A/N: So sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. Thanks for your patience ^_^' One of the reasons I took so damn long was because I was working out the kinks in this story with my wonderful beta DarkUnderworld - check her out if you like amazing writing! I hope to be more regular from now on.
"Hun? What?" Jaime asked, not completely awake yet.
I repeat: Jaime Reyes, our account now has sufficient funds for a family unit of four. The Scarab replied.
That threw Jaime for a loop. The last time he checked his account, he barely had enough money to fill one shelf in the fridge with pop - which for some ungodly reason was cheaper than water. He blinked back his confusion and bit his tongue, stopping himself from replying out loud.
What do you mean? Jaime asked in his mind. How Megan never said she thought he was crazy for think-talking to himself, he couldn't fathom.
I repeat, again, the Scarab replied - and if Jaime didn't know better he would have ignored the impatience radiating off the bug on his back - Jaime Reyes, our acc-
Jaime shook his head, waving his hands anxiously. I know what you said! But how is that even possible?
The Scarab was silent for just one second too long. Jaime knew he wouldn't like the answer.
Whether youlike the solution provided or not is irrelevant.
"The hell-" Jaime interrupted himself, continuing in a whisper. "The hell it isn't! If I don't like it, it's because it isn't ethical?" he snarled derisively.
He threw off the covers, and immediately changed into his day clothes - old denim pants, an old grey tank top covered by his grey hoodie, which was also his oldest piece of clothing.
I hurt no one - like you taught me. I funneled thousands of hundredths of pennies from various account of extremely wealthy people into our account.
"Oh that's all?" Jaime replied, still remembering to whisper. "Stealing isn't only illegal, it's a sin; it always ends up hurting someone! Nothing is without consequences."
The consequences of my methods are irrelevant. Their impact is minimal to those who I have funneled the money from.
Jaime resisted the urge to slam his fist against the wall - possibly breaking through the plaster - and instead bit his hand. He always thought the Scarab was supposed to be super intelligent, but apparently not smart enough to not break the law.
You broke the law several times; during your career as "Blue Beetle"you broke the law on a daily basis as a vigilante.
As a hero, Jaime defended. To help people.
It is for the same reason I have funneled money into our account. Our family unit requires more resources to function properly.
Jaime turned towards the door, pushing himself up on one hand to reach the handle. He twisted it and pulled it open, careful not to hit himself with it.
After thinking for a while, Jaime replied under his breath. "I never knowingly - or willingly - hurt civilians or people that didn't deserve it. Like super villains or people like Luthor."
As did I. The money funneled has been taken from suspicious accounts - such as Lex Luthor's private account - and not from accounts of people such as ourself.
Jaime didn't even know if that was a real pronoun."Still," he hesitated, running out of arguments. Sudden realisation hit him. "It goes against my principals; it's the same as killing. Stealing is a big no-no." The Scarab had always reacted to Jaime's emotions so maybe it'd work for him now.
What about what you said yesterday? The Scarab asked.
What? Jaime thought, confused by the apparent non-sequitur.
You told me, "Not Rob, Robin HOOD. You know, steal from the rich and give to the poor? Search it online, it wouldn't kill ya to get some culture..."
At the stairs Jaime quietly twisted himself, trying to throw his legs in front of him. He cursed silently when they wouldn't go past the wall. He roughly pulled the useless limbs and with frustration threw them onto the first steps. Breathing deeply, Jaime prepared himself for the descent.
"Yeah well... That's different," he replied almost childishly.
However, before the scarab could get a thought in, Jaime kept thinking. That Robin Hood is a fairy tale. the real one is a whole other story, he thought to the Scarab.
I am aware. As you've suggested, I have done online research, it replied.
"Then you know," Jaime started saying, continuing in his mind. That the entire context is different?
He pushed himself off the first step and lowered himself onto the second. He repeated the process for the entire staircase. It was a marathon of bench dips - and it sucks, he told himself - and it robbed Jaime of his energy, before he even got to the kitchen.
He could feel the Scarab mulling over what he had said. Surely it could recognize the difference between XIIIth century England under the rule of a tyrannical king and today? If not, then Jaime was at least certain the scarab had the ability to recognize they weren't starving peasants being robbed of all their money - they certainly weren't helpless - or that stealing was okay.
