Scene 12 - Origins: Part I
The car full of teenagers chatted merrily as it made its way down the empty stretch of road towards Mount Justice. It had been an enjoyable day as they spent a good portion of it at the mall, the movies, the arcade and a good burger joint.
"Thanks for showing me around Happy Harbour," Zatanna said gratefully as the team all muttered an acknowledgement at the same time. The Boy Wonder seated beside the magician asked, "So Zatanna, what did you like about today?"
Zatanna hmmed briefly and furrowed her brows, "I suppose that I thoroughly enjoyed everything. It's great to travel around without my overprotective dad."
"If you join the team, every day will be fantastic with us." The blonde archer of the group replied and gave her companion a smile.
Up front, Kaldur'ahm grinned at the bonds that were forming and turned to the backseat, "Let's show some appreciation for Brianna, shall we? She drove us around today."
Brianna shook her head and said, "No worries, guys. The car is seldom used and taking her out for a spin was sorely needed."
Looking back at the rear view mirror, the brunette frowned. A car behind had been following them for quite a distance and she initially thought that it was a coincidence that they were driving in same direction but now, the route was towards Mount Justice and she did not think any Leaguers would be driving as they usually used the Zeta tubes.
She made a detour, causing some confusion to her passengers and before they could protest, she said tensely, "We're being followed."
Robin and Artemis immediately whipped their heads around briefly before turning back, "It's pretty dark inside that car. I can't make anything out in there." The archer replied with annoyance as Kaldur looked at Brianna worriedly.
"Locking all doors. I'm going to pull over and see what they want so prepare yourselves."
The pyro gently stepped on the brake and brought it slowly to a stop. The tailgater followed suit and Brianna help onto the wheel tightly and angled her foot near the accelerator in case they needed a quick escape. The silence was unbearable as a couple of figures exited the car and headed towards her vehicle.
As the shadows got closer, she could make out a blonde middle aged lady and a younger raven haired man heading towards her side of the car. The woman rapped on the window and said something that Brianna would never expect. "Your Highness, we need your help."
The voice might have been a little muffled but it was clear that the lady did address the pyro as royalty. "What?!" The brunette replied with her mouth agape and the women frowned, "Princess Brianna Dian of Adrinz, this is urgent."
They even got her full name right and Kaldur'ahm could see his companion was shell shocked and he replied on her behalf. "How about you follow us to Happy Harbour Park and explain everything there? Brianna is a little confused right now and this is not an appropriate location to conduct a conversation." His smooth, polite voice managed to soothe the strangers outside the car and they nodded before returning to their transport.
"Brianna, please drive to Happy Harbour Park. We'll be there to help you." The Atlantean rested his hand on hers and gave it a light squeeze. That seemed to knock her back to her senses and she began to drive to their new destination.
Time appeared to slow to a crawl during the drive to the park and so many questions were running through her mind, making it a little bit hard to concentrate on the road. Thankfully it was night and the traffic was relatively light.
The benches of the park came into view and Brianna pulled into an empty lot while the other car parked a couple of lots away. The brunette exhaled nervously before killing the engine and pulling the car key out of its slot. Everyone exited the vehicle quietly as they headed to a nearby bench. The teens formed a wall behind their "princess" and they stared at the strange couple.
The blonde woman glanced briefly at the group before addressing Brianna, "I assume your parents never told you about your heritage."
"No. I wasn't aware of it…"
The older lady sighed, "I guess I should have expected this. Ever since one of your ancestors moved out of the island over a century ago, the royal family have been ordinary folk…"
Brianna fidgeted uneasily in her seat, "I'm sure they had a good reason?"
Robin crossed his arms and said curtly, "Could you please tell us why you called Brianna a princess?"
"Relax kid, she was getting to it." The dark haired man finally spoke and gave The Boy Wonder a slight stare down.
