A/N: These next couple of chapters expose some very important things about Hogarth, and the Giant's past will come up pretty frequently too. And trust me, things get pretty difficult for them.
I. Rockwell, Maine December 15th …
Dean walked through the empty room of Hogarth's. Pictures of motorcycles, James Dean and the Beatles covered every inch of his walls. The man passed around Hogarth's made bed up to the window and slid his hands into a pair of his old tight-wearing jeans. Taking a deep breathe, he began to wonder if his step-son would make it back in time for Christmas of that long year.
As Dean started to head out, something occurred to him. Curiously, he stepped over to the wall opposite the window, un-tacked a corner of a Harley Davidson poster and peeled it back down to the middle to reveal a large spaceship. For the next few minutes, Dean through regard for his step-son's privacy to the wind and began tearing down every last poster in Garth Hughes room.
When he was done, Dean felt like he was teleported back in time and he knew exactly how his step-son felt. Posters of Space-Age galore, drawings from rudimentary sketches to finely drawn replicas of media-covered photos about seemed to breathe out in a longing, melancholic sort of relief. Dean plopped down in the middle of the old bed and buried his face deep into his hands.
The carpet was covered with a menagerie of leather, glossed- over motorcycles and gelled hair. A slow, almost painful realization washed over the man as he realized that by removing the layer of heavily forced manhood, pride and dignity, Dean released the spirit of a sad, lonely little boy.
And yet from this burdening feeling came a light of inspiration out of the dark sea of deprivation.
Mid-day, December 2201 Iceland…
II.
"When I asked you to escort me down the hall, I pictured it being just the two of us." Taylor said as she and Trina proceeded together to the auditorium. The woman smiled a little on the sheepish side. "I just wanted a moment alone with my uncle's niece, she's been through much."
Taylor smiled down at the squishy-faced baby, her little nostrils were damp from being runny, her soft lips smacked tiny bubbles and her closed eyes squeezed with long, curling lashes. The two friends looked at each other with contained joyful expressions. "There's one thing though."
"Taylor, we have been through this, you must wait until the ceremony before I reveal who the-."
"No." She placed a hand on the woman's arm and the two looked up to see a man standing in the doorframe of the entrance to the auditorium. "It's my uncle Robert." Taylor told her stonily.
A large lump developed in the woman's throat, she saw the man who would bring her a half a dollar coin every time he visited her mother's apartment, the man who took her out to ice cream during his visits and the man who had promised Taylor a better life in exchange for giving up her normal life blocking the entryway. The lump in her throat sank into her chest and then to her gut.
"Baby." He approached his niece with his hands out. Reduced to a girl, Taylor backed away at the familiar presence. "You…" She clutched at the Giant's orb and pressed it in a secure hug to her stomach, attempting to keep a croak out of her voice. "You have no business here, Uncle."
"Erika," Robert also had a time maintaining his voice and manners. "Please listen to me. I've-."
"Come to take me home?" Taylor said abruptly, anger welling inside her chest so fast that it was burning twinges of pain up to the tips of her breasts. She boldly strode up to stare him straight in his disheartened, cautionary eyes; her rage blinded her to this. "Or come to take me to Sergey?"
"Erika, dear---."
"Save it!" Her rage turned to sarcastic accusations. "Oh, I know! You're here to coax the orb-"
Robert caught her around the arms and held her close to him, careful not to graze her bust. "I'm here to tell you that everything I and your mother have done has been for you, Erika Robinson."
From over her uncle's arms and through her blurred vision, Taylor saw Trina take a few steps away from the two and take off with the child. She tried to run after her but Robert kept his hold on her as two men raced passed them. "What's happening, Uncle Rob? Who are they?"
"Someone to stay away from." He said in irritation as he raced after him. "Go, Taylor! See your friends off and don't worry about me." She watched after the man, feeling stranded and torn up.
"Uncle-."
"You're meant to be here!" Robert shouted out to her firmly. "Go see your friends."
~_~_~_~
As Hogarth walked down the hall he could feel his heart rising in his chest; how had he possibly gone from fugitive to would-be hero in such a short time? Now that he was on good terms with the friends whom he thought he had lost eight months earlier, he was assured that his family was safe and he had his wits collected back; Hogarth had to wonder why they were allowing him to go. All he really knew was that he and the Giant were going to be a part of a makeshift mission.
Hogarth also wondered how they would stop a whole fleet of Giant clone copies, as well as the whole transmutation thing. In the back of his mind he still held some reserve for transforming the Giant into some kind of mode of transportation, but Hogarth knew better then to ask questions.