As he reached the last step, Jaime felt a wave of... sheepishness? From the Scarab? He didn't even know that was possible. Finally, it spoke.
Very well Jaime Reyes I will no longer funnel money from people like this Lex Luthor's private account into our account from now on. And I shall remove the stolen money from our account.
Satisfied, Jaime pushed himself off the last step
"Guess it's gonna be one of those days," he muttered tiredly to no one, as he hefted himself into his chair.
Jaime went to the kitchen, mindful of the other shoes and things that littered the floor. Once there, he grabbed a clean glass off the counter - they always left clean dishes there so Jaime could reach them, even his step father did it - and poured some water into it. He greedily drank it, his throat parched from the dry air. He poured himself another glass and downed it just as quickly. He went to the pantry to try and get some cereal. As he tried to reach any one of the cereal boxes that were just a little bit out of his reach, a thought occurred to him.
"The end of the month is coming up," he told the Scarab more than himself, relaxing in his chair, the cereals for now forgotten. "Hm. Gotta check my account then, eh?"
With renewed vigor, Jaime tried again to grab some cereal. After pawing at the shelf somewhat blindly, he managed to knock over a box of plain oats with dried raisins. He caught it deftly before it hit the ground and he set up to make himself a bowl.
Whilst eating, Jaime mindlessly checked his phone. Two missed calls and a few text messages. He deleted all but one text. It was from Connor.
It read: Just wanted to give you an update. Everything is fine on our end. I've had to start helping Cassandra with her Spanish homework.
Jaime winced inwardly. He knew for a fact that Cassie was a lost case for Spanish. She had no problem with any form of Greek - which Jaime thought was way more difficult, but fun, to learn - but somehow Spanish just wouldn't register in her brain.
Jaime sighed, considered answering the text message. He seldom used his phone anymore - mostly due to the fact that he didn't know whether he was paying the phone bill or if the team was still handling it - but Connor's texts were usually answered. He hadn't seen Superboy or anyone of the team since they had last hung out, much less talked to them. So texting it was. Maybe once a week or every other week Jaime would get an update from Connor - and maybe an invitation or another update from someone else - and he would sometimes reply in like, but usually something along the lines of, "ok, I'm good thanks."
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully; Jaime completed his homework quickly thanks to the Scarab, the house wasn't dirty and his step-father was out with his friends. Jaime's mother was helping Milagro with her homework so she could go sleep over at her friend's house.
Midterms were coming up and for once Jaime wasn't at all worried. Being unable to suit up, the Scarab and he thought of using their abilities differently, which resulted in Jaime doing sessions of Scarab-enhanced studying. Jaime was happy to get his 85% average back and then some. Those study sessions also resulted in Jaime finally learning to not talk aloud to the Scarab. He wasn't getting those crazy looks as much anymore.
His mom and sister had been so happy when they noticed. Jaime thought of that as a huge bonus. Speaking of which, Jaime thought, Mama has been happier as of late. Shaking his head lightly, Jaime wheeled himself to class.
He waved to the music teacher, Mr Cooper, an old African-American balding man who loved the blues. He walked along in his brown tweed suit and cane - though Jaime was pretty damn sure that man could kick anyone's ass and didn't need the cane - smiling back at Jaime. He opened the door for him and Jaime thanked him.
"So Jaime," Mr Cooper said. "Still practising every day?"
Jaime nodded. "Si, I did like you suggested and hooked up headphones to my amp and now I can play really late!" Especially when I have nightmares, Jaime finished in his head. Now that Jaime thought about it, his mother had offered him his headphones - she said they must've been better than his earbuds - and the adapter for the amp.
Mr Cooper smiled, as if he knew what Jaime had thought. "Good. You keep those hands well taken care of, you hear? I've only heard one other man play the way you do."
Jaime cocked his head. "Who?"
"Your father."
At the end of the day, Jaime was happy that he had no homework this weekend. His boss had let him take "sick days" for the weekend, and Jaime was ecstatic about the prospect of sleep and relaxation. He wheeled out of school towards his home without incident.
He pushed open the front door and was greeted by the smell of chicken and steamed vegetables. Before he could formulate a coherent thought, Milagro tackle-hugged him.
