It was springtime and there was large festival in the city. Crowds of people were gathered, drinking, laughing and playing games.
J'onn J'onzz was among the throng, weaving his way around groups talking amongst themselves. He had only one person he wanted to catch before the night was over, and there he was. He caught sight of his twin brother.
Ma'alefa'ak was leaning up against a wall, drinking a cup of wine and trying to blend in with the crowd. His brother hadn't noticed him yet and J'onn planned to keep it that way until he could sneak up on him. When he got close enough he waited until Ma'alefa'ak lifted his glass to his lips before putting his finger on the base of his cup. He lifted his finger, tilting his glass so high his brother either had to drink faster or choke.
Ma'alefa'ak sputtered, spilling his wine down the front of him. "Damn it J'onn." He shoved him away. "You made me spill my drink." He huffed. It was a simple matter of brushing himself off. He was a Martian and didn't have to worry like most people about his clothes being ruined.
"I will get you another." J'onn laughed. "Why are you so upset? You have told me more than once that I should lighten up."
"So I have." Ma'alefa'ak did remember saying that to him now. His brother was so stuffy that it took him by surprise when he wasn't.
"It is good to see you Ma'alefa'ak." J'onn embraced his brother's startled frame.
"Long time no see." Ma'alefa'ak laughed a little as his brother embraced him heartily. He gave him a light pat on the back so he would let go of him.
"It has not been that long." J'onn didn't think that much time had passed since they saw each other last.
"It's been months." Ma'alefa'ak corrected. "That's a long time, at least long enough not to see you." He eyed the crowd distastefully. He'd much rather be indoors somewhere studying but his father insisted he come. "Do you want to go somewhere else to talk?"
"No, I like it here." He rather enjoyed all the commotion from the people around him. J'onn's brother might have the same face and voice as he did, but that was where the similarities stopped. J'onn had a bit of a wide eyed look to him. Still so innocent at how cruel the world could be. His brother on the other hand looked hardened, having already known since his birth how wretched others were. They wore the same clothing at their mother's request, but his brother had insisted on wearing all of his piercings. Little studs lined his right brow, his nose and ears were also highly decorated. J'onn watched Ma'alefa'ak's labret bob as he tongued the back from the inside of his mouth. "Mother will be mad at you for wearing those you know."
His brother made a disgusted sound as he crossed his arms. "J'onn, you act like I care what mother thinks of me. She lost the right to care about how I present myself since I was born."
J'onn nodded his understanding. He wished his brother and mother got along, but how could they really? She had practically cursed Ma'alefa'ak with an awful name and given her first born, J'onn, an almost blessed title. It stirred so much resentment between the two of them growing up that it was a miracle they even talked.
"These things are so boring." Ma'alefa'ak complained, swirling around what was left of his drink. "At least we are old enough to drink wine now so it makes it half tolerable."
J'onn didn't have a cup himself. He didn't really like the taste of it. He preferred sweet things like tea with cream and sugar to bitter alcohol. "Have you been working on anything recently?" His brother was a jack of all trades. He was a priest and a scientist, having not been able to decide between the two professions. He even dabbled with machinery at times.
Ma'alefa'ak's face seemed to brighten at his brother's question. "Well, yes." He went on about a prototype he had been working on, something about armor.
J'onn smiled at Ma'alefa'ak as he became more animated. He knew his brother liked to boast about his inventions and at least it seemed he was having fun now. As Ma'alefa'ak was wrapping up his run down of the week J'onn saw someone just beyond his brother's shoulder. There was that girl again, the one with the younger sister. He wished he had the courage to go over and speak with her. Suddenly someone was obstructing his view of her and he tried looking around them.
Ma'alefa'ak watched as his brother craned his neck around to look at something. "Are you even listening to me?" He hoped J'onn had been paying attention. "What are you looking at?"
Ma'alefa'ak, as antisocial as he was seemed to know everyone's name. He supposed it was a hazard of his job being a priest. J'onn wondered if he could tell him the girl's name he was interested in. "Do you the woman's name over there Ma'alefa'ak?" He gestured behind his brother.
Ma'alefa'ak turned his head to stare in the direction his brother was looking. There were dozens of girls near their age. All in colorful dresses. Why couldn't have J'onn been a little more specific? "Which one?"
J'onn practically dragged his brother cheek to cheek so they could look in the same place. "Her." He did all but point. "The pretty one in the pink dress."
Ma'alefa'ak looked and the only woman in a pink dress was a girl that was in his congregation. "M'yri'ah?" Ma'alefa'ak asked.
J'onn was happy he knew her name, he wondered if he could tell him anything else. "Do you know her?"
