Aftermath
The day after the League's announcement to create a headquarters on Earth, there was a single funeral in Metropolis' grand cemetery. It was a rather elegant funeral, a show of gratitude from the League.
The beautiful sable casket was slowly being lowered into the ground, a bouquet of white lilies sitting atop of it were tied with a single black ribbon. As it was lowered, the gravestone came into view, a curved top with a simple square design. Engraved in the center was: 'Eric 'Ponyboy' Phillips, a caring friend and son'. And to the corner of the grave was an image of the man himself. Eric was grinning in the picture, maybe only a couple of years old, but the blonde was happily sitting on a deck with a drink in hand - no doubt in the middle of some kind of outing.
Standing and sitting around the burial sight were all of his friends and even some members of the League as well as his single living relative, his mother. She sat wearing a long black dress and fur coat. The woman dabbed her eyes on a white handkerchief, her portly frame shaking some as gasps and sobs were heard in the quiet despondency of the moment.
Alicia sat to her left, an arm wrapped around the woman and her head lying on her shoulder. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, her eyes red and puffed. Her colorful hair was tied back tightly and none of it frizzed out now. She numbly reached down for the Kleenex that knotted and piled in a wrinkle of her dress.
Caroline sat to the right of his mother in a tailored black suit, her heels digging into the grass under her feet slightly. She sat straight, her white hair, tied over her shoulder hung just below her breast. Her eyes were red from crying previously but now they watched mutely as the sable casket was lowered. Her hands clamped tightly together as the casket descended into the pit of earth. The skin at her knuckles became translucent and any who glanced could see her tendons and bone.
Beside Caroline sat Raymond. His black suit wrinkled slightly at the waist, stretching in the back as he leaned forward in his seat and put his elbows on his knees. Ray wiped away the tears from his cheeks as they slid down. The tears had begun to slow by now but he couldn't stop them yet… A hand moved to his back and began to gently rub circles on his back. She didn't say anything but did give him a soft smile when he looked over at her. Shayera tilted her head slightly at him, her own eyes teary. He let out a long breath, looking over at the others sitting with him. When he noticed Caroline's hands he moved his to rest on them, making her jump slightly in surprise. He looked at the casket again, rubbing her thin fingers with his thumb. She relaxed under his touched and she uncurled her hands and grasped his in both of hers.
When the casket was lowered into the ground people began to get up, moving out of the way for it to be covered and the burial to be finished.
Alicia stood, helping Eric's mother stand and together the two of them walked away to the line of parked cars. Caroline and Raymond stood up, Care Bear continuing to hold his hand. She looked down at the ground, glancing back at the grave every now and again.
Shayera stood and walked over to a couple of others that neither of them recognized. Ray only assumed that if she knew them then they were part of the League. He stared over at them as they chatted, a couple of them deciding to make their way over to speak with them.
One of the two in a nice black suits spoke first, "I know we don't know each other but I had known your friend. Eric was a good man, smart-very smart." He smirked, brushing a hand through his brown hair. He was at least a foot or two shorter than Raymond. "We both knew him," he gestured to the man at his side, a tall African American man. At the moment he looked to be a little ruffed up, his face bruised, an arm brace and needing to rely on a crutch for support. They both looked saddened by the day's service but this man looked a little more torn. "We wanted to talk with you since you and your friends were the closest to him."
"Well he wasn't that good of a guy," Caroline interjected bluntly. She looked confused by the odd looks they gave her, them being unused to her and her forwardness. "He always hit on me or Vivian. He was a real, what everyone calls, ladies man," she added with a shrug. Caroline rubbed at her eyes lightly with a hand, getting rid of the tears that threatened.
Raymond smirked, "He liked to think he was a ladies man but that was just a mask to hide his awkwardness around women." This got the other two to smile a little, the short one to laugh quietly.
"Yes he definitely had his awkward moments. Never really knew what to say at times when working," The short man said. He offered his hand to Raymond, "My name is Ray Palmer by the way and this is-"
"-John Irons," he interjected. "I may not have known him as well as Ray here but I knew of his quirks and "player" attitude with his equals." John smirked ever so slightly, "Eric was a good kid. I'm sorry for your loss. If any of you three wish to talk ever, I'm more than willing. But now excuse me. I have to take some pressure off." He gestured to his entire self with a sad expression, one that Raymond thought to be about something else as well.
"Oh, it's no problem," Raymond said and nodded to John as he took his leave. "It's hard not to talk about what happened right now," he stated, looking at Ray. "But it's also easy not to."
Caroline looked at Raymond, staring as if trying to understand his words.
Ray sighed and nodded in understanding. "Just give it time. It's easiest to ignore reality rather than to accept it. This moment is very surreal to all of us." He looked around at the dispersing group of people, Raymond doing the same. "Even if you are merely a worker, you are still a part of the League. When one of us dies…everyone will honor him."
Raymond turned to look at Ray, glancing down with a quiet sigh. "That isn't entirely true, Mr. Palmer." He glanced at Caroline when she squeezed his hand. She searched his eyes questioningly. "I would like to have a meeting with the League about us. Whether the girls wish to share is for them. But I will share both Eric's and my secret. I do not wish to keep it anymore."
"Raymond," Caroline chastised quietly.
Ray stared at the two, a look of suspicion crossing his face. Shayera spoke up as she came over to them with another League member. "I will be present for this secret telling," She stated. "This is John Jones. You both know him as J'onn. He'd like to speak to you both for a few minutes."
Mr. Palmer nodded and walked off with Shayera. John was quiet for a few minutes until Alicia came to join the two of them. She looked at them and John, still crying. "I agree, Mr. Jones," she said.
