Author's Note: Hey guys! You know what this chapter is about. It's Tyreese's last chapter. Well, he'll be in chapters in the future but he won't be a main character in the show. Think of him as a recurring guest lol. Yep, this truly is a TV show. I think I did pretty good with this chapter. It provides closesure for many things. Like, the whole Tyreese and Emma dilemma, Ethan and Alex kind of sort of becoming friends. Madison trying to accept things as they are and trying to MOVE ON from Dante's death. Ethan even admitting somethings he never thought he would admit to the person he admitted it too. And what the Light have in store for us in this story arc. So, last chapter I know I told you there was going to be a villain and everything but after I started writing this marvelous chapter I just thought that a villain would ruin the whole thing. So no fight scenes in this chapter. Just alot of dialogue. And I mean, alot! You guys may even notice that I ranted on about the dreadful Friend-Zone that girls and some boys put people through. I seriously hate the damn zone and wish I could blow it up with Deadpool at my side lol. Don't ask me why Deadpool is there, he just likes to blow stuff up. So bam! Anyways, this chapter is pretty special and I hope you enjoy it. My favorite parts are when Ethan talks to a certain someone about his lady issues, Tyreese and Emma talking and the ending of the chapter.
Strike OOO, Strike! You're back! THank god, I was so worried. I thought something happened or you didn't like the story anymore. Like, I've been waiting by my phone just to see if you sent in a review. So glad you're back! Of course I have to be worried about one of my favorite reviewers not reviewing. That's like Obi-wan finding a disturbance in the force. Good to have you back buddy! Wow, I liked your little analysis of the whole Madison what if. You should do that more often. I like analysis's. In a way, you're totally right. I guess Dante was saying that. I wrote it and I didn't even think of it that way. Wow! I love you guys! Always pointing out things I don't even see. I broke the scale?! I better buy a new one! lol. Yeah, that Lucy and Ethan vs Natasha fight was one of my favorites to write. And there was so much fights for each member of the FIVE so that says alot. My second fav has to be the Adam fight. Just him stabbing Artemis made me like it lol. But yeah, she got knocked the fuck out! So, you're glad the FIVE is over but did you enjoy them? And yeah, Eve and the FIVE will be back, very soon. Things happen that you guys may like. Don't know yet and I don't want to spoil it. And you never told me how you felt about Alex telling Dick he knows about Batman's identity lol. That seemed pretty important lol.
Lia, My other favorite reviewer. What's up?! lol. Yeah, I see a chance for Alex and Dick to rekindle their relationship before Dante comes in and ruins it. OMG did I just spoil something? Hmm... Maybe lol. Hey! Artemis got fucked up! Remember that lol. Adam was beast. I'm sure you're going to love Tyreese in this chapter. His goodbye chapter *Cries*. Heh, Reno the Asswhole. Nice name... Magmazon!
Ok, I want to ask you guys a question. I want to know, so far, what is your favorite story arc. I'm going to list them for you.
Meet the team (Ep. #1-7)
Aiden's betrayal (Ep. #8-15)
Dante's Betrayal/Death (Ep. #16-30)
The Search for Dante (Ep. #31-34)
Joseph Unchained (Ep. #39-41)
Wrath of the Five (Ep. #35-38 and #42-50)
Tell me your thoughts. I want to know. And I want details as to why you guys liked it.
Enjoy the show and remember to Read, Rate, and Review.
Also, as I said, I will start writing on Fridays and Sundays because I'm going to college and those are the least busy days of my week.
Love you guys!
Mount Justice
August 27th, 2013 11:00 am est
Tyreese was on his bed, eyes closed with the blankets covering his body. He shifted on the pillow gracefully, enjoying his sleep until a annoying beeping sound startled him. Tyreese's eyes open wide as the alarm clock beside his bed continued his relentless assault on his ear drums. Tyreese gritted his teeth and covered his ears with his other pillow but the alarm's deafening sound pierced his only hope. Tyreese raised his hand and brought it down hard on the alarm clock, smashing it into pieces.
Tyreese growled. "Who put a alarm clock in my room?"
Tyreese uncovered himself and got up to his feet. He found his basketball shorts and put them on along with a black t-shirt. He grabbed the now destroyed alarm clock and stormed out of his room. His last chance to get some peaceful sleep before starting college tomorrow and some prankster gone ahead and messed all of that up. On his last day at the base! Who would do this to him? Shouldn't they be saying goodbye instead of playing pranks? When Tyreese gets his hands on the-
"Surprise!" Beta shouted with some Alpha members in the mix.
"Oh…" Was the only thing that slipped out of Tyreese's lips.
Tyreese stood in the living room/kitchen section of the base but now paused his quest to find the douche bag that woke him up. Now he knows why there was a alarm clock in his room. It was to get him ready for this.
"Are you not happy with this?" Emma asked. She pointed to a banner behind her. "Alex even brought out the banner that is a tradition for the team."
"The sweet 16 banner." Tyreese sighed. "That never gets old I guess."
"Damn right it doesn't." Alex said as he walked up to his friend.
"What's the occasion?" Tyreese asked.
"You seriously asking that? You think we forgot?"
"I was kind of hoping you did." Tyreese replied, knowing what he was talking about.
"Well, we almost did because of the whole FIVE thing. But today is your last day with us so we had to add it with the occasion."
"Happy late 18th birthday!" Ethan shouted and everybody said it along with him.
