Hey there! If you're new here, this is a sequel to Feathers in the Night and I suggest you go read that first!
If you're coming back, I bet you're confused right now.
So, uh, surprise! I'm back! And this is a new sequel.
Now, to make this clear from the start so I can perhaps regain some trust after the failure of Broken Wings - This story is already finished. (Okay, technically I have like one chapter left but I can't stop myself from posting anymore. I've wanted to do this for months!)
I've spent the last year and a half writing it. It's been such an amazing experience and I do believe it's the best thing I've ever created.
So, what changed? Well, I got pregnant (surprise! I have a child now), and after a few months of maternity leave (we have a year of maternity leave in my country) I realized I needed SOMETHING creative to do, or I would simply go insane. Taking care of a child is rewarding, but I needed something fun and a bit challenging to occupy my mind as I changed poopy diapers and fed my kid.
So, I dusted off this idea I had had for a few years, an idea I got right after discontinuing BW. At first, I decided I wouldn't do it because I had made this big announcement that I was done with fanfiction.
But I decided I would just do it for myself and see how far I got. Something small. Something indulgent.
Now, my daughter is almost two years old, and this fic is a HYDRA the length of Feathers. Expect epic highs and lows, themes of identity, fate, choice, and how relationships are hard work.
I'm so excited to share it with you!
THIS IS A REUPLOAD OF THE CHAPTER BECAUSE I REALIZED I MADE A BIG MISTAKE
Okay so the problem with having a doc for writing, a separate doc for editing, and a third doc for the finish chapters, is that you sometimes upload a version of the chapter from the wrong doc. I fixed it, sorry! There's a whole new scene added at the end, so make sure to check it out!
Prologue: Denial is a Dish Best Not Indulged
March 29th
Gotham City
Morgan
The alarm blared to life, rudely pulling Morgan to the surface of consciousness. She wished she could've stayed in her focused, meditative state for a bit longer, but the sound had already brought her out of her meditation, and she knew it would be pointless to try and regain the blissful, blank mind she'd had for the past twenty minutes.
With a sigh she uncrossed her legs and let her feet touch the floor, relinquishing the telekinetic hold she'd been having on her hovering body. Reaching out, her phone flew across the room and into her hand, where she quickly shut off the disruptive alert. 8:30, it said. She had an hour before school started, and so she went to her closet, pulling out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and headed for the bathroom. In the kitchen she could hear her mom shuffling about, enjoying a rare day off from work.
Twenty minutes later, Morgan entered the kitchen, finding a stack of steaming pancakes waiting for her.
"Mom, you're supposed to relax on your day off!" She groaned.
"What makes you think baking isn't relaxing to me?" Abigail said with a wink as she took a sip of her tea. "Eat. I'm so rarely here when you get up in the morning, let me make the most of it when I am."
Morgan wasn't about to protest pancakes for breakfast, so she gave her mom a quick peck in her auburn hair and sat across from her, digging in.
"What classes do you have today?"
"English lit and then lab this afternoon. I have a three-hour break," she said between a mouthful of pancakes, leaning back in her chair, her wings flopping over the back with a relaxed flutter. The ends dragged across the floor behind her, though she hardly noticed. "I have a big paper coming up soon in lab. We have to show our findings with that bacteria-sample I was telling you about, not that we've got all that much to show for yet." She scrunched up her nose in annoyance. "My two partners are idiots. Makes progress slow when I have to hold their hands through the whole thing."
It was true. Morgan suspected the teacher had put those two imbeciles in a group with her because it was their only shot at passing. Being top of that particular class wasn't just full of perks. She comforted herself with the fact that next semester, the work was individual, and she wouldn't have anyone dragging her down.
Abigail tutted at her strong statement but knew her daughter well enough to simply take a sip of tea in lieu of responding.
The two women chatted for half an hour before Morgan had to go. She got up and started gathering her things, before realizing a familiar weight was missing around her neck.
"Have you seen my glamour charm?" she asked her mom from her room. She looked through all the knick knacks she had on her bedside table in search of the familiar necklace with the orange stone. Abigail entered her room and breezily plucked the necklace out from a pile of dirty clothes by Morgan's bed - she swore she was going to do her laundry any day now, she just needed a bit more time.
"It must've fallen down last night," her mom suggested, somehow managing to not comment on the messy state of her room.
Morgan placed the necklace around her neck with a relieved sigh, feeling the familiar wave of magic rush across her wings. Knowing they were now invisible to anyone that didn't already know they were there, she felt secure in her ability to go outside with her secret identity intact. As long as nobody bumped into her from behind. She always stayed mindful of the fact that the wings were only invisible - they weren't gone.
