The Flight of the Blue Beetle 25
He remembered the weekends he spent in his father's garage. His father wouldn't let him near an engine, at least not a whole one until he learned all about them by cleaning the parts with a little brush. His mother hated it, so he always made sure to not get dirty and make sure his hands didn't remain stained. When he started in the garage in San Francisco, he knew he would be treated as an apprentice but he couldn't believe he would be brushing parts again. He was starting to wish he had chosen the internship over working, but his pride won that one.
"Mr. Reyes, do you have any input?" he looked up from his work to the laptop sitting on a chair across from him. On it was a video chat he was sharing with the board of Kord Industries. This was the first of the meetings he had agreed to and they had scheduled it exactly at the time he had to work.
"Some subprojects had been eating at our developing budget for a while now without any results to show. I would like to know more about them," he said as he kept scrubbing the pieces of a magnificent engine he wished he could help putting back together.
"I can assure you, Mr. Reyes, that it is not necessary. They are only-"
"They are not highlighted often, but their intake is constant though at first it seemed small, over time it has accumulated. I believe that is good reason to ask," he wished he could have Red Robin join him for the meetings. After Red Robin had helped him go over the contract, he realized Ted Kord had left him a great hand when it came to the sayings of the company. He had also given him tips on things he should look out for and be constant about.
"I will have a report ready for you in the following days," said one of the board members who he remembered hadn't bothered talking to him much when he first went to sign the papers. However, he was looking at him more than just a brat that got lucky.
"Great, also I would like to talk about the current benefits of our employees," he said getting the attention of everyone in that room, including the coffee servers.
"What do you mean?" one of the board members asked with narrowed eyes.
"It seems there have been so violations to what is considered lawful benefits in regards to health coverage, especially towards our employees who work with volatile equipment and material. Some of the substances they handle are right down hostile towards anything that lives. After revising the Judicial Studies Board guidelines, which state the value of compensation received, we are not setting the proper amount to cover them. I will be happy to forward the official document to you to revise. Thankfully, the facilities are kept in excellent condition and such accidents have not occurred since the redesign of the guidelines meaning we will not be facing any lawsuits. By making the proper adjustments to that budget, we can assure the employees of the company feel safe knowing their work is appreciated as well as their wellbeing."
"Young man, we can't change something like that from one moment to the next," one of them men said trying to laugh the matter off, but annoyance was breaking through his face.
"We have to," he said still looking at his work. It made him nervous to make eye contact with those men and women. All of them had much more experience than him. "Violating such a law could bring big fines to the company and losses without need. I understand we might have not been aware of such changes," which he doubted they didn't know, "but ignorance of the law has yet to work for someone in court."
"I believe Mr. Reyes has brought some important points to the meeting. I will personally make sure the adjustments are made to the reserve budget," Angela Revere, the C.E.O and once a loyal friend of Ted Kord said with a satisfied smile.
Many of the board members looked unhappy, but they couldn't deny his logic. Others, they looked at him with suspicion. There he was on their screen cleaning parts for a motor, stained with grease, and demanding information and changes with arguments they couldn't deny. There were more things he wanted to talk to them about, but Red Robin had told him not to push too much too fast. He had to seek the best times to bring things up. However, those two were on the top of his list.
888
Angela Revere sat on the C.E.O chair, once used by Ted. She was a small woman, so she looked like a child sitting on her father's chair when anyone entered. From day one she could have changed it, but she chose not to. The chair was her greatest connection Ted, the closest she would ever be to him again, or so she thought. It had been quite a shock when Matthew McKay called the whole board and announced the heir to Kord Enterprises had finally come to age. For the first few days, she had been really upset at Ted. She believed he had truly trusted her with everything just like she trusted him.
Then, Booster Gold showed up at her place and handed her a flash drive. Inside, Ted's last message to her explained everything. He really did trust her, and if it was just to hear his voice, she played the message countless times. The boy was a brilliant, honest and hard working. Those were Ted's words though he never met the boy in person. She wished to ask Ted how it was that he was able to trust people so easily. Then he explained Jaime's other identity and how important it was for him to have Angela look after him. She had done her utmost to keep the news down. The last thing they needed was to have the boy in the limelight.