"We're having a beef rib roast!" She told him excitedly. "AND vegetables!"
Jaime smiled. "What's the occasion? Win the lottery?" he asked his mother jokingly as he wheeled himself towards the kitchen with Milagro in tow.
His mother chuckled while checking to see if the vegetables were soft enough. She shook her head. "No, but Jose has started putting money in my account."
Well, that threw Jaime for a loop. He put his finger in his ear to check it wasn't clogged, but when it came back clean it only puzzled him more. The hell? If I know people like him he wouldn't have enough money to buy a dollar pack of gum from the 99 cents store. Hmm...
"Mama, are you sure that we have enough money for all this?" Jaime asked worriedly.
She turned around and gently whacked him on the back of the head with her wooden spoon. "Stop grinding your teeth, Jaime. Si I am sure, hijo." She turned to check on the vegetables again and pulled them off the element. "Now eat, both of you. Jaime you look like a skeleton. Here," She gave him extra meat. "Eat, hijos!"
"Uh, where is Jose?" Jaime eventually asked after his mother sat down to eat with them.
"He is at a friend's house tonight. To discuss business," she replied.
Business? Pfft, yeah right. And I'm Peter Pan, Jaime thought to himself.
No, you are Jaime Reyes, Jaime was lucky he'd become so accustomed to the Scarab's voic ein his head, otherwise he'd have fallen out of his chair in surprise. He managed to keep his face straight enough.
Sarcasm, Jaime replied. Look it up.
He felt the Scarab's presence melt away slightly, meaning it was on its way to gather all possible information on the subject of sarcasm.
Deciding that an argument about his step-father wasn't the best thing to have right now, Jaime simply nodded at his mother. "Ah," he said before digging into his meal as well.
The three ate in companionable silence. They hadn't eaten a meal like this since before Jaime's father died. It was delicious; the juicy meat was topped with rich gravy; the vegetables ranged from carrots to green beans and even mashed turnips. The carrots and beans were steamed to perfection; the carrots were soft and the beans just a little crispy. The mashed turnips were rich, thick and creamy.
Although it was the best meal Jaime had had in a while, he only had one serving, deciding to either let his mother and sister eat more, or to save some for school lunches. He took his plate off the table and headed for the sink, but stopped when his mother called him.
"Hijo, is that all you are eating?" she asked.
Jaime nodded dumbly before replying. "Uh, si..?"
His mother shook her head and took the plate from his hands. She went back to the kitchen and filled his plate again.
"Eat, there is an entire roast that's waiting for you two!" she told them happily.
"Um, Mama?" Milagro asked. "Shouldn't we keep more food for school lunches?"
"No, I went to the grocery store and bought some food," she answered.
"With what money?" Jaime asked, genuinely curious.
"The same money I used to buy the food you are not eating," his mother replied pointedly with a smile, prompting the two children to eat.
I can't believe Jose is depositing money into Mama's account. I didn't even know he had an account to receive money, much less have access to an other. As if he could take responsibility for anything anyway. I'll have to talk to Mama about all this; if there really is money from him it's probably stolen, Jaime told himself as he ate the turnips.
This Jose has been in the state described as 'sober' more often than is usual. Perhaps he has been taken by what humans call a 'sense of duty', the Scarab suggested, suddenly back in Jaime's mind. I find sarcasm to be an interesting subject, Jaime Reyes.
Oh really? Jaime asked.
Indeed. It has many different ways of being expressed-
Not that! I didn't know Jose was sobering up.
He can't stay intoxicated at all times, his body would suffer too much and eventually give out. If he would be, I'd be the Queen of England.
What?
That was sarcasm.
I don't think you're doing it right...
Jaime was taken out of his thoughts when his mother put a hand on his shoulder, shaking it gently. "Are you alright, hijo?" she asked.
"Si, Mama, just thinking," he replied, smiling.
"You should go out," she suggested.
"Yeah!" Milagro piped up. "There's a special fight going on tonight at the local arena! They even covered the ice and everything for the fight! You should go!"
His mother nodded. "Si, you and Alberto - God rest his soul - used to love to watch boxing."
"I don't know," Jaime finally said at length. "I don't really think I should be using money on something like that."
