The Flight of the Blue Beetle 4
He should have known he would not be able to keep the incident hidden from Nightwing. The next morning he got a message that he was to go to the Watchtower for a check, and by check they meant he hadn't gone off the hinge after what he saw. The school day went in a buzz, like static. He smiled and tried to be his usual self around his friends but the air was tense all around. Though the authorities tried to keep it quiet, it eventually got out about the slaughter in the warehouse. Through the school kids could be seen suddenly bursting into tears. Some were brothers, cousins, friends and neighbors to the victims.
When they were alone, he confirmed to Tye and Asami that it had been La Dama's goons.
"Is there any way for you or your grandfather to keep any big gathering from happening?"
"You think they might come after us next?" Tye went red in the face. He was already upset something so horrible had happened so close.
"I don't know, but I don't think we should risk it"
"We will do our best" Asami said taking Tye's hand in reassurance.
When he finally got out of school and met Brenda at the exit he wasn't sure what to say when he saw the same black car parked outside, but now sitting inside was Amparo Cardenas, La Dama.
"Boy, you have grown quite a bit" she said with a pearly white smile. She was a beautiful woman of tan skin, long dark hair and brown eyes; the definition of Latina beauty.
"Thanks," he tried to act shy as he scratched the back of his head.
"Well, I came to pick my niece up but she refuses to go with me. Says she wants to 'hang out' with you"
"Oh," he said taken back a little, he wondered what she was thinking, "actually" he said to Brenda, "I have to be at the garage today and help around"
"I would think your father had enough helping hands with the help he is providing to the juvenile detention" she said with a teasing smile, testing to see how much he knew.
"Actually, that's why" Jaime said, "I am going to take care of teaching some of the basics and also to pick some spare parts from other garages"
"You must be proud of your father," Brenda said not showing her disappointment.
"I am," he said before they arranged to spend some time together the next day. Aunt Amparo insisted they went to her home and make use of the pool.
Jaime accepted hoping that it would be his chance to get some proof against her. He made it home in time to see his mother arrive with his little sister from school. It was one of her days off, which Jaime believed she deserved after what happened the day before. She didn't make it home until four in the morning, way after her shift.
"I will be back as soon as I can," he kissed their cheeks before hurrying towards the nearest Zeta-Beam in full body suit.
When he arrived to the tower he found it almost empty. He wished he had the spare time to help about. They had been short handed for a few weeks.
"Blue?" Conner said appearing from another Zeta-Beam.
"Hey" he said weakly before his friend frowned.
"I heard what happened, are you okay?"
"That's what I came to find out," he said as they walked towards the lunchroom which was in the way to Black Canary's office.
He spotted Miss Martian with her new look and Beast Boy who was looking at his meal with distrust. He wasn't sure if there was meat on it. They waved at him and he waved back.
"You have an idea of who did it?" he had the feeling Superboy could sense his thoughts, which was very possible with his new set of powers.
They walked down the hall that led to Black Canary's office.
"We do, but since it involves magic it is going to be very difficult to bring any proof in" Nightwing said walking towards them, "ready?"
Jaime simply nodded before stepping into the office.
"But wasn't Black Canary away in a mission?" Conner asked before sensing the person inside the office, "oh…" was all he could say before his friend led him away.
Inside Jaime was met with no other than Batman. He was sitting on Canary's chair and he wondered if he should tell him that was a bad idea.
"Take a seat," the Dark Knight said before Jaime sat, "Nightwing filled me in the details. This woman is not a simple mob boss"
"I know," he said trying to keep his calm.
"You do now," he said leaning on the desk, "but that is only part of the problem" he pulled back which made him breathe easier, "we excused you from Team duties because of what happened to your father, so you could stay home and relax"
"This is related to what happened to my-" but stopped what Batman raised his hand.
"I know, and I understand you want to do all you can to protect your family"
"Do you? Because I get the feeling that you are trying to talk me out of it" he would later realize he raised his voice at Batman, and agonize on how their next meeting would go.
"I can't make you do something myself would do in your place" he said shocking Jaime, now more than ever he wished he knew what was that made Batman choose this path.
"Then?" he asked trying relax.