"I have to go now or I'm gonna be late." She hoisted her school bag further up on her shoulder and used her telekinesis to grab her jacket from across the hall. "I'll be home for dinner, love you, bye!"
"Stop using your powers out of costume!" Her mom yelled after her, but Morgan had already dashed out the door, jogging down the stairs and onto the street. Breathing in a deep breath of air, she immediately regretted it when the smell of Gotham hit her nose.
"Ugh, potent."
Keeping up her brisk pace, she reached the metro in five minutes and caught the first train. It was filthy and filled to the brim, and she directed a dirty look at the guy that chose to stand just a bit too close to her from behind, his hand "coincidently" hovering by her ass. Truly, Gotham was never going to change.
With exactly two minutes to spare, she entered class, sitting down at the first available desk. She preferred to sit close to the door in case she needed to make a quick and low key exit. Being a college student and superhero led to a lot of juggling of responsibilities and time, but she had made a promise to herself a long time ago to always prioritize whatever was most meaningful. So far, her work as Sparrow had always won out. School was fine, obviously, but when the choice came between missing a class and potentially saving lives as a result, or staying in class and people getting hurt because she wasn't there to help, it was a no-brainer to her. She still managed okay, considering how few hours she felt like she had in a day. She suspected her meditations were to thank for that. It didn't just help her maintain the strong mental state she needed to keep a more controlled grip on her telekinetic powers; It also prevented her from feeling stressed out despite her busy days.
Two hours later, thoughts of meditation, telekinesis and Sparrow were purged from her mind as she furiously wrote down notes from the lecture. Her professor was going through some of the topics they could expect on the next test, and she knew this was vital information.
"Alright guys let's take a ten-minute break," Professor Pham sighed, sounding just as tired from talking for two hours as the students undoubtedly were from listening for just as long. "When you get back, we'll pick up where we left off last week on Shakespeare's influence on nineteenth century literature."
Morgan gave a sigh of relief and stretched her back and wings thoroughly as she stood, taking care to not hit anyone close by with her invisible wings. As her former mentor had once said; "Just because your wings are hidden doesn't mean they can't still be felt."
Professor Pham was a good professor, and he was good at making class interesting, but the topic just didn't appeal to her. She was only taking this elective because it was required of her if she wanted her minor in literature. She wasn't even sure if said minor was what she wanted.
Sure, she loved reading, especially classics, but her heart and gifts were in the natural sciences, in biology. Something she was sure her late father would've been incredibly pleased with, had he been alive to know. After all, he had been incredibly gifted in the subject. She thought about it not without a bitter taste in her mouth and quickly pushed thoughts of her father away. Leaving the classroom, she was heading for a balcony to breathe a bit of "fresh" Gotham air when her.. phone went off. Her specially encrypted League phone. Quickly darting to a deserted corner of the hall, she pulled out the phone and answered.
"Hello," she said softly, keeping a sharp eye and ear out for any potential eavesdroppers. "This is Sparrow."
"Sparrow, this is Aquaman," the smooth voice of Kaldur came from the other side. "The Team is in need of assistance. Are you available?"
Morgan bit her lip. The Team needed assistance. Wasn't she supposed to be a Leaguer by now? And she did have that history test next week that the professor was helping them prepare for right now..
What was that thing she'd said earlier about potentially saving lives always taking precedence?
Ugh, fine
"Yeah, I'm available. I can be there in ten minutes." She said with a hint of resignation.
"Thank you. I'll debrief you when you arrive."
He sounded truly appreciative, so Morgan squashed down any annoyance and power walked back to class. Grabbing her things and stuffing them carelessly into her bag, she unfortunately drew the attention of her professor.
"Leaving early, Morgan?" He asked with a specific tone of voice. The tone of disapproval.
She halted and attempted to keep the guilt off her face and instead plastered on a phony apologetic look. "Sorry, Professor Pham. A.. family emergency popped up unexpectedly."
He offered her a sympathetic look as genuine as her apologetic look had been. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm going to have to mark you absent for the rest of class."
"That's perfectly understandable," Morgan said through her teeth, her grin more like a toothy grimace.
Uuuuughnhnghughnuuughng.
Don't come here and say superheroing doesn't come with sacrifice.