"Nonsense," his mother told him. She left the table and came back with her purse. She pulled out some bills and forced them in his hands. "Take this and enjoy yourself. Milagro is going with you, so do not disappoint your sister." That last part was as much received as an order as it was intended to be.
It was getting dark out, but Jaime wasn't worried; neither where he lived nor where he was going were bad neighbourhoods. The streets for some reason, weren't empty yet so he felt even more safe bringing his sister with him. She walked beside him, talking at about a hundred miles per hour about her day at school. He always wondered how much went on at her school for her to have so many things to talk about. Maybe having a knack for getting into trouble runs in the family, he thought as he nodded to whatever she was saying.
"Jaime, do you know who's fighting tonight?" Milagro asked after running out of events to retell him.
"Nope, sorry," he replied.
The one known as Wildcat, holder of various heavyweight fighting sports titles will be fighting several amateur fighters for charity, the Scarab supplied helpfully.
Thanks. "Oh! I just remembered! Tye talked to me about the fight. It's this super champion, Wildcat. He's fighting a bunch of guys for charity," he told Milagro.
"Wildcat? That doesn't sound like the name of a famous fighter. Have you ever heard of him, Jaime?"
"I think so," he lied blatantly. Every superhero knew who Wildcat was. The man had trained Black Canary - among other people - who had helped trained Batman. These accomplishments alone told Jaime that Wildcat was probably the best fighter on the face of the Earth. Jaime had never heard of him losing a fight, no matter what the odds. Although, Jaime himself had never been trained by Wildcat, his father had been the one to show him fighting. By learning from his dad - a little something Alberto called Mexican Boxing - and watching fights with him, it was only natural for Jaime to learn of the reigning champion. Well, he WOULD still be reigning if he hadn't been banned, Jaime told himself.
Wildcat had been banned from all championship fights because he couldn't lose. Jaime thought that even when the guy was an old geezer he would probably be able to take on any champion. Wildcat could - and usually would - participate in charity events when he wasn't fighting crime.
"I've never seen so many people here before!" Jaime heard Milagro say, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He looked around and sure enough, the parking lot was filling up and people were walking into the small hockey arena. He picked up the pace slightly.
"Come on, don't wanna get in there and not have any seats left, do ya?" he teased.
Once inside it was strangely easy to get seats, which were really inexpensive. Thanks to Jaime's "special status" they got directed closer towards the front. Tickets in hands, they made their way to their seats through the crowded hallways.
It didn't take them long to find their seats. The ticket clerk had been nice enough to give Milagro an aisle seat so she could sit next to Jaime. They were at the complete bottom, which suited Jaime just fine - maybe he'd get to keep a tooth from the fight or something - because he didn't have to deal with stairs of any kind to get there. Milagro pushed him into position and engaged the breaks before pulling off her jacket, Jaime doing the same. She stuffed both of them into the backpack that was on the back of Jaime's chair.
The two talked quietly for a while, the roar of the crowd covering their conversation from other people. Many people who recognized Jaime as someone who'd helped them - or whose father had helped them - came to talk to them before getting to their own seats.
"I'm hungry," Milagro complained.
Jaime smiled and awkwardly opened his bag. He smiled at Milagro as his arm bent in a seemingly unnatural angle, which made her cringe. He pulled out a chocolate bar he'd swiped from his stash at home before leaving, and gave it to her. She beamed and started to devour it as soon as he handed it to her.
"You know, food from outside isn't really allowed," a teasing voice that Jaime would recognize anywhere said.
They both turned in the direction of the sound, Milagro frowning slightly, as if angry to be told not to eat. She stopped frowning when she noticed that Jaime was smiling at the lady.
"Bl- Dinah!" he said excitedly. He hadn't expected Black Canary to be there. Actually, he hadn't expected anyone he knew to be there. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"You know her, Jaime?" Milagro asked, not seeming to trust the gorgeous blonde who was bent over talking to her brother.
"I'm his counsellor. Or was," Dinah replied. "It seems Jaime hasn't needed my help for a while," she added with a smile.
"Jaime never talked about you," Milagro said, her voice laced with suspicion.
"Uh, well you see-" Jaime tried to say but got cut off by his sister.
"You don't look like a counsellor."
