"Futures"
By: The One, The Only… Angelic Temptress (and the crowd goes wild)
Disclaimer: I want them for my birthday. It's in November, in case you were wondering.
Rating: Do I really have to? I guess I better. PG-13
Spoilers: Um. Rex. And "Epilogue" because Terry mentioned Selina.
A/N: Wishful thinking? Enjoy.
And, of course, thanks to my beta reader. Missy is amazing in every way. ;)
VvV
(Chapter 3)
"He looks like his mother."
"Yes. He does."
Bruce slowly spins his chair to face the Lantern and folds his hands beneath his chin. "But why are you here now? Isn't it too soon? He's only a teenager."
"It's never too soon to start preparing an impulsive boy, especially when he's as hotheaded and reckless as Shayera Hol." John takes a few steps toward his former colleague. "He made his decision."
After rubbing his chin, Bruce stands and starts for the uniform cases. He flips a switch, and the Nightwing suit lowers as the Warhawk prototype slides forward. It still doesn't completely resemble the uniform Lantern and Batman saw from the future, but it will soon.
"I've already begun designing the new Batman's suit as well."
VvV
Selina walks into the floral shop and takes off her sunglasses. The blonde behind the counter doesn't raise her gaze as she informs her customers that she'll be just a moment.
When her blue eyes move from the arrangement she is finishing, Selina notes the disdain in them and smiles nonetheless. She isn't here to torment her former enemy; Selina is here to have Rex meet her.
Dinah sports an expression of pure confusion when she realizes Selina isn't alone.
"He's not mine, so don't wear that look. He belongs to John and Shayera."
Rex's eyes widen at the blunt statement.
"You're kidding."
"Nope."
Dinah comes around the counter and strolls straight up to the teenager. With a sad smile, she touches the boy's cheek. "You are one lucky boy," she whispers and then looks at Selina. "Would you two like some coffee? I can close the store early today. I'm not really that busy."
The boy nods. "Coffee would be great."
The mismatched trio moves to the back of the shop once the sign is switched from Open to Closed. Dinah immediately starts the coffee maker and motions her guests to sit down. When she does the same, she asks why they've made a trip.
"Well, Bruce told me Rex is interested in following the footsteps of his parents, and I thought it would be nice to have someone else's opinion on the life of a hero."
Dinah's eyes widen with understanding. She turns her body toward Rex and looks to the floor.
The teenage boy licks his lips and rubs the back of his neck nervously.
"Do you remember Green Arrow and Black Canary?" she asks him and stands from her seat to look out the window.
"Sure. Mostly scrapbook stuff I kept." His forehead wrinkles. "You're Canary, aren't you? We met a long time ago."
Selina crosses her legs and sighs quietly.
"Well, Ollie and I were on and off for many years. We almost eloped once, and I now wish we had." She places both her hands on the counter, to steady herself. "Things started getting rocky because…" Her sentence stops, and her hands grip the counter. "But that's always to be expected, especially when both parties are crime fighters who risk their lives on a daily basis because they feel it's their duty." The coffee maker makes a beeping sound. She begins to pour the mugs of hot liquid and hands them out after placing a sugar bowl and a small carton of milk on the table. "Ollie died in battle a few years later, and I lost it. I had to quit.
"What I'm trying to say is that bad things will happen. You could lose the love of your life whether or not she is doing the same thing you are. You could be betrayed by someone you believed in. You could have your heart ripped out. You could die a painful death.
"And then again," she says softly, "you could save the life of an innocent little girl and watch her run to into her father's arms where nothing is going to harm her ever again."
Rex swallows the lump in his dry throat and nods.
VvV
"So, you're living with Selina? How long has that arrangement been in place?"
Bruce grunts. "This isn't a social call, John."
"I take it that you don't even want to know how my wife is doing." The Green Lantern leans against a desk, near the Bat Computer. "Because she's okay, you know."
John must be fooling himself if he honestly believes Bruce would let the Stewarts out of his sight before Warhawk flies into the sky.
Or after.
"She talks about playing chess with you. Rex is pretty good, but I'm no competition. She gets bored."
"I don't doubt it."
VvV
"I'll meet you outside," Selina tells Rex and waits for the boy to leave the flower shop before turning to face the ex-heroine.
"I did this for him," Dinah states with dried tears in her eyes. "I don't want you stopping here again. It doesn't matter who you're sleeping with or who our mentor was."
Without another word, Selina steps outside and makes her way to the bench Rex is sitting on. Her heels are the only sound on the abandoned street. She sits down beside him and crosses her legs. As her eyes scan the small stores lined across the street, she feels Rex watching her.
"You're not happy… You're going to leave him, aren't you?"
She doesn't answer his question, hoping he meant it to be rhetorical.
"I know my dad, you, my mom, Bruce, and the others are trying to warn me of the hardships that lie ahead. But I'm ready for them." The green-eyed boy runs a hand through his jet black hair again and lets out a breath. "My parents are never on a mission at the same time. They haven't been assigned to work together since I was three. Everyone is worried that they'll die, leaving me alone. They don't realize the alternative is even worse." Rex turns his body to completely face her. "I'm afraid that I'll come home one day to see one of my parents waiting to tell me the other was killed.
