JANUARY 25TH 2016
MOUNT JUSTICE 15:57 EST
Betty stared up at the hologram of her little brother, the Grotto so silent that she could hear a pin drop.
Jason looked so grown up in his hologram, not like the fragile and broken boy that would forever be her last memory of him. He was dressed fully in his Robin gear, red and black covering his body and his hair just shaggy enough to need a cut but not so long to be in his eyes. His face was one of determination and bravery, two of the things that had defined him in his life. For everything that he was, he never backed away from a challenge. He never gave up on who and what he loved.
Betty put her hands in the pockets of her skirt and frowned.
"It's been a while, I know," Betty whispered to the hologram. "But with the holidays, and the apparent invasion and classes and everything else…. I'm sorry, I just haven't had time."
The hologram didn't answer, not that she expected it to. It never did, it wasn't real. Betty hardly ever visited the gravesite for Jason, choosing instead to pay her respects at the memorial here for the second Robin. It was what they called the Grotto; a small cave hidden beneath Mount Justice that was illuminated with holograms of their fallen comrades. It had Blue Beetle (Ted Kord's version, anyhow) and Aquagirl as well. Aquagirl had passed scarcely a few months after Jason, and it had been a hard blow to the Team to lose two members back-to-back like that.
It had taken everything in them to recover. And some, like Kaldur, never did.
Betty didn't know why, but she felt a stronger connection to Jason here than at that tombstone. It was easier here to feel his presence around her. It felt like somehow, he knew she was here. The tombstone was for Bruce and Dick, Betty had decided a while back. That was where they could pay their respects. Here, here was where Betty would pay hers.
"I miss you," Betty continued. "I miss you so, so much."
Betty often didn't know what to say to Jason's hologram, other than that she missed him. She wasn't sure what else she could say to him. What else there really was else to say. Betty missed him very much, more than just about anyone except her mom.
"We've got some newbies on the Team," Betty tried. "Blue Beetle, Wonder Girl? They've probably been down here before, but still." She sighed. "They're both pretty good at what they do. You'd like them a lot, especially Blue Beetle. He's a little nervous sometimes, but he's a good egg. I think you'd be a good friend to him."
Jason was many things, a loyal friend among them. Betty knew that if anyone would latch onto Blue Beetle and try to help him it would be Jason. Jason had been a little rough around the edges and that might have been a little off-putting at first, but once you got past that it had been easy to see the sweet and kind boy beneath all of that.
Betty hugged her arms around herself and looked at Jason hopelessly.
"I wish you were here," Betty said. "You could help me sort all of this out."
'All of this' referring to her small dilemma of if she should train this new Honeybee or not. She supposed maybe it qualified as something slightly more than a 'small' dilemma, but she wasn't sure how else to categorize it. This Honeybee had promised to not operate in the week they had promised to let Betty decide, but she also knew it was unlikely they would stop altogether if Betty ultimately said no. That pretty much left Betty with the choice of essentially of if she was going to condone him or not.
And as she stared at Jason's hologram, everything in her screamed to say no. She couldn't be responsible for bringing someone else into this world directly. Last time she had given an okay, it had ended with her here now. She should have listened to her instincts back then, put her foot down and kept Jason out of this world. Or at least made it known her disapproval. Maybe it would have made him more cautious. Maybe their might have been a different outcome.
Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.
But then again…. another part of her wanted to say yes. A small part of her, yes, but a piece of her nonetheless. She was not a fool, and she knew that this Honeybee was going to go on without her. Maybe this way…. she could help keep him safe. Maybe it could prevent this from happening again. Maybe it could be the difference between life and death for Honeybee.
Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.
A thousand possibilities could happen based on what she decided, and it was weighing on her heavily. And as she stood here before Jason, she was no closer to finding an answer.
She heard the sounds of steps on stone, and she looked up to see Conner coming down the steps towards her. She smiled at him and took her hands out of her pockets. Conner smiled back and came to stand beside her, looking up at Jason.
"I don't mean to interrupt your time with Jason –" Conner started. Betty shook her head and put a hand on his shoulder.
"You're fine Supes," Betty assured. "I just came down here mostly to think." Conner's face shifted uneasily.
"You're thinking about Honeybee, aren't you?"