Everything would fall into place, and he had to focus on using this mission to reconstruct himself.
The young man entered out of the hall wings and in to see the scene in the auditorium happening.
~_~_~_~
The Giant took in the enormous suit that awaited him. "It looks bulky." Archer said with a hint of apology in his voice. "But rest assured, it will conform fittingly to your unique structure. Well," he rubbed at his chin as the Giant sat him upon the ground. "Your original uniqueness anyway."
Speechlessly, the Giant grasped onto the giant gold 'S' medallion and yanked it off to examine it closer. "You didn't have to do this." he looked to Archer modestly. "This is really all too much."
"It's just like a giant jumpsuit." The man argued reasonably. "Though a rather anomaly, I do say that it would make your citizen status official. You see, Giant, there is also a non-societal reason for it." he continued to try to persuade the iron leviathan. "The droid operators who have come to re-program your clones brought it along; it's magnetic force guarantees with-held weaponry."
Guaranteed or his dignity back? Hogarth thought from in the crowds. He moved forward to see how far the Giant would conform to his new expectations. For the young man himself, it was enough to respect and try to obey the rules but he wouldn't be subjected to tights without briefs.
That's when he recalled the cruel irony of the Giant's earlier joke. "I don't even wear clothes."
"I thought the magnet was enough to hold my weapons in."
"It was never foolproof." Archer told him and ushered the robot to step into the big, clunky suit of metal. "But this will assure if you decide to remove the main magnet for any reason, than you will still be secure to set foot out into the world. Now, if you will step back…" he motioned him.
"Do the right thing, pal." Hogarth said softly. "Even if it means suffering a little."
The congregation grew quieter as he took a few hesitant steps back into it and held out his arms that were automatically about to be compressed into some crimson-over-dark-blue metal mold. Hogarth swallowed a protest; this was the Giant's choice and this was another part of his duties.
If anyone deserved a choice around here, it was him. "Wait." The Giant suddenly clutched at the closing shafts of metal and carefully pried the encircling, cylindrical sleeves back apart. "I don't want to wear this." he held the magnet to his side and stepped back. "I'm sorry, Archer."
The man sighed with what could have been relief mingled with concern, and with only several claps the suit reverted back to the outside. He spoke nothing as he walked toward a group of operators. Hogarth also felt a little concern, but chuckled at the silent triumph that had occurred.
"All right," he turned to the passerby who hadn't wised up and moved beyond all their gawking. "Show's over, no one likes gaggling spectators. He's a very tall robot, not a carnival attraction."
"Hogarth." The Giant greeted him partially amused, partially thankful as the rest dispersed then.
"Giant." He greeted back and tugged at his collar as he turned in a showing-off circle; he had advocated for one size larger in his jumpsuit pants only (which were still dark blue) and a jacket with red cuffs and collar. "It's not exactly form-fitting, but what'd you think… Groovy enough?"
The Giant nodded at that and placed the magnetic 'S' upon his chest while striking a pose with his hands on his hips. Hogarth chuckled as he approached. "All right, Superman… now we're talkin'." A thought occurred to him as the Giant lowered his hand. "So, who should I be then?"
"Hmm… you want to be a superhero too?"
"Well," Hogarth absentmindedly crossed the Giant's palm to which the robot used his other for a bridge. "Superman never really did have a sidekick or any full-time partners." he turned to the Giant with some inspiration. "You are technically older than me, so maybe I could be like your young ward." Hogarth was given a curious look. "Yeah," he enthused. "I could be… Iron Lad."
"Iron Lad?" The Giant said uneasily.
Even Tress and Ven who'd been talking amongst themselves about family matters took notice.
There was suddenly a guffaw of unexpected laughter down below, Hogarth glared down slightly as the otherwise mild-mannered and tactful Inx was clutching his sides with a red face. " Lad !?"
"Oh, and I suppose you can come up with something better… Sphinx."
The Asian man cleared his throat as he stood up and gathered himself. "Which no longer exists."
"I like it," The Giant told him honestly. "But it's my name."
"You would think that it would be the Giant's son's name." Inx commented to no one person.
"Yeah, you're right." Hogarth propped a hand against the Giant's inward bent fingers, lounging crookedly with his feet crossed. "I think it's taken too. What about just Garth: Boy of wonder?"
An uncompromisable glint struck the Giant's white eyes. "Man of wonder." he reiterated.
Hogarth rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks. Coming from you, that means a lot." When he tried to catch Tress's gaze toward the ground, the boy turned away with a mulling expression.
