GOTHAM ACADEMY
JANUARY 13TH 2012 11:47 EST
Betty twirled a piece of her hair, the strands now long enough to be just below her ears. She wrote absentmindedly in her math workbook as the problems on the paper in front of her were almost second nature. It was fraction-based, and she used fractions daily when she baked so figuring out fraction-based equations were pretty simple.
It was a new school year, which meant her time being in a math class with Dick was long since passed. She had no more classes with the vigilante, nor any with Barbara, which meant she had been forced to make new friends with students in class. One of them was a tall, dark-haired boy named Jeremy that sat across the room from Betty, pretending to work and really texting on his phone. Betty rolled her eyes at Jeremy and continued to work on her classwork. They only had a few minutes left in class before lunch, so the teacher had let them work on their homework in the little time they had left.
Betty looked up at the sound of the door opening, the soft thud of the wood catching her attention. Betty's eyes widened at the boy in the doorway – it was a tall boy about her age, with dark blond hair swept to the side of his tanned face. He wore a Gotham Academy uniform, much like everyone else, but his tie was loosened considerably, so much so that it looked like it was about to fall untied. His green eyes peered across the room, and his gaze landed on Betty. He smiled widely at her once he caught her looking at him, and Betty ducked her head, a soft red blush dusting her cheeks.
The boy moved to the teacher's desk, and Betty tried to return to the math problems in front of her. Her mind, however, kept wondering back the boy and she looked up again to take a quick peek at him parked next to Ms. George's desk, note held out in his hand for her to read. He adjusted the bag on his shoulder and looked behind him, and Betty just barely managed to avoid his gaze and being caught a second time staring at him.
"Betty," Ms. George called out suddenly, "would you mind coming to my desk, please?"
Betty stood, dropping her pencil onto her desk and walking slowly, a few of her classmates looking at her and the boy in confusion before returning to their work quickly. Her skirt swished with movement; she had finally outgrown the hand-me-downs she had worn freshmen year and Aunt Melody and her had been forced to finally purchase her own uniforms, which meant that she finally got the dark skirt most other girls at Gotham Academy wore.
Betty fell in next to the boy, who gave her a quick smirk before returning to look at Ms. George.
"Yes m'am?" Betty asked politely, hands folded behind her back. Ms. George smiled at her and motioned with her head to the boy standing next to her.
"Betty, this is Alex Martinez," Ms. George introduced for him. "He's a new student here at Gotham Academy. I was hoping maybe that you could help him out when we go to lunch and maybe show him where the cafeteria is?"
Betty nodded and turned to Alex, giving him a large, welcoming smile. Betty had been the new girl only last year, and her little brother had been the new kid in the middle school section of the school this year. She knew what it was like to be new and sometimes just a welcoming smile would be enough to make someone's first day memorable. Alex raised a brow and his lips stretched into a thin smile, a knowing smile, but what he knew Betty wasn't sure.
"Of course," Betty replied. The bell coincided with her agreement, and the classroom burst into movement and noise. Students made their way to the doorway, and Jeremy gave Betty a quick wave before exiting to find his girlfriend May for lunch. Ms. George smiled and stood, walking away with her pasta salad tubber ware in her hands.
Betty hesitated for just a moment, and Alex spoke.
"So…. should we go?" Alex drawled. Betty bit her lip and nodded.
"Oh, uh, yeah," Betty stammered. "Just, uh, let me get my stuff."
Alex followed Betty to her desk, where she quickly stuffed her workbook into her black backpack. This was a separate bag than she usually used for carrying around her Honeybee garb, and she included a separate butterfly key chain charm on it to help her differentiate between them. Alex caught sight of it and laughed once under his breath.
"You like butterflies?" Alex asked, and Betty blinked. Betty pulled the strap of her backpack over her shoulders and nodded her head, perhaps a little too forcefully.
"Um…. yeah," Betty answered. "I just think they're neat." Butterflies were one of her favorite types of animals. She had considered taking her hero name after them when she was first starting out, before deciding to go with the more thematic Honeybee to go with Waspia. The affection, however, still remained and she had many dresses with butterfly patterns to show off that love for the winged creatures.