Conner of course had been privy to her worries and frustrations about Honeybee since he arrived from Rann, and he had been the first one to know about this dilemma that Betty now found herself in. She was reluctant to let the Batfamily know, fearing that them sharing the same common ground might taint their views on if he should be active. But Conner was an impartial party, a hero with no skin in the Gotham game, and he had been kind enough to lend an ear to her troubles.
"I just can't decide," Betty said. "On one hand, I want to do it. I want to help him grow into something more, keep him from getting hurt. On the other hand, I don't…." She turned to look at Jason's hologram sadly. "I don't want another Jason."
Conner nodded solemnly. Silence overtook them as Conner mused on what Betty told him, and Betty kept her eyes cast on the form of Jason's hologram. Her heart ached to hear his opinion on what she should do. She had trusted him, loved him more than almost anyone in the whole world. If anyone could steer her in the right direction it was him.
"No one wants another Jason or Tula," Conner ventured, "but everyone who goes into this life goes in knowing the risks. I'm sure if this Honeybee wasn't willing to pay the price, he wouldn't have put on the costume."
Betty supposed maybe Conner could also steer in the right direction, as what he was saying made sense. The boy behind the new Honeybee mask seemed pretty serious about what he was doing, even if they seemed a little starstruck. They claimed to have back-up and some semblance of training before they started, which means they had thought this through.
But there was also the whole other matter of them taking the name Honeybee without permission. It was petty and childish perhaps, but it was a sticking point for Betty. It had been her name to have and to keep, and to have it taken from her made her feel sick to her stomach every time she thought about it.
She shook her head.
"Enough about me," Betty shook off. "Tell me, when do Superman and the others leave?"
Conner's face fell.
"Three days."
Superman and the other missing Leaguers that went to Rimbor had decided, with guidance from the Guardians of the Universe, that it was best for them to stand trial for the actions they had preformed against their will. Despite having no cognizant memory of it. Green Lantern had claimed by standing trial, the Guardians believed it would show honest attentions and help prove their innocence.
But that also meant they would have to leave Earth for the foreseeable future, leaving many of the Team without their mentors and, in some cases like Conner, M'gann, and Dick, their family members. As well as Earth without some of their mightiest defenders. Conner and Clark (Superman's alter ego) had gotten closer through the years, and she knew Conner would sorely miss his older brother.
"So soon?" Betty said. "I'm so sorry Conner." Conner waved her off.
"It has to be done," Conner glumly stated. "Life goes on. They're leaving from the beach of Mount Justice under the cover of night. Trying not to make a fuss or let others know they're going to be off-planet."
That made sense. If the Light knew that they were gone, than that mean all bloody hell might break loose. One never knew what to expect from the Light, as they had back-up plans for their back-up plans and secrets that hid other secrets. If they knew some of the League was missing….
Conner looked down at his feet in sorrow, and Betty sighed sympathetically. She reached for his hand, and she squeezed it tightly in her own.
"It'll all be okay Conner," Betty counseled. "Besides, I'm sure Superman and the others will be back in no time. You'll barely notice they're gone; they'll be back so soon."
Conner gave a fourth of a smile, but it was in fact a smile. He shook his head and motioned for Betty to follow him up the stairs.
"Come on, we've got training in just a few."
JANUARY 29TH 2016
GOTHAM CITY 23:24 EST
Honeybee wanted to believe Mariposa was going to say 'yes'. That the more-experienced heroine was going to take the time to make sure he earned the stripes to be the new Honeybee, but a sinking feeling in his stomach told him that they were going to say no. Mariposa had, after all, seemed very hurt that Honeybee had stolen the name from her.
At the time he had taken it, he had thought that maybe that Mariposa would feel honored. Someone was so inspired by her that they wanted to keep up the good fight and keep their name alive while doing it. Honeybee knew there was no way on Earth he could fool the villains into thinking he was the same Honeybee the same way people had thought the second Robin was the old one in a new costume for a while. But at least he could use a name that meant something, rather than one that had no history.
Honeybee had inspired so many Gotham kids, including him, and he wanted to be apart of that legacy any way he could. He supposed he should have known the old Honeybee would have an emotional connection to the name and that he might be met with some resistance. But how was he supposed to know that the name was given to her by Waspia? How was he supposed to know the depth of the connection that name had to her?