When she first saw the boy, it was when he came in to sign the final papers. To her, he seemed like an ordinary young man, who came from a humble home, much like her. So, unlike the silver spoon fed members of the board she found the boy interesting more than annoyance. He hadn't spoken much and pretty much stuck to everything Mr. McKay said. The boy was no better than a toddler when it came to the business world. She understood why Ted wanted her to look after him.
She stared at the message Jaime had emailed her and the board; her first impression of him changing quickly. The boy was fast to adapt. She didn't doubt he had some help, but nonetheless he did great. She knew she wouldn't have to worry about him being influenced by the rest of the board. Instead, she had to worry about them trying to take the boy down a peg or two. She could only imagine what they might attempt to drag the youth into. He had gained the animosity of at least one-third of the board, the ones who would lose part of their bonuses to the budget readjustment. He had also made an enemy of someone just as treacherous. Melody Case, the head scientist, and Ted's scorned ex-lover, probably had already caught up to what the boy was doing. All those small projects sucking away at their developing budget were hers. Things she only allowed a handful of people to work in under her strict supervision.
"Revere! I know you are in there!" reason why she told her assistant to tell everyone that she was out, especially Melody. The woman was banging on her door so loudly she feared she would knock it off the hinges. "Open up you book worm! Stop hiding and face me!"
There was another reason why she kept Ted's chair. Under the armrest, fixed to the wooden carving, there was a little mechanism that when pressed for the right time made one of the walls open into a passageway. With a smooth stride, she went into the passage. It closed behind her just in time. She heard Melody scream in frustration when she finally got in, much like she used to when Ted started to ditch her. She made herself remember to get her assistant a lovely gift, just like Ted did with her, for the next five minutes Melody was going to demand of him to get hold of her in very offensive words.
She entered the Beetle Cave and stared at all of Ted's toys and gadgets. He used to spend hours down there working in whatever his mind could conjure. She came down there when she needed time alone and away from the world. She cleaned the place the best she could, but more often than not she just observed. Each unique invention brought her memories of Ted. Had she loved him? Yes, she had but in a platonic way. He had given her a chance when no one else would. He trusted her even after finding part of her family had a criminal record and she had almost been dragged into it.
She sat on his old workstation and leaned back with a sigh. Jaime Reyes would be taking over the place soon. He would bring the Titans with him. Things would be changed, others thrown out, and she would detest every moment of it. But, she would be there for the boy just like Ted asked her to, even if it broke her heart into tiny little pieces.
888
Meanwhile, in Hub City a well-known reporter by the name of Vic Sage was trying to connect the dots between Ted Kord and Jaime Reyes. Everyone was supposed to stay away from the story, but his editor should have known better than to tell him what not to report. However, no matter how much he looked into it, he couldn't find anything that connected them meaningfully; not an affair between Reyes' mother and Kord, or even a relation between the boy and the man. The only thing he had found so far was that one of Kord's small research facilities had been at some distance from the boy's home, the same facility where Ted Kord was reported dead due to an accident. But the boy had to be around fourteen or fifteen when it happened, not yet an astounding student… that came a few months after.
He had known Ted Kord was a brilliant man, but he wondered if he had actually been a genius. The man clearly had a plan which he couldn't figure out. There had to be a reason why the boy received everything that once was Kord's and he would find out what it was.
"You are reporting on the Titans?" his editor asked giving him the stink eye. Of course, he wouldn't believe him. He didn't care they were the best thing for the news after the invention of the printer, he did not report on capes.
"They are a hot piece, are they not?" he said knowing his editor wouldn't believe him, but he knew his boss wouldn't deny him. He had yet to deliver something that wasn't newsworthy.
"Whatever you are really into Sage, I better not hear back from you from a police's cell," his boss said with a smirk.
"No promises boss," he said leaving the office.
The lie was mostly to cover his boss' behind if he stumbled into something that required lawyers and such. His latest lead on Jaime Reyes was that he finished High School early and moved to San Francisco within a week. It seemed the boy had started a hasty internship at Star Labs, a job at a mechanic shop, and rented a crappy apartment even though he was heir to a multi-billionaire company. That definitely didn't fit the bill.
