The Flight of the Blue Beetle 2
"Up, up, up!" he loved his little sister but there were times when he wished he could ship her off to the other side of the world, "vamos Jaime! Or we are going to be late!"
"Ya voy, ya voy" he said covering his head with the blanket before little Milagro took hold of his pillow and pulled it away, "Milagro!" he sat up just to spot her running out of his room laughing. He didn't stay angry for long glad to see his sister was back to her old self.
When he made it to the kitchen his little sister was chattering with their father as he read the newspaper. Breakfast was already on the table and he raised an eyebrow at his father.
"If you tell your mother I will deny everything" he father said not looking away from his paper.
Jaime shook his head as he sat. It had been rare enough that it wasn't just Milagro and him at the table. He didn't mind having someone else make breakfast but decided he would get up earlier the next day to do it himself. Not that his father was a bad cook but he added too much salt and… oaky, he was a terrible cook but the thought was what counted. Still, he couldn't have him forcing himself when he was supposed to rest.
"Hurry Milagro or you are going to miss the bus" his father said before his little sister grabbed her backpack and rushed to the door.
She stopped at the entrance and then went back to them. She landed a kiss on her father's cheek and hugged her brother before she ran outside. Jaime started to pick up the plates before his father folded the paper and turned to him on his wheelchair.
"Mijo, we need to talk" he used that flat voice that made goosebumps appear on his arms. This couldn't be good.
He left the dishes at the sink and turned with a frown, "is there something wrong?"
"Were you at the county jail last night?"
Did someone see him? He tried to pick at the newspaper his father was readying but after realizing he had stayed silent too long he decided to be honest with him, "I went to watch over his transfer to the county jail, as soon as he was inside I came back"
"And that's all?"
"He almost escaped in the road, but there was something strange about it"
"How strange?"
"First tell me how you know about that" he crossed his arms hoping his father didn't think he was being childish.
"The sheriff stopped early in the morning," his father started, "it looks like Barrera hung up himself in his cell a few hours after they dropped him off"
How was that- he looked at his father's worried eyes. He had been worried that Jaime had been involved.
"I am not a killer" he said trying not to show his outrage.
"I know you are not," his father said keeping his tone calm, "but if someone saw you I am afraid they would not give you the opportunity of the doubt"
He released a breath he hadn't known he had been holding, "he was being haunted by something" Jaime said taking a seat "he said La Dama wanted to punis-"
"Wait, you said La Dama?" his father started to look pale.
"You know who is it?"
"A legend as far as we knew," his father said frowning "she is supposed to be the head of all the pandillas and it was also rumored that she is a bruja"
"Bruja?"
"A witch,"
"That would make sense, Khaji-Da detected magic on him"
"A curse probably… must have driven him mad" and his father looked genuinely sad for the man's fate.
"He said because he failed that she wanted to punish him" he hoped his father would understand how much this worried him and would answer him honestly, "why would they target you?"
His father looked at him and Jaime could sense his doubts about telling him.
"I am not a defenseless child," he reminded him with a crooked smile.
"I know but I hoped you never had to deal with this like I did" he said before sighing, "Your grandfather started the garage when I was about your age and he offered work to anyone who wanted to get out of the gangs and earn money the honest way. La Dama, or her predecessor El Don didn't like that. So he would send people to the garage…"
"To try to kill him,"
"You remember how your Tata was, now take away about thirty years and you can imagine how things got"
Ugly, Jaime remembered his grandfather as the strongest willed man he had ever known. It was the man he saw his father turning into in old age and the man he hoped to be.
"Overtime people got scared of working with him, but those who really had guts stayed" and those men and women and their families were close friends to them to that day. They were looking after the garage while his father was healing, "when El Don realized this he stopped"
"But then why is La Dama trying to get you?"
His father turned unable to meet his eyes.
"Papa?" it was not like his father to dodge his questions, "what's going on?"
"I entered the garage into a program to help youths" his father confessed, "mostly kids who come from the juvenile penitentiary… You know? So they can learn an honest trade" he took advantage of his shocked silence to continue, "many of those kids never had someone to guide them Jaime. If we don't do this they will fall back into gangs and-"
"I understand," Jaime said looking at his father as he tried to force a smile, "though I wish I had learnt about it in a different way"
Who was he to judge his father for wanting to help some misled kids? Especially him who would have already done something stupid had not been for League and the Team mentoring him.