Warning thus given and received, Morgan found herself at a zetatube five minutes later. She stood in a dingy alley, hidden behind an overflowing trash container. To her right was a pool of water that smelled suspiciously like pee, and she scrunched her nose at it as a strong wind sent the odor in her direction. Removing a loose, red brick from the wall of the abandoned apartment building, she stood close and stared into the scanner, letting it ID her via eyeball. Once the security system recognized her, the brick wall smoothly pulled aside and allowed her entrance. Pulling her bag off her shoulder, she opened it and fished around for the hidden zipper in the back. Retrieving her Sparrow suit from her backpack, she first slipped on her mask, then her suit and lastly her sturdy boots. Hastily braiding her hair back and taking off her glamour-charm, she headed for the zeta tube and plotted in the destination before stepping through. The well-known five seconds of blankness took over her thoughts before she stepped out and found herself at the Watchtower.
Space, dark and infinite, loomed outside the giant windows, and she resisted a shiver at the sight, focusing on the beautiful and brightly lit Earth below the space station. Halting, she allowed herself five seconds of awe as she studied her planet. Then, looking up, she found Aquaman waiting for her with Bumblebee, and she made haste to reach them.
"Sparrow, Bumblebee, thank you for coming in on such short notice," Aquaman said as he pulled up images on the holographic computer. "An hour ago, a battalion of unknown, darkly clad attackers started wreaking havoc in downtown Happy Harbor. We do not know yet what they are trying to accomplish, but they reportedly share a striking similarity to Reach soldiers."
At his words, Morgan felt cold water slide up and down her back. Reach soldiers? Two years after the Reach invasion was thwarted and the alien species was thrown off-planet?
"The Team is attempting to contain the attack but they are stretched thin and have requested backup." He elaborated. "I'm sending you in to take down the attacking ship and prevent any attempts at escape."
Karen sent Morgan a look and she returned it before the two women shared a nod and turned resolutely towards Aquaman.
"Aye aye, Captain," Morgan resisted the urge to salute.
"We'll take down that ship no problem," Karen assured with confidence before heading for the zeta tube, Morgan right on her heels.
Bumblebee disappeared in a flash of white light, but before Morgan could follow, she turned to Aquaman.
"Is, uh, the whole Team there?" she said, her tone betraying the apprehensiveness she felt.
For a second, Aquaman looked less the stoic leader and more an apologetic friend. "I am told the entire Team is here." His voice had a smidge of softness to it.
Morgan pressed her lips together and sighed with resignation. "Right. No biggie," she tried to sound assuring. Steeling herself and trying to calm her speeding heart, she quickly walked through the zetatube before losing her nerve.
The second she came to on the other side, a large something whizzed past her and into the building right by her side, demolishing part of the brick wall. She peered through the newly made entrance to the building.
"Hi Connor," she greeted. "How's it going?"
A young, disgruntled looking man sat in a pile of rubble. Getting back up, he mustered an amused look and stepped through the hole he'd created.
"Oh, you know," he shrugged, "Same old, same old." The sound of a nearby explosion drew their attention. "Aren't you here to take out that ship? Because it's been firing at us for half an hour at this point and we'd love for it to stop."
"Right," Morgan spread her wings and propelled herself upwards with a single powerful beat. "On it." She willed herself to focus on the ship above only, resisting the urge to chance a look at the rest of the Team, who were battling a large score of soldiers on the ground.
The ship was smaller than she'd expected, vaguely oval and an intimidating black color. The front had round, red windows through which she could see half a dozen mystery assailants. Two of them were clearly steering the ship, but the four others were manning the large guns that were sticking out of the front of the ship like antennas. Aquaman's report was correct – the ship did have Reach qualities to it. Of course, Sparrow hadn't seen a Reach ship in two years so she couldn't be sure she remembered them correctly, but this was pretty close to what she could recall in her mind's eye. It made a shiver run down her spine and she willed away uncomfortable memories.
She reached Bumblebee's side. The other hero had already used her sting to take on one of the guns and the people inside the ship were clearly aggravated by the new development. The sting caused the gun to malfunction and small sparks emitted from it.
"Alright, what have we got?" Morgan asked.
"First priority is taking out those guns, so the rest of the Team doesn't have to worry about them anymore," Bumblebee decided. "After that I say we bring down the whole thing."
Sparrow smirked. "I like the sound of that."
A fired volley forced the two women to scatter, and they approached the ship from either side. Morgan found herself at the side with two guns still operational and she quickly tested out her telekinetic hold on the unknown material. She'd gotten much better at manipulating different things, but some were still easier than others. She could tell this one was tricky, so instead she opted to look below for a weapon. Unwillingly, her eyes found a dark clad figure somersaulting away from a soldier firing at him and her heart skipped a beat, adrenalin making her palms sweat. His escrima sticks were flashing through the air in fluid movements as he took out his attackers with ferocious precision.