Dinah, for her part, chuckled. She straightened herself before leaning on the handrail next to Jaime. "I suppose not. I train everyday and try to take care of my body."
Milagro narrowed her eyes but seemed to take in his friendly demeanour and relaxed.
"Uh, well... What are you doing here?" Jaime finally asked her.
"Came to see my mentor kick butt," she replied smirking.
"Um... Who's this Wildcat guy anyway?" Milagro asked Dinah.
She explained that Wildcat was one of the best, if not the best, fighters on Earth. She added that he'd trained Batman too. That got Milagro excited.
"Does that mean you know Batman?" she asked, all but squeaking the words out.
Dinah shook her head. "When I trained with him, he always wore a mask." Now Jaime knew that was a lie. Black Canary was one of the few people who knew Batman's identity. Jaime barely envied her being trusted with that secret. He couldn't fathom having Batman possibly rely on him that much. Creepy, he told himself.
Milagro deflated a little, but not much. "I wish I could kick butt," she said.
Dinah smiled. "All you need is a good teacher and the will to learn."
Jaime stifled a chuckle. Yeah right, he thought. The number of heroes without powers who got by with just fighting ability could probably be counted on one or two hands, the first one being Wildcat.
"Could you teach me?" Milagro asked Dinah with wide eyes.
"Milgro," Jaime scolded softly. "You can't just ask people things like that."
"Why not?" Dinah asked, a playful glint in her eyes. Then she turned to Milagro. "We'll see. Have Jaime call me later and we'll talk, okay?"
Jaime thought his sister's head might snap off she was nodding so fast.
"Any chance we'll get to see Wildcat before or after the match?" Jaime asked. Dinah raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. "It's just my dad was fan when he was... and I guess he made sure I was one too before he left."
"Is that my name I heard?" A gruff voice cut through the nearby chatter.
The three turned towards the sound and it took all of Milagro's self control not to laugh. There stood a man at about six something weighing somewhere around the 200 pound mark in a black-blue spandex suit. His hands and forearms were covered in the weird string Jaime used to wear when their dad taught him how to fight. The cat mask the man wore hid all but his lower face like Batman's cowl, but instead of bat ears, they were like a cat's and around the man's mouth were cat whiskers.
"There you are, Ted," Dinah said, greeting him.
"You look like a male catwoman," Milagro deadpanned.
Jaime sputtered, turning beet red. Ted laughed.
"I suppose then it would just be catman, wouldn't it?" he asked Milagro. She just nodded.
"I was walking by, looking for someone," Ted playfully glared at Dinah before continuing. "When I heard someone say my name and that they were a fan. That true short stuff?" he asked the last part to Jaime.
"My brother is not short!" Milagro piped up indignantly, offended on Jaime's behalf.
"Milagro, it's okay, he didn't mean anything by it," Jaime told her.
"Ted can be abrasive at times," Dinah clarified. "Just call him Teddy and he won't do it again."
"Please don't," Wildcat said. "I'm sorry. What's your name?"
"I'm Milagro and this is Jaime" Milagro replied. "My brother's a big fan of yours!"
"Is he now?"
"Uh, well... Yeah. My dad taught me how to defend myself when I was younger, before I..." He looked down at his legs before continuing. "He kept mentioning you. He really liked you."
"And where is your old man now?" Ted asked before Dinah could stop him. She winced.
"The cemetery," Jaime replied.
"You mean Heaven," Milagro corrected and Jaime smiled and nodded.
"Eh, sorry 'bout that. So you got some moves, kid?"
Jaime snorted. "Used to, not anymore."
"Why not?" Ted asked.
Jaime looked at him like 'are you serious?' and gestured to his legs. Ted just shrugged, unconvinced. Dinah leaned in and whispered something in his ears. He perked up and barked out a boisterous laugh.
"What's so funny?" Milagro asked.
Dinah smiled. "During a group session I had Jaime and Richard, another student, participate in a little competition and Jaime beat him. Ted laughed because Richard almost never loses."
"What's that got to do with Jaime being trained by dad?"
"I'll tell you later," Jaime told her and it calmed her down a little.
"Well, in any case," Ted said, while he took off his cowl and gave it to Jaime. "Here, I'm sure your father would've been happy to see you've met one of his stars."