"So how does it feel to be 18?" Lucy asked with a cup of juice in her hand.
"The same way it felt to be 17." Tyreese replied plainly. "Seriously, guys, you didn't have to do this for me."
"But we did." Alex said.
"Enjoy it, Tyreese. Stop being so grumpy." Madison stated.
"Me? Grumpy?" Tyreese asked as he pointed at himself. "Ok, I'll admit, I'm grumpy when it comes to birthdays."
"Why?" They all asked.
Tyreese shrugged. "Never felt like it was worth celebrating. Never had people to celebrate it with."
"You do now." Alex said. "I felt the same way but we're not alone anymore, Tyreese. We have a family now."
"And if grumpy doesn't want a birthday party, we can just say it's a going away party." Ethan added. "Happy with that, big guy?"
Tyreese smiled sheepishly. "I guess."
Tyreese hadn't expected it but secretly wanted it to happen. After seeing how happy Alex was when they threw a birthday party for him, Tyreese was hoping something like this would happen. Even though his birthday was last month, Tyreese explicitly told his team members that he didn't want a birthday party. Growing up alone in a foster home where your birthday doesn't even matter and each time your birthday came you would be sad that the couples that came to the home weren't looking for older kids. Though Tyreese's birthday was his only hope because after a certain age, the foster system lets you go. That's all he wanted each time his birthday came. To be closer to that age where he would no longer stay in that house, with those people and those kids.
Tyreese also didn't like to celebrate his birthday because of his deceased parents. With each year that passed it was just another year Tyreese didn't have with his parents. When he was small, his birthday parties were spectacular. Some of the fondest memories with his parents were during his birthday parties. Some of the only memories since they died when he was very young. Nobody could replace his parents. They were truly his family. But Beta on the other hand, was his current family. One that didn't abuse him. One that didn't antagonize him. They were consistent and always there for him. Tyreese will never forget Beta no matter how old he is. He would always come to this base and visit his friends. And if Batman was to let new members in, Tyreese would be the one to give them the formal tour of the base and the basic introductions to his favorite people in the world.
This was his family and this base in the mountain was his home. No matter how far away he will be from them, he'll always come back to them. If he could, he would spend the holidays here. Get into the holiday spirit with the people he loves.
"Happy late birthday." Superboy greeted as he walked up to Tyreese.
Tyreese shook Superboy's hand and smiled. "Thanks."
Superboy looked around. "This is really something. You can tell they put a lot of heart into this."
"Yeah. I really appreciate it."
"Next week would be the one year anniversary of when Beta was created. Something special, huh?"
"Beta is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time."
"I believe you. People would be surprised how much Alpha and Beta helps people like you and me. The loners."
Tyreese chuckled. "We're not much loners anymore, huh?"
"Thank god. Can you just imagine what might have happened if Nightwing, Wally and Kaldur hadn't found me. I would be a slave to the Light."
"If Superman hadn't stopped me from setting Metropolis on fire, I would probably be in jail."
"This hero life is more than just saving people lives and stopping the bad guys. It's about friends and families."
"There is definitely some pros and cons to the hero business."
"But sometimes, the pros outweigh the cons."
Tyreese nodded and placed his cup of juice into the air. "I'll drink to that." The two toasted and smiled.
"What are you two talking about?" Lucy asked as she phased through a counter and now stood in between them.
"The good times." Tyreese responded.
"The good times? You guys sound like a bunch of war veterans."
"Fighting evil is a war." Superboy retorted.
Tyreese pointed his drink at Superboy. "That's a great point. Sometimes you win battles and sometimes you lose battles. But you never lose the war."
"We can't lose the war." Superboy added.
"Especially with the Light running around trying to take over the world." Lucy said.
"I'm just going to butt in here." Ethan said as he slipped between Lucy and Superboy. "So what you guys talking about?"
"War." Lucy replied.
"Sounds boring."
Tyreese wrapped his arm around Ethan and led him away from Lucy and Superboy. "Let's talk."
Ethan looked around wondering where Tyreese was leading him too. "Sure, Ty. What's up?"
"I need you to do me a favor while I'm gone."
"Sure. Anything you need."
"I need you to watch over Alex."
"Maybe I should have defined anything. Ty, the kid hates me."
"First of all, he's not a kid. At least, not anymore."
"Obviously."
"Second of all, he doesn't hate you."
"Really? Then can you explain why we have butted heads so many times?"
"Okay. He used to hate you but not anymore."
"How do you know?"
"Has he wailed on you recently? Has he mentioned you trying to take Dante's spot?"
"No…"
"Then, he doesn't hate you. If he did… you would know."
Ethan took it under consideration. "So what do you mean by watching over him? How do you want me to watch him? Like a pedophile or-"
"You're getting way too ahead of yourself. What I mean is, I know Alex has been through a lot. With Dante's death and his girlfriend and the team. Shoot, even asking Alpha for help was stressful for him. But he holds all of that in. He needs to release on occasions. I just need you to be his friend. Someone he can talk too. So he doesn't carry all of the burden. I mean, becoming Beta's leader is overwhelming for him. He wasn't even fully prepared to take on that kind of responsibility. But look at what happened. We took down a major threat. Shoot, he even took down Reno. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"Yeah. I mean, I can't guarantee anything but I'll definitely try. If he gives me the chance, that is."
