Chapter 4
Rex enjoyed the view of the capital city of Tamaran, Galoria, as he ate his breakfast. Maril had a table set up on the balcony of her room and the servants were bringing their food to them. She had Earth food shipped to Tamaran so Rex could enjoy his favorites before he departed for Thanagar.
"It looks like it's going to be a nice day for your party," Maril said as she looked at the sky around them. He looked over at her and took in her beauty. Her orange colored skin glistened in the Tamaranean sun. She looked just as beautiful as ever to him. He was going to wait until tonight to ask her to marry him, but he started playing around with the ring in his pocket as he thought about doing it now and getting it over with. He decided to wait and he occupied his mind by thinking about the previous week, when he had asked her father for her hand in marriage.
Maril's father was Dick Grayson, the first Robin. He had been trained as Batman's protégé and sidekick, but as he grew he started setting out on his own. He started a team of sidekicks with other teen superheroes that included Koriand'r, Maril's mother. As Dick grew apart from Batman he felt the need to separate himself so he established the new superhero identity of Nightwing. He moved to Bludhaven, the city adjacent to Gotham, and became that city's protector.
Dick and Koriand'r started a relationship while they were together with the Titans. It continued when Dick left the Titans to be Bludhaven's protector. The two of them grew apart a little until Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd, was killed by the Joker. Dick re-evaluated his life and decided he wanted to settle down with Kory. They married and had Maril almost immediately. Maril's little brother, Richie, came along two years after her.
Maril was born around the same time as Helena Wayne. Their similar age and parental connection made them natural friends. They saw each other as the sister they never had.
While Dick and Kory initially carved out a nice life where they were able to raise a family and keep up their superhero work, they grew apart as the years went by. They had gotten married under the wrong circumstances and it showed over the years. When Kory had to take her place as Tamaran's ruling monarch, she didn't feel like she could ask her family to uproot and follow her. She recognized she and her husband didn't have the kind of love they should have. She left them behind when she went to Tamaran.
Dick ended up finding solace with Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl, who after being paralyzed took up crime fighting as a computer expert. She had always been the love of his life and the two of them rekindled the love they had from when they were young. They married when Maril was eight and had twins, a boy and a girl, five years later after trying for a long time.
Maril and Richie were trained in the family business and became their own superheroes. From their mother they inherited a list of Tamaranean super powers: flight, super strength, and super stamina. Their mother had also acquired the abiltity to shoot laser bolts from her hands. This was something she also passed on to her children. They had a much easier time as superheroes then their aging father did, although he still refused to completely retire, much like his mentor.
Maril and Rex grew up together in the Justice League. Their relationship became romantic as they reached the tween age. They knew early on they were in love and had something special.
Despite their feelings for each other, they often had trouble finding a way to spend time together. Maril was able to pass for a human and could lead a normal civilian life with her father, stepmother, and siblings. With Rex's winged Thanagarian physiology, he was obviously alien and obviously the child of a Justice League member. Rex was never able to spend time with her in her civilian life as it would have raised too many questions about how Maril knew a Justice League member. She could never risk her family's secret identities in that manner.
Despite the problems they had spending time together, they never questioned that one day they would be married. They didn't quite know all the details on how they would make it work, but they had faith they could figure it out. When Rex went to ask her father for permission he knew that was a subject that would be broached.
Rex had to meet her father at the old Bludhaven clock tower. Rex flew in and found Barbara serving her role as Oracle. She was talking her stepson, Richie, through the labyrinth that was the subway tunnels of Bludhaven. He was searching for some gang that was using the tunnels as a hideout. She had a map of the tunnels on her computer and could follow Richie's movements.
Rex stayed back so as not to disturb her. He heard Richie shout over the speaker as he stumbled across the gang's hideout. Rex could hear a commotion and sounds that he took to be Richie firing laser bolts. Barbara was shouting at him to get out of there and keep himself safe. Rex could detect the fear in her voice. Through the speakers he could hear grunting and yells that indicated a fist fight.
