Independence Day
- - - July 4th - - -
Today was the day. The Fourth of July. Independence Day – one of the most important national holidays in this country. Her country now, too, since Mary had received a legal document, courtesy of the League's government contacts, which granted her dual citizenship of both the UK and and the United States of America. According to her new ID card and passport, Mary Baker was born in England in May 1992, which had given her a welcome chance to repeat her eighteenth birthday just a few weeks ago, in far better company than the last time.
For the members of the Wayne household, today was much more than a national holiday.
Today, for the first time, Robin and the other three protegees of the Justice League would be officially received at the Hall of Justice in Washington, DC.
Mary was two hours early. She wanted to get a good spot at the gallery.
All regular visitor passes had been sold out weeks ago, even before the first announcement of the young heroes' inauguration. The Hall of Justice was a very popular tourist destination, especially during the holiday season, yet only a limited number of guests were allowed inside. However, Master Wayne had easily procured a VIP pass for Mary.
She handed the slim silver card to the uniformed guard at the visitor's entrance. Then she took off her backpack, her sunglasses, her colourful summer scarf and the electronic wristband, fished her mobile phone and her keys from her long skirt's pockets and placed all items into a tray for the metal detector, before stepping into the full-body scanner herself.
Robin had explained the Hall's security protocols to her in detail, and by now she was familiar enough with 21st century science to easily grasp the underlying technologies, too.
Mary passed the security check without incidence and calmly retrieved her belongings. Upon entering the building's impressive entrance hall, she only allowed herself a few moments to gaze at the gigantic golden statues of the League's seven founding members. Aquaman, the Flash, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter towered high above her, guarding the door to the inner sanctum.
Mary turned left towards the ladies rooms. Inside, she entered the second stall on the right, locked the door, then unlocked the metal casing of an industrial-sized toilet paper dispenser with one of the keys from her key chain. Within, she found a small parcel wrapped in black cloth, containing her in-ear communicator as well as a pair of Wayne Tech sunglasses that looked exactly like the ones she already wore.
She disposed of the ordinary plastic glasses she had worn at the security check, then re-locked the dispenser. After setting in the ear-piece and putting on the new improved glasses, she left the stall, washing her hands for good measure. Only after re-entering the impressive entrance hall did she activate the devices' video and audio functions.
"Thank you, Mary, for establishing the connection." Alfred's voice in her right ear was only audible to her. "I can see your surroundings bright and clear. Please do proceed to the gallery now."
"Today is the day", Mary mumbled.
"And I wouldn't miss this for the world", the butler replied.
Two hours later, Mary stood in the centre of the top gallery, excitedly watching the large doors leading into the 'inner sanctum' below her. She had been very pleased to discover that the Hall's central meeting room was in fact a spacious library, its lower walls lined with book shelves. Cushioned chairs were arranged in comfortable reading isles at the far side of the room, below yet another golden statue. This one represented the goddess Justitia, the Lady of Justice.
Within the past hour, the gallery had filled up with visitors excitedly awaiting the arrival of the League's heroes and their 'sidekicks'. A family from Florida had claimed the window spot right next to Mary. In exchange for some of Alfred's delicious holiday pastries, the young mother had entertained her with a detailed account of how Aquaman and Aqualad had saved her and her husband as well as over a hundred other passengers on a harbour cruise last summer, when their ship had suddenly capsized. Their two boys were obviously still disappointed that they had missed that dangerous adventure, having been forced to spent those holidays at a 'boring beach camp', and could hardly wait to see their parents' saviours themselves.
"Batman and Robin have arrived at the rendezvous point", Alfred announced through her ear piece. He had also kept her well-informed about the Dynamic Duo's brief encounter with Mr Freeze back in Gotham, tracking their every movement through the sensors built into both of their suits. By now, he was not only watching Robin's big day through Mary's glasses, but also by covertly monitoring several of the Hall of Justice's security cameras.
"There are about two hundred people gathered in front of the Hall, including several camera teams. All four teams have arrived now: Aqualad and Aquaman, Green Arrow and Speedy, Batman and Robin, the Flash and Kid Flash. They are approaching the Hall."
"Why aren't they here yet?", one of the boys from Florida demanded to know. "What if they were called on a mission instead?"
"They don't go on missions, they are still just sidekicks", a man from the second row claimed.
"Of course they do, they are doing all kinds of awesome stuff with their mentors!", a black-haired woman with a video camera protested. "Maybe they'll even get to join the League today!"
"They are all still kids! That Robin can't be older than twelve yet."
"I think Speedy turned eighteen this year", an older man with a grey vest mumbled. "He and Aqualad are adults, aren't they?"
"I thought Aqualad and Kid Flash are the same age?"