He turned to Dinah, nodded and they both said their goodbyes. As they left, Ted turned around to ask Jaime what his father's name was. When he got his answer, Ted nodded and smiled gently at Jaime.
"Alberto was a good man and a good student," he said before heading towards the locker room.
When the lights dimmed and music started to play, Jaime stopped looking at the gift Ted had given him and turned his attention to the ring.
"It's beginning!" Milagro shouted happily, bouncing in her seat. She appeared anxious to see Teddy in action.
Any man who trained their dad must've been good, because their fatehr only took from the best and never did anything halfway. Their father had boasted that he was able to kill a man in ten different ways with his cane.
"I know! I know!" Jaime said, shaking Milagro off of him, though he was smiling. He was just as anxious to see this fight as Milagro was.
"Today, for ONE NIGHT ONLY," the announcer began, his deep voice cutting through the cheering. "You will witness the AWESOME power of the one... and only... WILDCAT!" The crowd screamed.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
The people in the crowd hollered and screamed, they clapped and banged, they clamoured and jumped. Satisfied, the announcer continued with his speech.
"The banned from all championships fighter will take on not one, not two, but three! Yes THREE! Fighters from our hometown tonight, for the El Paso Children's Hospital! A round of applause for our challengers!"
Jaime didn't know it was possible, the volume in the arena got even louder, he litterally couldn't hear the scarab if he tried; the loud noise was too distracting.
Three people jogged towards the ring in the center. They all had protective headgear which indicated they weren't yet at the professional level, but still amateurs. Jaime didn't recognize any of them and he didn't pay attention to their names. One was extremely tall and lanky, the second was short and stocky, but the third, Jaime couldn't believe he was just an amateur. He wasn't too tall, was ripped, but not big like some fighters. Jaime suspected the guy knew that speed was just as important as strength. He carried himself differently as well. He had that posture that all veterans fighters have; shoulders slightly hunched, always ready. He kept his head high, but didn't have his chin in the air. He was the most talkative of the three, which Jaime interpreted as making him either insecure, crazy or just arrogant.
His thoughts were interrupted when the spotlights all lit the entry way and the anouncer's voice boomed again. "A round of applause for our guest, the INFAMOUS WILDCAT!"
Again, Jaime was taken aback by the sheer volume that was being produced. He was surprised his ear drums didn't shatter. He admired Ted's composure; the guy didn't even seem bothered by the noise. He nodded at a few people and waved at a couple others. When he entered the ring, instead of posing like most fighters, he walked to the announcer and shook his hand, and then he greeted the other three fighters. The third one, instead of shaking his hand, bumped his fist.
"What a good sport, ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer said, with no real reason to, a smile on his face.
After the announcer gave the microphone to the referee, the man explained the rules. It was a tag-team match one versus three. Obviously, the fact that they could gang up on him was implied. It was to be the old-fashioned fifteen round match - though Jaime, along with most people who knew Wildcat, doubted it would last nearly as long - of three minute rounds with one minute breaks. Then the referee announced the usual no biting, no clawing or eye gouges, not hitting the special parts. Jaime drifted off at that part.
Finally the bell rang and the crowd quieted down. Jaime's attention perked up again and he saw Ted and the stocky fighter in the ring. Just outside he could see the other two. The lanky one was fidgeting, but the other was just observing, not moving.
As expected of Wildcat, he was a good sport. He didn't immediately decimate the other fighter like some people had expected him to. Instead, he let the other guy go first, as if Wildcat was the one who was unsure of the other's abilities. He wasn't doing any fancy moves or showing off either. For some reason, that made Jaime glad.
The end of the round was nearing when it happened. Ted jumped and with incredible speed spun to kick the other fighter with his heel. Surprisingly, he dodged. What the other man didn't dodge, though, was Ted's second mid-air kick that he threw at the guy's face with his other leg. Wildcat must've predicted he'd duck, Jaime reasoned, because the guy's head was level with Ted's left foot.
The announcer suddenly cried out in awe. "I CANNOT BELIEVE MY EYES!" He bellowed. "THE GREATEST MARTIAL ARTS FAKE OUT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WHO COULD HAVE PREDICTED SUCH A MOVE BUT WILDCAT HIMSELF!"