Resolutely, she floated down closer to the ground and focused on a large pile of rubble. She tugged at a heavy piece of wall and lifted it up beside her, flying closer to the ship. With a steadying breath, she drew her hand back and threw it forward, the hunk of rubble zooming past her and into the two antennae. She achieved the desired effect when one gun snapped off and the other bent inwards, now pointing crookedly at the ship.
The fate of their guns unknown to the two figures manning them from inside the ship, they fired another round of shots. Or, rather, attempted to. What happened instead was unexpected, even to Morgan.
The crooked antennae fired directly into the side of the ship, creating a large hole. Sparks erupted from severed lines right as the other antennae, overcharged from the firepower stuck inside the destroyed barrel, exploded.
Morgan hovered beside the ship, dumbfounded by the chain of events. She hadn't expected the takedown of the ship to happen so quickly and all she could do was stare for a moment. The figures inside the ship started scrambling around and though Morgan couldn't hear them, she was sure they were sounding quite panicked.
With a start, she realized the ship was starting to lose latitude.
Bumblebee zipped up beside her. "Girl, that was awesome! Good job!"
Sparrow sent her a pleased look but shrugged off the compliment. "I just destroyed the guns, they basically took out themselves."
The two heroes watched the ship start to crash with satisfaction, when a worried voice below shouted, "Watch out! Falling ship!"
"Oh shit!" Morgan realized with a start she hadn't considered that the crashing ship would be a danger to the Team on the ground. She felt like an idiot, but hardly dwelled on her stupid slip-up as she darted towards the crashing ship. She stretched out her hands and her telekinesis, trying for a second time to find the purchase she needed. She tugged at the ship, hoping she could at the very least alter the trajectory. She knew stopping the giant ship was out of the question, no way she could stop it when the material was unknown to her.
She kept pulling the ship to her and with a gasp of relief she saw the ship shift, crashing towards a demolished building instead of the open road and the heroes below. It hit ground with a resounding crash, dust and debris rising into the air as rubble was pulverized beneath the weight of the dead aircraft. Morgan landed beside the ship and let out a big sigh. She watched the dust settle and wondered at the silence for a moment, realizing the battle was over.
Once the air had cleared, she saw several Team members approaching the downed ship.
"Alright," a far too familiar voice, crackling with anger, broke the silence. "Which moron almost flattened half of my team!"
Morgan closed her eyes and steeled herself for the inevitable confrontation, willing her anxious heart to calm down. Not this, she thought. Not now.
He kept up the scolding as he walked around the downed ship, heading in her direction. "Is it really too much to ask to take a quick peak before crashing a giant ship- oh." He had finally come into view and, upon seeing her, stopped in his tracks. For a split second his body was frozen and his eyes wide when she steadily met his gaze with a look that was half determination, half apology. He came to life immediately and if she hadn't known him so well, she was sure she barely would've noticed his lapse in composure.
"Sparrow," he managed to say her name without difficulty. Unfair, Morgan decided. She hadn't been able to get his name past her lips for weeks. "What the hell were you thinking?"
Instantly, Morgan found she wasn't in the mood for a lecture. She hadn't seen him for so long – her own doing, she'd been very particular about when she went to the Watchtower as to avoid him most effectively – and she couldn't stomach the prospect of their first conversation in two months being him scolding her like a child. Especially not with half of the Team currently watching and the rest approaching to join the spectators. She also hated how.. normal he appeared. Wasn't he as affected as she? Did he not feel the ache in his chest every single day?
"Hey, I just destroyed the guns. The stupid people inside took out their own ship." She grumbled defensively, avoiding eye contact to hide her still bruised feelings.
"Even so, you couldn't have given a heads up?" He tried to sound stern, to use his leader voice which she was so familiar with, but it faltered and turned into something more indiscernible. Morgan hated how well she knew him and yet felt like she couldn't read him at all.
She felt her temper flair and reacted before she could squash it down. "Hey buddy," inwardly she flinched at herself and how lame she was sure she sounded, "if you didn't want help taking out that aircraft, then maybe don't send out an emergency call to the League!"
"Yeah well, when I called Aquaman and asked for backup, I didn't know they were going to.. send.. you." He had started out strong, his voice hard, but he seemed to catch himself halfway through, realizing what he was saying, and he trailed off, his voice losing steam until the last word was nothing more than a mumble. Still, Morgan flinched at the harsh words, and she took a wounded step back. Her instinct was to grab onto her temper again and use it as a shield, but she fought the urge. She was better than that, now. She knew it was a defense mechanism that did her no good in the long run. She'd had that talk in therapy several times.
So, she took a deep breath, unclenched her hands and tried to think of an appropriate response. Her heart was still pounding in her ears, and just seeing him, being close to him, made her body ache like she'd just run a marathon. She was glad for the mask and how it covered her eyes because she was sure they betrayed her inner turmoil.
