"And this is our grand foyer, I hope you like it" Duck's father said.
Tech, Rev and Lexi gawked at the enormity of the room they had just walked into. Its ceiling raised up so high, that one could mistake it for some kind of grand cathedral. The floor was just as gallant, being made of pristinely polished and intricately placed tilework.
"Damn Duck, how rich is your family?" Lexi gaped.
"Oh, pretty rich I guess" Duck shrugged. This was no big deal to him, but to Lexi, Tech and Rev, who had never been to his family's mansion before, it was quite the sight to see. They were surprised at how Duck's parents, Chuck and Joanna Avery, had invited them over for a tour of the place. Duck was the only member of the team with human parents, seeing as he was adopted, though his past was not something he often brought up. Seeing firsthand how luxurious Duck's childhood home was, Tech was quite glad he seldom brought it up. On their way in they had passed several servants, yet Mr. and Mrs. Avery were conducting the tour themselves.
"Right this way please" Mr. Avery instructed as he led them up a curved staircase.
"Duck, did you really grow up here?" Tech asked, still in partial disbelief at the grandiosity of it all.
"Well, it might not have been this place exactly. I do recall spending a lot more time at our summer mansion out in the country" Duck answered, for once not even aware of how pompous he sounded. Tech could not help but think how unfair the world was, knowing he had to grow up in a single apartment, while someone like Duck got to live here. Then again, it did make him wonder if being raised in this environment had anything to do with Duck's ego and need for attention. He decided to keep the thought to himself, and simply focus on the tour.
"And here's a lovely portrait we commissioned of our dear Duck" Mrs. Avery gestured up at an enormous portrait of Duck in a suit, looking very sophisticated. The size of the painting could not be overstated, it was larger than some buildings. As Rev, Tech and Lexi continued to stare at the over-exorbitant enormitude of everything present, Duck and Mr. and Mrs. Avery continued on, as if all of this was of little interest or significance. On they went, grand hall after grand hall; Lexi was surprised they managed to not get lost in a place like this. Some notable locations included, but are not limited to, the indoor pool, the outdoor pool, the sauna, the private movie theater, the holodeck, the ballroom, the dungeon, the bomb shelter, the second private theater, the arcade, and a miniature amusement park. All of these locations were accompanied by some sort of anecdote about something supposedly amazing Duck did as a child, which his parents could not help but bring up. By the time the tour was wrapping up, the group was beginning to get tired of walking around the mansion, and hearing how great Duck was. The room they ended on was a lovely sitting room, complete with a fireplace, coffee table and several luscious chairs.
Without hesitation the group sat down, exhausted from being on their feet for so long. Mr. and Mrs. Avery sat down as well, ringing a little bell. As they did so, a butler waltzed in.
"May I be of service?" He asked.
"We could use some tea and hors d'oeuvres for the group?" Chuck requested.
"Certainly sir" the butler bowed then left briskly.
"It certainly is nice to finally get off our feet" Joanna noted, "So what did you think of our humble little mansion? I'm certain it's nothing compared to that tower you super heroes live in."
Tech, Rev and Lexi all looked at each other, knowing full well that in terms of scope alone this place gave the Loonatics Tower a run for its money. It was true that from the perspective of technology and weaponry they probably outclassed the Avery mansion, but in terms of sheer variety of rooms and luxury, they could not compete.
"Well Mrs. Avery I can certainly say that your mansion is quite… impressive" Tech said, trying to find the right words.
"Oh, you flatter me!" Mrs. Avery smiled, just as the butler from before and a maid brought in some trays of tea and snacks. They quickly set everything up on the coffee table and soon enough everyone found themselves drinking a cup of tea.
"You know, Duck hardly ever talks about what it's like having such an important job" Mr. Avery began, "I'm curious, what's it like? I hope our boy doesn't get in the way too much."
"Dad! I don't get in the way, I'm a part of the team! I'm saving the day!" Duck said, offended.
"I don't know Duck, getting in the way is a pretty accurate description" Lexi joked, eliciting laughter from the group as Duck pouted irritably.