Barbara was silent as she waited to hear if Richie was okay. His voice came over the speaker and Rex could see her exhale the breath she had been holding. He told her he used his laser blasts to blind them and then knocked them out one by one. Barbara told him to take the gang members up to the surface and she would call the police and tell them where to find them.
When she was done with her call Rex walked out and revealed himself. "You shouldn't worry about him so much," he said in reference to her stepson. "He can take care of himself."
"That's what his father says," Barbara replied. "He's still just a kid to me." As Rex walked towards her he noticed the picture of the five year old twins on top of one of her computer monitors. It reminded him that Maril was babysitting them tonight and thus couldn't interrupt them.
"A kid who might be taking over the protection of this city, along with his sister," Rex heard Maril's father say as he walked out of the shadows. "You have to accept that they are growing up, honey."
"I know," Barbara replied. "Soon they will be moving away and starting their own lives."
"I guess that is what you are here to talk about," Maril's father said to Rex. He was quite taken aback that Maril's father would bring up the subject like that. He was surprised, but somewhat glad that the subject had been broached and he wasn't going to have to bring it up.
"Maybe we should go somewhere private and talk?" he asked.
"Whatever you have to talk about you can talk about in front of me," Barbara began. "I would actually like to be included in this conversation."
Rex felt bad that he had screwed things up so quickly. He tried to ignore it and plunge ahead. "Okay, you know why I am here. I love your daughter very much and we want to spend the rest of our lives together. I am here asking you for her hand in marriage, as you may have been able to figure out. You were trained by the world's greatest detective, after all."
Rex hoped the last bit he said would help break the ice, but it sounded stupid when it came out. He looked nervously between Maril's father and stepmother. "You don't have to be nervous," her father reassured her. "We're not here to grill you, but we do have some questions."
Rex breathed a sigh of relief even though the questioning was just beginning. He had gotten through the first part and that was enough to be happy about for now. He had an idea what the questions were going to be and he was ready for them.
"How do the two of you plan to live together?" her father asked him.
"We don't have all the details worked out," Rex admitted. "We would never do anything to jeopardize the secret identities of your family. Maril is willing to live completely with the League so as not to jeopardize you. I feel bad that it is me who would be asking Maril to give up her civilian life, but there is nothing I can do about that. The forfeiture of her civilian life is something she will likely have to do eventually, if she is to ever take over for her mother as the ruler of Tamaran. If that day comes, it will be no problem for me to live on Tamaran. In many ways we will be able to be open about our relationship on Tamaran in ways we cannot be open here.
Maril's father and stepmother both smiled, although Rex didn't know quite what to make of them. Her father started speaking to him. "We always knew this day would come, and it's been tough to prepare. From the time she was born, I always felt Maril never belonged down here with us. It was the same thing with her mother, I forced her to live a life she was never suited to live. She belongs at the Watchtower, she belongs on Tamaran. I know it's going to be hard for her to give up her life here, but it's actually what is right for her. Her future is going to be on Tamaran and she needs to start preparing for that future. I could think of no other man I would want her to make that transition with other then you. You are going to have to be a rock for her as her life goes through its changes. I think you know what lies ahead of you and it's good to see you are willing to face it."
Maril's father then put a hand on Rex's shoulder. "In case I wasn't clear enough the two of you have my permission to marry. I know you are going to be very happy together."
Rex continued playing around with the ring box in his pocket. In his mind his inner voice went back and forth between deciding to propose to her now and not deciding to propose to her. He finally reached the decision to go ahead and propose just as a servant walked out on to the balcony carrying a tray with a tablet on it. Rex would have to wait until the servant left in order to do his business.
The servant presented her with the tablet and told her it was a message from Helena on Earth. Maril became excited when she heard it was from her BFF. She turned all her attention to the datascreen as she played Helena's message.
