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raze_flynDisclaimer on Prologue.
This Chapter contains: angst, relationship drama.
Ten Worlds: The Return
Chapter Three of Ten
“That was fast,” His brother said staring at the tv screen where they were advertising the first interview with Superboy since his return to Earth in three days. “He’s only been back for a little more than a day and he’s already gonna be on tv again what an egomaniac we are clones of.” He knew Ken’s comments was motivated by jealousy his fame was all he had left and now it was threatened.
“He’s just doing what I asked,” Joseph said from another area. “I asked him to arrange an interview as early as possible so we wouldn’t have to put up with weeks of the media talking about his return and fighting to get the first interview.” He knew that Joseph was leaving out that he had asked primarily for Ken’s sake so he wouldn’t be completely ignored by the media for weeks.
“So you’ve talked to him?” Ken asked and he had to admit to himself he was just as curious. He’d been dreading the moment when he and Tana had to meet up with the original Kon El. He imagined David and Cassie was just as nervous as he and his wife about meeting up with him. He wished David had come to their impromptu gathering at his house while the Titans welcomed Kon El back with a party at the tower but he’d declined. He tried not to think about Tana being there alone but she’d wanted to talk to the original Kon alone first.
“Yeah he isn’t quiet how I thought he’d be I think the time away changed him.” Joseph said with a shrug. “I kind of expected him to be the guy we all were when we first came out of the tubes but he’s not.” Joseph then looked at the tv. “I tried to get into the League file on his time away but they’ve improved the security after the last time I waltzed in there and read things.”
“I think I’d rather not know.” He said wondering again at his brother’s fascination with their origin as virtually identical individuals would never be something he’d understand. He could also guess that Ken would like to know but never admit it and David wouldn’t care at all. “Do you think we should have gone to the party, Michael, Amanda and David are all there?”
“No, in fact David told me to get lost.” Ken said with a snort. “He thought it was going to be bad enough facing the guy with Cassie without me there being a how did he put it oh yeah being an asshole about things.” He could hear the raw anger still in his brothers voice.
“I have to ask Ken why didn’t you freak out this badly about Tana and Jaeff.” Joseph said and he wished for the first time in a long while that he still had tk powers to smack him for bringing him and Tana into it. “I mean all of us remember being in love with Tana before too.”
“Because Jeff and Tana never hid they were falling for each other,” Ken said glancing over at him. “Plus Tana talked to me about things and was up front with me about why she fell for him Cassie and David didn’t respect me enough to do that.” He could hear the raw anger in Ken’s voice. “I mean she started being friendly to me again and then I learn it was only cause she was getting involved with David and was trying to keep me from blowing my top.”
“I don’t think that’s why she was trying to be friends with you again,” He said quickly before Joseph could say anything and make things worse. “I think she was trying to be your friend cause your important to David.” He could tell instantly that Ken wasn’t going to listen so he changed the subject. “Do you think they’ll want to interview us after his interview to give our reactions?” He knew that talking to the press was one thing Ken loved to do.
_____
She felt sorry for Wondergirl as she saw her and David standing alone at the back of the room. She had been in a similar place when she and Jeff had gotten involved but she knew it had been easier for her since she wasn’t a hero. She shook herself she needed to talk to the kid about things and putting it off wouldn’t help. She had waited long enough that he wasn’t mobbed by people welcoming him back so she started making her way over to him. As she got closer she heard Ultragirl saying loudly. “So what do I call you anyway technically you’re my half brother but my sister calls you cousin and my brother is your identical twin?” She didn’t hear the kids answer because there was a loud crash from the other side of the room. She glanced over and saw that someone had tripped into one of the food tables.
She turned back and found herself face to face with the kid for the first time in since he died. “It is good to see you kid.” She managed to stammer out and he just grinned the same grin she’d fallen for years ago. “Can I talk to you alone somewhere?” It was painful to see that smile on his face because it brought up old memories and the elephant in the room that she was married to a clone of him now. She could tell the difference between them in the way they walked and talked but there was still an eerie similarity. She wasn’t surprised that he led them to the roof of the tower or that he left the door open. “So I wanted to talk to you to explain...” She found herself freezing she had no idea how to broach the subject with him.