The other two looked at John, wondering what she was agreeing to. He looked back, nodding solemnly. "I believe it best that the three of you go through some psychological therapy. And as time to talk to one of us privately about what you are going through. As well, a meeting to speak to the leaders about your gifts," he suggested.
Caroline looked at Alicia as she came up to her and hugged her. She was teary eyed and just dreadful so the pale woman wrapped her arms around the girl. "If Alicia and Ray both agree than so will I," she informed him. "I do not believe the League has any right to know of their gifts. But if they wish to speak up I will not do anything to stop them. But." She scowled at him: "They will not be used in any way by the League unless it is their, Alicia and Raymond's wish, to become a part of the League. They are not to be treated any differently or considered for any of your wars, Mr. Jones. We have lost one already and one is in a condition I do not know. I will not loose these two as well."
All three stared at Caroline in surprise. That was the first time she had outwardly voiced any affection for them. Now they knew exactly how she felt about them. Alicia began to cry more and held Care Bear tighter, burying her face in her chest like a child.
J'onn nodded, "Of course. We will take no such actions. What the two decide is up to them entirely."
Caroline nodded and shuffled Alicia away from them. Raymond watched them go, crossing his arms. "Alicia is devastated. Her and Eric got along like brother and sister and I'm sure she looked up to him," he said quietly. "I don't honestly know how the next couple of weeks are going to go for all of us." He looked over at the gravestone, at the image of his now deceased friend.
J'onn put his hand on Raymond's shoulder, gaining his attention. It was probably the most human gesture he'd ever seen from the Martian. "My one piece of advice is do not let it become a horrible thing inside you and change you. Your family needs you, Mr. Montez. Vivian needs you."
"And you," he nodded in return.
"And me," J'onn agreed quietly before making his leave.
After that, Raymond stayed at the grave for a little bit, praying for his deceased friend and brother. He could not help the tears that slid down his face, couldn't hold the torrent of sadness that swept through him as he kneeled at the foot of the grave. He felt weak when he wanted to feel strong but his wise comments and witty comebacks seemed to be on hiatus. He couldn't think of anything to say to his friend, anything to feel but the pain and sadness of loss.
"Talk to him later, Raymond," a woman said softly. She came up and stood beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder. "Talk to him when you can smile. He'd like that I'm sure."
He swallowed hard. "You're right." Raymond stood and Shayera grabbed his hand, leading him away from the grave sight.
It would be a long couple of weeks for the trio. With one friend in a coma-like state and the other… They could only feel sadness, anger, and hatred. It was hard to grasp onto any semblance of happiness yet, hard to accept the tragic events, hard to accept reality.
"…Every now and then when we're lounging about, I turn, ready to make a comeback to Eric's witty comment," Alicia said. She sat at the front of her chair with her hands clasped between her legs and head down. "And then I realize he's not there." She sniffled, covering her eyes with her palms. "That he's never going to be there…"
"Old habits are hard to get rid of, Miss Roberts," Dr. Light said. "He was like a brother to you, no?"
Alicia nodded and hugged herself. "I didn't have any family. I was raised in a foster home. They were like a family but I never really got close to them. I trust Eric like a brother and I looked up to him like one. And he… I was his little sister," she stated.
"There is a saying, two peas in a pod," she said.
"I think we were each other's pod," Alicia laughed a little. "He only had his mum growing up and didn't have any siblings or even cousins to share with. Somehow our relationship kind of fell into that."
"And do you feel you no longer have anyone to talk to like that?"
Alicia looked off to the side, "I do but she…isn't awake. She'll be devastated when she wakes…" Tears began to stream down her cheeks at the thought.
Raymond sat back in the chair comfortably. Not much had been said between the two of them, which was odd. Raymond was all for talking to your hearts content. But it was always of other peoples problems rather than his own. Voicing his own feelings into words was tough for him.
"How are you feeling today, Mr. Montez?" Dr. Light asked.
"I am…numb," he stated. "I feel…" Raymond gestured about as he searched for the right words. "I am doing my best for the girls but it is difficult."
"Losing a friend is difficult. You cannot just heal like a simple cut. It takes time, pain, and patience."
"I just wish there was some way I could change what happened."
"Do you wish you could change places with him?"
"I do," he replied immediately. "Though after seeing my friends in such a state, I would hope to be invulnerable in that moment. For their sakes."
Dr. Light smiled gently, "You cannot take others pain unto yourself, Mr. Montez. No matter how hard you try. Your pain is your own and so is theirs."
Raymond sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"You look well today, Miss Herbert," she said. Dr. Light gave her an encouraging smile. "Are you feeling better?"
There was a third long silence between the two of them. Caroline sat across from her with her legs crossed and her back straight. There was no emotion on her face and when Dr. Light commented on her looks there was just a slight irritated twitch of her eyebrow.
"My feelings are insignificant."
"You are speaking like a robot again, Miss Herbert." Dr. Lighti sat forward, "You can speak to me. Everything you say is confidential, as you know."
"I know that you report to Batman and J'onn, so no, this is not even twenty percent confidential. I may have agreed to this but I would much rather voice my opinions to the likes of the Martian."
"We have talked about this," She stated, "This is for your sake as well. Being able to open up to others is an important part of social interaction."
"I've survived social interaction with others like this for all of my life," she replied, her tone clipped. "I do not see the point of changing it just because I am sad."
"So you are feeling sad," she said, sitting back.
Her eyebrow twitched again and she had to focus to keep collected. "This conversation is over, Dr. Light. Have a good day." Caroline got up and walked out of the room, Dr. Light watching her leave with a quiet sigh. She wondered if she was trying to hard to get through to her, if she'd ever get through to the woman.
To a friend. Thank you so much for the support :D
Next chapter coming soon. I promise!
R-R-F-F