"He will. Ethan, you coming here has been a gift for the team. You fit in perfectly no matter what anyone says. You always try to help others instead of yourself. That selflessness has rubbed off on others in the team. Just keep doing what you do best."
Ethan saluted. "Aye, aye, boss."
Tyreese smiled and led Ethan back to the party. Tyreese watched as his team mates mingled amongst each other. He couldn't stop smiling at the people in front of him. He had saw that the twins had stolen the cake but he didn't want to rain on their parade. Not today at least.
"So do you need help with packing or…" Tyreese looked to his right to see Alex. How did he get there and how long was he standing there? He was just in front of him a minute ago.
Tyreese push the questions away and shook his head. "Naw, I'm good. I already moved my stuff to my dorm."
"Heh. Going all college boy on us. Just make sure when you become a big football star that you remember us."
"I'll never forget you guys. Geeze, you act like I'm leaving forever, never to show my face around here ever again. I'll come visit, Alex. Plus, someone needs to put you back in your place."
Alex smirked. "I guess you're right. So I should probably not let me defeating Reno get to my head, right?"
"It was a joint effort."
Alex nodded in agreement. "Right. But I dealt the finishing blow."
Tyreese rolled his eyes. "Here we go."
"I mean, I have no powers and I took down this guy that was taller than a freaking skyscraper."
"Somebody has a ego."
"Me?" Alex pointed at himself with his thumb. "A ego?" He shrugged. "Maybe."
Tyreese laughed lightly. "You've changed so much."
"No longer the stupid fan boy."
Tyreese shook his head. "You weren't stupid."
"You mean to say I was naïve."
Tyreese placed a reassuring hand on Alex's shoulder. "No. If it wasn't for fan boy you taking chances and trying to get Batman's attention, you wouldn't be a hero and you wouldn't be in Beta. I can't imagine Beta without you and Dante. That's just ludicrous."
Alex looked down. "I guess you're right."
"Of course I am. When have I ever been wrong?"
"Well…."
"Don't answer that." Tyreese quickly said which made Alex laugh.
"You haven't changed, Tyreese. Through everything we have been through: the Aiden crisis, Dante's departure, Dante's death and even the FIVE. You've always stayed the same. The least changed out of all of us. Still the same guy that joined this team. Madison went all emo, I turned into a douche bag for a while and then I was a leading douche bag. The twins stopped pranking, Emma was a bit more sympathetic. But you, my friend, did not change at all."
"Don't get me wrong. I was definitely affected by those things. All of the betrayals and Dante's death. But I saw what it did to you guys. I told myself I had to be the one to never change. Believe me, I was aching inside but I didn't show. I was as stubborn as the rock that surrounds my body. I couldn't be weak for you guys. I had to stay strong and help you guys through things. Then Ethan showed up and everything became easier. Madison came out of her shell, you took on your leadership position more seriously. We even found Lucy in a lab. If it wasn't for Ethan, things would be a lot more gloomy."
Alex observed Ethan from afar as Ethan attempted to entertain the attendees of the party. He was successful but Alex couldn't help but smile. "Ok, I'll admit it. Ethan was a great addition to the team. I'm even willing to admit that Ethan made me step my game up. I thought he was going to swoop in and take my spot as leader. That made me push myself in ways I didn't know I could push. He even fixed Madison. She's still a bit damaged but better than she was before he came in. He treated the twins as his equal and made Lucy fit right in even though he was new himself. He's a good guy."
"He can be a great friend. Of course, not like Dante, but he would be able to help you with anything you need.
"Ty," Alex looked at Tyreese, "are you trying to create a bromance between us? I feel like you are."
Tyreese grinned. "Maybe. Hey, you admitted everything good about the guy. Admit it, you don't hate him."
Alex nodded. "I don't hate him but he does get on my nerves sometimes."
"He gets on everyone's nerves but we accept him unconditionally."
"I guess."
"What I'm trying to say is, give him a chance to be your friend. You know he has a outstanding track record with helping people. You don't have to carry the weight of the team on your own. Ethan and everyone else is there to help you out. You have Emma as your co-captain. Talk to her. She can help you out as well. I know she has been training you in the ways of being a leader but let her take control sometimes. You don't need to lead every single mission. You understand?"
"Yeah, I got you. Nice talk, Ty. Hopefully it won't be the last."
Tyreese face palmed. "Why is everyone making such a big deal about this? I'm a second string linebacker for the Michigan State Spartans. I'm probably not going to get any play time and if I do, it'll be short."
"But when that guy graduates and you continue playing the way you do, you'll be a star. Then, NFL here I come."
"I'm glad you are so optimistic."
Alex shrugged. "Some of the fan boy is still in me."
"I won't become some ghost who will forget you guys. I'll visit as often as I can. And when football season is over, I'll be over here chilling with you guys. And for the summer, I'll be spending it here. I'll still be in your lives. Like you said, I never changed."
"That's true." Alex watched Emma as she passed by and waved to the boys. "So… What's going on between you and Emma? Anything good?"
Tyreese raised a eyebrow, slightly uncomfortable with this conversation. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…. Are you going to ask her out?"
"Um… No?"
"Why not?"
"I don't think she's into me. I don't think she's into anyone. Why would she be? She's a independent woman."
"But everyone has feelings. Love is a feeling and I'm sensing you're in love."
"What?" Tyreese asked in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
Alex grinned. "You know what I mean. The whole team knows you have a thing for her. And most of us think she has a thing for you."