"How would you know, don't they have a secret identities? I mean, they are not going to celebrate their birthdays in public, right?"
"If I had a secret identity, I would have a birthday party every month", a little girl with a Batman action figure chimed in. "And nobody would know which one is the real one, so they would have to get me presents every time..."
"Martian Manhunter and Red Tornado have welcomed the four protégés to the Hall of Justice. You should see them any second now", Alfred Pennyworth informed Mary.
"The doors are opening!", someone yelled. The black-haired woman almost dropped her video camera. The two boys from Florida pressed their noses flat against the window glass. The birthday girl clutched her action figure tightly.
"There they are!"
Mary cheered with the other visitors when the Flash, Batman, Martian Manhunter, Red Tornado, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash and Speedy finally entered the library.
Everybody started talking at once.
"They sure love colourful costumes, don't they?"
"I can see Aquaman! Mom, Dad, he's really there!"
"Batman's always so gloomy! Someone should give him a hug!"
"That Red Tornado guy looks like he's wearing a metal suit of armour. Isn't that heavy?"
"No, you dolt, he's an android, he's made of metal."
"It's the Flash! I want an autograph! Can we get down there to get an autograph?"
"Why is that Martian guy all green? Couldn't he just change his face so he doesn't look so creepy?"
"Can you see if Aquaman really has webbed fingers?"
"Why would the archer be called Speedy? That makes no sense."
"I wish I had superpowers, too!"
Ignoring the prattle, Mary watched Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad sit down in the cushioned chairs below the Lady of Justice. Speedy kept pacing the library.
It all went downhill from there.
Mary watched Speedy argue with the adult heroes, gesturing towards the gallery accusingly. For a moment, everyone raised their heads towards the windows. Mary smiled proudly at Robin, but she wasn't sure if he had seen her at all.
Speedy kept talking – of course no sound reached their audience, but it was evident that his words upset the other three 'sidekicks'. Mary caught a glance of Speedy's defiant expression as he confronted their four mentors once more. By now, everyone had moved towards the far end of the inner sanctuary, directly below the statue. For the visitors at the gallery, this part of the library was mostly hidden from sight. However, just a few seconds later, Speedy reappeared without his yellow hunter's cap and stormed out of the Hall of Justice in fury.
"Oh dear", Alfred sighed in Mary's ear.
Just as Speedy had left, the remaining heroes and their protégés turned abruptly to face something below the statue.
"They have a huge computer station down there", a teenage boy with a Superman t-shirt explained to the other spectators. "You can see by the change of light that the display just lit up. They are probably being called on a mission. You'll see, they'll all disappear any moment now."
However, only the older heroes left when the transmission ended, leaving Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad alone in the library. This time it was Kid Flash that started pacing and gesturing frustratedly. After a short exchange of words, the three boys approached the computer station together, disappearing from view as well.
"Oh dear", Alfred Pennyworth repeated.
"Now, Robin, let me see if I understood you correctly. The League members left you in the Hall of Justice to save the world from some evil sorcerer who tried to blot out the sun?"
Robin received the plate Mary handed him, a heap of re-heated leftovers from Alfred's holiday specials. It was long past midnight.
"Yeah. They succeeded in stopping him, evidently, since we are not all dead now." Thinking about that, it might have been for the best that they had not been able to contact the League during their own solo adventure. Distracting them in the middle of a fight with the wizard Wotan might not have been a wise idea.
"And while the adults were busy, Kid Flash, Aqualad and you left the Hall and went to this mysterious Cadmus research facility, where you found a secret underground lab breeding an army of warriors? And there you freed a boy who is only sixteen weeks old but apparently some kind of biological copy of Superman?"
"His name is Superboy", Robin mumbled between bites.
"How creative. Well, where is he going to stay now? Who made sure he got dinner tonight?"
"I last saw him with Black Canary. She'll probably find him something to eat." He paused to stare at his plate doubtfully. "I don't know if he has ever eaten anything before. It looked like they fed him through tubes in that pod."
It must require a lot of nutrients to grow such a body in sixteen weeks. Robin had been training with Batman for over four years now to put on some muscles, and he still looked like a sea weed next to that clone boy.
"That sounds awful", Mary remarked.
"Could I get some more of those pastries?"
"I will see to the rest of your dinner", Alfred replied in her stead. He had silently appeared in the door frame. "Mary, Master Bruce wishes to talk to you."
"They want to go on 'real missions'", Batman summarized.
Mary nodded quietly.
He looked up at her from his computer screen. "You may speak."
Mary pondered his situation. The League had already lost one 'sidekick' today. The archer Speedy had decided to rather pursue his crime-fighting career on his own than to follow the slower pace the League had set out for their protégés. His friends were inclined to follow his example, especially now, after their first successful solo mission.