"I'd-say-that-life-as-a-super-hero-really-isn't-all-that-different-from-life-as-a-civilian-with-the-key-exception-that-our-lives-are-on-the-line-most-of-the-time-but-recently-I-would-say-things-have-been-pretty-calm-so-it's-not-all-bad-especially-the-day-to-day-stuff-but-then-again-I-don't-want-to-speak-for-the-whole-team-seeing-as-I-am-only-one-member-and-so-I-think-everyone-else-might-have-a-different-perspective-on-things" Rev rambled, trying to answer Chuck's question. Duck's parents seemed almost dumbfounded at the speed at which Rev talked.
"Do, uh, do you always talk that fast, son?" Mr. Avery asked.
"Am-I-talking-fast? I-hadn't-even-noticed-to-be-honest-since-this-is-just-my-normal-speaking-voice-but-if-you-wanted-me-to-talk-fast-thenthisismetalkingfast-" Rev was quickly cut off my Lexi clamping her hand around his beak.
"Trust me, you get used to it" she said jokingly, trying her best to make a positive impression.
"Easier said than done" Duck scoffed.
"Say, now that I think about it, something doesn't add up" Tech queried, "Duck you said that at the time of the impact you were working as a pool cleaner, but why would you work a job like that if your parents are this rich?"
"Can't a man go out and earn a living on his own?" Duck answered with an air of superiority. His mother soon interjected a much more accurate version of events.
"We wanted our little Ducky-poo to learn some responsibility, so we got him the job. After all, we knew he couldn't just go through life being handed everything" Joanna clarified.
"Mom! Don't go calling me Ducky-poo in front of my friends!" Duck hissed. Lexi, Rev and Tech all chuckled to themselves at Duck's embarrassment.
"I must say though" Chuck said, "We are very proud of how our little Duck turned out. Every day we tune into the news to see what you lot have done to help save the city. Knowing our son is part of such an important team just fills us with pride. You all do such wonderful work."
"Awe shucks, it's nothing" Rev said as he Tech and Lexi were all humbled by Mr. Avery's compliments.
"With that in mind" Mr. Avery continued, "I do admittedly have a small request for you, if it won't be too much trouble." This greatly undercut the calm mood. Tech did not yet know what it was Mr. Avery was going to request from them, but such things always filled him with an undesirable apprehension. He knew Rev and Lexi were feeling the same way. Such requests were usually making special guest appearances, for instance doing fund raisers or auctions. They had agreed to appear in public and accept an award on the one-year anniversary of the impact, but other than that they kept their appearances to a minimum. The most recent thing they had agreed to was to visited some children's hospitals, but that was mainly due to it simply being the right thing to do. The whole reason they avoided public appearances was because they were technically supposed to be on alert for dangers as often as possible; as of late, however, it seemed less and less likely that such a threat would occur. In spite of this Ace had remained constantly vigilant. He seemed convinced that something big could strike at any moment.
"I know that something like this probably won't fit into your busy schedules" Mr. Avery said, "But I was wondering if you would make an appearance at a little fundraiser, we're doing this weekend."
Tech was right, it was a fundraiser. The standard protocol they had for this was to just say no and move on, but the fact that it was Duck's parents put them in a bit of an awkward place. Not to mention they had been invited here and were now being served tea and snacks, meaning it would be quite rude to just turn them down. Tech, Rev and Lexi all exchanged nervous glances. If they really needed to get out of it then they could just say Ace wouldn't allow it. He was the team leader after all, so if they said they were not allowed to do something on his authority, then it would seem plausible, as well as shift the blame off of them.
"What sort of fundraiser are we talking here?" Lexi asked nervously.
"Ooh I'm certain you all will love it!" Mrs. Avery exclaimed, "We're hosting this brilliant gala here at the mansion for all our wealthie- I mean, favorite investors. It's an extravagant formal occasion. We would be absolutely honored to have you as guests." She gave a hopeful smile, making it all the more difficult to turn her down.
"Well… I don't know" Tech began. Before he could finish, Duck signaled to him from behind his parents, silently begging. Tech could not recall seeing Duck so blatantly desperate before. He sighed, before looking to his two companions, silently confirming that they were all on the same page. This was not something any of them wanted to do, nor was it something they would normally do, but this was a special circumstance.