Rex tried to hear what their friend said in the message, but the volume was turned down and he could only make out bits and pieces. What he did hear indicated Helena's father was retiring and she was adopting a new superhero persona. It was all apparently happening tonight. Maril was so excited by the news she started recording her response the moment she was finished with Helena's message. Rex decided to put off the proposal as he decided to let Maril just revel in their friend's good news.
Bruce was engrossed in the sales figures he was looking at until he heard the sound of crinkling paper coming from the ground. He looked down to see the little black Chihuahua walking all over the papers Bruce had laying on the floor of the limo. Bruce kind of needed them for his board meeting and he didn't want the damn dog doing anything to them. He grabbed them all together, in the process of collecting them he messed them up more than the dog did. He put them on the seat next to him as he pushed the dog away with his foot. The dog yet out a yelp of sadness and ran across the limo to where Helena was sitting.
Helena had been playing around on her phone during the entire drive. She finally looked away from it when she heard the dog barking at her. "Aw Ace," she said as she picked it up. "Is Grandpa not giving you any attention?" She held the dog's lips up to hers so he could 'kiss' her. Bruce couldn't help but watch and roll his eyes at his daughter's behavior.
Helena gave her father a mischievous smile upon seeing him roll his eyes. She put the dog in her bag and went back to checking her phone again. Bruce was wondering what his daughter found so engrossing on that thing.
"Would you mind telling me why you can't take your attention away from that damn thing for a second?"
"I sent Maril a message about what's happening tonight and I'm wondering if she will be awake to receive it. I'm trying to find out what time it might be in the capital of Tamaran right now, but it's quite difficult. There isn't exactly an app for that kind of thing."
Helena was using the latest phone from Waynetech and often made snarky comments to him about what it couldn't do. There were often times she acted like a spoiled heiress when she wasn't around anyone she needed to put on the act for. Unlike him, she actually enjoyed the secret identity she had established for herself. She didn't have to play a part in public quite the way he did.
As he looked at her and how she was dressed he was reminded of that fact. She was wearing a sun dress that was in line with the current fashion, it covered her from her chest to the top of her legs, but contained no more fabric besides that. She had on a large hat that would have been fitting if she were at the Kentucky Derby. She often reminded her father big hats were in style again, for some reason.
"Checking your phone every five seconds is not going to make Maril respond to you any faster. Besides, from what I hear she is going to have other things on her mind."
Helena looked at her father skeptically, wondering if he was talking about what she thought he was talking about. "What did you hear?" she asked him.
"Just that Rex was going to ask Maril to marry him," he replied.
"How do you know about that?" she asked with a hint of incredulity in her voice.
"Dick told me Rex asked for his permission." Helena was still looking at him skeptically. "I DO talk to people. I don't know why you think I never do."
"I guess I listen to everyone else in the League too much," she replied. "I wanted to make sure you weren't spying on my communications with Rex. I'm a bit surprised Dick would spill the beans to you like that."
"Well I don't talk to anybody, so he didn't have to worry about the information spreading beyond me," Bruce said as he went back to scanning the papers that were before him. Bruce's joke actually made his daughter giggle.
"Would you spill the beans to someone if Connor asked for permission to marry me?" she asked her father.
"I don't talk to anyone, I wouldn't have anyone to spill the beans to," he said hurriedly. "Besides, the news would spread quick that I denied him permission, so I wouldn't have much of a chance to tell anyone the news myself." Helena shook her head and rolled her eyes at her father's lame attempt at a joke. She noticed the way he talked and knew something was up. She made a mental note and decided not to pursue it any further for now.
Bruce didn't know his daughter wasn't going to push him any further and tried to change the subject. "I don't know why everyone sees me as anti-social?" he asked rhetorically.