“Are you happy?” He asked surprising her so much that she could only nod. “Then I’m happy for you both and wish you a long happy life.” He said with a shrug. “I’ll say the same thing to Cassie, as soon as she works up the nerve to come talk to me so stop listening in David.” He said immediately there after with a smirk. “I do mean it though Tana I am happy for you I had hoped you and Cassie had moved on while I was gone even if I was a bit surprised in how you two moved on.”
She wasn’t exactly happy to be lumped in with Wondergirl but she could see the similarities. “I’m glad kid and I guess that means you moved on while you were gone?” She asked and saw him smile sadly as he nodded. She got the impression that she shouldn’t ask for two many details. “Do you regret coming back to this world?” She wouldn’t ask for details but she hoped he wasn’t home sick for a world he could never go back to.
“No, I’m glad to be back but if things had been different it probably would have been harder to come back.” He seemed to be talking to himself and then he shrugged. “So when do I get to meet your husband, I was hoping he and Doomsboy would be here so I could get meeting them all over with at once, I’ve already met Joseph he paid me a visit last night.”
“Feel free to stop by in Hawaii when you get the chance,” She said and then she heard the roof door opening and a reluctant Wondergirl walked about. “I’ll let you too talk alone but feel free to drop in any time I should probably go check on him and the other two.” He nodded so she took off flying away. A small part of her wanted to stay close enough to eves drop but she ignored it and flew toward home.
_____
He could hear Cassie’s heart thudding away in her chest. “Did you mean what you said to Tana about being okay with the two of us moving on?” He guessed David had told her after all. “Or were you just being nice?” He could hear real fear in her voice.
“I wasn’t being nice I meant it,” He said and her heart beast slowed a little. “We made a real mess of things before I died and I was hoping that you would be happy.” He could hear her heart slowing even more and then it spiked again.
“But I made so many mistakes there at the end and in the first year you were gone I did some really horrible things.” He could hear real fear in her voice. “I slept with Match and then there was that thing with Tim and...” She trailed off as his shock was clear on his face.
“Cassie, we all made mistakes and Kelex really put you through the ringer I am not surprised you made some bad choices in the wake of all that.” He hoped she wasn’t going to share any more of her actions during the time he was believed dead. “Lets just move on and try to be friends again and go on with our lives.”
“Kelex was responsible I thought Black Zero was lying when he said that.” She seemed to be thoughtful. “I mean he told Kara to apologize to me for his part in things but I didn’t believe it.” She looked confused. “Why did Kelex want to hurt me so much?”
“He claimed to have noble reasons but I think it was mainly to get revenge on you for the actions fo his world’s Cassie.” He wasn’t going to tell her that according to Kelex she would have become his world’s Cassie. “I am just glad that we are rid of him and hope he was telling the truth when he said we’d never hear from him again.”
The door opened again and he looked up to see the green buzz cut that marked Ultraboy or David the one Cassie was with. “They are starting to miss you at the party so I thought we should all head back.” He said with a forced cheerfulness. He then seemed to calm down. “But I have to warn you when you meet Ken be careful I love my brother but he’s dangerous.” He glanced at Cassie to see she was also worried. “Don’t take him lightly fully transformed he’s as strong as Doomsday and much smarter, I know that the you of two years ago couldn’t take him.”
“I’ll be careful, I don’t want a fight.” He decided not to bring up that he wasn’t the same guy from two years ago. He was sure he could take any of the four clones in a fight but they didn’t need to know that. He also didn’t need to tell them that he was pretty sure the only way he could put down Doomsboy would be to kill him. He could tell they were unsure what to say so he began heading back to the party. “Let’s go back to the party.”