"Neat," Alex said. "My baby cousin likes them too." Alex tilted his head to the side curiously and smirked at her. "Now, I believe I was promised a tour to the cafeteria?"
Betty rolled her eyes and stepped forward for him to follow her. Betty led Alex out of the room and into the crowded hallway. Betty and Alex began to weave their way through the chaos, and Betty pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Is it always this busy?" Alex questioned. Betty nodded and dodged a locker door swinging open.
"Hallways are a danger zone," Betty said. Alex laughed under his breath, and Betty did not understand why her cheeks flushed again with dusty red. Betty pointed down the way to where kids were going to and fro from a large set of doors.
"This is the cafeteria," Betty explained. Betty and Alex turned into the large room, the cafeteria cast in the bright lights of the school and incredibly loud and filled with the sounds of the students aching to be heard over the rest of the din.
"A true sight to behold," Alex said dramatically, putting a hand to his chest. Betty giggled and Alex's eyes twinkled at her. Betty smiled at him and shuffled her feet awkwardly, before stepping out of the way of someone trying to walk into the cafeteria.
"Do you, uh, wanna sit with us?" Betty asked. Alex raised a brow.
"Us?"
"Oh, uh, me and my friends," Betty clarified. Betty rubbed her arms and looked out to the middle of the cafeteria, where she could spot Dick and Barbara already sitting and eating lunch. Alex smiled thankfully at Betty.
"Yeah, sure," Alex said. "But don't you need to get food from the line?"
Betty shook her head. Lunch here at Gotham Academy was not free like it was at the public schools, which meant that Betty would have to scrape up nearly twenty bucks a week to eat at school which was just ridiculous to her. She was just fine packing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich thank you very much.
"Nah. You?" Betty asked. Alex shook his head and pulled a Ziplock bag out of his backpack. The inside was filled with two slices of pizza, mushrooms collecting in the bottom of the bag from where it was falling off.
"We had pizza last night," Alex said. "Got some leftovers today." Betty quickly walked Alex over to where she sat with Dick and Barbara, who currently seemed enthused in an intense conversation.
"All I'm saying is that why does Yogi Bear where a tie?" Dick was asking, and Barbara was rolling her eyes.
"Because he's a cartoon, Dick," Barbara answered with a shake of her head. Barbara smiled at Betty and Alex, Betty taking her spot next to Barbara as Alex slipped into the empty seat on Betty's other side.
"Hey guys," Betty greeted. She motioned to Alex with her head and reached to take her lunch out of her backpack. "This is Alex, he's new."
Dick smiled warmly and took a bite of his hamburger.
"Hey Alex, it's nice to meet you," Dick said. Alex returned the smile, and Dick pointed to Barbara. "This is Barbara, I'm Dick. I see you already met Betty."
"Yeah, Betty here promised to give me a tour," Alex said. Betty rolled her eyes and picked at her sandwich, a nervous feeling in her stomach making eating seem impossible. Her stomach was rolling over and over again in waves, and it only got worse every time she looked in the direction of Alex.
"I said I'd show you where the cafeteria was," Betty corrected. Alex grinned, showing off two crooked front teeth that Betty found to be adorable.
"Excuse me for trying to get some alone time with a pretty girl," Alex said, leaning his head on his hand. The tips of Betty's ears turned red and she looked down and away from Alex, suddenly finding her bag of chips to be very interesting. The group was silent for a long moment before Dick cleared his throat and looked over at Alex with a look bordering on a frown.
"So, Alex where'd you transfer from?" Dick asked. Alex shrugged and took a bite of his cold pizza.
"Lit bit of everywhere," Alex said. "I'm an Army Brat, you see."
"Ah," Barbara said. "My dad used to be in the army, way back when. He's a police officer now."
Alex raised a hand for a hi-five, and Barbara tentatively returned. "Heck yeah, Army Brats for the win."
Barbara laughed once under her breath, and Betty took a small bite of her food. Her stomach was still rolling, but she knew she had to eat something. She had training after school with Black Canary, and she knew better than show up to training with an empty stomach. Made you weaker, distracted even, and that was a rookie mistake.