Tyreese looked at Alex seriously. "What do you think?"
"I think you should give it a shot. What's stopping you? What can possibly go wrong?"
"It can make things weird between us if she doesn't like me back. It can ruin our friendship."
Alex rolled his eyes. "That's what girls say to guys they have in the friend-zone. Do you want to be in the friend-zone?"
"Hell no!"
"Then do something. Before it's too late. Besides, me and Ella were best friends before we kissed and became a couple. She said yes, I'm sure Emma will too."
"Did Ella show feelings for you? Because Emma doesn't show emotions like a typical girl."
Alex considered it. Flashing back to times they were together before they were a couple. There was definitely something between them. Alex knows what Tyreese is feeling. The dreadful feeling of being rejected. That all of the feelings that you have for the person will never be returned. The dreaded friend-zone. A place no man ever wants to be. It can ruin friendships. If a guy has feelings for a girl and the girl doesn't feel the same way and she just wants to be friends, it makes things weird between them. The guy will have feelings for the girl and sometimes the girl will string the guy along, making the guy have hope but in reality, none of it is real. The friend-zone kill men and women sometimes don't know it. Tyreese is in quite a predicament. Walk up to Emma and spit your feelings out, hoping she feels the same or don't change things at all, just remain friends and try to get rid of your feelings for her. But that is truly hard to do. If you love the girl, it won't be easy getting her out of your mind. You would have to eventually fly away from her, hoping that getting away from her will make you forget her. Hoping it would make the feelings go away. But it won't. It would just make you miss her. Girls, my friends, are complicated.
"You may be right."
"See!"
"But it doesn't mean you should hide your feelings from her. I'm sure you will feel good getting that stuff off your chest."
"But if she doesn't return the feelings, it would ruin everything between us. Everything would be awkward."
"But the feelings go away in time."
Tyreese growled. "Ugh! I hate being so conflicted."
"I can't force you to do anything, Ty. It's all up too you. How you want to approach it, how you would handle acceptance or rejection. It's all on you, Ty."
Tyreese sighed. "Thanks for the pep talk, coach."
Alex chuckled. "Anytime."
Alex observed as Tyreese took a step toward Emma's direction. "There is something you should know before heading over there."
"What's that?" Tyreese inquired as he turned his head to the right to see Alex from the corner of his eye.
"She planned this whole thing. She's the one that rallied all of us together to bring this to you. I think that should show you just how much she cares."
Tyreese looked back at Emma from afar. It did show that she cared. They were definitely friends, that's for sure. But could they be something else? Could they be what Tyreese wants them to be? Alex was right. Tyreese had to take the chance in order to figure out the question he has been asking himself for such a long time. But is the time right? Is Tyreese's departure the right time to spew all of this lovey-dovey stuff to her? Does Emma even do lovey-dovey? She was born on a island full of females. The girl knows nothing about relationships besides from movies Ethan forced her to watch. Tyreese would be her first boyfriend and she would be Tyreese's first as well.
"I got this." Tyreese muttered to himself to reassure himself that everything is going to go perfectly fine. She's going to like him, they become a couple and they can live the good life. Hopefully that's the way things go.
Alex watched as Tyreese headed in Emma's direction but too a detour and started mingling with others. Probably trying to prepare himself for a make or break situation. He needs time to cool off so talking to friends should help him out.
"What's up with Ty?" Ethan asked Alex as he stood beside him.
"Nothing." Alex replied.
"Doesn't look like nothing."
"I'm sure you already know about his feelings about Emma."
"Who doesn't?"
"Pretty obvious, huh?"
"Yep."
"What's up with you?" Alex asked as he turned his body to face Ethan to talk to him directly.
"What do you mean?"
"I think you do know."
"I think I don't know what you think I know."
"Stop playing games."
"We're playing games? What kind of games?"
"I'm being serious."
"And I'm trying to understand why you're so serious."
"What's up with you and Madison? Or you and Lucy."
Ethan raised a eyebrow. "Nothing…?"
"Don't feed me that bullshit."
"Why would I feed you bullshit?" He shivered in disgust. "That's just nasty."
Alex scowled. "Ethan…."
"Alex….?" Alex continued his stare on Ethan which made Ethan uncomfortable. That stare is just like Batman's which is creepy since Alex doesn't like the Dark Knight. "All right, all right, just stop with the stare."
"Spill."
"I, uh, don't know what's going on?" Alex stared at Ethan once again. "Alright! God!" He cleared his throat. "What do you think is going on?"
"I think you like both of them."
"Um… not quite."
"Explain." Alex said in a gravel tone reminiscent of Batman.
"Ok. So I kind-of-sort-of have a crush on Lucy." He made a bit of space with his thumb and index finger to indicate how much he was talking about. "Just a little." He sighed. "But I don't have a chance with her. She's said it on more than one occasion. And her chilling with Superboy kind of makes me jealous. Even though they are 'just friends'." He used his index and middle finger as quotation marks.
"But with Madison," he continued, "I feel like I have a shot. I mean, I've made a lot of progress. I went from the guy she wanted to kill to the guy she trusts. The guy she wants to talk too. Of course, if things keep going this way, I'll be in the friend-zone. And nobody! And I mean nobody! Wants to be in the friend-zone. So, basically, to sum it all up, I'm in quite a predicament."