"We are not backing away, are we?" he asked his father.
"I…" of all the things he would have thought his son to say, that was the one he hoped for, "Of course not" they shared a smile. They knew it would not be easy but it was something worth fighting for.
As he flew towards school he contacted the Watchtower.
"Shouldn't you be in school by now?" question Nightwing teasingly. The kid had an alien armor able to fly but still managed to be late to school.
"Long story, ehm… could I ask a favor?" he asked wondering if he should just search the local records, "there is someone going by the name La Dama, related to El Don who is causing trouble around here. Do we have information on either one of them?"
"I will start a search on it," Nightwing said as he entered the information into the system, "I should have answer for your later today"
"Thank you Nightwing" he said as he landed near to his High School. He had maybe three minutes to get to his locker and then to class.
"No problem Blue, but just remember you are not on your own on this. Whoever this lady is she must have plenty of influence to do what she did to that man"
Jaime stopped when he heard those words, "I understand and thanks again" and then he hurried to class.
At lunchtime he sat on the bleachers as he ate his lunch. He had just called his father and pretty much got shouted at for worrying too much about his old man. His dad had not been able to stay away from the garage and had gone there to spend his 'vacation' time.
"Jaime? What are you doing here?" he turned to see Tye and Asami walking towards him.
"I am eating lunch," he said turning to look at the football field. It had been awkward between them since the past year when they refused to join the Team. They had all the right, but Jaime just didn't know what to talk about. Neither wanted to know anything about the hero world and he didn't want to feel like a third wheel.
"What I mean is what are you doing here? Your dad just got-" but Tye stopped his rant when Asami placed a hand on his shoulder.
"What Tye is trying to say is that maybe is too soon to come back to school" she said with a soothing voice. There was a bit of an accent but it didn't distract from what she was saying.
"Tell that to my parents," Jaime said with a short laugh.
"Harsh," Tye said with a grin before they sat, "so I am guessing you haven't heard?"
"Hm?" he knew Tye wasn't one for gossip so this made him curious.
"Someone came back, and you won't believe who it is" he said before Asami rolled her eyes at him, "Brenda"
"Brenda?" he asked. There were a lot of Brenda's at their school.
"Del Vecchio?" Tye said with a sigh, "you know? That girl you had a crush on since you were five years old?"
"Oh," but all he got from Jaime was a set of raised eyebrows.
"I am going to hurt you," Tye said before Jaime started laughing, "seriously?"
"Sorry," Jaime said trying to calm down, "is just that so many things have happened that nothing surprises me now"
"I bet," Tye said trying to calm down. At least the news had cheered him somewhat like he had hoped.
"You should go talk to her," Asami said "she is being hounded by all the boys; I think she could use a friend"
"Joey among them" Tye added looking for a reaction.
"That I have to see," Jaime stood up.
Asami gave Tye a questioning look.
"Brenda used to kick his ass whenever he would try to mess with us"
"Oh," she said before they went after Jaime.
It didn't take him long to find her. She was at the lunch room surrounded by the popular crowd trying to engage her in conversation. Jaime did his best to keep his smile in control. She looked as out of place as when he met her in kindergarten. She didn't get along with most girls, especially if they behaved like bobas. And then there were the guys. He wanted to laugh every time she scooted away when one of them tried to get to close. He wondered how come they were not dropping dead from the glares his bold friend was giving them. As he walked towards where she sat he sat the same bold green eyes, freckled cheeks and fiery red hair awoke those old butterflies inside his chest. He couldn't believe that even after three years they were still alive.
She saw him and didn't recognize it was him. But he saw the lights go on in her eyes when he didn't stop walking towards her. She squinted and scrunched up her little nose just like imagined she would.
"Ja-Jaime!" she jumped up making those around her back away, "is that you Jaime!?" but she was already rushing towards him.
"Yeah," he cursed at himself when she stopped before him with a wide smile. He had thought of all of the things he would tell her when he saw her again, but they refused to come out as he offered his own smile.
"I-" but then she noticed everyone was watching them.
"Let's go," he said taking her hand and then rushing outside of the cafeteria.
"That was the most romantic thing I had ever seen," Asami said as she and Tye went after them.
"You mean the two dorks that don't know how to tell each other how they feel?"
"Don't ruin it Tye" Asami said before landing a well deserved punch on his shoulder.