Chapter 4 - Reunion
"He's not going to stay down for long." Supergirl looked back at Alex. "Give me your hand. We better get going."
"But Star is in trouble!"
"Someone's got it handled. We have to go now."
Alex nodded and grabbed her hand. She easily lifted him into the sky and took off.
"So uh, what was that about?" She asked as they flew through the night sky. He looked down at the shrinking buildings below.
So this is what flying's like... He thought as he felt the cool wind against his face.
"Let's just say he and I don't get alon-" He looked up at her. She was beautiful. He felt his face flush just like when he met Black Canary.
"What? Something on my face?" She gave him a puzzling glance.
"N-Nothing." He looked away.
"So where you headed?"
"Bludhaven. I need to get home. I've been away for awhile..."
Awhile wasn't the word. He had been gone for a few months. He needed to see his mom. He needed to figure things out and make his next move.
"Bludhaven? You're pretty far from home. Well hold on tight, I was actually on my way there." Supergirl flew at incredible speeds. Alex felt like his skin was going to fly from his body.
The flight had been about 20 minutes. The two landed by an abandoned garage.
"Why are we stopping here?" Alex asked.
"I have friends here. You can head home in the morning." She smiled and lifted the garage door. Alex recognized the people who were inside. The same heroes who had saved him from the Reach.
"Connor, I brought someone. Hope you don't mind." Supergirl called.
"He's alright." A boy jumped down from the upper level. He wore a black shirt that had the same "S" as Supergirl.
"You're one of the guys that saved me before...thank you." Alex shook his hand.
"It's what we do." Connor grinned "Nightwing is going to want to speak with you. Come with me."
Alex turned to Supergirl. His face immediately flushed.
"So uh, thanks for earlier." He scratched his head awkwardly.
"Don't mention it. But..." She paused. Now that they weren't in the midst of battle, she was able to get a good look at him. She focused on his eyes. The emerald green caught her attention. She felt her face grow warm. She quickly turned to walk away.
"Wait! I never got your name." Alex called.
"Kara..." She exited the garage in a hurry and flew into the horizon.
"You don't want to do that." Connor was smiling.
"Do what?"
"Nevermind..." Connor chuckled to himself.
Clark's going to have fun with this He thought.
Connor took Alex upstairs. Alex immediately recognized the man sitting at the computer. It was the same man who has piloted the ship they used to escape.
"So, you've been pretty busy." Nightwing said with his fingers crossed.
"Yeah..." Alex rubbed his head. "I know your mad at us leaving Star-" He began.
"You weren't going to stay." Nightwing interjected. "I should have known that. I even sent Blue to send the others back to Star."
Alex had questions. Who were they? What was going on? What did he have to do with any of this?
"Before I answer any of your questions. I have a few of my own." He said reluctantly.
"Go on..."
"What is all of this? I'm assuming you aren't apart of the League but Robin was there that day so I'm assuming Batman is involved somehow."
Nightwing stood up and walked towards him.
"You're smart, I'll give you that. First, there's someone who's been waiting to see you. Once we're done, I'll answer your questions." Nightwing took him to a room in the back of the garage. It was pretty big despite the outside looking small. The room was empty except for a lone bed and lamp.
"Wait here. I'll be right back."
Nightwing was gone but only for a few moments. The door opened slowly and Alex saw her.
"Mom?" He called out to the woman in the doorway. Claire Connors stood there wide eyed. Tears ran down her cheeks and she quickly grabbed her son. She squeezed tightly, thinking that maybe he was some sort of illusion.
"They told me what happened." She cried as she held her son.
"You're here..." He whispered into her shoulder. His eyes grew hot as tears spilled from his eyes. He remembered the many nights, wanting to give up and die. He remembered wishing he would wake up in his room to her nagging him for sleeping too long or just to even clean up every once in awhile.
"Of course I am. Black Canary told me that you were alright. She didn't say much but when I knew you were ok, I was overjoyed." She wiped her glasses on her shirt.
"Well...so much has happened..."
Alex explained everything. Being kidnapped, the experiments, all of it. At times Claire seemed as if she was going to faint. After everything was said, he decided to show her.
"Watch." His eyes lit up and the green aura enveloped him. Claire backed away in shock.
"They did that to you?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yes...and with this power, I can make sure that it doesn't happen to anyone else." Alex's voice was strong and his resolve, unbreakable. He had the ability to become a hero and wasn't going to let it go to waste.
"I'm not letting you go out there to get yourself killed!" She screamed. Claire knew what this meant. It meant her only son risking his life.
"It's not just some thing in doing Mom. I have a responsibility. I can't just go back to my old life and expect everything to be normal. Besides...if they go after you...i couldn't..." His voice trailed off.
"It's ok. I'll speak to her..." Nightwing stepped into the room. "Ms. Connors, I know I'm asking a lot of you but could you come with me?"
"Be here when I get back?" She smiled at Alex.
"Yeah..." He hugged her and she left with Nightwing.
As Nightwing left, a red blur sped into the room.
"Impulse?!" Alex jumped with excitement.
"The one and only!" Bart gave Alex a small fist bump. "I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the Team. Guys, come in!"