Alex took in everything Ethan had just told him and was kind of surprised he was even concerned with what was going on in Ethan's mind. If you were to tell Alex a couple of months ago that Ethan was having girl problems, that Alex would tell you to go eff yourself. But now, after getting to know Ethan a bit and deeming him not a threat but a asset to the team, Alex couldn't help but sympathize for his team mate.
"If you think you don't have a chance with Lucy then why don't you lean more toward Madison. I personally think Lucy is out of your league-"
"Thanks, coach." Ethan interrupted.
"but I think you two are more better as best friends." He continued. "I think you guys have a really special connection that no one on this team, including me and Dante, never had. You guys just seem to be one when you guys are with each other. Kind of like the twins. So you have a small crush on Lucy, big deal. I think you have deeper feelings for Madison than you realize. And I personally think you should act on those feelings before you push yourself further into the friend-zone."
"Wow…" Ethan praised after taking in all that Alex had to say.
"I know, right?"
Ethan laughed lightly. "Since when did you start giving out relationship advice? I mean, you only had one girlfriend your whole life."
"And you had none."
Ethan deadpanned. "That's a low blow, boss."
Alex actually frowned and patted Ethan's back. "Sorry."
"But I'll take your advice under consideration."
"You better."
Ethan chuckled and walked away, leaving Alex by himself for a moment. This party went better than he had expected. Especially since Emma planned it. Alex didn't know Emma had party planning skills but evidently, she did. Maybe she used the internet for tips. Then again, could she use the internet?
"Hey, look, it's Mr. Hero." Wally said from behind Alex.
Alex turned around to see Wally and Artemis together. "Hey, guys."
"Look, Artemis, Mr. Hero is talking to us." Wally said as he nudged Artemis which made her wince.
Alex looked at Artemis with concern. "You sure you should be walking around? You was pretty messed up."
"I'll live." Artemis replied with a small smile but was in pain anyways.
"Yeah. A few broken ribs, a couple of deep wounds won't hold my baby down."
"Damn right." She added but winced as she leaned on Wally for support.
Alex shook his head in disbelief. "Stop being a badass Artemis and get some rest. That's a order."
"You don't give me orders."
"I'm sure if I find Dick he will agree with me."
"Actually, Dick doesn't give me orders either."
Baffled by the statement, Alex raised a eyebrow as he tried wrapping his head around this one. "What do you mean?"
"That fight with Adam kind of took a toll on me. It worried Wally so much that we… uh…"
"We quit being heroes. For the time being, at least." Wally ended her statement.
Alex's eyes widened. "What?"
"You know it's a dangerous game we play, Alex. I can't risk losing Artemis because it would literally kill me. And I'm sure me dying would have the same effect on her. We don't want to put each other through that. So, for the time being, we're going to live the civilian life. I mean, it's the perfect timing because we're starting college. Just like Tyreese."
"Wow…" Alex remained speechless.
"We know." Wally replied with a sheepish smile.
"Don't worry, Alex. I'll still be around on occasions to whoop your butt."
"That's reassuring." Alex joked.
"You better continue your training. Just because you defeated Reno doesn't mean your 100% ready to use that bow like a pro."
Alex nodded and saluted. "Yes, ma'am."
Wally snickered. "We're definitely going to miss this place but we'll drop by on occasions."
"So what college you guys going too?"
"Stanford."
"That's a great school." He looked at Artemis. "How did you get in?" He teased with a smirk.
"Don't start. You lucky I'm too injured to beat you up."
"Yeah, yeah." Alex smiled and put his hand in front of the two. "It was a honor fighting alongside you two."
"Ditto." Wally said as he shook her hand.
"Meh." Artemis replied with a grin as she shook his hand.
After mingling with others at his party, Tyreese finally decided -after staring at Emma from afar like a predator- that now would be the right time to talk to the girl about his feelings. As he made his way toward Emma he saw the girl trying to remove herself from a conversation with the twins. Now was his chance to strike. As she moved further away from the twins and Tyreese got closer to her, Madison popped up in front of him and gave him a tight hug. Tyreese returned the hug but watched in agony as Emma walked away from the party to go somewhere more quiet. Somewhere more quiet is the perfect spot to talk but Madison just had to get in the way. He'd better talk to Madison and make it quick before Emma runs away again.
"I'm going to miss you so much." Madison said while she wrapped both her arms around his waist.
"I'm going to miss you too, Madison. But it's not like I'm never going to visit. Though it seems like everyone thinks I will never come back."
Madison released the hug and looked up at Tyreese. "I know that. I'm just going to miss having someone to take my side during arguments."
"Like when the whole base turned against you while Dante was with Zatanna."
"Exactly. I'll admit, I was a dumbass for doing what I did but you never gave up on me. You always took my side. Never left me to hang like everyone else did. You defended me and I never thanked you for that. You was always my friend."
"I'll always be your friend." Tyreese honestly said with a smile. "Even if you're dark and gloomy again."
Madison chuckled. "Not exactly my best moment."
"But you moved past that and I'm proud of you."
Madison smiled deeply. "Thanks."
"Things are going well, right?"
"I'm not going to lie to you. There are a few hiccups but I'm getting better." She looked at Ethan from afar. "Thanks to the new guy."
"Not exactly new."
Madison shrugged. "He's ok."
"Just ok?"
"Are you trying to play matchmaker, Tyreese?"
Tyreese slightly blushed as he chuckled. "Maybe."
"Yeah, Ethan told me about you trying to set him and Alex up."