He knew he could have tried to get a word from the C.E.O of Kord Enterprises, but he had the feeling Angela Revere was the one behind the order to keeps things in the quiet. The petite woman was once rumored to have been Ted's side toy, as most assistants were expected to be with the single type rich boys. But one glance at her picture told him that wasn't the case. He had seen Ted's type and she just wasn't it. Though, he did find her cute with her bob cut and rose tinted glasses. Behind those rose colored glasses, he could see the eyes of a very smart woman. Over time, though not apparent to everyone, Kord had been giving his assistant more responsibilities until it got to the point where he was not even needed. He knew it was a long shot but was it possible Kord knew around when he would die? Was it really an accident that made him in? There wasn't anything on Revere or Reyes' background that would make you think they were special until Ted got into the picture.
Maybe the man had a good eye for potential. Stranger things were seen nowadays. He wouldn't be surprised if it turned out the man had picked other people like this and placed them in power. But it kept coming to the same question, why? It was said he was as much of playboy as Bruce Wayne, but with a better sense of humor and smarts to show. Many overlooked Ted Kord as a charming man, but there was something else. It gnawed at his mind to the point where he couldn't sleep a wink during the flight.
When he got to San Francisco, he was beyond cranky. The place was too sunny and the lack of caffeine didn't improve things. He found a cheap hotel a few streets away from Reyes' apartment and slept after a few glasses of bourbon. When he woke up, it was already nighttime, but he was fully recharged to find more about the boy. He stuck to the roof of the building across from his apartment and used a sound amplifier to listen on the conversations going on in the apartment.
"Have you thought about becoming a chef instead of a biomechanical engineer? Cup noodles have never tasted so good. Imagine all the good that could do" he heard a male voice say. He had not known Reyes shared the place. That would make things easier for him.
"I toast to that," another voice said before he heard the clink of glass.
"Jaime?" the first voice asked.
"Not old enough to drink," Reyes spoke for the first time.
"C'mon, just one won't do anything," the second voice, not belonging to Reyes, said.
"One…" and he heard the clear opening of a bottle cap. A few moments later he heard the boy have a coughing fit. The other two started laughing.
"It's acquired taste," one of them said.
"Right," Reyes said slamming the bottle on a table.
That boy was really still a kid or was it just act? If so, were the other two into the knowing?
"So, how did it go with the soulless conglomerates of Kord Enterprises?" one asked.
"Fine, I guess," Jaime Reyes responded with detachment.
"You guess?" the other young man accompanying them asked.
"Well, I told them about the projects that weren't showing any result and about adjust the budget for the health coverage, but I haven't heard anything back from them," the boy said with a sigh. Okay, so maybe the boy was smarter than he gave him credit for.
"Kyle, I fear our friend might be becoming one of them," one of the young men said.
"I think so too, Paco," the other young man said. He made sure to write down their names.
"Are you guys sure you weren't separated at birth?" Jaime Reyes said voicing his thoughts.
"You know there is a real chance of that, right?" Paco said with a fake laugh.
"To father's who left and never turned back to make our lives hell!" Kyle shouted at the top of his lungs almost making him go deaf.
"I toast to that!" Paco shouted, thankfully by then he had already lowered the amplifier's volume.
Vic couldn't help laughing, he could toast to that too.
"You two are drunk," Jaime Reyes said with a clearly annoyed tone of voice. The kid really needed to relax.
"Not enough if you ask me," Paco said.
"Don't look at us that way Jaime, we will sleep it off," Kyle said with a defeated sigh. So, the kid was the moral compass of the trio. This was going to make his investigation very dull.
"Good, I am leaving," Jaime declared before leaving a few moments later.
"I think we made him mad," Kyle said clearly worried.
"He is just worried about us. That's the way he is," Paco said offhandedly, "but we need to lay off this stuff for a while or he will end up kicking both of us out."
He stopped listening to the two young men when he spotted Reyes leaving the building in jog pants and sweatshirt. It wasn't really the best neighborhood to go jogging at night. Maybe the kid was more innocent than he first thought though the story of his father being shot said otherwise. He followed the boy from above until he reached an area with few to no people about him. Was the boy some type of dealer then? That would sure make for some interesting news, but not the type he was after.