To be continued...
REVIEW HERE
This Chapter contains: angst, relationship drama.
Ten Worlds: The Return
Chapter Three of Ten
“That was fast,” His brother said staring at the tv screen where they were advertising the first interview with Superboy since his return to Earth in three days. “He’s only been back for a little more than a day and he’s already gonna be on tv again what an egomaniac we are clones of.” He knew Ken’s comments was motivated by jealousy his fame was all he had left and now it was threatened.
“He’s just doing what I asked,” Joseph said from another area. “I asked him to arrange an interview as early as possible so we wouldn’t have to put up with weeks of the media talking about his return and fighting to get the first interview.” He knew that Joseph was leaving out that he had asked primarily for Ken’s sake so he wouldn’t be completely ignored by the media for weeks.
“So you’ve talked to him?” Ken asked and he had to admit to himself he was just as curious. He’d been dreading the moment when he and Tana had to meet up with the original Kon El. He imagined David and Cassie was just as nervous as he and his wife about meeting up with him. He wished David had come to their impromptu gathering at his house while the Titans welcomed Kon El back with a party at the tower but he’d declined. He tried not to think about Tana being there alone but she’d wanted to talk to the original Kon alone first.
“Yeah he isn’t quiet how I thought he’d be I think the time away changed him.” Joseph said with a shrug. “I kind of expected him to be the guy we all were when we first came out of the tubes but he’s not.” Joseph then looked at the tv. “I tried to get into the League file on his time away but they’ve improved the security after the last time I waltzed in there and read things.”
“I think I’d rather not know.” He said wondering again at his brother’s fascination with their origin as virtually identical individuals would never be something he’d understand. He could also guess that Ken would like to know but never admit it and David wouldn’t care at all. “Do you think we should have gone to the party, Michael, Amanda and David are all there?”
“No, in fact David told me to get lost.” Ken said with a snort. “He thought it was going to be bad enough facing the guy with Cassie without me there being a how did he put it oh yeah being an asshole about things.” He could hear the raw anger still in his brothers voice.
“I have to ask Ken why didn’t you freak out this badly about Tana and Jaeff.” Joseph said and he wished for the first time in a long while that he still had tk powers to smack him for bringing him and Tana into it. “I mean all of us remember being in love with Tana before too.”
“Because Jeff and Tana never hid they were falling for each other,” Ken said glancing over at him. “Plus Tana talked to me about things and was up front with me about why she fell for him Cassie and David didn’t respect me enough to do that.” He could hear the raw anger in Ken’s voice. “I mean she started being friendly to me again and then I learn it was only cause she was getting involved with David and was trying to keep me from blowing my top.”
“I don’t think that’s why she was trying to be friends with you again,” He said quickly before Joseph could say anything and make things worse. “I think she was trying to be your friend cause your important to David.” He could tell instantly that Ken wasn’t going to listen so he changed the subject. “Do you think they’ll want to interview us after his interview to give our reactions?” He knew that talking to the press was one thing Ken loved to do.
_____
She felt sorry for Wondergirl as she saw her and David standing alone at the back of the room. She had been in a similar place when she and Jeff had gotten involved but she knew it had been easier for her since she wasn’t a hero. She shook herself she needed to talk to the kid about things and putting it off wouldn’t help. She had waited long enough that he wasn’t mobbed by people welcoming him back so she started making her way over to him. As she got closer she heard Ultragirl saying loudly. “So what do I call you anyway technically you’re my half brother but my sister calls you cousin and my brother is your identical twin?” She didn’t hear the kids answer because there was a loud crash from the other side of the room. She glanced over and saw that someone had tripped into one of the food tables.
She turned back and found herself face to face with the kid for the first time in since he died. “It is good to see you kid.” She managed to stammer out and he just grinned the same grin she’d fallen for years ago. “Can I talk to you alone somewhere?” It was painful to see that smile on his face because it brought up old memories and the elephant in the room that she was married to a clone of him now. She could tell the difference between them in the way they walked and talked but there was still an eerie similarity. She wasn’t surprised that he led them to the roof of the tower or that he left the door open. “So I wanted to talk to you to explain...” She found herself freezing she had no idea how to broach the subject with him.