"She's been around during my services with her father D'all." Ma'alefa'ak was more curious about her now himself. He wondered if J'onn was interested in her? He thought he would just come out and ask. "Do you like her J'onn?"
"Well, she had caught my eye a few times." J'onn seemed embarrassed admitting it to him.
Ma'alefa'ak grinned at him. His brother was so innocent. "She has a bit of a reputation for being silly you know." He thought he would warn him, but mostly did it to pester him. "You wouldn't like M'yri'ah. Now, her older sister is very serious, a real robot like yourself. Now me and M'yri'ah on the other hand..."
"You are silly yourself." J'onn interrupted.
Ma'alefa'ak thought he understood. "Yes, exactly."
"And we get along fine." J'onn seemed to be pleased with his conclusion. "So M'yri'ah and I should as well."
"I guess." Ma'alefa'ak was rather disappointed that he hadn't gotten a rise out of his brother like he had wanted.
When their father M'yrnn approached they broke apart. "It makes me happy to see you boys getting along."
"We always get along father." J'onn said as his brother rolled his eyes behind him.
"What are you two doing?" M'yrnn eyed them. "Not getting into any trouble I hope?"
"J'onn has found the love of his life apparently." Ma'alefa'ak laughed.
J'onn stared at Ma'alefa'ak like he wanted him desperately to shut up for once.
"Is that so?" M'yrnn grinned just as broadly as his brother had earlier.
"No!" J'onn might have said a little too loudly. A few couples nearby who had been talking stopped to look at him before moving away.
M'yrnn ignored J'onn's outburst and looked where his boys were staring off to earlier. "Which one?"
"M'yri'ah." Ma'alefa'ak informed him, pointing at her rudely.
M'yrnn didn't reprimand him but he did push Ma'alefa'ak's hand back down to his side. "Oh, she is a pretty one. I can see why she caught your eye J'onn."
"I was telling J'onn I didn't think it would be a good match." Ma'alefa'ak informed him.
"Oh yes, she is a little silly for our J'onn I think." M'yrnn looked like he was considering their match.
"Do you both know her?" J'onn wondered why they seemed to know all about her and he didn't know anything at all.
"No, no." M'yrnn stopped himself when he realized how upset J'onn was getting at them. "She just has a reputation is all." Not that being silly was a bad thing, but she tended to tease her suitors to distraction. He didn't know how J'onn would deal with such a woman if he couldn't even take his brother's foolery.
J'onn's face was burning red. "I'm going to find mother. You and Ma'alefa'ak always tease me." Normally he didn't mind it so much but he was serious about this and he was embarrassed that they were tormenting him about it in a public setting.
"Oh J'onn." M'yrnn took ahold of his son's arm before he could make his escape. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make light." He shooed Ma'alefa'ak away for a moment. "Ma'alefa'ak, go find your mother and embarrass her for a little while. I think I saw her with her chief earlier. They would probably love to see your tongue piercing."
Well, since he had their father's permission… "Yes father." Ma'alefa'ak made his exit, homing in on his mother by the signature of her mind.
Now that they were alone M'yrnn thought he would ask J'onn a few questions. "So have you spoken to her yet?"
"Well no." J'onn couldn't imagine approaching her. How would he even do such a thing?
M'yrnn wondered how J'onn felt when she was near. It would help him make a decision on whether to help him or not. "So do you only like her for the way she looks? You didn't seem to know her name."
"Well I did not know it before tonight." He admitted. "I do not know how to describe it." It was so hard to explain. "I feel like her mind is calling to me." He supposed that sounded silly. "When she thinks sometimes I can hear her when she is close by. Just little things. I think she can hear me too. She laughed at me the other day when I thought of something embarrassing."
His father looked on him warmly.
"What is it father?"
M'yrnn put his arm around his shoulder and was leading him away from M'yri'ah. J'onn tried to get a final glimpse of her before she was lost in the crowd. "J'onn, did I ever tell you about the first time I met your mother?"
J'onn finally turned his head back around to look at his father. M'yrnn had told him many times the story of him meeting his mother. He loved Sha'sheen very dearly. "Yes."
M'yrnn knew J'onn would need to know a few things and this wasn't the place to tell him near M'yri'ah. "Well, let me tell you when I first realized she was my mate..."
Sha'sheen came home late from the festival to see her husband at the sink washing the dishes from the day. She probably would have arrived earlier but she had to stay later to help some of the drunks home.
M'yrnn was brooding about tonight. He had spoken to D'all about J'onn's interest in M'yri'ah. He had only meant it as a warning for him to watch out for the two of them sneaking off. Despite how honorable his son might be, M'yrnn did worry about how young and naive J'onn was. His son was also very excited about starting a family even at such a young age and it might cause J'onn to do something rash.