He saw him turn into an alley and not come out on the other end. He reached the alley only to find it empty and with no doors or windows to enter the surrounding buildings. That's what he was talking about! He found a manhole which had recently been moved. The boy knew he was following him and got away through the sewers.
"Interesting," he said knowing going as Vic Sage from this point wouldn't be possible. He pulled what seemed to be hair spray and covered his blond hair with it. It was a die which turned his bright hair into black locks. He dug into his pocket and pulled out an intriguing mask. It attached to his face like a second skin and erased his eyes, nose, and mouth from his face for Vic Sage was not just any other reporter like Lois Lane or Clark Kent. He was a vigilante who was only rumored to exist as the Question. Those who knew him were only because he allowed it. It wouldn't be any good if people could pinpoint him as a real person. He preferred to be a rumor since it made him less of a target. Not every vigilante could afford being shot at or have expensive gadgets. He jumped into the sewers more than glad that his mask filtered the stench but feared he had made a mistake. There was no trace of where the boy had gone to, not even a light.
Had the boy tricked him? Trusting his luck, he started walking on the small sidewalk of the sewer thankful he wouldn't have to throw those shoes away. Eventually, he found a pair of prints which seemed to resemble Reyes' shoe size. He climbed up to find himself in the busier side of downtown behind a dumpster. Ignoring the stares of people because he stank of sewer he lowered his fedora and searched for the boy. After half an hour of looking around he thought about going back to his motel. The kid had clearly outdone him, but tomorrow would be another day. Just as he was about to pull into an alley to remove the mask he heard the screech of tires.
"Get out of the way!" he heard someone shout before a convertible raced through the street almost hitting some pedestrian. Behind it, the Blue Beetle chased after them.
"Blast him Twitch!" he heard one of the young men in the car yell before another rose a bazooka. Whoever gave 'Twitch' a bazooka was an idiot. The brat aimed too high and missed the Blue Beetle entirely, but the young hero's work wasn't done. He had to chase after the projectile before it hit a building, giving the brats in the convertible a chance to get some distance. While people watched in awe as the Blue Beetle stopped the projectile, he pushed someone off their motorcycle and chased after the convertible.
"Another freak!" one of the young men in the car shouted before they started shooting at him with guns. No bazooka's for him, what shame. He had to give props to the owner of the motorcycle for the machine was easy to maneuver to the point where he got so close to the car that he could jump off the darn thing and into the car. And that was exactly what he did when the brats had to reload their guns.
"Mind if I join the fun youngsters!" he shouted landing the first of a well-placed punch. It wasn't that he liked to hit kids, but these ones deserved it. Three of the four youths in the car were knocked out in a minute only leaving the driver and him. The kid tried to shoot at him while still keeping his eyes on the road. He had thought of doing a quick job out of it until he spotted someone on top of a building pointing another bazooka at him. Okay, that wasn't good. Even if jumped off the fast moving vehicle he might still be caught in the blasts aftershock. Still, it was worth trying. He soared wondering if this was how it would end only to be lifted into the air enough to escape the shock of the blast that landed in the middle of the street.
"Are you hurt?" he looked up to see the Blue Beetle looking ahead. He hadn't lost sight of the car through the whole thing.
"Only my pride," he said under his breath. The Blue Beetle laughed, which made him realize he was actually young. He had heard the Titans were teens but didn't believe it until then. He made a mental note of it. "Who are those kids?"
"They call themselves The Wild Ones; they have been doing small jobs until now. They just robbed a jewelry store," The Blue Beetle said keeping his distance from the vehicle. Probably to evade another rocket launched at him.
"How original," he couldn't help saying.
"It was candy stores and arcades before," the Blue Beetle said before they got closer. "You think you can knock the driver out while I keep the car from running off someone?"
"With my eyes closed," he said before the kid dropped him behind the driver, whom he captured on a headlock and pulled him into the back seat. When the Beetle said he would keep the car from running someone off he had thought, he would lift it into the air. Instead, the teen landed on the driver's seat and turned the wheel so fast his head spun and brought it to a magnificent, worthy of Dick Tracy film, stop.
