Mr. Terrific (Superhero BoyxBoy)

Issue #15 "Unmasked"

"I'm in trouble."

- Gwen Stacy, The Amazing Spiderman

Issue #15 "Unmasked"

"I can explain," I said, first all at once and loud. When Superboy stirred and groaned beside me with the gash on his shoulder being covered by just a red soaked towel, I repeated it. "I can explain, Dad." Slower. More stretched out.

Dad was holding my mask in between his fingers, holding it like a person dangling off of a cliff. "How exactly do you plan to explain this to me," he paused, looked up, and then back down at me. "Or to your mother?"

I turned to the edge of the bed, planting my feet on the ground, trying not to wince since the floor was cold. His house always seemed cold. "You could not have expected me to just not use my powers, Dad," I said.

"When I told you not to use your powers, I did that as a precaution," he told me. His voice went up an octave and he squirmed in his seat, like it as just as cold as the floor. "I did it because sixteen is too young to start a hero career."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Because you have choices," he said. "You can be whatever it is that you want to be."

"This is what I want to be."

"Are you sure?"

"I am."

He leaned forward, hands on his knees. "When your friends start dying, then you're going to be thinking differently."

I caught myself before I looked back at Superboy. Dad wanted me to in hopes I'd feel guilty. And I did, but he'd win if he ever thought that. Instead, I asked him a question. "Why did you unmask me and not him?"

"I aided you first, rested you in this bed, and took off your mask to see if you were alive." He looked like something was biting him in his suit. "When I saw you." He paused. "When I saw my child under that mask, I didn't want to see your Grandpa, or worse, your mother, under the other one."

I arched a brow. "Are you saying Mom has no boobs and broad shoulders?"

He rolled his eyes and clutched the mask tighter, before just resting it into his lap. "I'm saying, I have no idea who your friend is, and I'm starting to believe you don't either."

"I...do."

"Right," he said. He stood, the mask fell from his lap and onto the floor. "I've called Raven, a healer, to tend to you and your friend."

"He's fine," I said. "One of his powers is Durability. I'm assuming he will heal, if it's not that serious."

"He's still going to look at the both of you," he said. He looked pained again. "You have bruises all over your body, Keegan."

"I'm fine," I said. "I'm hurting, but I'll live."

He nodded and went for the door, but stopped after turning the knob. "A friend is waiting outside for you." He looked back. "You're suit is still in this room. Should I let him in?"

Him? Racer?

"Yeah," I said.

He opened the door and Wren was standing on the other side of the threshold. He wore a suit, a regular one, his tie in his hand, and his hands were clasped in front of him. His gaze went from his shoes to my eyes when the door opened.