"Well, you'll just have to talk to Aquaman about that next time you see him." She hated how defeated she sounded. "In the meantime, I'm all the backup you got." She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "And Bumblebee, of course."
"Morgan," She was surprised he said her name, "I didn't-" he sounded pained, unsure what to say. His voice was halting.
She turned her gaze on him now, finding the courage. She was vaguely aware of the rest of the Team still watching them with mixed expressions. Some looked worried – others like this was simply great entertainment. And then there behind him, Morgan noticed something new and unexpected. Above his right shoulder, was an alleyway. In the alley stood an old woman. Her hair was a shocking white and it tumbled down her body like a waterfall, dragging behind her. Her eyes had a white film covering her green irises and yet Morgan was sure the woman could still see. She wore a blood red flowy garment and a black cape, but most noticeable was the golden pair of scissors hanging from her woven belt.
What on earth?
Behind the woman, Morgan noticed a strange, pulsating glow. She couldn't see the origin of it as the alley curved away, but she felt her curiosity piqued. Something drew her to it, like a moth to a flame. It entranced her enough for her to briefly forget about the argument she'd just been in, and she started walking towards it.
He had a look of surprise as she approached him, and it only grew as she walked right past him, heading for the alley. She kept her eyes on the old woman.
"Sparrow?" he called after her, sounding very confused. She turned briefly to look at him, but ultimately found she didn't know what to say to him, and so she turned back towards her destination.
She halted in surprise. The woman was gone. Vanished into thin air in the two seconds she'd looked away.
How?
The strange glow was still there, and her curiosity still drew her to it. The disappearance of the woman had only served to pique her interest.
"What is going on?" she mumbled to herself as she kept heading for the glow. She told herself she was very curious about the sight but truthfully, she wasn't sure if it was simply an excuse to get away from him.
Several Team members were looking weirdly at her, but she persisted in her quest and reached the alley. What she saw when she rounded the corner was even weirder than she had predicted.
In the middle of the alley was a thick fog. She watched in shock and awe as it floated around itself until it suddenly picked up speed and started writhing like angry snakes before calming down again. It was pulsating with an almost otherworldly glow, and though the overall fog appeared white, it consisted of many colors twisting around each other. It looked like a galaxy, shimmering lights and strands like the milky way stretching from one end of the alley to the other. It was gorgeous and she resisted the urge to reach out a hand to it, aware that she had no idea what it was, what had caused it, and if it was dangerous. It seemed almost alive, and due to her stunned silence, she swore she could hear low whispers emitting from it. No.. not whispers. The voices carrying through were simply too low, though she could hear by their cadence that they were shouting, even screaming.
"Sparrow!" An annoyed call pulled her out of her stupor, and she turned quickly on her heel in surprise, her heart racing. He had approached the alley, a small gaggle of the Team following behind him. "What on earth are you doing?"
She turned back to the fog but to her dismay it was.. gone. Just like the old lady. Morgan inwardly groaned – that was the second time he had drawn her attention away from something she had wanted to investigate, allowing the thing to disappear. What was going on?
She turned back around to face him, watching as he stood expectantly with his arms planted disapprovingly on his hips. Blue Beetle, Kid Flash, Red Robin, Robin, Superboy, Miss Martian and Wondergirl were all standing behind him.
"Please tell me someone else saw that?" she pleaded weakly, though she already knew the answer from the expressions on their faces.
"Saw what," he was starting to sound downright nasty, "The empty alley?"
Morgan found she could no longer keep her temper in check. What had gone down between them three months ago didn't give him a right to treat her like this.
"Why don't you chill the fuck out," she bit out strongly, her heart pounding in her ears, "and stop treating me like I'm an idiot. There was something here, - I saw an old woman dressed in a goddamn toga, who disappeared in the blink of an eye, and then something that looked like a fog and now I don't know what happened to either of the two, because you distracted me!"
He looked torn between being skeptical and affronted at her harsh words, but she fixed him with a hard look.
"What reason could I have for lying?" she challenged. He watched her for a second, sizing her up, but Morgan didn't relent her steely gaze, so he seemed to take her word for it.
"Fair enough," he sighed. "But whatever you think you saw is gone now."
"Which means I'll get going too," she walked past the lot of them, cheeks flushing with anger and embarrassment. Turning back towards the small gaggle of heroes, she spread her wings and looked their leader square in the eye. "Have fun with cleanup duty. And you're welcome."
He opened his mouth to protest, but Morgan had already beat her wings, propelling herself into the air and away as fast as she could.
