electricity."
"…"
"Exactly." Garth smuggly replied.
A commercial for Silverale came on.
"Can I tell you something?" She asked in all honesty.
"I already know you ate that bag of chili potato chips and three of the strawberry cupcakes Timber Wolf told you not to." Garth replied.
"You can't prove anything."
"I can smell it on you."
*Sniff*
"I don't smell anything."
"No, I meant I could smell it after you came out of the bathroom. It's the only way someone of your size could make a smell that-"
"LALALALALALA I can't hear you!" Ebony shook her head as she spoke this.
"Okay, okay. That's payback for the medicine ball." Garth told her.
"ANYWAY… I wish I could stay like this forever." Ebony responded.
She felt so… safe and warm in his arms. She hadn't felt this way in so long. …not since her mother died, which, to her, was six years ago.
Garth got a worried look on his face when he thought of what to say.
"Yeah. But, we've all got to grow up sooner a later. You can't stay like this forever, even if it would make everything easier. It's not like you could call that a life, anyway."
Living your whole life, your existence, just staying inside a safe area, without having to worry about anything… could you ever call that a life? Would you really want that? If that's the case, why bother being born?
"I'm not a dummy, I know that." She replied indignantly. "But…"
She trailed off.
"Kid?"
Ebony bit her lower lip.
"Is it, is it wrong of me to just wanna enjoy it while I can?" She looked up at him.
"No." He replied. "No, of course not."
There was silence.
"…I miss my mom." Ebony quitely spoke out loud.
"I know, kid. I'm sorry." Garth apologized to her.
He held her tighter.
"Thank you, monkey boy."
"Anytime."
On the TV, Saturday Night Live started.