Disclaimer: I do not own the characters involved in Justice League Unlimited. Nor do I own the lyrics to 'I Feel Pretty'
Title: Inheritance
Chapter: Chapter 1 - Introductions
Summary: Twenty years from now, the next generation of heroes finds themselves being hunted down by a villain from their families' past.
Rating: T/PG-13
Author: Agent 52
Inheritance
Introductions
"Please don't recognize me. Please, oh please, don't let anyone recognize me," seventeen-year-old Helena Wayne whispered, as she stepped into the large crowd.
She quickly adjusted her Gotham Knights cap, pulling it further down to cover her face, which was already partially obscured by her overly large sunglasses. She was already regretting her so-called 'bright' idea to come to Gotham by plane. At the time, she had wanted to experience something normal. Normal people flew from Gateway City to Gotham all the time. Why couldn't she? Because I'm not normal, Helena thought bitterly, I'm anything but. Briefly, the teenager cursed her parents for putting her in this situation. It was their fault she was this way.
Not many people could say they were famous when they were still in their mother's womb. Helena wondered why anyone would want that mantle; she never asked for it. However, fame was thrust upon her when the news of her conception first reached the ears of the starving media. After all, who could resist getting the scoop on the soon-to-be-born child of the recently split Bruce Wayne and Wonder Woman? News on the out-of-wedlock offspring of America's Richest Himbo and the premier superheroine and ambassador from the island country of Themyscira was worth big bucks, something that unfortunately, wouldn't change. Rumors flew around the tabloids if Wayne and Wonder Woman would reconcile their differences, and possibly marry like many Hollywood couples seemed to do. However, they were not normal.
Hardly anyone knew the real reason by her parents' split. Most people bought the media fueled rumor that Wayne, being the man-whore that he was, decided to have a little mistress on the side when Wonder Woman was out saving the world on those cold, lonely nights. In all actuality, Helena had to admit the rumors were, in fact, close to the truth. Her father did have mistress, but it wasn't a woman, per se. It was Gotham City, herself. Her father's 'mission' was the driving wedge that split apart her mother and father. He kept on falling deeper and deeper into the darkness that surrounded the city, pushing away her mother in the process. Her mother tried, but how much trying can one person give without seeing the writing on the wall? Her mother eventually left, unaware that she was pregnant. Once they did discover Diana's condition, the wedge between the two parents was too deep, or so Helena was told. Now here she was, sixteen-years-later, standing alone in an airport terminal, surrounded by hundreds of people.
"Where is he?" Helena checked her watch, and searched the crowd. Her father was over six feet tall — she should easily be able to see him. But she couldn't. He knew what time to be here. Helena has called him before she left Gateway, and that didn't count the long conversation they had the night before. She knew he would be here, unless something came up. Helena really didn't want to hail a cab, or worse, fly to the Manor on her own. "Dad, where are you?"
"Helena!"
Helena flinched at the voice that definitely wasn't her father's. Please don't let anyone look at me, please don't let anyone recognize me. Cautiously, she turned toward the direction of the voice and — "TIM!"
She ran, irresponsibly leaving her luggage behind, and flung her arms around Tim Drake's next in a crushing hug. He laughed and swung her around, then slowly sat her back on the round. "How's my favorite sister?"
"I'm your only sister, doofus," Helena replied with a cheeky grin, hooking her arms with Tim's as they returned to her forgotten suitcases. "By the way, where's Dad? Is he parking the Rolls?"
Tim winced, visibly, and let out an exasperated sigh. "A last minute meeting with the Board of Directors was called at Wayne Enterprises. Bruce couldn't get out of it. I'll tell you more about it in the car."
"Oh." Helena sighed. Her father wasn't actually at a meeting with the Board. That was code for 'Justice League Emergency'. Still, the knowledge that he was doing something important on the save the world level didn't quite alleviate her disappointment.
Tim smiled softly, and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, leading her out of the airport and into the parking lot. "Hey, I took a day off from work. I figured we could drop your stuff off at the Manor, and go watch the Goliaths play the Mets. We can even sit in the stands! I know how hate the box seats. Say, you can even invite Tony and Bella if you want to. Don't worry about packing —you can do that later. The Manor isn't quite the place to hole up in all day alone. Trust me, I know."
Helena smiled, and looked up towards the sky. It was bright— there's wasn't a cloud in the sky. "Sure, Tim, that sounds…great…sounds real great."
"I feel pretty, oh so pretty, that the city should give me its key!"
Anton Sage, more commonly known as Tony, groaned loudly when the notes his sister, Isabella, was singing reached his ears. "Stop screeching, Bella!"
The noise thankfully stopped, and Tony leaned back into the sofa, and shut his eyes. He didn't get much sleep the night before, for he had been out on the Gotham streets searching for the thugs who attacked two of his friends the week before. Anger boiled inside of him when he remembered finding Chase and Tandy, bruised and beaten on the sidewalk. They had just decided to walk the long way back to Tandy's apartment after their date, only to be mugged by some creeps who thought they were invincible. He could still see the tear-stained faces of their parents, hear the sobs of Tandy's mother even after it was confirmed that the teens would be okay. It wasn't fair.
"I feel charming! Oh so charming!"
"Isabella! What part of shut up do you not get?" Tony rubbed his temples angrily. Thanks Mom and Dad for going on a second honeymoon and leaving me here with her, he thought, annoyed. To add to his annoyance, Isabella decided to stomp into the den to make her own displeasure known.
