Chapter 4
"…the missiles were disarmed and re-directed by Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman, while Flash, Green Lantern and the Martian Manhunter raced to the Ukraine to discover the cause of the launch. U.N. officials stated that, according to Justice League reports, the highest members of the Ukrainian government had been controlled by the Mind-Eater and are now recuperating in an undisclosed locale.
"Mind-Eater is currently under restraint at S.T.A.R. Labs, pending a trial in Geneva for crimes against humanity."
Freddy leaned back and regarded the words on his screen. This was easy reporting, paraphrasing from AP, UPI and other wire services reports. His mind drifted to his friend and former mentor…
*****
It had been C.C.'s third birthday. The house was full of screaming kids from C.C.'s preschool, plus the Bromfields as proud grandparents. Leaving the manic gaggle of children under their supervision for a moment, Freddy limped into the kitchen to see how Mary was doing with the cake.
"Looks great, dear," he said encouragingly. And it did, especially for a homemade job. The frosting depicted a battle scene between three Ultra-Pokemon, the latest craze.
"Thanks, hon," Mary said, and leaned over to kiss him. They were distracted by a new note in the children's screaming. Hurriedly they ran outside.
Captain Marvel stood surrounded by children. He carried a massive box in his hands, and smiled genially as the children yelped and scrabbled at him. Freddy shot Mary a look, but her face was carefully impassive. Freddy knew that look; she was exceptionally angry and doing her best not to show it.
"Captain Marvel!" Nick Bromfield shouted out, casting a nervous eye toward his adopted daughter. "What a surprise!"
"I came to see the birthday boy," Marvel said. Making his way carefully to the picnic table set up for the presents, he set his box next to it.
C.C. was jumping up and down waving his arms. "That's me! That's me!"
With a chuckle, Marvel swept the boy up and settled him on his shoulders. "Have I missed the cake yet?"
Parading around the yard, he finally came to Mary and Freddy. Stopping, he offered them a tentative smile. "Hi, guys," he said.
Mary reached out her arms. Marvel lifted C.C. off of them and gave the delighted boy to his mother. "Go play now, C.C.," she said. "I have to talk to Captain Marvel."
Oblivious to the tension, C.C. ran off to play. Marvel, Mary and Freddy stood staring at one another.
"I came…" Marvel started, but Mary cut him off.
"It's too late, Billy," she said, her voice tight and cold. "You're my brother. You should have been here for our wedding. You should have been here for his birth," she said gesturing to C.C. "Or his christening. You can't come swooping in now and expect it to be all right."
"I just wanted…"
"Go away, Billy," Mary said.
Billy turned on his heel and walked away. Stopping by C.C. he knelt down. "I gotta go, big guy," he said, ruffling the boy's hair. "Superhero stuff."
"Can I come too?" C.C. begged.
Marvel smiled. "Not this time, big guy." He leaned down and kissed the boy on the top of the head. "Happy Birthday."
With a final glance toward Mary and Freddy, he flew away.
C.C. loved his full-sized Ultra-Pokemon robot pet, straight from Tokyo. The cake was demolished and eaten without a care.
*****
With a shake of his head, Freddy sent off his report and shut the computer down. He wondered if, maybe, just maybe they had been more welcoming…maybe Billy wouldn't be so messed up now.
And maybe if Superman were here, things would be better.
And maybe if they were all good boys and girls, Santa Claus would give them their hearts' desire.
*****
Captain Marvel heaved the last of the missiles onto his shoulder and swam for the surface.
He and Wonder Woman hadn't had much time, so they'd disarmed the explosive warheads and dumped the missiles in the north Atlantic. Now, with Mind-Eater taken care of, it was time to clean up. Marvel planned to toss these into the sun, as the JLA had with a few other "errant" missiles before.
"'Bout time." The sardonic voice echoed in his head. Glancing around, Marvel saw Orin, King of Atlantis floating nearby, a bemused smirk on his face.
"Your majesty," Marvel projected back. "I promise you I will have these out of your kingdom in no time…"
"Can it, Batson. Relax. I wanted to talk to you."