"It might have something to do with your surly attitude and the fact you often don't try to keep up appearances," she said through a sigh. She started rummaging through her purse for something. Ace kept getting in her way. She took her hat off and laid it upside down on the seat. She then put Ace inside of it so he couldn't move around. She went back to looking through her purse until she pulled out her brush.
"If you walk into the board room looking like that they are going to have you removed," she said as she walked over and sat next to him. She lifted his head up and started working on his hair. "I keep telling you to color your hair. It will make you look vibrant and youthful."
When his hair was satisfactory Helena started adjusting his tie. "You don't even have your collar buttoned," she said in exasperation as she fixed that. "You would be in such dire straits without me." She finished adjusting the tie right as the limo slowed to a stop in front of Wayne Tower. She helped her father get all his papers together and put them in his briefcase.
"You should start learning a little more about the business," he said to her as he got his things together. "You're going to have to take over one day."
"Let's worry about one retirement at a time," she said to him as she kissed him good-bye on the cheek. He exited the limo and Helena went back to her seat. She put Ace back in her bag as Alfred took off for the fashion show.
Her phone beeped in her bag and Ace started barking at it. He stopped when she took it out. The phone had retrieved a message that Maril had sent to her. From the time stamp it appeared the message had been sitting in her League inbox for a while. She made a note to tell her father about that glitch. The message was congratulating her on her first night out. Maril made no mention of being engaged.
The drive to the convention center where the fashion show was being held was a short one. The minute the limo stopped someone opened the door from the outside. Whoever opened it stuck a hand inside to help her. When she took it, she immediately knew who it was from the way it felt.
Connor Queen, her boyfriend, helped her out of the limo. She immediately fell into his arms and started kissing him. When they stopped for a moment she kept her face pressed against his. "So your mom put you on valet duty?" she asked him as a joke.
"It's a better job than the garbage duty she gave to Ted," he replied. Helena giggled and kissed him some more. It had been a while since they had been together. Being the protectors of two cities several hundred miles from each other made it difficult to spend time together. Recently, it seemed as though events like this were the only time they were able to see each other.
They stopped again and Helena kept her eyes fixated on Connor. "Trying to put on a show for the cameras?" she asked him. She didn't bother to look around him to see if there was any press waiting for her. She didn't want to take her eyes off her boyfriend.
"I just want everyone to know the most beautiful girl in the world is all mine," he said. Helena listened carefully and could hear the sounds of cameras going off. The sound of footsteps was apparent as the press around them started to walk closer to them.
"This is close enough," Connor yelled to them as he motioned for them to stay back. He put an arm around Helena and tried to shield the world's most famous socialite from them. The reporters stayed in a circled herd around them and moved together as they followed Helena and Connor to the door of the center.
Helena glanced at the herd and saw several recognizable faces. Many of the reporters were shouting to her, asking her for just a second of their time. There was no real information for Helena to give them; they just wanted a quote or two for their story. Helena ignored them all as she didn't feel like putting on the heiress act today.
They reached the door and Connor held it open for her. As he opened it Helena looked back and took a scan of the crowd of reporters. She came across a familiar face in the crowd.
"You're from the Daily Planet, in Metropolis, aren't you?" she said to the gray-haired man in the back of the crowd.
The man looked around nervously to make sure Helena was talking to him. He looked in pain for being singled out by her. "Yes, I'm Clark Kent from the Daily Planet," he said nervously as he adjusted his glasses.
"Good, I need to improve my image their after the whole fiasco with the opening of Studio 36. Why don't you come in with me, I'll give you an exclusive."
The reporter's previous nervousness was replaced by excitement as he worked his way through the crowd. The stares of jealousy and anger by the other reporters were palpable. He almost tripped and fell flat on his face a couple times, but he made it through the throng of reporters. When he finally reached Helena he followed her inside the center as Connor closed the door behind them.
Helena's high heeled shoes clanged loudly against the marble floor in the otherwise quiet center. She and Clark were alone inside the center, so they were able to speak freely. "How did you get knocked down to the gossip pages?" she asked him. "I thought someone with your experience would have their pick of assignments."