"That is what scares me, Ms. Kyle. Not the pain, not the lack of privacy, not the exercise. Seeing my mother or father crying alone on the couch would kill me."
"So what are you going to do about it?"
Rex takes in a deep breath; his chest rises and then falls. As he exhales, he states matter-of-factly, "I'm going to protect them."
"All right." Selina licks her glossed lips and puts on her Gucci sunglasses. "But do me a favor."
"Sure."
"Don't let it consume you. Don't drive the ones you love away. It'll only hurt you in the end."
VvV
Rex cautiously walks through the old grandfather clock and down the stairs alone. His dad is waiting with Ms. Kyle, and both are drinking tea.
He faintly hears Selina telling his dad that he should bring some tea home with him, since his wife loves Alfred's tea so much.
Mr. Wayne is still sitting in his chair and in front of his computer. He's staring at the screen with no interest in who is coming to stand by him. Perhaps he really doesn't care. Slowly, he stands and turns to look at Rex but can't hide the instant pain he feels when he does.
Rex recognizes the expression; Mom wears something like it when she's been injured in battle.
"So you are Rex Stewart?"
He simply nods. "I just want to thank you for the internship at the Planet. I'm really looking forward to it."
Wayne narrows his icy blue eyes and analyzes his guest. "That's not the reason for your visit, so stop wasting my time."
He's tough. Something inside of Rex instantly likes that about him. He studies his handsome face in return and notes the roughness he possesses. Rex figures hard times, sticky situations, and deep losses are to blame.
And that Selina Kyle, no doubt.
"Well, I'm certain my dad told you I want to be…" He doesn't even know how to end his sentence.
Wayne's jaw clenches. "A superhero?" he finishes with disgust.
"A detective, warrior, avenger, soldier, whatever you want to label it. The League is going to need my help –"
"The League is a well-oiled machine. Heroes are thrown in and spit back out every day. And some never come back."
"I know," Rex replies in a tone his mother would be proud of.
"You're not afraid of dying?"
"I believe in Heaven, unlike my mom. I'm not frightened of what may lie ahead of me."
"You realize you're half human?"
"Yes."
"That gives you strength and understanding, but it's a weakness. You're mortal. And when you're a man, you can die." Wayne moves to be only inches away. Rex is smaller than he is, so he's forced to look up at him. "As a man, you're killable." With that, he shows his back to Rex and moves toward another part of his elaborate Cave.
"What does that mean?"
"You want to be a detective. Figure it out."
Rex's jaw tightens with rage, but he resists saying anything he'd regret. "You know, you better show your lady a little more respect and a little more emotion. I think she's going to leave you."
He doesn't regret a word as he climbs back up the stairs.
VvV
"Honey? What are you doing up so late?"
Rex glances over his shoulder to see his mother, dressed in full uniform and standing in his doorway. Her arms are situated on her hips, and her lips are pursed into a worried line. He sends her an assuring smile.
"Nothing."
She stares at him inelegantly and says, "No. You have a something face… What is that you're drawing?"
He instinctively closes the notebook. "Nothing."
"Right."
"Don't you trust me, Mother?"
"No," she says a little too quickly, and they both laugh. "I'm going to go watch television with your dad. He's watching MASH reruns. Want to join?"
"As much as I love Klinger and Winchester, I'm going to have to take a rain check."
She smiles a real smile. "All right."
Before she leaves, Rex walks up to her and gently removes the gold helmet she's wearing. He kisses her forehead.
"Now you're even getting too weird for me."
"Please. I get it from you. Now get out."
His mom chuckles and closes the door behind her, forgetting the helmet still resting in his hands.
Rex lowers his eyes to the ugly thing she covers her beautiful features with and then slowly makes his way to his mirror.
He looks more like his father, despite what everyone says. He has his mother's eyes and skin, but the rest is his dad.
No matter how many times his mother claims he's more like his dad, he knows he's just like Mom. He may look like Dad, but he thinks like his mom.
He is no Green Lantern and will never be one.
He is Thanagarian, though.
A hawk-man, for lack of a better word.
Rex bites his lower lip and turns the helmet over in his strong hands. He knows Bruce Wayne could create mechanical wings if Rex designs them. He could fly like his mother. He could be something a little more than human.
All he'll need is a helmet to hide his face.
Before sitting down to finish, Rex sets the helmet on his desk and ventures into the living room to find his parents asleep on the couch, "watching" the tube. He carefully covers them with a blanket and turns off the T.V.
With a smile and a gleam in his radiant eyes, Rex returns to his solitude and his work.
Tomorrow, he'll ask to have Ms. Kyle over for dinner.
And he'll call Mr. Wayne to respond to his challenge.
And he'll send Miss Lance a thank you card.
Tomorrow.
V THE END V