Marvel thought, with a sinking stomach, that he knew what the ex-Aquaman wanted to talk about.
"Let me get rid of these, and I'll be right back."
"Don't get distracted by terrorists in Tunisia or anything. I'll be here."
Marvel nodded and carried his payload up, out of the atmosphere. All the way, he dreaded his upcoming talk with the King of the Seven Seas.
Launching the missiles sunward and checking with the Wisdom that they would, indeed, impact into the sun, Captain Marvel turned toward the planet and aimed himself for the North Atlantic.
Moments later, he spotted Orin waiting patiently, bobbing between the waves. "Let's get out of this cold," Orin said. "Give me a lift, I'll take you to an island I know."
"Okay."
And moments after that, they landed on a beach of an island near Bermuda.
"So," Orin began. "You and Diana."
"No. There is nothing between Diana and myself. We're just colleagues."
"That's not what I hear," Orin replied. "I understand you're palling around with her quite a bit these days. Taking her to see the family."
"That's not what it—"
Orin raised a hand. "I don't care. Well, I do, but…anyway. If you're not getting romantically involved, then what's going on?"
"I'm not sure that's any of your business."
Orin glowered and flexed his right hand. "I think it is."
"If Diana wishes to discuss it with you…"
Orin raised his right hand and jabbed his index finger at the Captain. "Listen, Batson, I'm talking to you, not her, and…"
Before he'd even realized what he'd done, or had any warning he was about to do it, Marvel had smacked Orin's hand to the side.
"You listen to me now, Aquaman," he heard himself snarling. "I don't have to take any of this crap from you anymore. I am no longer the overawed child who found himself a part of the League. I am no longer a junior member bowing to a senior. And I am damn well not about to let you intimidate me. You want to discuss this? Discuss it with her. You want something else, though, you better think about it. Because, to put it bluntly, I know I can take you.
"And from now on, you call me Captain Marvel. Got it?"
Throughout Marvel's speech, delivered in a low, threatening growl, Orin had found himself unconsciously taking a step back. Marvel had watched as the ruler of Atlantis' eyes had grown wider and his complexion just a shade paler. Winding down, Marvel felt suddenly embarrassed. He felt like a bully.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. Opening them, he saw Orin studying him carefully.
"I'm sorry, your Majesty," Marvel said, in a much calmer tone of voice. "That was rude of me. However, my position remains the same. If you wish to discuss this, I recommend you contact Princess Diana. I do not wish to talk about it."
"Bi—Captain," Orin said carefully. He adopted Marvel's use of a formal pattern of speech. "I, too, apologize. You were right; this is beyond the boundaries of what we can expect from our acquaintance."
Marvel felt tired and sad. One more thing, he thought. One more person I'm isolated from. I'm really not human anymore, am I?
His jaw worked as he thought about how to articulate this, how to apologize. Giving up, he flew away.
*****
"He what?"
On the big monitor Orin shook his head in disbelief. "He…he threatened me. He took it back afterwards, but right then…I tell you, Bruce, he wanted to pulp me."
Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose. The call from Orin had come as a surprise; he and the king had never really gotten along. Too alike, Bruce supposed.
"I've never seen Captain Marvel angry," Orin was saying. "But, man…he could give Clark a run for his money."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Bruce muttered.
"What's going on, Bruce?"
"I don't know, Arthur…Orin…whatever you're calling yourself. It's something that I think we all suffer from however. At least, everyone who puts on a mask.
"I don't think Billy knows who he is. But I think he's finding out. And I think that we may be in trouble."
*****
As Captain Marvel arrived at the Watchtower he found he was shaking.
Had he really been prepared to fight Orin? For what? For pointing a finger at him?
"Hey, CM. You're just in time. It's your turn for monitor duty," Kyle was saying.
Marvel shook his head, taking a sharp deep breath. "Yes, of course. Thank you, Kyle."
"You okay, Cap?" Kyle asked.
Marvel considered telling him. After all, Kyle was older than he was and had comported himself admirably as both a hero and a Green Lantern. But somehow, Marvel didn't feel like talking to the still-exuberant man right this second.