"I suppose… we could attend" Tech answered with a deep reluctance.
"Oh, how wonderful!" Joanna clapped her hands together joyously, "I just know we're all going to have the time of our lives! We can't thank you enough!"
"I'm beginning to regret this already" Rev murmured to Tech under his breath as Duck silently thanked them.
"I hope you realize you owe us for this Duck" Lexi said as the four of them entered the main room back at Loonatics HQ.
"What does he owe ya for?" Ace asked, looking up from his book.
"Turns out the trip to Duck's mansion was all a ruse just to get us to agree to go to some dumb fundraiser his parents are throwing this weekend" Lexi complained.
"A fundraiser? Duck you know we don't do dat sort'a thing!" Ace scolded.
"Cut me some slack" Duck said, trying to defend himself, "They've roped me into it every year, and this time I said I could maybe convince some of you to tag along! How was I supposed to know they were just going to spring it on you like that?"
"You could have given us some warning" Tech commented, grabbing something to drink from the kitchen.
"Look, I'm sorry, ok? We're all stuck in it now so the best thing to do is just to go and get it over with" Duck groaned, flopping down on the couch.
"Correction Duck, both Slam and I have yet to agree, which means we'll be stayin' behind. I know you're all goin' out ta some fancy event, but I want each of you ta be ready for action, should I need you. Take the fastest jet we have, and take any equipment you need with you" Ace advised. They all agreed. The chances of some danger striking the city while they were at the fundraiser was slim, but in a way, each of them hoped a villain would strike. After all, it would be an excuse to leave.
With all of their plans out of the way and nothing else to do for the rest of the afternoon, each of the Loonatics resumed their daily activities. Tech knew he wouldn't be able to get much work done, but he figured some would be better than none. He had scarcely started in the lab when he felt two arms wrap around him.
"Hiya" Rev greeted with a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey" Tech said, turning away from his desk, "What's up?" They were now facing each other, with Tech sitting on his workbench, looking up at his boyfriend.
"Well, I was thinking" Rev began swaying with his arms behind his back, "If we're both going to the gala together, does this count as our second date?"
Tech blinked, this was something he had not considered. The idea of going to this fancy occasion with Rev on his arm certainly made it sound more pleasant than the normal events he had to addend like this.
"No" Tech answered.
"W-what?" Rev stuttered, a bit concerned.
"You asked if this counts as our second date. On our first date, I said I would be the one to plan our second date. Since I'm not planning this, this can't be our second date, meaning it will be our third date instead" Tech clarified.
Rev scratched his head, "So, let me get this right. Instead of having a first date, a second date, and a third date, we will instead be having a first date, a third date, and then a second date?"
"That's right" Tech smiled. Rev shrugged, not bothering to question it.
"Hey-whatever-works-for-you-works-for-me" Rev then nearly zipped out of the lab, stopping at the door, "By-the-way-remember-to-wear-something-nice!" With that he was gone. Tech turned back to his work. A third date with Rev. He had meant it simply as a joke, but now he was beginning to wonder if Rev saw it the same way he did. He wondered as to whether or not this would affect the pace of their relationship. He did not want to move things along too fast, although with Rev as the person he was dating, it was entirely possible that that would prove difficult. To be fair, they were already far closer than most other people were at this stage. Was that a little too analytical? Perhaps he was overthinking it; then again, perhaps not.
Rev meanwhile had begun running on the treadmill designed specifically to keep up with his immense speed. Trying to stand still during that agonizingly slow tour had been outright torture! He needed to burn off all the extra energy he had pent up. He had the tv on while he ran, and tried to concentrate on that, but no matter what was on he could not help but think about his upcoming date with Tech. Their third date, although technically it was still their second date, labeled to be their third date. Still, it was a date regardless of what number it was assigned. Their first date had been so casual, this on the other hand was a whole other beast. They would probably need to act all fancy and formal, not to mention Duck's parents probably expected them to schmooze with the other guests. The more he thought about it the less relaxing it seemed. Never the less, at least he would have Tech by his side.