"Tony, c'mon! Rehearsals are in an hour, and I need to warm up my voice!" Isabella whined, crossing her arms over her chest. "I need to practice my songs! I'm the youngest Maria the theater has ever had! I need to make a great impression if I'm ever going to get another starring role again and I can't do that if I don't do some of my own rehearsals!"
Tony moaned into the pillow on the sofa, his frustration clear. "Bells, I hardly got any sleep last night. I have a headache and your shrieking hardly helps matters."
"You didn't have to be out so late, you know." Isabella sighed as she plopped into the chair opposite the couch. "You could've left it to Batman. He would've helped. Mr. Drake already has the GCPD on call looking for whoever it was that hurt Tandy and Chase."
"Bella, it's because it was Tandy and Chase that I have to find whoever hurt them."
"You're starting to sound like Batman." Bella said flatly causing Tony to roll his eyes. "But hey, if you wanna drive yourself to an early death from sleep deprivation, more power to you."
"Just because you don't want to put on a cape, doesn't mean—"The ringing of the phone cut off the rest of his sentence.
Bella was the first to get to the receiver, and she stuck her tongue out at Tony as a sign of victory. "Hello, Sage residence, Bella speaking."
Tony sighed, and began to exit to his bedroom, but stopped when he heard the identity of the caller. "Helena? You finally left that horrible excuse of a coast that you call home…!"
"Helena's on the phone?"
Bella shot her older brother a pointed glare. "Yes, the West Coast sucks that much…I'm cool…West Side is going great. I have rehearsals soon. Tony's being a complete butt about, though…No! David's a great Tony— I was talking about my idiot of a brother…He is an idiot, 'Lena, you just aren't around enough to see him …What? See the Goliaths? Sorry, but I have rehearsals— Tony give back the phone!"
Tony pushed Bella away, a twisted so she couldn't reach him. "'Lena, hey, welcome back to Gotham…Bella's being a primadonna, it's nothing major…see a baseball game? Sure, why not? I'll be there!"
Tony cut the line, and began to waltz toward the bathroom. The game started in and hour, and he still needed a shower.
"Tony?"
"Yes, Bella…"
"I thought you said you were tired."
"I can rest at the game. Baseball is boring enough." Tony explained to a very skeptical Isabella. C'mon, it's Hel's first day back in Gotham. She should be welcomed with open arms. Don look at me like that."
"Whatever, Tony." Bella rolled her eyes, and began to stalk toward her bedroom. "Just as long as you know you're still driving me to rehearsals."
"I hate you, Alan Dibny, I really, truly, hate you."
"What did I do this time to cause you to so utterly loathe me and everything I stand for?" Al Dibny asked, chuckling at his friend.
Jennifer Kale's brown eyes glared at him from behind her glasses, which she had worn since he had met her at age seven. "You know what, Stretcho."
"So…you hate me because you're jealous?" Alan flashed his best friend and girlfriend his most adorable grin. "I get it, naturally. I mean, who isn't jealous of my charm?"
That comment earned him whack on the side of his head. "C'mon, Al, it's Ray Palmer! He's a genius. His discoveries have been changed the way we look at science! He's…amazing!"
"You know, Jen, most girls have things for the Nightwing or Superman. Not Ray Palmer." Al said as he rubbed the side of his head, frowning. He watched, as Jennifer raised her hand again, and hastily added, "I'm kidding, sweetheart! Just kidding! I swear, don't hit me!"
Jennifer lowered her hand and smiled. "Whatever. It's not like I could hurt you anyway, Mr. Superhero."
"You could hurt my heart." Al mock pouted, sticking out his lower lip in an exaggerated expression.
"You're too cute to hurt." Jennifer patted his cheek. "I still hate you, by the way."
"Ouch."
"You are interning with Ray Palmer! That is incredible!" Jennifer threw he arms up in an exaggerated expression, causing Al to internally laugh.
"You know, Jennie, I'm not the only person interning with Ray," Al smiled at Jennifer's scowl when he mentioned Ray Palmer by his first name, "Rex doing it, as well."
"So, you and your best buddy are interning under Ray Palmer, one of the most brilliant scientific minds in the past one hundred years." Jennifer sighed dramatically. "You abuse your dad's connections."
"Correction, my dear sweet Jennifer, I'm not the only one who plays the system— all of us legacies do. It's a way of life for us. Besides, you of all people shouldn't be complaining," Al reached across the table, and took Jennifer's hand in his own, "I'm got you a position as well."
"You…ohmigawd, I love you, Al!" Jennifer squealed as she pulled Al's face over for a kiss.
Al grinned smugly as his girlfriend kissed him, and stretched his arms around her in a multitude of circles. The couple melded together, completely oblivious to the quizzical stares from the people around them, the birds flying overhead in the air, and the black Volvo parked across the street, and the camera peeking out the window. When they broke apart, they both shared brilliant smiles, and the car drove slowly away.
End Chapter 1
Author's Note: Thank you for reading. Feel free to asky any questions in your reviews and I will do my best to answer them in response. Helena, Tony, Bella, and Al aren't the only next-generation heroes who will be appearing. Rex has already been hinted at, and we will soon be meeting the West twins, the 'Son' of Superman, and the heiress to the Queen fortune.