"I'm fine, Kyle. Just a little out of it. You know how it is."
"Heh. Yeah. Do I." With a cheerful wave GL flew off, surrounded by his emerald aura. Captain Marvel floated up to the monitor chair, surrounded by hundreds of screens.
Monitor duty was actually something of a welcome down time for Marvel. He could sit and let his mind wander, confident that the Wisdom would alert him to any crisis that he needed to pay attention to long before the monitors gave an alarm. Dick had noted that during the hours Marvel attended the monitors, response time was reduced significantly, and team efficiency went up a notable amount.
Marvel brooded, his brow furrowed, his fingers steepled in front of his face. What was going on with him? What had Diana's kiss unlocked?
He was awash in emotions that he was no longer accustomed to. Excitement, fear, guilt, anger…all of them waged war in him and he was lost, unable to cope. He just didn't have the experience.
"I am told it is like riding a bicycle," a smooth deep voice said.
"Hello, J'onn," Marvel answered, his voice toneless.
"Please, forgive me, Billy…or is it Captain now?"
"Have you been talking to Orin?"
"Not at all. I was drawn here. Your thoughts spilled through me, and I could not help but…overhear."
"J'onn…how did you adjust to Earth? How did you learn to feel comfortable among the humans?"
'The humans'. J'onn made mental note of that.
"It was difficult. I had no understanding of your culture, your society. I listened, quietly, and walked among you as much as I could. And I met some very good friends who helped me."
"The original League."
"Yes. In particular Aquaman."
That took Marvel by surprise. "Really?"
"Oh, yes. He and I talked quite a bit. Sometimes it helps to have someone who is just as lost as you. You can discover the way together."
A thought pulsed through Marvel's mind and his heart quickened. "Maybe…maybe that's all it is."
"Hmm? All what is?"
Marvel closed his eyes and searched. There she was. Combat practice in her Wonderdome. Marvel opened his eyes again.
"J'onn, could I ask a favor of you?"
*****
Diana rolled, mere microseconds before the massive marble fist smashed down, right where her head had been. In a fluid, graceful movement she was up, launching herself over the giant's head, her lasso uncoiling as she leapt. Snagging it neatly in the giant's open mouth like reins for a horse, she swung, planting her feet in the middle of the giant's back and pulling with all her might. With a roar, the giant bent backwards, impelled by the awesome strength of the Amazon warrior's muscles.
Diana heard a cracking snap and felt her lasso go slack, causing her to drop. Glancing up, she saw the top of the marble giant's head plunging toward her. Flipping in mid-air, she landed on her feet, knees flexed and let the force of her fall assist her roll out of harm's way. The mammoth chunk of rock smashed into the floor and splintered explosively. With the ease of many years of practice, Diana deflected the jagged shards with her bracelets.
The sound of applause reached her. Turning she saw Captain Marvel standing safely to one side, clapping.
"Very impressive," he said, his tone honest. "Though wouldn't that be fatal?"
"I wouldn't use it on an organic being," she answered.
Marvel nodded. "Of course not."
"What can I do for you, Billy?"
Captain Marvel seemed to flinch a bit at the name, but maintained a composed demeanor.
"I had a talk with J'onn and he gave me some very interesting insights," he said.
"Such as?"
"Such as perhaps we can help each other." Briefly, he recapped his conversation with the Martian Manhunter.
"I'm not sure I understand," Diana said. Her tone was dubious.
"Be my friend, Diana. Let's go see the world again, and try to explain it to each other.
"I need help. I'm losing control, and…and I could use someone who understands."
Diana had never heard Captain Marvel talk like this before. Even in the beginning, when he had been a young boy gifted with incredible power, he had never seemed so lost, so forlorn. So sad.
She reflected on her own situation. Recently she had come to realize that she felt…lonely. And had for a long time. Since Kal had gone it felt like she had nobody to talk to. She realized that Marvel's idea appealed to her for very personal reasons. The same reasons, it seemed, as the Captain's.
"Of course, Captain. Of course I'll be your friend."
"Please…call me Billy."