"Many will try to talk you out of it, Black Canary among them" he said still keeping his voice even, "but I already know you won't give in" Jaime sensed him searching him for a reaction he remained as expressionless as he could, or anyone could when facing this man, "With that in mind, I decided to advice you in how to proceed on these type of situations"
"You have seen-"
"I wish I could say I haven't" the man started with a scowl, "first thing you need to learn that no matter how horrible the situation might be, you must not allow your emotions to get involved. I know you have close ties to some of those involved but you must separate yourself from them. Always remember that the lives of innocent are in the line. When you are before them you are not Jaime Reyes, you are the Blue Beetle"
And Jaime listened to what would be the first of many one on one mentoring sessions with Batman. He wasn't sure if the man really believed he could do it, but as he had said no one would be able to keep him from seeing this through. They also talked about what he had seen and felt at the sight. He had to remember that his actions towards stopping La Dama were so that no one else would go through that. They had to go to where no cop or normal detective could. At the end of the session Jaime had a better understand of what he was doing, also the reasoning behind Batman's methods.
As he left he spotted Kid-Flash eating on his own in the lunch room. He was looking at his meal absent mindedly which was a clear sign things were not right.
"You okay?" he said sitting across from him. It felt strange being in the other end of the question.
"Hermano" he tried to put back his silly grin but Jaime was not fooled, "okay, I am sort of not okay. Just learned a lot of things today about different timelines and all of that crazy stuff"
"And that got you down because?"
"Because!" he said greeting his teeth, "the future I came from is not gone!" and he slammed his hands on the table, "I helped create a new timeline but that horrible place still exists" and then he was taking large breaths to calm himself down, "while I have been sitting here doing nothing there is still people suffering there. I promised them I would change things"
"You did," Jaime said "you might not think much of it, but that new timeline you created is going to be forever thankful for what you did. Also, you can't give up so soon. You found a way to break the Reach's control over me; if we could get back to that moment then we could do the same in your timeline"
"But there is no way to go back," he said though his eyes said he wanted to believe so.
"Dude, you built a time machine when everything was against you. Think of what you could do now"
"I… I will think about it"
On his way back home he decided to take his time to think. He wasn't the only one with troubles. He knew the hero life was not all about saving kids from burning buildings, capturing petty thieves, or saving pets from trees but he never imagined it would claw at his mind or the mind of his friends as it did. If it wasn't what they felt was their responsibility, it was their powers. Heck, he still didn't have a full understanding of all Khaji-Da was capable of.
"Did you into mode or something?" Tye asked as he took the seat next to him on the first class of the following day. The classroom was empty for exception of them.
"Not funny," Jaime said keeping his eyes on his homework. He couldn't concentrate enough to finish it the previous night and was still having trouble.
"Neither are you since you entered the whole-"
"Shut up," he said slamming his book close, "I have more important things to do than to humor you" he had to keep his grades up, make his family believe he was okay when he wasn't, and uncover a mafia boss who had no respect for the life of others.
"You don't have to be such an ass about it" Tye said slumping in his seat. His friend was already regretting the bad joke, but Jaime already felt bad at snapping at his friend.
"You aren't in this class Tye, did something happen?" he said laying his head on the desk.
"Granddad was able to keep any major meetings from happening anytime soon, though I don't know for how long" Tye said glaring at the chalkboard where equations mocked his intelligence.
"Thanks," Jaime said with a small smile as he turned to look at the board, "crazy, isn't?"
"That you are in all the AP classes in school or that we are going to fight a mob boss witch?"
"Both," he cracked a smile, "sometimes I wish I could just stop"
"No, you don't" Tye said before sighing, "since we were kids you have always admired them"
"You did too,"
"But not as much as you… remember what Paco used to call you?"
"No," he said looking away from his friend.
"He used to call you Super Geek," Tye said with a small laugh, "he also used to say that we were nobodies and we would never…"
"He used to say a lot of things,"
"And he was wrong about most of them," Tye said poking his friend's shoulder, "you and me helped saved the Earth from an invasion"
The first bell of the day rang meaning the room would start to fill soon.
"You think is worth it?" Jaime asked him, "Brenda is my friend and-"
"You already know the answer to that," he said standing as the first kids started to arrive, some gave Tye curious looks, "see ya later azul, don't get to geeky" and with that the other kids looked away and went to their seats.
"See ya," Jaime said with a smile before turning to his book to finish the last problems. Paco. That was someone he hadn't thought about in a very long time.