That was enough to make the crowd go wild. Noise erupted all around Jaime and Milagro - who was cheering just as loud as everybody - and flashes appeared all throughout the seating. So many people were taking pictures Jaime wondered if he was going to become blind from the light. Actually, Jaime also wondered how Ted wasn't even trying to cover his eyes. Like, damn, Jaime thought, he must REALLY be used to this kinda thing if all this light isn't bothering him...
The other fighter hadn't gotten up yet, so the referee had taken to counting to ten. Wildcat must've held back because before the referee counted five, the other guy had gotten up. Jaime thought about the kick: it had been a flashy and impressive move, but unless the person doing it was a metahuman - like Connor or Cassie - they wouldn't have any way to generate real power from the position. Wildcat hadn't been trying to knock out the other fighter. He's trying to give a show, Jaime told himself, proud to have figured it out from his analysis. Well, he kind of already knew that, but getting the same result from analysing the fight felt cooler, he thought.
Once the referee okay'd the fight to continue, the two fighters started moving again, although the other guy was more wary of Ted now. Actually, Jaime thought, now that I see how the guy reacted... Jaime thought the move was probably more of a scare tactic that just happened to double as a crowd pleaser. Impressive, Jaime gushed inwardly.
The round ended mere seconds later with no other interesting developments. As soon as the bell rang, people in the crowd stood up and cheered the fighters, or went to buy refreshments. The arena felt somewhat empty and sad to Jaime now that more than half the seats were unoccupied - and already littered with wrappers and paper cups - and not much noise being made anymore.
Milagro immediately started babbling about the round, gushing over Teddy's speed and how did he manage to move like that? while she shook his shoulder excitedly. Somehow, Jaime felt like this excitement over martial arts was another of Ted's goals with this fight. If I'm right, Jaime thought, Wildcat is more cunning than people think. Otherwise, he was probably damn lucky that all this was lining up with the fight.
The stands were refilled quite quickly; after all, the break was only a minute. Jaime noticed the three fighters talking. Well, the first guy is doing all the talking, Jaime amended himself.
The fighter was making wide and almost erratic motions with his hands. The lanky dude was nodding his head and listening and the third guy interrupted the first one, an annoyed smirk on his face. He said something, but obviously Jaime couldn't catch it over the distance and the loud crowd surrounding him.
The second round started and this time the lanky fighter entered the ring instead of the shorter one. As soon as he stepped in the ring, Ted's stance changed. He went from a wider, more rooted stance to a narrower stance, standing on the balls of his feet, bouncing from time to time. The tall guy was a southpaw, and Wildcat switched his stance to match him; moving his left foot and hand forward instead of the right.
This fighter didn't seem as careful or wary as the first fighter, despite what had happened - and whatever he could have told the other two - because as soon as he was in range, the guy threw a flurry of punches. All of them were jabs or straights, no circular movement. Jaime guessed this guy's game was speed.
Jaime's gaze flickered to the two waiting fighters. Judging by the first one's build he was more strength or stamina oriented - no speed fighter would be that big. The third one, Jaime thought was definitely speed. He was smaller than Jaime himself was - and he wasn't bulky at all - and his upper arm seemed, at least from that distance, to be as large as Jaime's wrist. The guy also didn't have an ounce of fat or useless muscle on him; all the muscles looked to be carved into the guy, rather than bulging out. Jaime thought he looked kinda scary after thinking about it.
Jaime's eyes widened when he saw Ted bobbing and weaving through the tempest of punches. Not a single one was hitting him, but they were all grazing against him harmlessly. He was like a Muhammed Ali with super speed, Jaime couldn't believe his eyes. The guy throwing the punches wasn't slow either. He wasn't as fast as Nightwing, but damn, Jaime didn't think there was anyone in the audience who could dodge any of his punches.
Finally, he seemed to tire out and his punches slowed minutely. His face started to grow an angry red as he held his breath because of the effort. Although he seemed to remember to breathe. He dashed backwards, away from Wildcat; enough space for him to kick Ted, but not enough for Ted to hit him without stepping in.