“Are you happy?” He asked surprising her so much that she could only nod. “Then I’m happy for you both and wish you a long happy life.” He said with a shrug. “I’ll say the same thing to Cassie, as soon as she works up the nerve to come talk to me so stop listening in David.” He said immediately there after with a smirk. “I do mean it though Tana I am happy for you I had hoped you and Cassie had moved on while I was gone even if I was a bit surprised in how you two moved on.”
She wasn’t exactly happy to be lumped in with Wondergirl but she could see the similarities. “I’m glad kid and I guess that means you moved on while you were gone?” She asked and saw him smile sadly as he nodded. She got the impression that she shouldn’t ask for two many details. “Do you regret coming back to this world?” She wouldn’t ask for details but she hoped he wasn’t home sick for a world he could never go back to.
“No, I’m glad to be back but if things had been different it probably would have been harder to come back.” He seemed to be talking to himself and then he shrugged. “So when do I get to meet your husband, I was hoping he and Doomsboy would be here so I could get meeting them all over with at once, I’ve already met Joseph he paid me a visit last night.”
“Feel free to stop by in Hawaii when you get the chance,” She said and then she heard the roof door opening and a reluctant Wondergirl walked about. “I’ll let you too talk alone but feel free to drop in any time I should probably go check on him and the other two.” He nodded so she took off flying away. A small part of her wanted to stay close enough to eves drop but she ignored it and flew toward home.
_____
He could hear Cassie’s heart thudding away in her chest. “Did you mean what you said to Tana about being okay with the two of us moving on?” He guessed David had told her after all. “Or were you just being nice?” He could hear real fear in her voice.
“I wasn’t being nice I meant it,” He said and her heart beast slowed a little. “We made a real mess of things before I died and I was hoping that you would be happy.” He could hear her heart slowing even more and then it spiked again.
“But I made so many mistakes there at the end and in the first year you were gone I did some really horrible things.” He could hear real fear in her voice. “I slept with Match and then there was that thing with Tim and...” She trailed off as his shock was clear on his face.
“Cassie, we all made mistakes and Kelex really put you through the ringer I am not surprised you made some bad choices in the wake of all that.” He hoped she wasn’t going to share any more of her actions during the time he was believed dead. “Lets just move on and try to be friends again and go on with our lives.”
“Kelex was responsible I thought Black Zero was lying when he said that.” She seemed to be thoughtful. “I mean he told Kara to apologize to me for his part in things but I didn’t believe it.” She looked confused. “Why did Kelex want to hurt me so much?”
“He claimed to have noble reasons but I think it was mainly to get revenge on you for the actions fo his world’s Cassie.” He wasn’t going to tell her that according to Kelex she would have become his world’s Cassie. “I am just glad that we are rid of him and hope he was telling the truth when he said we’d never hear from him again.”
The door opened again and he looked up to see the green buzz cut that marked Ultraboy or David the one Cassie was with. “They are starting to miss you at the party so I thought we should all head back.” He said with a forced cheerfulness. He then seemed to calm down. “But I have to warn you when you meet Ken be careful I love my brother but he’s dangerous.” He glanced at Cassie to see she was also worried. “Don’t take him lightly fully transformed he’s as strong as Doomsday and much smarter, I know that the you of two years ago couldn’t take him.”
“I’ll be careful, I don’t want a fight.” He decided not to bring up that he wasn’t the same guy from two years ago. He was sure he could take any of the four clones in a fight but they didn’t need to know that. He also didn’t need to tell them that he was pretty sure the only way he could put down Doomsboy would be to kill him. He could tell they were unsure what to say so he began heading back to the party. “Let’s go back to the party.”
To be continued...
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