"So." A brisk, strangely coquettish-sounding voice said. "What superhero do I get to be?" They turned to see a confident-looking Taylor with her back against the doorframe, observing things below with a quiet humor. Hogarth and the Giant gave one another intrigued looks at her notion.
"And what would you like to be known by?" Her boyfriend inquired.
"Oh, I don't know… how about the Flower Goddess." She said in a humoring voice.
"So what would be your powers then?" Hogarth kidded. "Petal powers of love and goodness?"
"No," Taylor smiled sincerely as she approached the two. "But I do wish the both of you love and goodness." The Giant kneeled down and fingered the orb that was securely in a stretchable pouch. "I thought I'd get a jump on the competition and start getting use to bearing the bundle."
"There's no substitute for motherhood, Taylor." Hogarth told her quasi-seriously.
"And being a mother is no substitute for not being a person." The Giant gave his dome head a scratch when they turned to him. "I've got a habit of giving what I think is sage advice, sorry."
The young woman placed her hand upon the middle of the orb with the men's finger and hand on either side of the glowing ball. "I think Pygmy's a girl." Taylor said, trying not to sound sad.
"Guys," Hogarth started to say decisively; they both looked at him. "This is it. We're not just friends anymore, we're a family. And somehow, someway, we are going to make this work."
The Giant and Taylor turned confident at this, that is, until Tress came up to stand before them.
~_~_~_~
"Trina!" A voice shouted out for the woman. She ducked in and out of the hallways as people in green uniforms were coming after her and the liberated baby Abba. The all-too familiar sounds of droids shape-shifting behind her increased her need for flight as she raced down the hallways.
"That child must be contained and kept away from the past boy!" Another voice shouted out.
The paneling of windows that shot passed her as she ran revealed a haggard older woman who appeared at least middle-aged, Trina felt the still insufferable feeling of betrayal and in her great rush she had to wonder was it all worth it. Humankind was a dwindling population of scattered inhabitance across the world that Hogarth and others would soon endure; he deserved to know.
"No!" She cried as a pair of hands grasped her arms and reeled her back. The rattled child let out a disturbed moan as she was ripped from the woman and secured safely away. Feeling that she had let everyone down, especially her yet to be avenged droid, Trina sank upon her knees.
If we have our way about it. A stern, commander-type of man with beady black eyes and a thick mustache down passed his face said as he approached her in a casual swagger. I'm going to have an elite army of droids to help save this world, and that will mean certain people will need to be gone. She felt a sharp prod in her forearm and before Trina could blink she fell.
"Ugh," Her brown hair splayed over her face as he picked her up.
"The baby?" The droid operator assistant inquired.
"Return her to the nursery." The chief operator said to the young man. If anyone asks about the whereabouts of this Washington Alpha D.C. person, tell them the young woman has been overcome by madness of her family's corruption. He text thought as he walked down the hall with Trina dangling from his arms. After the ceremony, we will harvest total control.
The young man in a yellow jumpsuit stood stolidly by with the squirming baby in his arms as his commander walked away. Overriding the Giant's functions and imprisoning Garth Hughes will go against the Councils orders. Should anything go wrong, we'll be branded traitors.
Not unlike the improvised revolutions eight months earlier, it was all merely a matter of time before 'world peace' was broken. And in anyway, why we will appear treacherous in the beginning everyone will eventually see who has the 'true' power around here. He went passed a shadowy space in the hallway. At least, we will once 7000 system's are overridden.
Daniel stepped out of the space and continued down in the direction the commander went; he'd been left very specific instructions by Robert to keep his eyes on this man. Easy done then said in his own opinion, if these men were going to be interfering with destiny he'd have to intercede.
~_~_~_~
Hogarth and Tress looked at each other across the way without knowing what to say. In the beginning they had been friends, then they had survived with one another for eight long months and then Hogarth had went overboard with the defined word "protection." The little boy was several feet from him when emotion swept across his face, and he went for Hogarth in a near fit.
He wasn't sure if Tress was going to punch his gut in or break into a bawling session, but was genuinely surprised when the child locked his arms around his waist securely. "Please don't go yet, Hogarth. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry for the way I acted." Hogarth grasped his shoulders.
"Whoa, whoa Tress," He looked down at the child remorsefully. "If anyone should be sorry it's me. After all the trash I've put you and Ven through."Tress sniffled as he slipped out the spotty and stained Superman magazine; specks of yellow roughly glued the jagged rip down the center.
"My old hand manacles?" Hogarth tried to appear joking. The Giant took the magazine up in his finger tips. "I'm sorry, Giant." Tress said to him with tears freshly brimming his eyes. "I didn't-."