With a final punch, he knocked the driver out and sighed. Maybe he was getting old for this.
"What was that?" he said jumping off the back and looking pointedly at the car.
"The car was stolen too; I didn't want to damage it," the guy with wings said flying out of the car.
"You just wanted to drive it, didn't you?" he asked the kid who then couldn't look at him in the eye. The darn kid had wings!
"So, who are you?" the Blue Beetle asked him looking embarrassed. He guessed the kid thought not knowing his name was offensive, probably because he had links to the self-absorbed Leaguers.
"That's an excellent question," he couldn't help saying, "I will be around for a while Beetle, so don't mind me." He walked into the back door of a building in a dark alley to make his getaway. No more sewers for him, thank you very much.
888
"His goes by the Question," Red Robin said after he stopped at his place.
"Great name, it definitely fits," Blue Beetle said sitting on the couch as Red Robin showed the few files they were able to hack from the League. It seemed he had worked side by side with some members of the League and other less known heroes. It was clear to all; he didn't like the League much.
"The guy has no powers, just a lot of guts and is a reputable detective," Red Robin said leaning back, "but what is he doing here? He usually operates from Hub City."
"Maybe he is here because of us, you know? To make sure we don't mess up," sometimes it felt they were just waiting for that.
"That doesn't seem like his style. He didn't lecture you or anything like that, right?" Red Robin asked him.
"He didn't. But, I think someone is spying on me. Khaji Da sensed some sort of listening device and someone was following me through the roofs. I got away but… you don't think it was the Question, right?" it would be just his luck.
"I doubt it, but I will let the others know in case they spot him. I think is more likely that some of the members of the board are after some dirt on you. You are going to have to lay low for a while," Red Robin said with a smirk.
"Great," his friend had already warned him about this, but it didn't mean he had to like it.
888
"Those guys are just not talking," Red Star said after they caught another group of The Wild Ones, "it's like they don't care they are going to jail."
"Or juvie," Green Lantern said with a sigh. They really didn't like capturing kids, "we have to find who the hell is giving them those weapons."
"We could try to infiltrate them," Thorax said as they sat on top of a building.
"Isn't that a little early for us, we just had one training session about it," Green Lantern said.
"We really can't wait. Someone could get hurt," Thorax said.
"Why don't you leave it to Red or Blue?" Green Lantern said.
"Man, we are running out of colors," Red Star said with a short laugh.
"Blue can't, someone is spying on him and he has to keep down and Red is busy with catching the guys who are after you and the other young Metas," Thorax said with a sigh.
"Let's talk it out with Red first," Red Star said before the other two gave him odd looks, "what are you looking at?" he snapped at them.
"Nothing!" Thorax and Green Lantern said.
888
"With one condition," Red Robin said as he typed on his computer.
"Really?" Red Star, Thorax and Green Lantern asked in unison.
"You got to find the Question first," Red Robin told them.
"Is that some type of riddle?" Green Lantern asked him.
"No, he is a vigilante who operates in the down low," he said before opening the file he showed Blue Beetle the night before, plus some more information he had found since then.
"Dude has no face," Thorax said dumbfounded.
"He is a great detective, and I found from Elongated Man he is also great at disguises. Batman corroborated on it," Red Robin told them.
"So, you want us to stick to him and learn a few tricks," Red Star said with a determined look.
"If you can find him," Red Robin told them before giving them more information on the man.
888
An oil change was an upgrade from cleaning parts, he admitted to himself. The rest of the crew had gone off to lunch trusting him enough not to burn the place down. Only their boss knew he was special. He didn't know how, but Damper, the boss of the Posse had put a word for him. So, he didn't fear the place would be mugged with him around.
"Interesting, the heir to Kord Enterprises working in a garage," he heard someone say almost making him bump his forehead on the car.
What the heck Khaji Da?
The man is not a threat.
Still, a warning would have been nice.
He rolled from under the car and stared at a blond man with blue eyes looking down at him.
"And you are?" he asked with a frown. Sometimes he wished Red Robin wasn't always right.