She let out a shaky sigh and closed her eyes, flying sightlessly for a short moment. This wasn't at all how she'd hoped their first encounter in months would go down.
March 29th
Gotham
Morgan
Morgan sat cross-legged on her carpet, breathing deeply, and trying to keep her mind empty.
"I didn't know they were going to.. send.. you." The words sprung unbidden to the forefront of her thoughts.
No. Mind empty.
An image of his angry face materialized on the carefully blank page she'd been visualizing behind her closed eyelids.
Goddammit.
She sighed, opened her eyes, and unwound her legs, letting herself roll back onto her carpet. She stared at her paper lampshade without really seeing it, tracing the round edges, before moving her eyes along the ceiling. Settling on some blank spot, she let her mind wander. Her chest ached.
Why had he been so mean? The one time Morgan had allowed herself to talk to anyone about it, she'd asked M'gann how he was doing, and M'gann had said he'd gotten a bit more temperamental. She had said he was more easily annoyed and prone to chewing out team members, since their breakup.
There was a good chance if he'd known it was her, he wouldn't have come out swinging like he did. She felt bad for the Team, if their leader truly was dealing with his emotions by taking it out on them.
"He's not intentionally taking his feelings out on the Team, he just seems.. sad. And frustrated. It makes him lash out when pushed." M'gann had told Morgan a few weeks after the breakup, with that soft, motherly voice of hers.
Ah yes.. The Breakup.
Morgan tried not to think about it. Everyday, she tried to distract herself. She tried to pretend the hole in her chest had always been there and wasn't caused by the absence of him. She tried to pretend that she didn't question her decision every day and wonder if he would take her back if she asked.
She knew he wouldn't. He was already over her if his treatment today had been any indication.
Most days, she managed to distract herself. She kept extremely busy with schoolwork, and she spent all her free time either at the Watchtower or at the women's shelter where she worked as a volunteer, before she went to the gym to train every single night. Every morning she would meditate, practicing clearing her thoughts and stabilizing her emotional and mental state. It worked somewhat throughout the day, and it certainly helped her keep a much better grasp on her telekinesis, which she had found was very dependent on the health of her mental state. The less in control she was of her mind, the less in control she was of her telekinesis.
She always tried to tire herself out so that she would be so exhausted by night, she'd simply fall asleep the second her head struck her pillow, but she was often out of luck.
The nights were the hardest. At night, she was stuck in her bed, which felt large and cold and empty because he wasn't there. He was a hugger in his sleep, and she'd gotten so used to always falling asleep and waking up with him close to her side. His steady breath had been a rhythm that lulled her to sleep and the smell of him had surrounded her intoxicatingly.
That's what she missed the most. When they were asleep in bed, they weren't fighting. They weren't stressed and argumentative. It was calm. Two bodies connecting. Often, when they woke up in the morning, they had their most peaceful moments. The day before would have been erased by sleep and they'd lie close and carry mumbled conversations.
She supposed that's how she knew it had been the right call to end things. That at the end, she'd preferred her boyfriend asleep.
Morgan sat up and angrily rubbed at her eyes, which had started swimming with tears. She'd promised herself she'd stop thinking about it.
Looking at her watch she realized it was time for her to head to the women's shelter. Today, she was baking with the kids, something she really looked forward to. Volunteering at the shelter was something she'd started two months ago after their breakup. She'd suddenly found herself with a lot of free time and she'd been antsy to occupy that time with something meaningful.
The thought encouraged her, and she cast aside her musings, getting up off her floor. Telling her mom goodbye again, she managed a genuine smile as she left their apartment and headed for the subway.
March 29th
Happy Harbor
Nightwing
Night had fallen and Happy Harbor was finally starting to quiet down after the sudden attack from that afternoon. Nightwing stood in an alley, waiting. To nobody's surprise, he couldn't stop thinking about the events of the day. It had been one of the stranger ones. Namely, the fact that the giant, crashed ship and the three dozen soldiers that had arrived in it were all suddenly gone in the blink of an eye.
They'd spent maybe ten minutes dragging every tied-up assailant into a contained "pile" in the middle of the road. Suddenly, it was like they simply glitched out of existence, right in front of his eyes, taking the ship with them. The only evidence there was of them ever having been there was the destroyed building to their left, and various small fires that La'gaan – Aqualad – had been busy putting out with his newly learned water-magic.
He also couldn't let go of the uncomfortable fact that the ship had been identical to the ones the Reach had flown. He'd already sent out a request for the three Green Lanterns to look into the known whereabouts of the parasitic alien race and whether or not their continued presence on Earth was a possibility.
