As always all characters are fictional. Wyvern, Deus, and Reaver are my characters. All other characters/locations are copyright of DC Comics and their respective creators.
What Drives A Man To Become A Monster: The Wyvern Arrives Part XXI
"Come on CJ, I'm starving!" Kara was playfully kicking her feet as she sat on the counter in CJ's manor. Her mock whining was causing him to bite his tongue (he didn't think one should chuckle, even when play scolding)
"Kara, you live by absorbing yellow sun radiation, you can't be starving." he stated.
"Well, I do have to keep in character for when we have guests." Kara grinned impishly.
"She's got ya on that one bro." Deus decided to join in.
"Stop trying to throw some skewed semblance of the rules back at me Deus." CJ was quietly lamenting the fact that he gave Deus free reign around the Lair.
"Weren't you the one that gave me those rules?" The computer system smugly countered.
"Yes, but they would only apply if this were her permanent residence." Kara assumed a thinking posture.
"Breaking the sound barrier on moving trips is bad for the windows Kara." CJ cut his girlfriend's train of thought off.
"Then could you lend me the keys to the Moon Dragon?" A plate appeared in front of Kara.
"Dinner is served." CJ appeared to be ignoring Kara's question.
"Why can't I take the Moon Dragon for a spin?" CJ was glad he had a mouth full of chicken, it gave him a chance to think over his response.
"Let's just say that, with the weapons systems on board, I have some concerns about road rage."
"I don't get road rage!" Kara practically growled. (Okay, so she did rage quit on a few video games, but, that was completely different!)
"There is also the fact that the controls are under a very strict series of security measures." Judging how he'd dropped back into 'Wyvern Mode' he was being dead serious.
"However, before you ask your next question, if you tried to hijack the Moon Dragon, you'd be left yelling obscenities at a blank interface." If the fettuccini alfredo hadn't been so good, she'd have considered throwing some of it at his smirking face.
"Nobody likes a show off Wyvern." At her words his smirk fell.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so pompous." Kara grinned, thinking she had a good chance at getting a smile out of him.
"You could make it up to me by giving me clearance." His eyes asked very plainly 'What the fuck?' to the jesting request.
"Barring that I'd settle for a toe curling-ly decadent dessert."
At the Batcave, Bruce was having his patience tested by one of his closest allies.
"All I'm asking is if you're sure the tests were accurate." He was now counting to ten in the sixth language he knew as Clark dithered on.
"Why don't you just admit that you hate our son?" Diana was not doing as good a job as Bruce at holding her temper.
"Bruce ran the test numerous times and each time it showed that CJ is our son. Why can't you accept that Kal?" Diana was truly shocked at his behavior.
"Something about him doesn't sit well with me." he argued.
"Which is it, that he's not your son?" Superman's eyes grew wide at the question, yes he loved Diana, but, he had Lois.
"Maybe it's that Kara cares so much about him?" That was the question that did it, Superman's jaw clenched and his eyes started to glow.
"You are to stay away from my son Kent." Bruce finally spoke.
"As long as he stays away from Kara." he growled.
"Not your call, they are both adults and you need to start acting like one." It seemed like Superman was going to start another argument, but, the transmission was cut off. As Bruce leaned back in his chair Alfred's voice cut through the silence.
"Well, I think that went well sir."
Kara was indulging in a hot bath and thus missed the reaction when CJ felt Diana's emotions surge.
"Wyvern, is everything alright?" J'onn had heard the glass break and found CJ over the sink, picking glass shards out of several cuts in his hand.
"Deus, I will be in The Lair for the next five point eight minutes, please direct any incoming communications accordingly." Thankfully there were not a lot of shards in the wounds on his hand, but, he still took a few minutes with the purple healing ray to make sure Kara wouldn't notice. As he came up from The Lair Kara was in the living room.
"Anything new on Reaver?" Kara was reclining wearing her bedclothes, which consisted of pajama bottoms and a Gotham Knights shirt.
"No, just a small wound I received while cleaning up after dinner." He thought honesty would be the best policy.
"It's partially your fault anyway." Kara's eyes went wide with shock.
"I broke that glass when you went badly off key singing in the tub." He flashed a teasing grin before he took off up the stairs. Kara sat shocked for a few seconds before tearing off after him.
"You get your ass back here and apologize CJ Wayne!" J'onn had heard the commotion and stepped into the hallway, only to be forced to go intangible as CJ nearly ran him down. In that brief unguarded moment J'onn was able to see the one thing CJ was thinking about, Kara, and feel the raw emotions he held. He turned invisible and retreated back into the guest room that had been provided to him confident that both young lovers hearts were in good hands.