"Name is Vic Sage, from KBEL News. Anything you would like to say in your defense before we start?" the man said taking out an old recorder.
"I have not agreed to any interviews so… no comments," he said before rolling back under the car.
"C'mon Mr. Reyes, you have to come out of under there at some point," the man said taking a seat on a nearby stool.
"When I am done with the oil change, and by then I expect you to be gone," he said wishing he wasn't already done.
"Or what?" the man teased.
He took a deep breath and rolled out from under the car. The man looked at him with amusement. He wasn't on this just because of the story. He was authentically curious.
"Look, I really don't know why Ted Kord put me in his will. I never met the guy, that's why I am not touching any of his money. For all I know they got the wrong Jaime Reyes," he said sitting on the rolling table.
"So, you don't think you are the right Reyes?" Vic Sage asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know," he said scratching his head to hide his discomfort. He wasn't very good at lying.
"You are lying," and it seemed the man was good at telling.
"Hey, if you can explain to me why a rich guy would pick me to inherit his company I would welcome it. Then, maybe I could stop working and dedicate myself to school," he said crossing his arms and looking at the man in the eye. Batman had taught him this at one point; he just never thought he would make use of it.
"So, that's the reason why you quit the internship," the man said, never looking away from him.
"What did you think?" Jaime said getting up and walking to one of the work tables. There were some tools which needed putting away. The boss didn't like having a messy garage.
"Well, according to some of the interns still there, you couldn't keep up with the work," the man said from behind him.
"Couldn't keep up!" he didn't need to act this time. He was justly outraged as he turned to face Sage, "I was only there for a few days and they treated me like a janitor! And whenever I tried to help they would stare at me like I was dirt. They didn't like me because I am younger than them and was able to get an internship that took them years to get."
"So, you quit because they wouldn't let you play with them," the man was just looking to make him angry so he would make a mistake. He took another deep breath and measured his next words.
"No, I quitted because I had to work. I told you, I don't want any of Kord's money. I can make it on my own," he said in a calmer tone.
"Yet, you were present on Kord Enterprises last meeting and ruffled some feathers too," was he calling him a troublemaker?
"Only to benefit the people there," he said sincerely.
"I can tell as much, so will you be leading the company at some point?" translating to, 'are you trying to gain the trust of the employees and worm your way in?'
"No, Ms. Revere is doing a decent job, and it would cut into my degree time," which was true. The woman was doing all she could even if she wasn't a shareholder, but Kord's will assured her position unless he wished otherwise. Now, with him in the picture she had greater saying, meaning he wouldn't have to drop classes to look after the company.
"And your relation to Angela Revere is?" Sage asked him leaning forwards as if saying 'is there something between you and that woman? She is older than you, but not that old that you wouldn't find her attractive.'
"None, I have only met her once in person and once in video chat, but we haven't really talked," but his insinuation made him turn slightly red. He knew he would have trouble looking Ms. Revere in the eye thanks to Sage.
"Hmm… this is quite a mystery Mr. Reyes, you know that?" the man said circling him as if he was a pray.
"Like I said, if you find anything I would like to be on the known too," he said doing his best to keep his calm.
"Well, you see Mr. Reyes. I don't believe you are telling me all the truth. I think you are hiding something. Otherwise, why would you have graduated early and moved to San Francisco so fast? What are you running away from? Or is it someone?"
"You are right, I am hiding someone," he snapped at the man, "and her name is Milagro." He turned on his phone and showed Sage a picture, "she is my little sister and she doesn't need to be dragged into this mess. I left school, my friends, and my family because I knew parasites like you would come after me after you caught word of what was happening. So, go ahead and publish all you want about me; lies or truth I don't care. Just don't involve them, got it?"
"Milagro means miracle, right?" but Jaime merely glared at him, "got it, kid. I will keep digging but nowhere near home."
"Leave," Jaime said before the man made a mocking bow and left.
When he was sure the man had left, he sat on the ground and held his head between his hands. What if the man now went after his family and friends? He really had messed up. He looked at his phone and dialed the first number he could think of.
"Tim, I need your help," Jaime said putting his pride to the side, "I need anything you can get me on Vic Sage, he is a reporter." Two could play that game.