Tomorrow, the Team and the League were launching a full-scale, planetwide search of any leftover Reach ships that might've been in hiding these past two years. After all, it had initially taken them months to even discover the alien presence, hidden in the Mariana trench as it was. He couldn't confidently say they'd purged the planet completely of the Reach. Especially now that a new ship had cropped up.
Next, looking around the alley he was standing in, his thoughts steered into treacherous waters. Thoughts about a certain curly-haired, winged woman. He resisted the urge to groan out loud at their encounter. He regretted the way he'd reacted upon seeing her, but he was stressed, sleep-deprived and caught off guard. He knew she was avoiding him and so seeing her there had been unexpected. He wondered why she'd even accepted the mission when she must've known he would be there, but he supposed her deep respect for Kaldur had weighed heavier than the fear of him.
He was definitely going to chew out Kaldur for intentionally sending her when he knew about their situation.
"Nightwing?"
He nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice scattering his thoughts. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been caught off guard in such a way. Batman would surely disapprove.
He turned to face her.
"Hey, Zatanna."
"You had something you needed me to check out?" She got right down to business.
He looked around the small, unseeming alley.
"Yeah. I need you to check this alley out for any traces of magic. Someone on the.. Team thought they spotted something here, but it was gone before they could reach it." He pushed himself off the harsh brick wall he was leaning against. "They said it looked like a fog."
Zatanna stepped into the middle of the alley and her eyes glowed a bright white color as she spread her arms and spoke an incantation. Nightwing waited as she was silent for a moment. Eventually, she dropped her arms back down and turned to him.
"I'm definitely sensing traces of magic here," she confirmed, "Did you pick anything up yourself?"
So, Morgan was right. She had seen something. Nightwing pulled up his computer a second time though he knew the results.
"My scanner didn't find anything. That's why I called you. Wanted to cover my bases."
Zatanna nodded. "I'll try to locate the source and figure out exactly what kind of magic we're dealing with. It felt.. strange. Foreign."
"Thanks, Z," he sighed. He regretted the doubtful way he'd treated his ex now that he knew she had been telling the truth.
"Who saw it? I should hear a more detailed description."
He didn't manage to hide his grimace. He'd hoped she wouldn't ask.
"Sparrow saw it."
"Aaah," Zatanna said knowingly, and he raised a challenging eyebrow. "I'll ask her about it next time I see her."
He nodded and pressed a button on his wrist, the computer closing down.
"That's probably best," he said stiffly.
"How's that going, by the way?" Her voice had taken on a soft note, and he felt his defenses rise.
"How's what going?" he challenged.
Zatanna rolled her eyes.
"You know what I mean. How are you doing?"
"I'm doing fine," like hell he was having this conversation with her right now.
"Dick, you guys were together for almost two years," she launched into what appeared to be a practiced speech, "and you only broke up a couple of months ago. The others say both of you refuse to talk to anybody about it-"
"Z, no offense, but I'm not about to give any more fodder to the League's gossip-mill-"
Zatanna interrupted him indignantly, "You know that's not what I-"
"It happened, we broke up, I'm fine and you guys can stop worrying and stop talking about it," he interrupted right back. "I'm just trying to focus on being a good leader for the Team and deal with whatever our enemies are throwing our way. I don't have time for heartbreak, I've gotta stay focused."
Zatanna sighed at his dismissive tone.
"Spoken like a true Batkid.." she mumbled. The words were like a spear through him. Before he could say anything else, she fixed him with a look, holding up a hand to halt him.
"In a few months when you realize that feeling in your chest is your heart aching, don't say I didn't try to help you. I'll see you around, Dick."
She spoke another incantation and disappeared.
He huffed.
"Always has to have the last word.." he grunted, casting one last look at the alley before heading home.
He was fine. They all needed to stop trying to comfort him or get him to talk about it, because he was fine. He had dealt with it. What did they expect him to do? Wallow in self-pity for weeks, sit on his couch with ice cream and cry, watching chick flicks? Because he got dumped? God forbid he chose to focus on work and spend his time productively instead. Did they want a functional team leader or not?
He was fine!
April 5th
Watchtower
Nightwing
"I believe we are all gathered," Wonder Woman spoke gravely, looking at Aquaman. Around the table sat Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Aquaman, Batman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Superman.
Kaldur nodded, "The meeting may begin." He turned to Nightwing expectantly. "What news have the Team?"
Nightwing pulled up his holographic computer and connected it to the large screen at the end of the table. He showed the Leaguers recorded footage of the attack from the week before.