Suddenly, without noticing the change in program, Rev realized the show he was watching had ended. Now it seemed they were playing some sort of daytime talk show. This would be undoubtably boring; he could just tell. He was about to reach for the remote to turn it off, when one of the hosts said something that grabbed his attention.
"Ok, ok but as long as we're talking controversy, can we talk about Rev and Tech?"
Another one of the hosts chimed in, "Now hold on, hold on! Don't go painting those two in that light, we barely know anything."
"We know enough."
"Oh please, define enough!"
"Look, all I'm saying-"
"Oh, here we go again!"
"Hey, hey, let me get a word in edgewise here! All I'm saying is that what we do know doesn't make them look that good."
"So, you're siding with the parents then?"
"Well, it's not as if those two have put out a statement of their own or anything. Whose word am I supposed to go by?"
Rev turned the tv off. He was beginning to get tired of his life being discussed like some sort of object of study. He wasn't news worthy, he was just Rev. The roadrunner sat down, wiping away some sweat with a towel. He sat there for a moment, catching his breath, thinking. He glanced toward his phone and picked it up. He scrolled through his contacts until he landed on his brother. It had been a while since he had spoken to Rip. They texted sporadically, but the last time they had an actual proper conversation was when Rev came out to him. He knew his parents were unhappy about all of this, but how was his brother taking it? He pressed Rip's number. The phone rang for a moment or two, then he suddenly got an answer from the other end.
"Hey" Rip said, not particularly cheerful. Rev was used to his brother being rather low energy, but there was something about the tone of his voice that gave off a different vibe. There was a mixture of emotions which could just barely be parsed out; there was fear, there was joy, there was sadness, there was apprehension, but all of them were delivered in that flat voice of Rip's. Things had changed, and they both knew it.
"Hi" Rev answered back, not quite sure where to start, "Ma and Pa aren't within ear shot are they?"
"If they were do you think I would have answered the phone?"
"Yeah, yeah. Hey uh, how are they taking it?"
"They don't really… talk about it much. I mean, they do, but they don't really talk about it, if that makes sense? I don't think I really have a grasp on how they feel to be honest. I mean, the most I really get out of Pa is a sort of frustration. It's like…I donno, I guess he just feels kind of betrayed by the whole thing. Ma seems mostly just worried about you. I think she thinks you're gonna get eaten during sex or something like that. I mean, I guess that's better than Pa's reaction, but take it how you will." Rip paused. He was trying to keep up that bored demeanor, though Rev could tell he was hiding some emotions beneath the surface.
"And… how are you taking it?" Rev asked.
"Me?" Rip said, "Bro, I'm still in high school; it matters less what I think and more so what everyone else does."
"So, what do they think?"
"Oh, I donno. I mean, you hear a lot of the same of gay jokes and stuff. People sometimes ask me if I knew or if I have any inside information, and I just say I don't know."
"They're not bullying you, are they?"
"Oh please, I can threaten to have you beat them to a pulp if need be."
"That's good, I mean I won't actually beat high schoolers to a pulp, but it's good that you aren't being bullied" Rev paused, "So, now that I know what they think, what do you think? I meant to break it gently, but obviously that didn't work out as planned."
"Well…" Rip thought for a moment, "I…I guess I wasn't particularly surprised. I mean, the way you always talked about him, and the way you two worked on the robo-amigo together, it wasn't much of a stretch."
Rev smiled, "If it was really that obvious then I wish you would have told me. It would have saved everyone a lot of time."
"Ok, well maybe next time I will" Rip joked, a little bit of joviality slipping into his voice.
Suddenly, another voice could be heard in the background, "Rip, we're home, and we brought dinner!" It was their mother.
"I gotta go!" Rip said urgently.
"Ok-ok! Uh, good-luck-with-everything-and-just-keep-doing-your-best-I-guess-ok-bye!" Rev said quickly.
"Thanks!" Rip said before hanging up. Rev placed the phone down next to him. He gave a sigh of relief, knowing that if nothing else, Rip was doing ok. At least, the hoped so. It was entirely possible that his brother was just putting on a brave face for his sake. Either way, there was not much he could do about it at the moment. Maybe one day he would get his parents to come around to Tech, but that would take time. For the time being, he would just need to focus on the relationship itself.