A small group of heroes entered the room. Some Alex remembered from his rescue of the Reach and others he didn't recognize. The Atlantean and Martian from before, Batgirl, Robin, Superboy, Beast Boy and Wondergirl. There were others like Bumblebee who could shrink to the smallest of sizes and Mal Duncan who didn't have a secret ID but ran mission ops. They all introduced themselves and Alex did the same.
"I'm Alex." He responded with the utmost respect.
"No hero name?" Bumblebee asked.
"Hero name? I'm not a hero...I can barely use my powers..."
"I got it! Your powers remind me of the Green Lantern. You could be Kid Lantern!" Wondergirl exclaimed. Alex noticed that she was bubbly and very energetic.
"Yeah but he has no ring." Connor pointed out.
"Guys, I'm not joining whatever this is." Alex stood up. "You all have a good thing going, really. I'm not trained and I'd do nothing but slow you down."
Impulse zipped next to him and put his arm around Alex's shoulder.
"Nightwing is talking to your Mom so you could join the Team. The Reach want you as well as Blue and we have to keep you two out of their hands. The best way would be to have you join us so you don't join then and be against us. Get it?"
"Uh, I guess." Alex's gave him a puzzled look.
"By the way where is Blue?" Batgirl asked.
"I think you might want to see this." Robin pulled up a holographic screen from a device on his wrist.
"This is Cat Grant and this young hero just saved Star Labs single handedly!" GBS' Cat Grant was standing in front of a partially destroyed Star Labs in Taos. Next to her was Jaime or rather the Blue Beetle.
"Anything for the people!" Jaime waved awkwardly. Something wasn't right. Jaime seemed too rigid, too robotic.
"What's he doing at Star? Where's Virgil and the others?" Alex asked.
"Nightwing sent him to bring the escaped teens back to Star. The moment he heard that you weren't with them, I called Supergirl to look around for you. The four that left must have ditched Blue..." Connor said.
"Well, I was attacked by Black Beetle and she saved my ass. So thanks...i guess."
The rest of the Team except for Impulse left. Their initial base, Mount Justice, had been destroyed and this garage was a temporary home for whoever lived there. Bart looked outside out the room and closed the door. Bart looked at Alex with a serious expression.
"Alright. Since you were at Star, a few things have happened. The rest of the Team knows about Blue possibly bringing Reach Apocalypse. We tried to remove the Scarab but couldn't as it's fused with his spine. Lastly, no one else knows but we recently met a Green Beetle from Mars. He says he's on our side but I saw him do something to Jaime's scarab and Jaime says it freed him but..." Bart paused and looked away. " I don't think so. I have my doubts but I don't think I can trust this new Green Beetle. Something about Blue was off on the news...Just a bad feeling..."
"Why don't you go to Nightwing?" Alex asked.
"Because it's you, me and Blue. We made that pact that day and even if the pact was broken, the three of us are Hermanos right?"
Alex nodded. Jaime and Bart were the first friends he had made since they saved him from the Reach. They welcomed him and shared their secret with him. They were friends without a doubt.
"The Reach are after me for my powers." Alex showed Bart his aura that caused the room to glow in a green hue. "Apparently I can generate a Green Lanterns' powers without a ring, though I'm just piecing things together."
"Well in the future, the Reach and the Green Lanterns are enemies. If they want you so badly then it's a safe bet to say they don't get along in this time too. Then they must want you to weaponize your powers with their tech. Imagine Black with the power of a Green Lantern..."
"He'd be unstoppable..."
If that was true then in order to master his power, Alex needed a to train under a Green Lantern. He would have to join the Team and ask Nightwing. He was sure that Nightwing had some connections with the League.
"Could Nightwing get me to one of the Green Lanterns in the League? If I can train under one then I'd have a better chance against the Reach."
"For sure. Though we need to move quick. If the Reach get to Blue, then it's game over."
Nightwing entered the room but Alex's Mom wasn't with him.
"Bart, could you give us some privacy?" Nightwing asked and Bart ran out.
Nightwing's face was calm and his expression like stone. There was a tension that stifled the air and Alex felt a sudden weight on his shoulders.
"I sent your Mom home. I spoke to her about you joining the Team. You took on Black Beetle without mastering your powers. I know you were headed back to Star to save Wilcox. You deserve a spot on this Team and not many people have that kind of selfless heroism."
Alex blushed at the compliment. He was just doing what he felt was right. Yet when he fought Black, he felt fear. Fear made his powers fade. Fear was his weakness. In order for him to truly fight against the Reach, he would have to beat fear.
"I'll join but I have a request. I need to train under a Green Lantern. If I master my powers then I wouldn't hold you guys back. When I fought Black...I was losing...I felt...scared. My powers seemed to disappear the more I felt fear. I need to overcome that fear."
Nightwing started to chuckle to himself. He knew just the man for the job.
"Your powers do seem similar to theirs. Stay here for tonight and tomorrow I have someone that I want you to meet."
A/N So...I just kept writing and didn't stop so this one is kind of long. However I'm getting a bit of writer's block when figuring out where to continue. If anyone has any ideas then please review. Even if it inspires me, I'll give you a mention in the next chapter. I just want it to be engaging and not too drawn out. Comments or criticism, just please review xD