"I have you now!" Kara had cornered him in the master bedroom, confident that he had no possible escape route.
"Do you know?" He wore a taunting smirk as he saw Kara tense her muscles for a spring. As she leapt at him with the aim of dragging him to the ground and forcing an apology, he did something that shouldn't have been feasible.
'Less than two feet of clearance before the ceiling, glad I paid attention to my lessons growing up.' He vaulted over Kara's diving form, tucking into a tight ball and rolling across the bed as she flopped onto the floor. He nearly made it to the door when Kara dropped all pretence and tackled him with a flying u-turn.
"Now, you're gonna apologize to me." She was straddling his waist as she pinned his arms above his head.
"I think I'll need some convincing towards that argument." His eyes twinkled devilishly as he used a subtle motion to reverse their positions.
"Maybe I can tutor you to help improve your grapping skills." She lifted off the bed slightly, showing she still had options.
"Clever Kara, but what happens if this occurs in a civilian setting?" Now Kara smirked,
"Faster than a speeding bullet, remember? Plus I was trained by the Amazons." She didn't miss the brief cloud that passed over CJ's expression.
"What's wrong?" Instead of answering, he rolled off of her and sat at the foot of the bed.
"I think it's time I showed my parents The Lair." This surprised Kara.
"You're not showing them the Grotto are you? Diana would call all Themyscira to arms to hunt down Reaver." CJ didn't doubt Kara's assessment.
"No, I agree that they'd hunt him down in a heartbeat if they saw that. I do, however, think it's time I showed them some of what caused me to pursue Reaver so doggedly across the Threshold Event Horizon."
The morning came with a touch of disappointment for Kara, she'd somehow agreed to stay in a guest room.
"Good morning Kara, did you sleep well?" Of course, there was a reason for the sleeping arrangements.
"I slept fine J'onn, how long do they have you on this protection detail?" She couldn't shake the feeling that he was there more as a chaperone than a bodyguard.
"The League wishes to actively monitor the situation to ensure that Wyvern is not harmed in any way." The use of his costumed identity gave her the answer before she even asked the question.
"You guys want to recruit him, don't you?" Kara was glad that they were accepting of CJ, but, she was also a bit upset, they hadn't invited her to join as of yet.
"I've been here longer, where's my invite?" She was playfully pouting as she asked the question, it caused J'onn to actually chuckle.
"Are you sure about this thisavros?" CJ's call had surprised his mother.
"I'm certain mitera, you and dad need to see this." The Lair was prepared and he'd had little trouble in gathering the needed files on Reaver's crimes.
"I know this wasn't an easy decision for you thisavros, I'm glad you feel that you can show this to us," Diana was happy that her son was opening up more, perhaps his relationship with Kara would show him that even though his world was dead, this was his home now. A fresh start awaited him.
"So, this is where you where you were hiding." Bruce was a mix of pride and anger that the purchase of this place had not been picked up by his search program.
"Don't feel bad dad, I had this place picked out and purchased well before I'd left the manor." CJ had a taunting smirk on his face as he joked with his father.
"I think I may have taught you too well." Bruce actually smiled as he talked.
"The Padawan has become the Master!" CJ laughed maniacally.
"You are such a geek." Kara groaned, though she was glad that CJ was taking this step to let go of his past.
"Why do you say that?" Diana was curious at Kara's reaction.
"It's a Star Wars reference." Kara sighed.
"He knows about Star Wars?" Diana hadn't thought to talk to her son about his movie and reading preferences.
"Every little detail, he's a sexy nerd." Kara cooed with a flirtatious wink at her boyfriend.
"You said you wanted to talk thisavros, what about?" Diana spoke up to cut off the silent flirting going on between her son and Kara before it side tracked them for the reason they came for.
They spent almost two hours asking CJ about his career as Wyvern and his life as Christian Jason Wayne. (Diana was delighted to find that CJ had many of Alfred's recipes, along with the skill needed to properly prepare them.) CJ answered all their question while not getting close to speaking about the family he had there. He was thankful that a few of his other hobbies were left undiscovered.
"Well, I think it's about time we went down to The Lair, there's some info that I think the League needs to be aware of regarding Reaver." CJ got up and stretched, offering Kara a hand up as well.
"Yes, I have some questions about your involvement with Reaver… Wyvern." CJ spun around in a defensive crouch, his pupils had contracted into angry slits as his eyes narrowed at the trespasser. Before he could even growl out a question, Kara spoke up, equally angered at the intruder.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing here Kal?"