"While I have the experience, I don't have the hunger that the young kids do to kiss the editor's ass," Clark replied. "You didn't pull me out of the pool because you had pity on me, did you?"
"No, I have some genuine news for you. The old man is retiring," she told him.
Clark had is phone out and crushed it in surprise and stopped walking as he realized what she was getting at. "Are you serious?" he asked, incredulous.
"I wouldn't joke about something like this," she said as she looked back at him and took off her sunglasses. "Now are you going to be able to keep up with me, I need to get backstage."
Clark started walking again and followed Helena. "I'm just surprised because this is so sudden. Did what happened to you last night push him to make a decision?"
"I didn't think the news of our little distress signal last night. . ." Helena stopped in her tracks as she realized how Clark knew about last night. "You talked to my mother last night, didn't you?" she asked him.
"Yes, she stopped by the fortress and she might have mentioned your little run in." He talked nervously and it was a genuine nervousness.
"I take it she said my Dad needed to retire?" Helena asked.
"Yes, she said he should, which sounds sensible given that he himself decided to retire now."
"You guys just don't get it," she said as she shook her head and continued walking. To Clark, she definitely took after her father in that some of her thought processes were utterly mystifying to him.
He followed her down what appeared to be a little used service hallway. Helena opened the door to the backstage of the fashion show and Clark failed to follow her. "What are you waiting on?" she asked him as she looked back.
"That's backstage, where you girls are going to be changing," he said.
"Not out in the open," she tried to remind him.
"You'll still be changing back there," he repeated.
"Damn, I forget how much of a boy scout you are. "Are you doing anything for lunch?" she asked him.
"Why do you ask?"
"I thought I could give a struggling reporter a big interview to help him get back on his feet," she said with a smile. "Actually, one of my Dad's restaurants has a nice private room I can use anytime. I thought we could have lunch and discuss some things."
"I know which restaurant you're talking about. I've been there before."
"Of course," she said as she let the door close behind her.
Her phone beeped and Ace started barking at it. She took it out and the dog quieted down. She looked at the text Connor sent her.
Forgot to tell U. Got a hotel room for us. U interested meeting up?
Helena texted back she would meet him after lunch, she just needed to know the hotel and room. Right as she finished the text she found herself wrapped up in a tight bear hug. The girl giving her the bear hug was a short, young blonde who could only be Olivia Queen, the sixteen year old sister of Connor.
Olivia broke the hug and immediately started talking in a low voice without taking a breath. For her, playing the secret identity role of a ditzy blonde heiress wasn't such a stretch from her natural state. "Maril sent me a message asking me if I had heard the news. When I told her I didn't know what she was talking about she said your dad was hanging it up and you were going out yourself tonight. That is so exciting. I'm so happy for you. I've had to keep my mouth shut because Maril realized she made a mistake and shouldn't have told me. You don't have to worry about Connor, he doesn't know and I am sure you would want to tell him yourself. We should really patrol together some time, like we always dreamed about. I'm helping Richie out right now over in Bludhaven since Maril is away and . .."
Olivia finally stopped talking when her mother, Dinah Lance-Queen, came over to talk to the girls. She knew Gotham well as she had started out her vigilante career here as the Black Canary. She always kept Gotham in her thoughts after moving to Star City when she married Oliver and often held charity events in the city.
"I hear congratulations are in order for you," she said to Helena as she patted her on the back.
"I might have told my mother the news," Olivia confessed meekly.
"You're ready for this, don't doubt yourself," Mrs. Queen said to her. "Now there are others around here who don't know about us. We shouldn't talk about this too much. I have the outfits you're modeling first hung over there. Pick a booth and get changed."
Helena and Olivia grabbed their prom style dresses and then took an empty booth. Helena had a backless gown and was glad her back had healed up all the way. When Olivia stripped down to her undies Helena was surprised to see a fresh wound on her thigh. "What's that?" Helena asked her.