"Yes, you did." Hogarth remonstrated him. "You wanted to get back at me, Tress." he started explaining understandingly at the boy's shame-faced look. "Little buddy, the comic book is the last thing I'm worried about. You wanted someone to look up to and I did a real half-butt job."
Tress smiled a little at that. "But you're still a hero and heroes aren't perfect. Right, Giant?"
He nodded proudly. "That's right."
"I don't know about that…" Hogarth grinned a little.
"Iron Lad, remember?" Inx came up next to Taylor and flashed him a devious grin.
"Ven, are we cool?" Hogarth looked up at the approaching older brother of Tress's. The gold-brown haired teen took a moment to glance down at his younger brother who sent him a worry-free little smile. He met Hogarth's apologetic eyes with a contented look. "We are cool, Garth."
"Hogarth." Tress, Taylor, the Giant and Inx echoed.
"Right, well. It looks like we will be meeting with our parents after this event." Ven commented.
"So Hogarth, Giant," Tress looked in between the two of them. "Can I come with you guys? I won't get in the way and I'll even stay out of the way." They all exchanged uneasy glances with one another. "Please?" he kept asking them hopefully. "I want to see the world and everything!"
Hogarth sucked in air through his teeth. "How to put this…" He eye-balled the Giant who gave him an expectant look in return; they both knew that between the two of them Hogarth always had the better approach at explaining things. "Well, Tress, it's not that we… well, we'd like-."
"Will one of you tell him already…" Taylor groaned in exasperation, fingers bent to throttle.
"Tress," The Giant attempted to explain as delicately as he could, placing his finger on the boy's shoulder. "We have to go." His finger tip then traveled down to the boy's chest as he continued to speak. Strangely though, as Hogarth watched and listened, all outside noises that seemed to only cause distraction at that moment filtered away. His azure eyes widened with remembrance.
From the deep corners of his mind came the distant, familiar baritone voice.
"Hogarth. You stay…"
A little boy hung his head and refused to look up, but a large finger slid under his chin in a coaxing, gently demanding way. The presence before the child suddenly felt very large and intimidating, not dangerous but in a rather commanding, needing urgent feeling. The gesture was almost inquiring if it was all right, but resolute in a mind that was one-track.
He tried to resist as a grappling of pain knotted his chest, and the onset of intimate doom that struck the mist and cloud sky with an almost suffocating fume of the great paranoia and post-catastrophe. Hogarth could hardly stand straight, but simply couldn't resist the urge to look. The strong determination mounted in unwilling-to-cling white eyes hurt him.
"I go."
His heart fluttered and sputtered. 'Don't go, don't go!' Hogarth's mind cried desperately.
"No following."
One step back and Hogarth was ready to fall to the ground in a sobbing, moaning display of rage and sorrow. Out of the thick air and confusion, a hand lunged and firmly grabbed onto the boy's arm like a life-line and a leash to keep him from running. In the months that would follow, this hand would be the one to guide Hogarth and keep him from veering off track.
Presently…
"…And Tress," The Giant was explaining to Tress. "You need to-."
"Be a superhero!" Hogarth said quickly.
Everyone turned to look him incredulously.
"A what!?" Taylor said in disbelief, no longer into the whole superhero-joke-along game.
"Yeah," Hogarth went on haphazardly. "A superhero."
No one could believe the words coming out of his mouth.
"Okay, I'll be the Tresser!" He announced enthusiastically. "Now can I come?"
"Well, yeah, but next you'll need a form of superhero identity."
"Like what?" Tress asked in confusion.
Hogarth had managed to slip out his old fighter pilot goggles. "Like a mask," he snapped them above his head and under his chin. "Or like the Giant's insignia --- something to set you apart."
"Like a cape." Taylor said suddenly.
"Or a cape…" Hogarth nodded in agreement before realizing what she was doing. "A what?"
"Here ya go, the Tresser." Taylor motioned at Inx to take off his green jacket, who caught on to her charade, and tied it around the excited boy's shoulder. "Any other requirements, love?"
"A super power…" Hogarth said lamely. He knew dodging the truth was complicating things.
"You don't have any." Tress pointed out, pouting a little.
"Hogarth," The Giant said his name a little deliberately, and he turned to face him. "You need to be honest with him." Taylor caught on that something was wrong. "Are you even up to this?"
"Yes." He told them both firmly but sighed deeply. "You both are right though. Look at me…"
Tress started to look up.
"No wait." Hogarth reacted suddenly and placed the child's face into his chest. "Don't look."
"It's all right." He backed up and met the young man's eyes in acceptance. "I'll look."
To be continued…