From now on, every restraint, every constraining order from their mentors could ignite the rebellious spirit of the three remaining protégés. Yet if one of them chose to ignore an order like 'keep your head down' from a more experienced adventurer in a life-or-death situation, that could easily prove fatal. On the other hand, letting the teens fight crime without League supervision and support would be even more dangerous.
In the army, discipline would simply be enforced. Yet the League was not a military institution, but largely comprised of free-spirited 'vigilantes' who greatly valued personal freedom. Moreover, their protégés had chosen their fate of their own free will, sacrificing their youth to fight crime and become heroes. Surely Batman would have ways to bind them to their mentors more strongly, but at what cost?
The alternative was to grant them more freedom, significantly more freedom, in exchange for their willingness to keep following their mentors' orders.
"Will you choose real missions for them?", she asked.
He nodded. "We have prepared for this option, although we planned to pursue it much later."
He turned one of his computer screens towards her. It displayed an areal photo of a small harbour town at the foot of a densely vegetated mountain.
"This is Mount Justice, the League's former headquarter. We are repurposing it as the new team's base of operation. For individual members, it will also serve as a permanent residence."
"That would be Superboy?"
"Him, as well as Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian. She will be introduced to the others shortly."
"So it's not only a boys club?"
He raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Well, there was not a single girl or woman inside the Hall of Justice today..."
Batman's frown deepened. "Wonder Woman had to cancel her attendance on very short notice. We do try to have either her, Hawkwoman or Black Canary be present at any high-publicity occasion, to avoid just that type of impression." He seemed even gloomier than usual. "Back to the matter at hand."
Mary nodded. "You were about to offer me a new employment?", she guessed.
"Indeed. Red Tornado has volunteered to take care of most practicalities at the Team's new HQ, yet he is a full member of the League and also has other responsibilities to consider. He would certainly appreciate your assistance."
Moreover, if she stayed at Mount Justice, the League could claim that the resident members of the team were permanently under adult supervision, while the teenagers themselves were unlikely to resent her presence due to the low age difference between them. A fruitful compromise.
"Will I still be able to see Alfred occasionally?"
"Mount Justice has its own Zeta Tube station. You may continue your training here at the manor on two days a week. Do you accept the position?"
She beamed at her employer. "Yes, of course!"
"Very well. We can discuss the rest of your schedule tomorrow."
Mary shook her head decisively. "Black Canary also fought against that sorcerer today, didn't she?"
"Yes?"
"Don't you think she deserves some sleep, too?"
Superboy stared at the cave's wall in front of him, unblinkingly.
Humans had to blink. Black Canary blinked roughly once every six or seven seconds.
Superboy kept his eyes open. They had been closed for far too long.
Black Canary had given him food. He knew what food was, the G-gnomes had taught him about food. He had chewed it and swallowed it. He had never swallowed anything before. It was a reflex, he did not actually have to tell his muscles what to do, and still it felt so strange…
Black Canary had blinked a lot more rapidly by the time he finished eating. When she collected his dishes, she had even yawned. He had never seen anybody yawn before. The G-gnomes had not taught him much about yawning.
He stared at the wall. There were three types of images in his head. The visual of the raw stone in front of him. The images the G-gnomes had implanted – knowledge of geological features, types of minerals and their physical properties. He knew he could punch a hole into that wall without scratching his knuckles. And finally, there were the real memories he had acquired today. Slamming Aqualad into the ceiling of the Cadmus underground facility until the biogenic plaster shattered…
Looking at a low-information scene like the wall helped him process those memories, the very first memories he could truly call his own.
He had fought them, and still they had insisted to be his allies.
He had been created by Cadmus to fight against Superman, to fight the Justice League.
Cadmus had controlled his mind, called him a weapon, used him like a tool.
The newcomers had offered him freedom.
And the sun, tomorrow.
His very first choice.
The Zeta Tube activated on the cave's floor above him. He could hear its flare before it even started announcing the intruder. The arrival, he corrected himself.
"Authorized guest, Mary Baker, A-04."
The G-gnomes had taught him much about the members of the Justice League, about Superman's colleagues. He knew all about Black Canary, who was currently cleaning the dishes. He knew about her preferred fighting styles and the force of her Canary Cry.
He knew nothing about Mary Baker.
He could hear her footsteps on the bare stone floor as she entered the large entrance hall above him.
She hardly hesitated before stepping down the stairs towards the station's common area.
When she reached the foot of the stairs, he turned around.
Human, female, young, brown-haired. Low physical strength. An electric device in her left ear, likely a League communicator. A second device on her left wrist, purpose unknown. Civilian clothes, white blouse and a skirt, impractical for combat. No armour, no coat of arms. She carried two large bags, one filled mostly with fabric, the other containing several small containers, cans and other blunt objects.