"Connor and I went up against the new Merlyn the Magnificent a couple days ago," she answered. "I took a hit, and don't say anything about it. Our parents don't know."
Helena could commiserate with the desire to hide wounds from her parents. "I know how you feel. I took some nasty hits to the back and my mother had a conniption over them. It's what pushed my father into finally retiring."
"Your back looks fine now," Olivia assured her as Helena pulled the straps of the dress up on her shoulders.
The conversation the two girls had caused Helena to think about what she was supposed to do that night. "Are you going to be busy tonight, around eight 'o' clock?" she asked Olivia.
"I can make time. What do you need?" The girl sounded excited she might be able to join Helena on a mission.
"I have some undercover work to do, so to speak. I can use a wingman, if you're up for it?"
"Of course I am," Olivia answered, excited.
"Good, just be ready to go after dinner. Dress as if you were going to a fancy club."
The fashion show went off without a hitch. Helena modeled the prom dress along with a bikini. There was no sign she had almost been disintegrated the night before. When it was over she headed right for the restaurant where she was set to meet Clark.
Clark cleaned his glasses as Helena ate. Her food was waiting for her when they got to the room. She had told him to let her know what he wanted so she could call it ahead, but he didn't need to eat and he didn't want to cost the Wayne's any money, even if it was insignificant to them.
Clark looked around the large party room they were in. It seemed weird to him to have this whole room to themselves, but then he remembered how large the dining hall at Wayne Manor was. Helena was more then used to a room like this.
"You don't have to wear those, it's just me here," Helena told him as he put on the glasses. "The waiter will only come if I page him. Having a direct line to a waiter is one of the benefits of being the daughter of the owner."
"Over the years I've become more comfortable with them on," he told her. "At least when I'm out and about as Clark."
Helena looked Clark over. The man hadn't aged a day in thirty years, so when he went out as Clark he had to grey his hair and put on make-up to appear his age. It was a stark contrast from her father, who she was always telling to change his appearance to look younger.
"So when are you going to retire from the paper?" she asked him. "I can't imagine you want to spend the next couple years doing nothing but covering the fund-raisers of the rich and idle."
"Lois is still hungry enough to get the good assignments, and I would hardly get to see her if we didn't work together at the Planet."
"You could always be a good house husband for her," Helena said with a smile.
Clark tried to change the subject. "I'm the reporter; shouldn't I be asking the questions?"
"Okay, what do you want to ask me?" she said as she stopped eating for a moment and put down her silverware.
"How did your mother react when you told her the news about your father?" Clark asked.
"Oh fuck," Helena said as she picked up her purse. From her actions it was apparent the girl had forgotten to tell her mother the news.
"She doesn't carry a cell phone," Helena said to herself as she grabbed her phone and then threw it back in the bag. Clark could hear Ace running after the phone in the bag. "Where's my League communicator?"
Clark took his out of his ear and handed it over to Helena. She looked at it skeptically for a second, but took it from him. She wiped it off with her napkin and then stuck it in her ear.
"Helena to Watchtower," she began. "Yeah, Starwoman, can you patch me through to my mother."
Clark could have listened in on Diana's side of the conversation, but didn't want to invade their privacy. It seemed weird even being able to hear Helena's side of it.
"Mom, I have some news for you."
"So, you've already heard the news from Dad. I would have called you earlier, but I figured he would have told you. After all, you need to bring my mask over."
"How can you be so sure I'm lying? Do you really think I would have forgotten to tell you about something this important?"
"How can you be complaining about this being too all of a sudden? You were the one who just last night said Dad needs to hang it up."
"I've had more training then you ever did when you left Themyscira. And this is Gotham, not the heart of Apokolips."
"I'm done talking to you Mom, I'll see you tonight." Helena took the communicator out of her ear and threw it on the table, smashing it. She went back to eating quietly.