"He told you about that?" After seeing her nod, he raised a eyebrow. "I thought you was mad at him. About something he said."
"Yeah, well, after slapping him a few times, he saw the errors of his ways."
Tyreese laughed lightly. "Good to see the old Madison back."
"Yeah." Madison looked around for Emma. "You should stop playing cupid and shoot one last arrow at Emma."
"What are you talking about?" Tyreese said, trying to pretend like he doesn't like her.
Madison nudged him. "You know what I mean. Shoot, everyone knows."
"Really? Come on! Is it that obvious?"
"Why are you whispering?"
"Because this is extremely uncomfortable to talk about." He continued to whisper. "Everybody knows about it except her."
"I'm sure she knows." Madison whispered back playing along with Tyreese's little game.
"How? Did you tell her? I swear if any of you told her-"
"Chill out, dude." Madison said as she put her hands up defensively. "Nobody told her."
"Tyreese wiped some sweat off his face. "Thank god."
"But we're all rooting for you. Even the twins." She placed a finger on her chin and tapped it. "Come to think of it, I think they placed a wager on it."
"What?!" Tyreese whispered.
"I said I think. Don't shoot the messenger."
"I'm going to kill those-"
"Ty," She placed a hand on his chest. "Chill. Everything is going to be ok." She patted his chest and straightened his clothes. "Today is your day, big guy. Today is the day you get the girl. So what if she may or may not feel the same way as you do. At least you tried and trying is all that matters. Right?"
Tyreese looked down at her in disbelief. "Is everyone in this team bad at giving pep talks?"
Madison nodded in agreement. "Hell yeah."
Tyreese face palmed. "This is just terrible." He looked at Madison. "How do I even go through with this? What if she doesn't like me? What if I embarrass myself and ruin our friendship?" He frowned. "What do I do, Maddie?"
"First, you need to throw those negative thoughts away. Second, you need to clear your mind, dude. Take it from me, thinking too much will make your head explode. I can tell you this, I went through the exact same thing you went through when Dante was around. Though, I chose a poor time to share my feelings with Dante, which made everyone in the base hate me, but things weren't weird between us. Well, ok, things were weird because he had a girlfriend and I kissed him and all but when he left the team, we were still friends. I never truly believed he was evil. I knew for a fact that he wasn't evil. What I'm trying to say is, things didn't technically change between us. Sure, we hated each others guts at first but after the whole Aiden fiasco, we were friends. You may tell her your feelings and she may or may not feel the same way but you'll always stay friends. And those feelings you have for her will eventually go away with time. Like my feelings for Dante are slowly getting out of my system. Though mostly it's because of his death but I know he will probably never love me like I love him. If Dante was alive right now, we would be friends and I will be happy for that. I would be happy that he was still alive. That alone would make me forget all the feelings I have for him. Because you're definitely going to miss someone you loved that died. But having them back in your life is better than not having them at all. Just take a chance, Ty. You never know what might happen."
Tyreese nodded his head at everything she said and she made sense. If Emma were to die at this moment, Tyreese would feel bad that he never expressed his feelings to her. He would regret that moment for the rest of his life and wonder, what if? What if she did like me and I took the chance? Would I be happy? Would we be together? You can't live life with regrets. Some regrets are deeper than others but you should never regret taking a chance. Regret can kill a man. Plant so many haunting thoughts in your head that makes you just want to explode with emotions. Regret and the friend-zone are terrible alone. But together, it would make you want to kill yourself. It's not very healthy.
"I'm, uh, I'm going to do it."
"Atta boy." Madison replied with a grin.
"What would Dante do?"
"He would tell you the exact same thing I told you. Dante lost his mom. I think he regrets some things from his pasts, like things he never told her. If he were given another chance, he would tell her everything he ever wanted. He would tell you to let everything out. Express how you truly feel. And if things don't go your way, oh well. At least you tried and you won't regret never telling her how you truly feel."
Tyreese smiled and hugged Madison. "Thanks Madison. Out of all the advice I've been given today, yours is the best."
Madison hugged back. "Anytime, Ty." As Tyreese released the hug, Madison looked up at him curiously. "Wait, who else gave you advice?"
"Alex."
Madison face palmed. "Don't get girl advice from Alex. He knows nothing."
"He has a girlfriend."
"This is Alex we're talking about. That idiot don't know what 2+2 is when it comes to girls."
"I don't even know what that means."
"Well, I do." She smacked him in the butt, "Now go out there and be victorious!"
"Yes, coach!" Tyreese yelled and ran out to find Emma.
Lucy ended up beside Madison. "What's up with Ty?"
"He's going to get his girl."
"About time!" Lucy turned around to address the group of people in front of her. "Guys! Tyreese is going to attempt to court Emma."
"Court? Really? How much medieval movies have you seen?" Ethan asked her.
"Too many to count." She stood on top of a table. "Alright, guys. Place your bets and let the show begin."
"This isn't right." Alex said as he looked at the display in front of him. "Betting on my friend's happiness isn't right." He dug into his pocket. "But I need to buy something for Ella, so….." He waved his money in the air. "I got twenty on Tyreese getting Emma."
Tyreese heard the soft humming of a woman's voice nearby and noticed it was Emma humming a song that he didn't recognize. Tyreese saw her sitting on the steps that led to the zeta tubes. As if she was waiting for him so she can see him before he left the base to go to his dorm. She had a medium sized rectangular box on her lap with her hands on top of it. Tyreese slowly approached Emma, trying not to startle her which would make her stop humming that beautiful tone.
