Sheyera and Roy: Red Rot Rage, Part Two
Superboy awakens to the sounds of a dull ringing which he's sure is a side effect from the blast. He rolls over and slowly the voices of Superman and Batman become clear.
"The three hostages in the van weren't knocked out by the gas. They attempted to wake the kids up, but…"
"Clock King awoke first and attacked them. That's how he got away," Batman finishes Superman's thought. "You three," he gestures toward Hawkwoman, Hawkman, and Green Lantern, "will search the immediate area until you find him and his hostage while Superman and I deal with the kids."
"On it," Green Lantern replies. A green glow surrounds him as he flies away into the sky. Hawkman turns to Hawkwoman momentarily before frowning and then also taking flight.
Batman squints his masked eyes at Shayera. "Is there something you wanted?"
Hawkwoman folds her arms, her mace swaying to the side, and turns toward the crater that rooms Superboy.
"He's awake," she says simply.
Superman's face constricts as he opens his super-senses to detect Conner's breathing. Superboy sighs heavily and pops open his eyes.
He brushes dirt or rather the charred fabric of his shirt from his now bare chest as he stands. He waves halfheartedly at the older heroes with three fingers.
"Did I miss anything important?" he asks, his voice almost managing to be innocent.
Hawkwoman snorts at his flippancy. "You've got some courage there, Superboy."
Conner's gaze bounces away from the location of his friends far out in the distance to Shayera who now stands beside him.
"Batman can't tear me up worse than I already am."
"I meant for smothering that blow, not smarting off to the Bat," Hawkwoman says with a laugh. She glances at her companion's ever-present scowl. "Well, maybe you're brave for both."
Conner wants to return to starring at his friends who are wrapping each other with gauze and bandages. Instead, he finds himself holding Hawkwoman's green eyes.
Superman debates between making himself scarce now that Superboy is awake or waiting for the inevitable argument. He meets his options half way by choosing to ignore Superboy altogether as he continues his conversation with Batman.
"This whole situation could have been avoided." Superman places his hands on his hips. "Red Arrow and the others should have never tried this by themselves."
Batman nods. "I'd like to agree with you." Batman watches the sharp flinch of Kon's eye. "I'd like to agree with you but first we need to hear their side of the story."
Superboy relaxes immediately at Batman's words.
Hawkwoman points to the sky with her mace. Everyone turns to the approaching green glow. John Stewart has Clock King captured within the bubble of his power ring. Hawkman appears next carrying the hostage newswoman bridal style.
The heroes land and hand off their charges to the emergency personnel. They tensely stand beside each other a moment without words before John motions to go speak with Robin and Kid Flash.
Conner watches as Roy fights off his headache as he trudges over. Superman notices Red Arrow's approach and speeds over to him. He offers Roy a hand to steady him but Roy only growls a 'no thank-you' as he shoves the Boy Scout away.
Superman slowly follows behind Red Arrow as they make their way to Superboy and his crater.
"Report," Batman orders when Roy finally stands beside Conner.
Roy scowls. "I'm not one of your—"
"Clock King is from my city. I don't care where he is. He is always my business." His cape unfurls as he motions towards where Robin and KF still sit. "Furthermore, you brought Dick and Wally with you. Not to mention Superboy."
Superboy frowns at the use of his friends' real names. He isn't sure what this word choice means.
Batman glides a step forward until he's inches away from Red Arrow. "Their presence certainly makes it my business."
Red Arrow tries his hardest to stare down Batman as he replies. "I didn't invite anyone to the party; they crashed."
Superboy suddenly finds Batman's masked face set on him. Kon responds without having to be asked.
"Robin and Kid Flash found a lead on Clock King. They noticed that Red Arrow was looking into it as well so they wanted…to surprise him with a team-up."
"And how do you fit into all this?" Superman butts in.
Conner pauses as he collects himself before speaking. "They refused to tell anyone where they were going so I offered to help."
"You should have told us anyways," Superman insists, "not enabled them by tagging along."
"You're being obtuse, Clark." Hawkwoman tilts back her head and speaks calmly. "If Kon tattles every time then his friends will stop telling him the dangerous stuff and they'll end up more likely to get hurt."
Roy smirks. "That's how I usually handled them," he says. "The plan would have worked if Robin and KF hadn't been messing around."
"Explain," Batman echoes his earlier words; the argument between him and Roy luckily doesn't repeat.
"We rigged it to knock everyone out," Superboy says. "Robin and KF weren't focused and didn't know the plan so they got sprayed by the gas."
"Why didn't you stop them?" Superman questions intently.
"Because," Superboy spits out the word, "I was dealing with the bomb. That was my job."
Batman nods in approval. Roy smirks some more.
"He's the only one who completed his job in the end," Roy compliments.
Superman pretends to not understand that this comment was more for his benefit than Superboy's and waits for the archer to continue speaking.
"I played the hero and tried to get them out of there before it all went up in smoke but," Red Arrow bristles, "I didn't have enough time. They'd alerted the guards and that ruined the plan thoroughly."
Superman decides now is the time to notice Conner's state of undress.
"Maybe you should leave. Batman can hash this out later," he says.
"Would you rather I'd not be here at all? You could just press everyone else for information," Superboy replies coolly.
Superman lets out a deep sigh. "I think it would be better if I'm not here; if you'd excuse me."
Hawkwoman catches him by the arm. "Where do you think you're going?"
Superman's eyes flick from her to Batman and then to her hand on his arm.
"I was leaving." He frowns. "Was there something you needed?"
Shayera keeps her hand firmly atop Superman as she speaks.