"Seriously, I can help you find your next class if you need help finding it," Betty said. Alex grinned and slung an arm around Betty's shoulder. She ignored the way her shoulder felt on fire from that touch, and she coughed once in an attempt to cover her embarrassment. What she was embarrassed for, she didn't know.
"Knew I'd win you over."
MOUNT JUSTICE
APRIL 25TH 2012 20:47 EST
Conner moved the coffee table in the center of the Cave's lounge off to the side, careful not to budge the small mountain of presents on top of it. M'gann stood behind him, levitating a cake and prepared to land it on the table once Conner finished moving it. Conner set down the table and M'gann gently dropped the cake onto the table, the cake the finishing touch to the birthday decorations currently set up around the lounge. A banner reading 'Happy Birthday Betty!' was sprawled above the television, and various streamers hung from the ceiling.
Wally raced to the table and set down one final gift on the top of the pile.
"When is the birthday girl getting here anyway?" Wally asked. Conner looked over at the clock on the wall and he smiled, putting his hands akimbo.
"Any minute now," Conner said. Conner had asked Betty to come over the Cave today to help study for a science test, and Betty had agreed, ever the helpful person. Conner was sure that she suspected they were throwing her a surprise birthday party, M'gann had a penchant for them, but still Conner supposed half the fun of a surprise party was trying to conceal it, even if the person in question knew about it.
Jason sat cross-legged on the couch, his gift still in his hands. Betty's little brother was newly introduced to the team under the name Agent 2, the soon-to-be successor to Robin, and he was always nearly buzzing with joy whenever he got to come to the Cave. Robin sat next to his brother, scrolling through his phone with a frown and a furrowed brow above his sunglasses. Robin was set to graduate from being, well, Robin any day now. They could all feel it, even without Jason around, that there was a change about him, a more serious tone and less mischievous streak about him. Robin was growing up, and he was slowly moving away from being the Boy Wonder, being a boy no more.
Artemis leaned against the back of the couch; her blond ponytail draped over her shoulder.
"Unless she's hanging out with her boyfriend," Artemis said in a sing-song voice. Zatanna and Rocket laughed, and it even got a smile out of the Team's newest members Tula and Garth. Conner frowned and crossed his arms. Betty wouldn't really skip out on him for Alex, would she? No, that wasn't her.
"She'll be here," Conner said, perhaps a little too harshly. Alex was her boyfriend, but he was her best friend. She would never blow him off to hang out with Alex.
"Recognized: Honeybee – B06."
Conner smiled, and M'gann moved to turn out the lights.
"Hide!" Wally whispered, and everyone took their places hidden behind the couches and kitchen counters. It wasn't the best attempt at hiding, especially for a covert operations team, but they weren't really trying that hard anyway.
Betty's form entered the room, drenched in darkness as her plaid dress was immedailty recognizable. She had her cookie charm backpack slung over one shoulder and a science book in one hand, and Conner could see Betty frown through the darkness.
"Conner, where –"
M'gann switched on the lights telekinetically, and they all jumped out for the customary surprising of the birthday girl.
"Surprise!"
Betty blinked in surprise, taking in all of them, and then she smiled gratefully, dropping her book onto the counter with a soft thud.
"Happy Birthday!" Jason said, wrapping her in a hug. Betty returned her brother's embrace with a grin and looked out among the assembled partygoers. She blushed and pushed a strand of dark black hair behind her ear.
"Thank you, Agent," Betty replied. Betty grinned. "Thank you, you really didn't have to do this."
Conner reached for a party hat and rolled his eyes, sticking it on his best friend's head.
"We wanted to, so shut up with this we didn't have to nonsense," Conner said. Betty shook her head with a laugh and stepped deeper into the lounge.
"Happy Birthday, Betty," Kaldur said. He put a hand on her shoulder with a friendly smile and squeezed it gently. "I believe sixteenth birthdays are considered especially important in surface culture."
"Just means I drive as Betty now," Betty waved off. "But thanks, Kaldur."
Conner watched as the party began to break off into smaller groups that began to talk. Conner frowned, and Betty walked towards him. She smiled up at him and put her hands on her hips. She looked between Conner and M'gann, giving them a conspiratorial look.