"Just to bring everyone up to speed – roughly a week ago, a battalion of what appeared to be Reach soldiers arrived at Happy Harbor in a Reach aircraft. Here, they launched an attack on the city that took the entire Team and a few Leagues to combat. As soon as the threat was dealt with, the soldiers, the ship – everything – disappeared into thin air with no trace left." He looked at the people sitting around the table, all listening with serious faces. "We don't have an explanation for the reappearance of the alien race after two years with no contact, but every news outlet is in a frenzy and many high-profile, public figures are demanding an explanation, which they expect the League to provide. Meanwhile, focused squads from the Team and the League have been searching Earth for any leftover Reach presence that we might have missed two years ago. The leaders of these squads are all gathered here today to compare notes, work out our next move, and agree on whatever statement we make public."
He took down the footage and looked back at Aquaman, indicating he had the word. Inwardly, he sighed, already tired despite the meeting only beginning. He'd had a long day at work, and he knew this meeting was going to take all evening. At least, now that he'd graduated, he didn't have to worry about homework anymore. Ironically, he'd started getting way more sleep after finishing school, despite working full time.
"Working with King Arthur I have led many Atlanteans in our search of the oceans. We know that the original Reach fleet was hidden in the depths of the Mariana Trench, but we have been unable to locate any remaining ships." Kaldur provided. He turned towards Wonder Woman and Black Canary. "I have been told the ground team achieved as little success as we did."
Black Canary nodded. "We've attempted a worldwide scan for the specific energy footprint left behind by Reach ships and looked into anything close to a potential hit, without finding anything."
"I have led many squads across the globe and there are as few signs of an alien presence on land as in the oceans." Wonder Woman agreed.
Aquaman looked at Batman next.
"No mention of any Reach activity in any of the organizations and underground societies I keep track of. If the Reach is here, our enemies were just as unaware as we were." His even, gravelly tone had a hint of annoyance to it. Nightwing suspected Bruce was irritated they were unable to find the mystery attackers – he didn't like that an enemy ship was allowed to suddenly strike down and attack a city, only to disappear without a trace with none of them able to locate them again.
"I have spoken to my home planet Mars," Martian Manhunter's deep voice broke through Nightwings train of thought. "They have not encountered any alien ships between Earth and Mars in many months, and no Reach ships in years."
"The Green Lantern Corp confirms there is no Reach presence, currently, in our galaxy. They know better than to come back when the Earth is under the Lanterns' protection."
"I've searched the immediate space surrounding Earth and haven't found any Reach either." Superman finished.
So that was it, then? Nightwing wondered. The mysterious attackers were simply allowed to show up and leave, and the best efforts of the league couldn't locate them?
"It seems we have hit a dead end," Kaldur sighed. "I suggest we keep an eye out for any new development, but otherwise do not waste any more resources on this search. Surely, if these attackers are bold enough to attack a city in broad daylight, they do not plan to stay hidden for long. And when they resurface; we will be ready."
Nods across the table. They all knew this was a futile search for now. Clearly, the Reach had some way of cloaking themselves so not even the Watchtower's computers could find them.
"That leaves us with one last question," Batman spoke up after a moment of shared contemplative silence. "What are we going to tell the new secretary general?"
Superman grimaced. "It has to be something good. Luthor's been breathing down the League's neck waiting for any reason to shut us down."
"We tell the truth," Wonder Woman said resolutely. "We have been looking every place imaginable, but the attackers appear to have left."
"The public isn't going to like that," Nightwing sighed.
"No, but that's all we've got for now," Black Canary said. "We'll promise to keep looking for answers. Let's hope that'll be enough. But I think we have to accept – all of us," she levied a look at Nightwing and then Batman, both of whom she'd often called incurable perfectionists, "that there's nothing more that can be done for now, other than wait for any new development."
Dick inwardly bristled. Nothing to be done? There had to be answers out there! Was he supposed to just sit idly by and wait for the Reach to strike again? The thought felt unacceptable to him.
He exchanged looks with Batman and it was clear to him that the two of them weren't done searching yet.
So, as I got older and got into a relationship of my own, I started growing kinda weary when I re-read Feathers.
Because we can all agree there's NO WAY those two would last, given the circumstances surrounding their relationship, right? There's emsuch/em a power-imbalance between them, amongst a whole list of problems I can recognize that just wouldn't make the relationship healthy.
This story is partly about saving the world - as usual ;) - but it's also about exploring Morgan and Dick separately, and as a couple. What is it going to take for the issues to resolve? What ARE the issues? What growth is needed before these two could work as a couple again? I want to leave them at a healthier place than they were at the end of Feathers, a place where I feel like I truly believe they could work as a couple. And for that, we need them to be apart for a bit first.
Let me know what you think!