"Calm down, Gregory. There is no need to be hostile," the lady waved him off and flashed the group a friendly smile. "My name is Charlene and my companion and I are one of the last people of Adrinz."
Seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces, Charlene continued to explain, "There is an island within Europe that was once named Adrinz. Legend has it that the Guardian of Adrinz was trapped within that area, cursing anyone who set foot on its soil. Many tried to free it but all failed in their quest. However, there was one courageous individual who was smart and compassionate enough to break through the hex that the Guardian was under."
Pointing her palm towards Brianna, Charlene said, "That man was your ancestor and the Guardian was so grateful to finally obtain its long awaited freedom that it vowed to serve the family forever. It granted your great-grandfather from many generations back the power of the flame as a token of appreciation. The flame manifests in the eldest child of each generation."
Intrigued, the brunette pyro asked, "What does that go to do with me being related to royalty?"
"Simple, your ancestor re-shaped the land into a hospitable island. Pretty soon, a sizeable town was established on Adrinz and the people proclaimed the keeper of the flame as King of Adrinz. Each monarch governed Adrinz with wisdom and benevolence, and the kingdom prospered."
There was a pause as the older woman rested to catch her breath before continuing, "However, the later part of the 18th century saw great changes in the world. The advancements allowed people to live a better life. A majority of Adrinz citizens left the island to seek greener pastures and seldom returned. In a decade, the number of people living on the island was less than fifty. Deciding that it was useless to have a kingdom with very little subjects, your great-great-grandfather abolished the monarchy and encouraged the remaining citizens to follow their neighbours and carve out a new life. Everything on the island was demolished, including the palace, and the island was sold to a plantation company who used it to cultivate agricultural products. The ex-king uprooted to a quiet place in Europe and lived out the rest of his days there. His oldest son sailed across the sea to the US to start afresh…"
A thought suddenly struck Brianna and she spoke rather quickly, "Wait a minute. My father is not the eldest child. My uncle is the oldest."
"Your uncle did possess the flame but he did not marry and sired no offspring. In cases like this, the flame is inherited by the oldest child of the next sibling. Your powers did manifest after your uncle passed away, am I correct?"
The girl could only nod and Charlene said, "I am sorry for your loss but right now, we need your help. The remaining people of Adrinz have been hunted by an unknown force. It seems they want information but we do not know what it is. Please help us. We've been attempting to contact you but we've been unable to go near that little mountain you call home. We apologize if we scared you while we followed you. The people of Adrinz desperately need your assistance. The kingdom might be gone but you're still of royal blood and our princess. "
"Now wait just a sec-" Artemis protested and Brianna gently nudged the archer to keep quiet. "I need to discuss this with my teammates. Please excuse us." She got off the bench and the rest followed her back into the car.
Everyone began to speak simultaneously. "We don't know if they're telling the truth!" Artemis said urgently while Robin interjected, "It could be a trap, I've never heard of a place called Adrinz."
Zatanna was about to contribute but Kaldur'ahm lifted a finger to his lips and the car soon fell silent. "I think we need to give time for Brianna to think." The Atlantean then turned to the driver and reassured her, "Whatever is your decision, you have our full support."
Brianna thought for a few moments before replying, "Whether they are telling the truth or not, I want to help them. Not because I'm a princess, but because I'm a hero and this is what I signed up for; to protect innocent lives. I cannot simply refuse on the grounds of uncertainty. I am willing to take the risk. We'll head back to the cave to suit up."
Impressed by her bravery, the passengers in the back seat rested their hands on her shoulder as a sign of encouragement. It took a while for Kaldur to respond as he was too busy admiring her traits. Her burst of courage made him love her even more and he finally rested his hand on her shoulder as well.
Regardless of where the road would lead them, he swore to himself that he will always do his best to protect her.
Author's Note: We finally touch on the origins of Brianna's powers. I scrapped a few ideas and settled on this one. You can say her abilities are mystical by nature. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed so please leave a comment if you liked it! It's much appreciated.