She Stands by His Son
She told him she doesn't speak about her feelings. Not with words. But her actions define them clearly, and Black Manta approves.
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I watched episode 215: The Fix yesterday, noticed how nice Black Manta was with Tigress, read between the lines, and woke up with this running around in my head this morning.
Of course, I don't own anything but my imagination and grammar mistakes.
Enjoy & review!
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She Stands by His Son
She stands by his son, watching over him – has been doing just that for several hours now. She is silent, stone still, and completely expressionless, but he is no fool.
He knows why she is the one standing guard there instead of anybody else, why she hasn't let somebody else take over her duty so she could rest.
Of all the people onboard his ship, she is probably the one he feels the closest to right now. She has the same fears, the same doubts, the same hope, and probably very similar regrets, all centered on his son.
His son, who is lying catatonic on that hospital bed, who has been ever since the Martian witch invaded his mind and ripped it apart. He will kill her for that, painfully.
He may not be a very family-oriented man, but no one touches his son.
His son, who until a few months ago had been all but lost to him. His son, who has come back to stand by his side at last. It was an unexpected, marvellous surprise, one he had never dared to hope for – and now he is losing him again.
But there is hope, he reminds himself forcefully. Before he kills her, the Martian will restore his son's mind.
He has, after all, a very good reason to come back.
They have been silent about their feelings, never letting them surface, but he has seen the signs. The way they are constantly checking on each other. The brief looks that hold entire conversations. The way they fight as one, how they work in perfect harmony.
He isn't sure they have realised it yet – he's not even completely sure what he is seeing isn't just a particularly strong bond of friendship. But he knows it could become so much more, if they get the chance – and he is determined to give them that chance.
Because he likes her, really. She is intelligent, patient, loyal, a strong fighter, fiercely protective of those she care for… She would make a good daughter-in-law. A perfect wife for his son, and most likely a good mother, too.
A flash that isn't the future but that might one day be, and he sees himself standing on a sunny beach, hair completely grey now, watching them playing in the waves. There are two children, a boy and a girl, and they both have his son's near-white hair and dark skin. The girl faces him briefly, and he sees she has her mother's facial structure and eyes – he'd have beautiful grandchildren.
Regretfully, he shakes himself out of the daydream. Dreaming up perfect futures might be good for the heart and soul, especially these days, but it is hardly productive at all, and he's still got a lot of work today.
A last look at the monitor, and he goes back to his papers. She hasn't moved, as expected, and she probably won't move until somebody brings her dinner.
She told him she doesn't speak about her feelings. That's good, because he doesn't either – and he hopes that means she will have gotten the message, because he's certainly never going to say it aloud.
I approve of your relationship with my son. You may not be ready to go further yet, but when you do, it will be with my support.
I wouldn't mind you being part of the family.
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Please note that I don't think there is any romance between Artemis and Kaldur. It's just that from where he stands, Black Manta would have very good reasons to think there is something going on between Tigress and his son, and that that something is (serious) romantic feelings. He obviously likes Tigress, and apparently loves his son without reserve now that they aren't on opposite sides – and he knows Kaldur cares about Tigress.
So he arranges for them to be together, hoping it might push them to eventually get together once Kaldur is healed – hoping, above everything else, for his son to have a chance to be there to live that love he thinks he can see forming. And if he starts dreaming about a happy family and grandchildren… Well, even a bad guy has a right to want a happy ending once in a while, doesn't he?