All Honeybee knew was that now they had a taste of this life, the life a vigilante, he couldn't give it up. He was making a difference here in Gotham, even if it was just stopping petty crime. He was helping people, and he couldn't just turn his back because one person told him to stop. Regardless of if Mariposa decided to help him, he was going to keep doing this. He was going to keep helping people, come hell or high water.
Honeybee stood at the edge of the roof that he and Mariposa had last met on, staring out at the Gotham skyline. Gotham, for all of it's faults, was beautiful at night. The lights of the city twinkled like stars in the foggy smoke and mist that covered the buildings at night, stony and imposing gargoyles sticking out of the mist like imposing guardians over the city. It was his home, and he would protect it with all his might.
Honeybee heard a rustling behind him. He reached into his utility belt and pulled out a throwing star that his sister had designed. It was not as effective or as dangerous as the original stingers that the first Honeybee used, but it was the best that the two of them could come up with. Money might not have been an issue, but they also knew their guardians would take issue and notice them spending all the money for parts for them. And secrecy was the name of the game here.
He pulled the throwing star up as if to throw it and turned to face whoever was making the rustling, his other hand brought up defensively in case he needed to fight. His worried about a fight were assuaged, however, when he realized it was Mariposa who was behind him.
She stood on the other side of the roof, her purple costume just bright enough to be spotted against the dark backdrop of the sky. There were thick lines of worry above her brow, and her pigtails seemed to have less life than the last time he saw her, almost a dull and static black against her shoulders.
Not a good sign, Honeybee supposed.
"Honeybee," Mariposa greeted impassively. She raised a brow at the still-raised throwing star in his hand. "You gonna shot that at me, or you gonna put it away?"
"Oh, right, sorry," he muttered. He lowered the star and put it back in his utility belt. "Didn't know if you were an enemy or…." He trailed off. Mariposa tilted her head to the side and walked closer to him.
"No, no, you did the right thing," Mariposa assured him. "You've got good instincts. That's a good foundation. We'll build on that."
Honeybee nodded at first, not really understanding what she was saying. Then it hit him. We? Build? His eyes widened beneath his mask.
She was agreeing to train him.
Mariposa raised a hand to stop him from speaking, her lips pulled into a thin line.
"I didn't come to this decision lightly," Mariposa intoned. She was solemn, serious, a far cry from the exuberance that Honeybee felt at this notion. "In fact, I almost said no. I've – we've –" She sighed deeply. "I've lost too many people to this life. This life that you're still new to. And I – I can't be responsible for that happening to you."
Honeybee furrowed his own brow. "I-I don't understand."
"I can't let you do this without help," Mariposa continued. "I know you said you have back-up, but you need real help. From people who have been in this world and know it's risks."
"I know –"
"I know you know," Mariposa said with a sigh. "You probably thought about the risks long and hard before you put on that suit. But…but you want to be Honeybee?"
Honeybee nodded eagerly, leaning forward towards her.
"Then you do it on my terms."
That was everything that Honeybee ever wanted. To be allowed to be apart of this world, to do it and make a difference. To be apart of something bigger than himself, to help people and keep them safe.
"You're coming off the street, at least for a little while," Mariposa dictated. Honeybee opened his mouth, flabbergasted.
"But –"
"No buts," Mariposa shut him down easily, taking an authoritative step forward. "You've done just fine on your own, I'll admit, but until I know for sure that you're ready, you'll be off the street."
Honeybee frowned but didn't say anything else in protest.
"When you're ready, and I believe you will be ready," Mariposa said, "you'll be apart of the Beehive. Report to me and Waspia, the whole shindig."
Honeybee frowned. "Anything else?"
"One more thing," Mariposa said. She finally smiled, the tips of her mouth cascading up. "But you're not ready to know that yet."
"Not ready to know?" Honeybee demanded. "Are you saying you don't trust me or something?"
"I just met you," Mariposa countered. "Why should I trust you? And I'm already extending far too much trust by legitimizing you." She raised a brow at him and outreached a hand towards him, as if to shake.
"Now? Do we have a deal or not?"
Honeybee hesitated for a moment. And then he outreached his hand and took hers.
"Yes. We have a deal."
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." – Jeremiah 29:11
Next chapter we get back to the season storyline, I hope y'all enjoyed!
Questions, comments, or concerns? Let me know, have a blessed day!
-PrincessChess