Mount. Justice
August 4. 1:21am
The ground entrance at the back of the cave lowers to open. Stepping outside to crisp, night, sky is a familiar green-head.
Jester zips up his sweater to block out the chill in the air. It may have been August, but the night would be cooler due to them being so close to the ocean.
After that small adjustment he makes his way into the forested part of the mountain. He pulls out his earbuds and mp3. He turns on the volume to full blast before shoving his hands in his jean pockets and continuing to walk.
He had no idea where he was going. But he didn't care. He needed to get away from everyone.
His eyes lack the shine they always held, his contagious smile was missing. His face held deep depression. Just like the other times when he needed to be alone. Where he's sure no one would see.
He sighs shakily when he leans against the bark on one of the trees, head tilted up, staring at the night sky. A heavy weight lifting off his shoulders as he mask fades away.
He takes a breath and closes his eyes. The music drowns out all noise as he stands there alone with his thoughts. The thoughts that have have been hunting him since the day he was finally freed.
He wanted to scream
He wanted to cry.
He wanted desperately to let everyone know that he was not alright.
He wanted them to know that he was crumpling from the inside.
He wanted their support, he wanted their concern, he wanted to let them in.
But most of all.
He wanted to feel true happiness.
But he wouldn't do it. He couldnt.
He did not want to be selfish.
He could care less about his own happiness. What really mattered to him was everyone elses happiness.
He was the voice of reason. The positive one. The optimistic. He did everything in his power to not let others reach the point he himself was in.
He did not want others to suffer the way he was.
Their happiness come before his own life.
But sometimes, it was to much to hold in his demons.
His breath hitches and he slaps a hand over his mouth to shut up. His chest begins to tighten and he scrunches his eyes tightly. Hiding it all in was slowly breaking him. But he needed to be strong.
He would break down.
He. Will. Not. Break. Down.
He holds it in. Body trembling. Trying hard not to let it go. When the feeling passes he collapses to his knees, head hung down and eyes glossy, but nothing spills.
Everything around him is still.
Until movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention.
He snaps his head to the side, faces a leafy-bush. They move.
Removing his earbuds the teen slowly reaches for his gun on the holster on his thigh. He slowly creeps forward. He jumps a little when the rustling gets frantic. His eyes set on it, finger on the trigger ready to fire as he waits to whatever or whoever to come out.
Suddenly the leafs part and the clown raises his gun and aims.
But their is nothing to aim for there was nothing their. He lowers his arm and searches the bush. There was nothing there. It didn't make sense. He was sure something was there. But what?
He gets his answer in the form of a small squeak, causing him to look down.
There, sniffing his boots is a tiny hedgehog.
Its tiny head looks up, brown eyes meet green as the critter gave a squeak in greeting.
Tilting his head, Jester puts away his gun and lowers to the ground to his knees. A small smile forming on his lips. "Well, aren't you just the cutest thing."
He offers the critter his hand, the wet nose sniffs his fingers it before rubbing its head against them, indicating that he earned it's trust.
Giggling softly he cups his hands to let the critter hop on. He brings it up to eye level. Using his pointer finger he gently scratches its head, earning a purr from the other. "What is someone like you doing out here all alone, huh?"
The only answer he gets is a small lick on his nose. Chuckling, he sets it down and starts to stand. "Better get home, little guy. It's not safe to be out during the dark." With that the teen continues his walk.
He makes it a few steps when he hears the pitter-patter of little feet. He looks back to find the critter sitting, staring at him with its nose twitching. He turns forward, a questioning look before moving again. He hears the feet again, he grins. He whips his head just in time to see the critter moving to him before plopping down. "Gotcha!" Jester pointed at it, still grinning. Earning an excited squee from the hedgehog.
Still smiling he kneels. "You don't have a home, do you?" He offers his hand again. This time the critting hops on an crawls its way up the thin arms to his shoulders, behind his head to his neck and climbing on the green-strands of hair until he is firmly seated on the manics head, snuggling though the locks.