D'all had not been happy to hear his warning at all. D'all told him with as rotten as he believed Ma'alefa'ak, he couldn't imagine his son J'onn was much better. The same thing that happened to Ma'alefa'ak was happening all over again to J'onn and he couldn't help but blame his wife.
M'yrnn and Sha'sheen had taken on very different roles than was tradition. Sha'sheen had been the provider while he had stayed home with their children and he was the homemaker. Maybe it was his large size but he was teased relentlessly for it. Some husbands called him a woman or when they asked J'onn or Ma'alefa'ak about M'yrnn they referred to him as their mother. He had never really cared about what others had to say about it, he loved raising his sons. He was also a respected member of the Martian Council so their words rarely fazed him.
It had hurt him deeply however when others rejected his youngest twin due to his name. He would often come home as a child and cry in his room. Now as an adult he hadn't been able to find even a prospect of a wife for Ma'alefa'ak. When his youngest twin son had been on a mission of goodwill he met a girl named L'cill. She was a White Martian and he had seemed to love and find her beautiful even though she was so much larger and different. Despite all odds she seemed to be interested in Ma'alefa'ak as well. When M'yrnn approached L'cill's father to make an arrangement, he had he sent her away off planet just to get her away from him.
He blamed Sha'sheen for his children's misfortunes but heaven help him, but he still loved her anyway. Speaking of which... Sha'sheen had been leaning on the doorframe until he caught sight of her. "Hello my love." M'yrnn called to her.
"Hello yourself." She countered. "I suppose I have you to thank for Ma'alefa'ak stopping by work tonight?"
"Of course." M'yrnn said innocently. "I thought you might like to see him."
She gave him a look but said nothing more on the matter. "Is J'onn really gone?" She couldn't sense him in the house.
"Yes, he finished moving out this afternoon." M'yrnn dried his hands.
The house was quiet. She remembered coming home when her children were young and there would be a riot of sounds. "Both of our boys are gone." Sha'sheen said mournfully, walking towards her husband.
"Of course they are." M'yrnn nodded. "If they are to have any hope at all they needed to get away from their insane parents." He embraced his wife as she came near.
"Oh M'yrnn." She rested her cheek on his chest. "I'm sorry for all that I've put you through."
When the boys had been born M'yrnn had been so frustrated with Sha'sheen. When she had first been pregnant she had told him she would allow him to name the second twin. Women normally named their children so it was an unusual offer but one he was excited for. If it had been a boy he wanted to name him after himself. If it was a girl he thought to name her after his mother K'hym. Instead when he was born Sha'sheen had overridden him and decided to name him the horrid name Ma'alefa'ak. M'yrnn had been flabbergasted. He remembered asking her sarcastically if she couldn't have gone with something kinder like Murder or Thief? Their marriage had been so tested after that that it just barely survived. "I know Sha'sheen. I've already forgiven you."
"Are you still planning your trip away with Ma'alefa'ak?" Sha'sheen asked. M'yrnn was going to leave in a few days time to the planet of Apokolips. Darkseid's emissaries had made contact with the Martians, seemingly interested in learning more about their society and their great knowledge. The Martians were naive and not yet aware of what evils existed on that planet, however Sha'sheen had an inkling suspicion.
"I'm afraid so." He pulled away from her. He was tired and needed to rest. "I think it will do us some good. We've kept ourselves so isolated from the rest of the universe. We really should try to learn new things outside of our own experience." As he walked to their room he heard her stepping closely behind him.
"I have such a bad feeling that if you go I'll never see you again." Sha'sheen worried.
"Really Sha'sheen," M'yrnn sighed, sitting down at the edge of the bed. "that can't be your answer to everything."
Sha'sheen didn't want to fight with him before he left. She didn't know if she could live with herself if she did. "I know." She crawled next to him as he laid down. It had been such a long day for the both of them. "I'll just miss you when you are gone."
"And I you." He sighed when she rested against him. He suddenly had a lot of energy. "You know... we have the house all to ourselves."
Sha'sheen laughed at the impish grin spreading across his face. "Oh, M'yrnn!"
Author's notes: Yet another Manhunter fic I'm writing. You would think I'd be sick of them by now. I thought it might be fun to tackle a story of when he was younger. It started out as flashbacks in my Crisis Story and my sequel (still not sure on the title). The flashbacks were getting so long and elaborate I thought: what the hell? I'm writing a before fiction.So here it is.
At first I was going to have all the ugly bits in the story with Ma'alefa'ak - but I thought… you know what would be refreshing? Not writing about when he goes completely crazy. So while there will be plenty of drama this story will be pretty tame and sweet in comparison to my other stories. The only reason it's rated M is for the obligatory love scene I can't keep myself from writing.