"I take it you two are the main ones behind this," Betty surmised. M'gann grinned knowingly and took Conner's hand in her own, squeezing it tightly.
"Have to make sure our favorite sixteen-year-old started off her next year right," M'gann giggled. Betty rolled her eyes and reached to pull M'gann into a hug.
"Well, thank you," Betty said. Conner watched his two favorite people and felt his heart grow and swell with affection. He loved M'gann and Betty equally, just in different ways. Both of them had been there for him ever since he came out of that pod, M'gann helped him see he could be more than a weapon and Betty showed him that his life could be more than just being a clone. He had found love and friendship in them, and he wouldn't trade them for the world.
Betty let go of M'gann and turned to Conner. Without warning, she punched his shoulder, but it didn't hurt that much given his invulnerability.
"What was that for?" Conner asked, making a show of rubbing his shoulder.
"Needing help with science?" Betty said. "That's the best lie you could come up with?"
"Got you here, didn't it?"
Betty rolled her eyes and hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck. Conner returned the motion, resting his hands around her waist. Conner felt Betty bury her head in his shoulder and Conner shut his eyes. Betty was her family in the same way Clark and the Kents had become his family, chosen because they love every part of him, not just the parts that were useful. They chose to see Conner when they looked at him, not Superboy, not a vigilante. They saw a friend, a person, a loved one. And Conner would cherish that for as long as he could.
GOTHAM CITY
APRIL 28TH 2012 15:47 EST
Betty crossed her legs on the couch of her home, Alex next to her. Betty leaned her head on Alex's shoulder as they watched the movie playing on the television. Betty wasn't really paying attention, being too busy talking with Alex, which was how they usually watched movies.
"You ready for that math quiz next week?" Betty asked him. Alex nodded his head and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.
"I have a math genius as a tutor and girlfriend," Alex said, "I'm more than prepared."
"I'm not a math genius," Betty said with a roll of her eyes. Alex laughed.
"Don't be modest, babe," Alex insisted. "You're like a wiz when it comes to this stuff."
Betty blushed and turned away from him. Alex was always complimenting her, even when she maybe didn't deserve it. Betty was no fool, she knew she was good at math, but a math genius? A little presumptuous.
"Thank you, Alex," she whispered. Alex put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him and Betty snuggled into his side. She loved that Alex was affectionate. When she imagined her first boyfriend, she always thought it would be awkward, unwilling to get close to each other, but Alex had no issue pulling her close.
"Now I got a question for you," Alex said. "How'd you like to meet my aunt and uncle tomorrow night?"
Betty sobered, and she looked up at Alex in shock. Alex's aunt and uncle were the closest thing he had to family with his father overseas. His mother died when he was young, just one thing they had in common, and so his aunt and uncle took care of him when his dad wasn't state-side. But his aunt and uncle happened to be The Martinez, one of the richest family in Gotham thanks to Raoul Martinez pharmaceutical company and Viviane Martinez's fashion line. They were the power couple of Gotham.
"You want me to meet your aunt and uncle?" Betty asked to make sure. Alex nodded, and Betty bit her lip.
Alex was protective of his family. He had been burned so many times by having to leave friends behind, he didn't let people too close. And meeting his family meant that he really cared about her, and that he was willing to put himself out there to be hurt again. He wanted her to know that side of him too, not just the public version, but the version he was at home, the private side of him.
Betty smiled. "I'd love to."
"Spend time with the wise and you will become wise." –Proverbs 13:20
Shorter chapter, but I hope y'all liked. What do y'all think of Alex?
Review Replies:
MsRosePetal: Wally has always seemed the sentimental type, the type of guy who puts someone's personal well-being first. I wanted to stay true to that. And we'll see where Wally goes – I'm waiting for season 4 to come out to see what I do with Wally, as I have a feeling season 4 will be big on Wally content. And Ivo knowing felt right, and it just felt like the right moment as a write to reveal that as I didn't want it later to come out of the blue. Thanks for your review and have a blessed day!
Questions, comments, or concerns, let me know! Have a blessed day!
-PrincessChess