Jester giggles at the hedgehogs actions. "Well that answers that question, huh?"
The sound of a twig suddenly snapping behind causes him to freeze. Fast as light he whips out his gun and twists to face the threat.
At the end of his gun, a pair of familiar ocean-blue eyes widen in surprise.
It takes the green-head a second to process who was in front of him. "Supey?" He questioned the stunned clone. He groans in frustration and lowers his gun, gripping his head. "Aggh, don't go sneaking up on me! If there's one thing you should know about me is that i'm extremely paranoid!" He narrows his eyes.
He sighs and puts away his gun. "One of my downfalls for my messed up mind."
Superboy rubs the back of his head, head lowered in an almost embarrassed way. "Sorry. I'll try to remember that next time."
Jester couldn't stayed annoyed at him when he did that. He was just too adorable. He shrugs with a small grin. "Eh, I'll forgive you this time, I can't stay mad at you when you pull that cute puppy-face at me."
A squeak from above him grabs his attention. He suddenly finds himself cross eyed when the tiny critters upside down face comes into view. The manic giggles at the hedgehogs demands to be recognized. "Not that you're not cute, too." He coos at it.
"What is that?" The clone asked, eyeing the new furry addition.
The other gently takes hold of his new companion and presents it to the clones face. "This, my dear, is just one of most adorable creatures to ever walk the earth." He says grinning. "Beside the wolf, of course." He had obsession with them.
The tiny being sniffs the clones face before sticking it's tongue out in disgust. The action insults him while it makes Jester laugh. "I don't think it likes me."
The green-head cradles the critter against his chest, the small face nuzzling his cheek. "Im sure he-" He stops and pulls back to search something particular on the hedgehog's body. Once he finds it it's confirmed. "Yea, he'll warm up to you eventually."
He place him back on his head before stuffing his hands in his pockets and giving his attention to the taller teen. "So what brings you out here, sweetness? I thought you were training with blondie?"
"I was. But when we were through I saw on the monitors you were out here." He explains to him. "What are you doing?" Curiosity getting at him.
"Oh, you know. Just enjoying the stars." He looks up at said stars, looking at them with founded eyes. He then thinks of something that makes his huff a chuckle. "Remember when we got you out of Cadmus?"
The clone looks at him confused. "Yea, it was a month ago."
Jester lightly punches his shoulder, playfully. "I know that, smart guy." He looks back up. "I was actually talking about the face you pulled when you first saw the moon. Priceless!" He snickers into his hands and starts to walk ahead.
Frowning, Superboy follows. "So glad to know my shock gave you humor," He says grumpy, walking beside the green-head.
The teen giggles again at this. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that." His voice suddenly goes soft. "I was talking about how your expression looked alot like mine when I first saw the night sky."
The clone recalls that statement from that night. Now that gave him a curious thought that he had to ask. "Are you a clone, too?"
That halts the green-head to stare at the other. After one blink he burst out laughing, leaving the other confused. What did he say?
"You are just precious!" He whizzes out. "What makes you think I am?" He said rubbing his eyes.
The clone averts his eyes before replying. "You said you remember the first time you saw the moon. And since I haven't been here for that long the only thing I can come up with is your also a clone. Who was locked away, too." He explained.
That made sense.
The manic smiles at the clones curiosity. "No. I'm not a clone. But I was locked away from the rest of the world, that part you got right." He says before making his way once again while the other still remains unmoving.
Superboy watches the back of the green-head when he asks. "For how long?"
That stops Jester.
Without turning back he answers. "My whole life. I was freed just five years ago." He replies in an uncharacteristic soft voice.
That answered that. There was just one more thing Superboy had to know. "Why?"
The clown says nothing. Instead he turns his head, green-eyes connecting to blue-ones. All he does is offer the clone a sad smile before turning back and walking again. Not saying a word.