"Me? I don't need anything." She lets go of Superman's arm and steps aside. By moving out of the way, Superman is given a clear view to Superboy. He takes the hint.
"I don't…"
Conner scowls. "It's fine. I don't care what you think."
"Yes, you do, Kon," Shayera says as she fiddles with the strap of her mace.
Conner ignores the less than subtle use of his Kryptonian name. It doesn't mean anything. Embracing his background doesn't mean embracing Superman.
Batman stews silently beside Red Arrow, waiting to see where the conversation heads before making a move to intervene.
"He did a good job," Shayera nudges Superman to agree. He refuses to sallow his pride.
"He could have gotten everyone blown up," he reminds.
"He didn't," she says forcefully.
Roy can't stand the drawn out conversation anymore. He grabs Kon by the forearm and pulls him away from the League members.
"Suspense just kills me; action on the other hand..." He cracks a smile to the older heroes. "Superboy, we're leaving. Now."
Superman is the only one surprised when Batman doesn't stop him.
"B006: Red Arrow, recognized."
Superboy follows Roy far into the cave before he breaks the silence.
"I didn't need your help back there."
Roy regards Kon over his shoulder as he talks. "I didn't really help much anyways if you noticed."
They walk slowly across the cave until they reach the kitchen. Conner rests his back against the island. Roy starts pulling items from the fridge and tossing them to Conner. He catches three jars of pasta sauce moments before they hit the island's lip.
"Oh, please, help yourself," Superboy says with obvious sarcasm. "Since when do you cook?"
Roy twirls a frying pan by its handle. "I can't," he says evenly, "doesn't mean I won't try."
Conner sighs deeply. "I much prefer M'gann making me into her food tester over you."
Roy dumps the cans of pasta sauce in the pan. Once he turns his back, he speaks.
"So...we're talking about Megan now?"
"Looks like it," Conner says with a shrug. "Too soon?"
Roy cringes. "We were a miscalculation on my part." He stirs the red sauce with a wooden spoon. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he finishes lamely.
"You have a funny way of showing it."
The redhead fill a heavy pot with water. He places it in front of Conner. "Could you?"
Kon frowns. "No, I cannot boil your water with heat vision."
The older teen nods absentmindedly. "It was worth a shot." He lights a burner and places the pot over the red hot flame.
Roy doesn't speak for a long while. He finishes the pasta without speaking at all.
Conner growls.
"Roy, come on. Are we here to talk or is this a really terrible first date?" he demands as he pulls Roy's plate of food out from under him.
Conner begins to eat Roy's food while making happy noises as he takes each bite.
"This is good," he says during a mouthful, "You should really try some."
Roy rolls his eyes. "No thanks. I'm watching my carbs."
Conner finishes the whole plate before Roy cracks.
"I have issues, okay? I wasn't ready for anyone to try to be with me. I was an idiot," he eyes Conner forking the last cherry tomato, "and I am really sorry I hurt her."
Conner turns the tomato around on his fork and eyes it contemplatively. He pulls it off the fork and tosses it to Roy.
Roy refuses to catch it and it rolls to the floor. "I'm not a trained seal, you jerk."
Kon watches as Roy bends over and picks up the tomato. He rubs it against his shirt and pops it into his mouth.
"Right," Conner says, "because you're way classier than the average animal."
"Stop giving me a hard time," Roy makes himself another plate of pasta, "It's my job to give everyone else a hard time."
"Even Superman?" Conner chews on the syllables of the name until it's worn out like a piece of smoked jerky.
"Yes, even Superman," Roy contends, "because no one else is doing a good job about it."
"He's my problem, Roy. Hold your temper for once and let me deal with him."
"Really? You didn't seem so angry that Hawkwoman was taking up your case," Roy points out his hypocrisy.
Conner waves him off. "She's not my friend. She doesn't understand everything like you do. She was just trying to help."
"Admit it," Roy snarls, "you liked it a whole lot. The way her voice rose as she demanded action. The way she stood there playing with the strap of her mace just to remind us that it's there and she knows how to use it. The way she grabbed his arm and held him back. It's all one big, fucking turn on to you."
Conner drops the dishes he into the sink and they clatter.
"Well, yeah, Roy. Maybe it is. Red hot rage, you know? It was a really nice show she was putting on for me."
The redhead flinches and lays his balled fists across the counter.
"Roy, I was thinking you'd understand," Conner continues. "Don't you like it when people just move pass.." Conner takes one step closer to his friend and then another until they're glaring steel gaze to steel gaze. "-the suspense? Don't you like," Conner dares to lean in another inch; they are breathing the same hot, stale air, "getting straight to the action?"
Roy flinches and moves out of Conner's way. "If she's such a turn on then why don't go talk to her, huh?"
Conner fold his arms across his chest. "Maybe I will."
Roy snorts. "Fine."
"Fine," Conner echoes.
"Fine."
"Yes, it's fine. I'm glad we figured that out." Conner begins to head towards the exit. He pulls on his black jacket.
"Where are you going?" Roy demands. He follows Conner as he glides through the cave.
"To find Haw-Shayera. I'm going to find Shayera."
Roy stops in his tracks. "Fine."
"Good," Conner agrees.
"Fine," Roy repeats.
Conner turns to leave.
"She's too old for you," Roy calls out to the younger teen as he exits.
A loud and forceful voice sends back a response.
"I bet that younger men just really turn her on."
Roy hears the sound of a bike taking off and kicking up gravel. Roy hears the sound of his bike taking off and kicking up gravel.
"Shit," he curses to the room empty of every thing but red sauce stained dishes.
A/N: I think there's going to be two more chapters of this storyline.