She had a look of sadness on her face that Clark had seen several times when she was a little girl and was practically living on the Watchtower. Like now, the sadness often came from a fight she had with her parents.
Clark could guess the fight they just had was over Diana's concern for her daughter. It suddenly hit Clark that the fear Diana showed the previous night was more about her daughter then it was about Batman. She had been concerned for some time Helena would end up in a bad position trying to protect her father. It now appeared she was having trouble letting some of the concern go now that Helena was finally going to be on her own.
Clark remembered back to when Bruce and Diana had first told him they were expecting. They were so happy and he was equally happy for them. They both had dreams of a child that would grow up to follow in their footsteps. When the rest of the League heard the news they salivated at the idea of a hero with Wonder Woman's powers and Batman's skills. Helena had been born on the exact day that Clark was killed by Doomsday. When he came back to life he noticed that their dreams for their daughter had changed. Seeing Clark die had made them fearful for Helena. They accepted that Helena would one day be a superhero, but didn't look forward to it anymore.
Clark and Lois had never managed to have any children of their own. Not having kids was not something that ever really gnawed at him. In looking at Helena and the issues she had he wondered how a child of his would have handled living up to his legacy. Clark wondered how he would have done training a child. After his failure with his sister, Kara, he was glad he never had to train someone else.
"Sorry you had to hear that," Helena said to him. "And sorry about your communicator."
"I have others," he said in reference to the communicator. "And that's not the first Wonder Woman fight I've witnessed."
Helena smiled slightly at the insinuation. "I guess she does have her moments."
Clark went back to asking her the questions. "I take it you had a reason for asking me to this lunch."
"My father needs to stay involved in the League," she said between bites.
"But he's giving up the mantle of the Bat," Clark reminded her.
"I know, but I still think he needs to be part of the triumvirate," she said. The triumvirate was a reference to Clark, Bruce, and Diana as the leaders of the Justice League. "He can't be put out to pasture completely. He has a lot of experience and can still serve the League-"
"You don't have to try and convince me," he said as he interrupted her. "The League will always need a Batman." Clark thought back to the situation where he had been brainwashed and used as a pawn by Darkseid. It was the faith Batman showed in him more than anything else that helped him win back the public's affections. As a non-superpowered hero Batman was looked upon by the public as a trusting figure for them. It was his approval of the League that swayed the public in many circumstances.
Clark noticed the time was getting late. "I have to leave for the airport now so I can make my flight," he told Helena.
"You're actually flying commercial?" she asked with a laugh.
"I still have to do some things to keep up appearances and hide my identity," he said as he stood. "Good luck tonight," he told her.
"I hope you won't be by to check up on me," she said to him. "I'll be able to handle things myself."
"I'm not on patrol tonight," he told her.
"Another assignment?"
"No, I'm taking some personal time. Today is a decade since my father passed."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Thanks, any activity going on tonight that you know about?"
"Someone is trying to sell clones of weapons from Apokolips. We think they got their hands on a leftover from the invasion and reverse engineered it."
Clark's breath stopped for a moment over the mention of the invasion from Apokolips. It was an invasion he had led as Darkseid's brainwashed pawn. "It could always be an escaped refugee from there," he reminded her.
"I hadn't thought about that. I didn't know too many people made it over any more."
"It happens, so be careful," he told her. "Good luck."
"Hey Kent," she called after him as he tried to leave. "Do you need anything for your story? I assumed you were still going to write something."
"I can just make it up," he said.
She smiled at what he said. "I guess you're good at making up interviews. You did it with yourself all the time."
Clark moved to leave again, but thought about one more thing. "I did have one question for Helena Wayne. Any comment you want to make on the status of your relationship with Connor Queen?"
"Did my mother put you up to this?" she asked.
"Not recently," he said as he couldn't lie. He left before she could give him an answer.