The clones eyes lower at his actions. Why didn't he say anything? But he just shakes it off before following him. He had nothing better to do so he might as well join him.
/
They continue their walk in comfortable silence, Jester still up ahead from the teen when they make it to a small clearing, the grass coming up to their shins.
Superboy had spent the whole walk trying to figure out the paler teen. He knew their was something the other was hiding and didn't want anyone knowing what it was. Just what was he scared of?
He comes to a stop when he see's the green-head halting midstep. He stands there unmoving. By this point they are in the middle of the clearing.
Superboy is about to ask what wrong when the teen suddenly claps his hands together. The teen watches as the green-head brings his closed hands to his face before turning around to face him. A wide grin of on face as he walks towards him.
"Bet you haven't seen one of these, yet." He says once he reaches him, almost chest-to-chest with the other, cupped hand in between them.
Superboy raised a brow but leans in anyway to see what the teen was talking about. Slowly the thin, bleached, hands open. Their sitting on his palm is a insect with wings.
This is what he wanted to show him? The clone didn't look so impressed. "I've seen bugs before." He tells him flatly.
But Jester just giggles in response before giving him a gleaming look. Carefully, he brings his palms to his face and gently blows on the bug. Instantly the insect begins to glow.
The older teen's eyebrows shoot up at what he's seeing. The bug flaps its wings and takes to the air, coming close to the clones nose before flying away. Blue-eyes full of astonishment watch it leave. He had heard of these kind of bugs before but never witness one in real life, only from the images that were implanted in his mind.
Jester silently observes the clones expression. His face is more calm and carefree, the way his eyes showed made him look like a little kid. He smiles at this. With all he is going through, adjusting to civilian life, working with the team, and his struggling relationship with Superman, he deserves to have this gleeful moment.
Green-eyes drift to the ground when he spots a long stick. An idea forms and he bends down to take it before walking backwards from the other.
Superboys attention snaps back to paler teens actions, a questioning look in his eyes.
The green-head winks "Why don't we light up the place a bit?"
The next moment he is running around the clearing, the stick swaying behind him as he runs. All at once a shower of glowing orbs rise from the grass. The clearing brightens with light as thousands of these insects consumes the air.
The clone is frozen with amazement.
Jester is at his side once again, panting a little as he too watches with the same expression, a small smile on his face.
The orbs begin to rise above their heads, creating a spiral, they are both trapped within them.
Both males tilt their heads to watch them better. Neither realise they are walking backwards until they bump into each other, resulting in them standing back-to-back, presses firmly against each other.
Neither of them minded one bit. Their gazes were firmly at the display around them.
One of the clone's tanned hands accidentally brushes against Jester's causing the other to jump a little by surprise. Neither of them looking at the other when this happens.
Biting his lip the clown takes the chance to brush his fingers against the clones knuckles, an act of comfort.
But it has a different feeling for Superboy. The action causes the older to shiver. All at once he begins to feel the strange warming feeling in his lower abdomen again. He just wishes he knew what it was. This type of feeling made him feel content, something he hadn't felt in a while.
Actually, he only felt this way when it was with the other.
He feels the smaller fingers begin to fall away, he takes a hold of them in an instant. Not wanting the feeling to be over.
His hopes die when he feels the smaller hand pull away, only for it to return when the smaller hand turns until they are palm-to-palm. Jester's finger's lacinging with the tanner ones. Superboy mimics the action until their hands are firmly clasps together.
Blue-eyes still transfixed from above, the clone forms a small grin.
Behind him, with eyes closed, a faint smile appears on the manics face.
They both that way as the fireflies continue to dance around them.
/
Jesters got a pet! But this is no ordinary hedgehog. Don't forget to review and I will see you all in the next chapter!
P.S This was inspired when I watched The Good Dinosaur.
P.P.S Who else thinks that Jester should be a real DC character!? They need to add him to season three!