Ted smirked and it visibly irked the other fighter. He took half a step forward in provocation, but all that did was give Ted the range he needed. He threw his right leg backwards and used his bent left leg to propel himself forward. Mid-air, he spun on his side, now being parallel to the ground. His right leg arched over him and his heel was headed directly for the Tall guy's collar bone at break-neck speeds. He took a page from Ted's book and weaved to the side, Ted's leg missing by mere centimeters and hitting the side of the guy's leg, sliding down harmlessly.
However, before he could take advantage of Wildcat's apparent weak position, Ted thrusted his left hand at the ground and used it to push himself out of the incoming roundhouse kick. He landed on his feet a couple of yards away from the other fighter. Jaime hadn't noticed the crowd cheering this whole time, too focused on the deadly dance going on in the ring.
The tall guy dashed to his corner and tapped the third guy's hand before leaping over the ropes.
"Finally! Some tag-team action!" Someone nearby shouted, happy to finally get some bang for their buck.
The guy approached Ted with no discernible stance; he just walked to him. Somehow, he looked more ready than the other two guys had; even as he walked towards the greatest fighter of all time with his guard seemingly down in arrogance. Ted decided to humour the guy and also lowered his hands, reverting to his favourite style; street-fighting. The other fighter smiled, obviously wanting to fight like this.
The guy threw a low kick at Ted, who expertly blocked, and immediately followed up by jumping forward and aiming an elbow at Ted's head. Wildcat leaned forward, the elbow flying harmlessly over his head and he grabbed the guy by the mid-section and lifted him up off the ground. He quickly threw him back, but the guy landed on his feet, bouncing slightly. They inched closer together until they were both in range.
The other guy jumped and snapped his leg, aiming a kick at Ted's chin, but he leaned back. Before the other guy could land, Wildcat threw a kick of his own at the guy's head. He brought up his arm to block and it sent him to the side, away from Ted. This time, the guy kept his hands up. Jaime smirked.
The fighter waited for Ted to come and as soon as he could, he pushed him back. Evidently, Ted hadn't expected it because he stumbled backwards. With an amused smile on his face, he tried to get to the guy again. The guy waited longer, but threw a knee at Wildcat, who brought a hand down to block it. It was a feint though, as the other guy pushed Ted back again. This time he pushed forward to follow Ted, but he regained his footing quickly enough to throw a front kick at the guy's chest. he wasn't as tall as Ted - or even Jaime - he must've been around five-seven or so - the kick connected, but the guy was only slightly pushed back.
Before either fighter could continue their assault, the bell rang, signaling the end of the round. During this break, Dinah came and talked to them. She decided to stay with them during the rest of the match, commenting on the fight. It all went as expected: Ted kicked the first two fighters' butts and took a little longer to beat the third one. That one had actually forfeited the match, but he looked happy enough to have gone toe-to-toe with the best.
After the match, Dinah offered to accompany the two kids home since it was so late.
"Can Teddy come?" Milagro asked, knowing full well that Teddy was within earshot.
Dinah just laughed and said sure.
During the walk home the four talked about fighting, sometimes straying to talk about Jaime's 'councelling'. He didn't think he'd lied so much in one evening before, but it was to protect his sister. When they reached the door to Jaime and Milagro's house, Dinah and Ted seemed shocked to see the paltry piece of wood that served as a makeshift ramp for Jaime - who still had to move it into and out of position when he needed it.
Jaime's mother opened the door at the noise they were making. They weren't being that noisy, but any kind of sound tends to carry in an empty street at eleven at night. She noticed Dinah and Wildcat, but her inquisitive gaze went to Jaime for answers.
"Mama, meet Dinah. My counsellor, remember?" He hadn't ever talked to his mom about Black Canary, but he knew his mother wasn't too good with faces or names. She nodded.
"And this is Wildcat!" Milagro said loudly, waving her arm at Ted.
As expected of adults, the three talked for a while; Dinah and Ted constantly trying to excuse themselves from not coming in. Soon enough, their talk was over and the duo left. After a quick retelling of the fight - often interrupted by Milagro's happy outbursts - Jaime headed to bed.
A/N: Extra long chapter as a way of asking for forgiveness; hope it was good. Some of you may or may not know Ted Grant (a.k.a. Wildcat) and that in the canon YJ universe he was one of the first heroes around the 1930's or about if memory serves. Ignore that part for my story. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review if you saw something that confused, irritated or pleased you!