"I can hear you walking." Emma said without looking up.
"Yeah, I kind of guessed that."
"I heard you coming from a mile away."
"Still getting accustomed too American sayings?"
"Yes. Some of the things you people say are quite odd."
"No kidding." Tyreese was now in front of her. He crouched down and shared a seat beside her on the stairs. "What are you doing over here? The party is over there." He pointed in the direction of where the music from the party was coming from.
"I know where it is, Tyreese."
Tyreese smiled sheepishly and let out a nervous chuckle. "Right."
"But I am here to hand you your gift personally. Before you leave us."
"I'll be back, Emma. I won't be gone forever."
"I know that. We all know that."
"Then why does everyone say things as if I'm never coming back?"
"To remind you where you came from. You was one of us before being a football player."
"And I'll continue to be one of you. I'll always be one of you. With or without powers."
"I believe you."
"You know, this birthday party you set up is really different than the one I had in that dream Reno gave us."
"How so?"
"Well, my parents were in my dream. They're always in my dreams. But Beta was definitely there." He smiled at her. "You were too. And it's funny because you planned this party and the party in my dream."
"I guess I have a thing for party planning."
Tyreese chuckled. "I guess so."
"What else happened in your dream?"
"Nothing much. Dante was still alive in my dream so that was really cool. My parents congratulated me and even appreciated me despite having superpowers. Not all parents in my country are happy that their child is gifted. Sometimes that leads to super villains." Tyreese looked down and frowned. "It was so great to see my parents. It felt so real. Which is why I was so angry with Reno. To take that away from me. To play with my mind the way he did." He clenched his fist but Emma placed her hand on it to calm him down.
"You can't blame yourself for letting it happen. He caught us all in his spell. He fed us the things we wanted most in our life."
Tyreese nodded and let his hand open. "You're right. It's just…." He looked at her seriously. "You're what I wanted most in my life. You with me, my parents, Dante being alive. Those are the things I wanted."
Emma raised a eyebrow. "Me with you?"
"You know…. Like… A couple."
Emma looked away nervously. "Oh…"
"I, uh, need to get something off my chest. Please, just listen."
Emma hesitated but looked at him as serious as he was looking at her. "Okay."
"Since the day I met you I knew I had feelings for you. From the first time you punched me because I was being sexist, I knew I wanted to be with you. Seeing you push yourself to the limit inspired me to become more. I wanted to become more for myself, for the team and for you. I don't think you've ever realize how much I really do like you. Every time I spend time with you I ache because I wonder if you like me the same way I like you. Those thoughts continue to haunt my mind and I'm telling you all of this to get a answer from you. Emma, I think I'm in love with you. Now, I know what you're thinking, 'how can he be in love with me? He hardly even knows me.'. And you're right. I hardly know you. But I want to get to know you more. I've shown you how to fit into this world. Yet, you never showed me how to fit into yours. I don't mean the world you came from. I mean your personal world. What makes you, you? I know you're not the emotional type which makes everything I'm saying even more hard to say." He chuckled. "You have no idea how nervous I am right now. I'm surprised I'm not stuttering. But Emma, I really do have feelings for you and I want to make you as happy as you make me when we spend time together."
Emma's eyes were opened wide. For the first time, a boy from the world of man has expressed his feelings for her. Growing up on her island, Emma didn't know what it meant to love someone other then your family. Emma loved her mother and she loved the outsider Cassie. But Tyreese? Could she love him the same way he loves her. How would she even begin to show her 'love' for him. The only thing she knew about love for another person other than family is from movies. But even in those, love is not always perfect. But those people seemed to be happy when they were with someone they loved. It seemed to make them do more than they are capable of doing. One thing she learned from those movies is that love makes you do and say things you don't usually do or say.
"Tyreese… I… uh…" Before she could speak, Tyreese moved closer and kissed her on the lips. If she thought her eyes couldn't get any wider, it just did. It felt as if her eyes wanted to pop out.
But as Tyreese kissed her, she felt her body tingle from his touch. He placed his hand on her cheek and she closed her eyes, trying to enjoy the kiss but also kiss back. She wasn't good at it and so was he. They were both inexperienced with it. When Emma tried kissing back, Tyreese moved his lips away and looked away in embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry, I should have never done that."
Emma grabbed his head, turned it toward her and moved her lips closer to his. For ten long seconds the two kissed each other. It felt good for the both of them. As if a spark ignited. As if this was meant to be. But is it? Was this right? Tyreese loved her and Emma was just confused. She didn't know how to love a man. She definitely had feelings for Tyreese but not the kind he had for her. But maybe, with time, she can develop those feelings. That would mean they would have to take things really slow.
As they broke free from each other's faces, Tyreese and Emma couldn't help but blush as they looked into each others eyes. "Um… wow…"
Emma looked away and grabbed her head. "This is just so confusing. I like you, Tyreese, I really do, but I don't think I love you. I don't know how to love. I don't know if I'll be able to love you like you love me."
"But if you give me a chance, maybe I can make you feel what love is like. Believe me, love is a beautiful thing when two people are wrapped in it's grips. Just give me a chance, Emma. I swear you won't regret it."
Emma ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't know, Tyreese. If we were to get into this thing you're people call a relationship, I think it would have to go really slow."