He could overpower her easily.
He could overpower any human being easily. He was Kryptonian. He was strong.
"Mary?" Black Canary finally looked up from the dishes. "What are you doing here at this hour?"
"Batman informed me that Tornado is still on League duty tonight and that you were taking care of our new guest alone, so I came to see if you needed some assistance. Did you have dinner already?"
"You're an angel. Yes, we had some take-out, but I still need to prepare him a bed and everything..."
"That's what I'm here for."
She turned away from Black Canary, towards him.
"Greetings, Superboy."
Right. Humans greeted each other. The G-gnomes had taught him about greetings, yet he had never used one before.
He nodded once to acknowledge her presence.
"My name is Mary. I am here to make sure you are comfortable tonight. You can ask me any question you want."
He nodded again.
She pointed at one of the bags she was still holding.
"I brought you a blanket, a pillow and a pair of pyjamas, a toothbrush and toothpaste, some soap, a towel, and a set of fresh clothes for tomorrow. Is there anything else you need?"
What did he need?
He hardly needed to blink, or to yawn. He did need to breath, but there was sufficient air around him. He also needed to eat, occasionally, but he had already done that as well.
"No", he replied. His voice was still hoarse. He had not used it much yet.
She nodded, then turned back towards Black Canary.
"Where are the bedrooms?", she asked.
"Straight through that door", she gestured vaguely. "Take whichever you want."
Black Canary yawned again.
Mary smiled at her. "We'll be fine here. You may go to bed, Dinah."
"What? No, I can't just leave you two alone here..."
Can't leave you alone with a super-powered Cadmus clone, Superboy translated.
Mary turned back towards him.
"I bear you no ill will and I promise that I won't cause you any harm tonight."
As if she could.
"Will you harm me?"
He could, easily.
Yet he was offered a choice.
"No", he replied.
"Thank you." She turned around to face Black Canary once more. "We'll be fine. I'll stay here with Superboy tonight. I'll contact Batman if anything happens. You may go to bed now, Dinah, you should get some rest."
It took a few more arguments, but finally Superboy and Mary were alone in the caves of Mount Justice.
"Now, which bedroom do you want?", she asked.
Another choice.
He liked having choices.
The rooms were furnished sparsely, functional. A bed, a desk, a chair and a small wardrobe. The colourful mattresses were covered by semi-transparent plastic planes to keep off the dust.
After a thorough investigation of all rooms on the hallway, he returned to the first one on the right. It was small, but had strategic advantages. He could reach the cave's back entrance most quickly from there. Moreover, the mattress was green. Green was a free colour. No part of Superman's costume was green.
"This one", he chose.
Mary swept out the room, removed the plastic, then dusted off the desk and the shelf. Superboy watched her cover the mattress with a white linen, lay out his blanket and pillow, then put his neatly folded pyjamas on the foot of his bed.
She did not talk to him while she did so. He was thankful for that.
"I will stay on the other side of the hallway tonight. If you need anything, even if you just have a question, feel free to knock on my door and wake me at any time."
He nodded.
She smiled, then left him to prepare another room for herself.
Superboy remained alone in his new bedroom.
Alone.
He had never been alone before.
There had always been life around him so far. The genomorphs had all been mentally connected. He had not been conscious until this day, but he had always been surrounded by life.
He laid down on his bed, still wearing his torn clone suit from Cadmus, and listened.
He listened to the sounds of the sweeping broom from across the hallway.
Listened to the rustling of the blanket she shook out.
Listened to the soft squeal of the mattress as Mary finally climbed into her bed.
Listened to her soft breath and her calm, regular heartbeat as she fell asleep.
He was glad not to be entirely alone that night.
Kryptonians did not have to sleep often, but they could.
There was not much else for him to do tonight.
Tomorrow, he would see the sun.
Mary was woken by the sound of the cave's hangar gate being opened.
It was quarter past five in the morning.
She yawned heartedly, then quickly got dressed before stepping out into the entrance hall.
Superboy stood in the open gateway, watching the sun rise.
He did not turn around when she approached him, but she could see him smile.
For a long moment, Mary stood beside him, silently observing the first rays of sunlight dance across the bay.
Superboy had put on the dark jeans and sneakers she had brought him, but was still wearing the torn upper part of his white suit, bearing Superman's crest. His family emblem.
Mary left him in the open doorway and went to work.
Author's note:
Greetings, Superboy! We've finally arrived at Mount Justice. In the series, three empty days pass off screen between Conner's liberation and the foundation of the team. Read on for a few glimpses of what has happened in between...
I'm ready to post new chapters daily, but please do let me know if you're enjoying the story!
Reviews are cherished like sunrises!