"As slow as you want. I don't care if it takes until next year for you to love me. As long as we're together, I'll be happy."
Emma placed a hand nervously on Tyreese's cheek and gave him a peck on the lips. "I'm confused right now, Tyreese. But… just give me some time to think about this. Okay?"
Tyreese nodded. "Of course. Take as long as you want."
Emma smiled and looked down at her lap to see the gift she had for Tyreese. Because of everything that had just happened, Emma almost completely forgot about the gift. As if she was in another world with Tyreese. She couldn't explain the feeling but it definitely felt good. She picked up the box with both hands and presented it to Tyreese.
"What's this?" Tyreese asked as he looked down at the box.
"It's your birthday gift. Alex said it was tradition to bring a present to a birthday party."
"You shouldn't have."
She pushed it to his chest. "Just take it."
Tyreese did as he was told and took the box from her. "I worked on it while I was back home. My mother and my…sister helped me put it together."
Tyreese opened the box and looked at the golden necklace laid out in front of him. It had charms that Tyreese sort of recognized but needed clarification.
"What is it?" Tyreese asked as he took it out of the box.
"It's a blessing from the Gods. The necklace and the charms were made by Hephaestus. The God of Crafting. Whether it be weapons or jewelry."
Tyreese smiled. "That's really cool."
Emma placed her hand on his and moved the necklace around to showcase it too him. "The charms are each a characteristic of the Gods." She pointed to each one, gaining Tyreese's attention with each of the charms she pointed at. "The lighting bolt is Zeus. The wave of water is Poseidon. The book is Athena. The sword is Ares. The wings belong to Hermes. The bow belongs to Artemis. The god, not the hero." She clarified which made Tyreese smiled. She continued translating which charm belonged to which God.
At the end of it, Tyreese was extremely grateful. Because not only did he love Greek Mythology -something he got into because of Emma- but the fact that Emma saw a actual God and begged him to create this for him made it even more special. Hephaestus may have created the necklace and the charms but Emma and her family put it together for this special occasion. This is literally the best gift Tyreese had ever gotten from anyone. Emma actually gave him a reason to look forward to his birthday. Sure, things may go slow between them but Tyreese had a feeling that things were going to get better between them.
"I love this gift, Emma. Thank you very much." Tyreese said sincerely with a smile.
"Anytime, Tyreese." Emma replied with equal affection.
Unknown Location
Unknown Time
"It is a rare occasion when we all meet in person." Ra's Al Ghul said as he stepped out of the shadows to greet his fellow conspirators.
"Rare indeed. But such times calls for drastic measures." Lex Luthor said as the Light leaders stood in a circle.
"These drastic times you describe is over, Luthor. The true plan is coming into motion thanks to the help of our favorite experiments." Savage said as he looked at the well groomed man in front of him.
"Favorite experiments? Must I remind you those 'favorite experiments' of yours could have destroyed us if Beta hadn't gotten in the way."
"Should have, could have, would have, but didn't."
"I'd have to agree with Lex on this one, Savage. Those experiments you made us approve have become quite troublesome. Indeed, Beta has saved us from the FIVE, but for how long? With Eve's escape, it's only a matter of time before she finds the rest of her people and release them from their captivity." Queen Bee spoke up.
"Do you all hear yourselves? How can we possibly be afraid of a bunch of kids with a appetite for revenge? It would take far more than just FIVE super powered individuals to take us down and destroy years worth of work." Ra's Al Ghul added.
"May I remind you all that the FIVE aren't the only threat. It appears that their creator held a grudge. And with that grudge, he created hundreds, maybe even thousands of more just like them. They Ra's," Lex looked at Ra's, "Are the true threat. We can't just stand idly by while the FIVE regroup and gather their troops and resources. I say we exterminate our pest problem while it's still a small pest problem. We wouldn't want them to multiply."
"I agree with, Lex." Klarion said. "We must dispose of them before they TRULY become a problem. I wouldn't mind destroying a bunch of insects. Just give me their location and I'll take care of it."
"Enough!" Savage shouted to gather attention of the individuals around them as they bickered amongst themselves. "Surly, the FIVE have become a problem. But they are a problem for another day. As of right now, our greatest threat is the one we have been dealing with for years. The Justice League and Young Justice have become thorns on our sides. It's about time we execute the plan we have been planning for years."
"The excommunication of all heroes? Now is the time?" Brain asked.
"Yes. While the FIVE have become a problem, they did prove to be quite useful. With their help, we've gathered enough evidence to show the world that heroes are not what the people think they are. And of course, we have a avatar to steer the public to our side. Soon my comrades, we won't have to deal with the Justice League or Beta. No… When this plan is executed, and executed perfectly if I might add, things will become a lot more easier for us. Our true plan will come into motion and with the people of the world on our side, no one will stop us from achieving greatness. For we are the Light that leads the way through darkness. And this world has been dark for too long. It's about time Earth shines as bright as any beacon. And soon, the galaxy will know to never trespass in our territory. They will soon know that Earth is not to be trifled with." Savage stated confidently to his fellow comrades with a grin on his face
On the next episode of Young Justice: Beta...
The Suicide Squad returns after months of hiding but what brings them out of the shadows? And what exactly is it that they want with the President of the United States? As Beta comes to the rescue of the President, was it for a good reason? Because what follows will forever change the world for Heroes. Find out next Friday on YJB!
