STAR CITY
JULY 19, 8:07 PDT
"So let me get this straight kid: you want me to be your legal guardian?" He pauses in his workout to glance over his shoulder at Ephyra. "And this sprouted up with the need for a normal name?"
Ted delivered three jabs to a punching bag before adding a right hook, causing it to swing to the left harshly at the force. He grabs it as it swings back before holding it, as he gives Ephyra a look. "I hope this doesn't have anything to do with that...friend of yours," he says disapprovingly.
"See? This is why I asked. I don't know how much Dinah has told you about how I was found and what I am exactly, but I basically was born and lived in a pod all my life until a couple weeks ago. That pod has given me simulations and images – in my mind of course – that allow me to know what certain things are. And from what I understand, you're a perfect example of what they've shown to be a father. You're already protective of me, despite knowing me for a couple days. Not to mention you keep forgetting that my friend isn't interested in me, in that way." She explains.
He scowls at her and she grins, "I could even say I get my scowls from you."
He tries to keep a sour look, before letting it disappear and laughing a bit. "Alright, alright kid." He walks over to her where she sits on the bench across from him. "Before I give an answer, are you going to tell me why you suddenly want a guardian?"
She sighs as he takes a swig of his water bottle. "Well...Superboy and I were the only ones without names amongst the team."
Ted nodded a bit, "Dinah mentioned the younger members had formed a covert team – how's that going by the way?"
She shrugs. "Started off a bit disappointing but it got better. Hopefully the next time it will be a sanctioned mission from Batman. Anyways," she says continuing on to the previous topic, "I thought I could convince him and myself that real names weren't needed. That wore off completely last night, when I was with Sean, my friend." She emphasizes "friend" letting Ted know that Sean was just that and nothing more – the doubt on his face proved it didn't work. "Sean and I spoke a lot about him before we watched movies and it made me feel guilty, when he came off honest whereas I couldn't even give him my name."
Ted's expression softened. "That's going to have to be part of your life kiddo; its part of every hero's life to be honest. You're going to have to lie sometimes otherwise; more people get hurt if they get too close." Weird...sounds just like what Sean said about heroes earlier.
She swallowed, feeling a bit guilty now. "I used your last name instead and even then he took that lie, for now. The only excuse I have otherwise is that I've been homeschooled all my life – I'm told that's when you do school at home and travel – and that my legal guardians tend to travel a lot."
Ted listened with a thoughtful look on his face, not even seeming angry or upset about her use of his last name. "So you want me to pose as your legal guardian to make your civilian life easier?" Ephyra nods hopefully and he tilts his head. "Won't you still feel guilty though? I mean when you go on missions or have to leave school in a hurry; won't this Sean-kid think something's up?"
"Making up excuses for that will be easier to come up with, whereas with no name or identity I'm kind of stuck with lame excuses until I'm figured out."
He made a face, "Well, I don't know about excuses becoming easier, but okay." He set his water bottle down. "I know your reasons for why you want an alias, or secret identity, but not why you want me to serve as your guardian," he says. "Asides from how I'm protective of you already and hate any boy whose referred to as a friend," he adds dryly.
Ephyra smiles a little at his last statement. "Well, asides from the makings of a protective parent, you're one of the people I feel comfortable with."
Ted smiles warmly at her before raising an eyebrow. "What about Dinah? And your donors: Wonder Woman and Aquaman?"
"I adore Dinah and could definitely see her as my mother, but part of me is holding back. No offense, but from the records implanted in my mind by Cadmus, I've heard that...Wildcat, is known to be a bit of a loose cannon." He opens his mouth to object but Ephyra beats him to it, "Fight club owned by some girl known as Roulette; Green Arrow almost died to prove a point to you and in the end Black Canary convinced you into therapy," she deadpanned.
"Whatever kid; get on with the point," he grunted.
"My point is that all of them don't seem to understand...parenting?" She paused trying to figure out the best way to explain, considering she knew what parenting should be like. This all considering that she was immensely grateful for being welcomed by both her donors and Dinah, but something...was off or she felt like it was too good to be true. But she couldn't convince Ted with just a hunch or weird unknown feeling. "Dinah is good mother material, but in the end she goes to the Justice League; her loyalty lies there."
"Obviously – hence the forced therapy with our favorite Martian," he said grumpily.
Ephyra continued, "Well that's my point. Her duty as my guardian would be in my best interest, but also to keep me at arm's length in case I for some reason screw up on the team or cause trouble for the league. At least that's my guess from what I was told by Cadmus."
"Wonder Woman and Aquaman," Ted prompts.
"They're both great, but they're too..." she trails off looking for a good word. "Non-parenty," she finishes lamely. "Wonder Woman tends to see man's world as her mother does, rarely so far, but I can tell by how she talks sometimes. Plus, I feel like I'm a burden with her; like I'm not living up to the mantle. And I can't exactly walk up to someone and introduce myself as 'Wonder Woman's brat'".
Ted takes another drink from his water bottle, "You could; you'd be telling the truth." Ephyra gives him a little shove to which he laughs.
"I'm serious Teddy – Aquaman is the same way as Wonder Woman. He's okay, but again I feel like I'd have to live up to some mantle. He's the king of the seas and I'd have to behave differently, and I'm not comfortable with that." She lets out a defeated sigh, "I don't know. I'm just more comfortable with you. I can come here whenever I want and know I'm safe. Plus, you're constantly helping kids who come here or give them advice. Sometimes you even help them get out of bad situations."
Ted smiles a bit. "Ah so you think that since I don't have a specified 'mantle' to live up to that you can get away with things," he asks, but in a joking manner so she knows he isn't hurt. "I'd be honored."
Ephyra blinked in surprise and he laughed. "Sorry, I just didn't expect you to be so easy-going with it."
The man shakes his head. "No, I'm perfectly fine with it. To be honest, it's nice having you here and I wouldn't mind having you around more often. My gym is for people who want to better themselves, protect themselves, or just straight-out train. But I've never had someone who loved it so much, asides from Dinah. It's refreshing to meet someone new and full of youth, who isn't determined to brood about how their life is 'woe-is-me'." Ephyra was smiling at him brightly with some relief, and he smirked. "Don't think this legal guardian thing will be a cake-walk kid, there will be rules."
She nods quickly, "I'll follow them all," she promises, though in the back of her mind having crossed a pair of mental fingers. She'd follow them out of respect, unless something absolutely called for action against them.
He gets up and stretches, "I'll get started on the papers and notify Dinah and your two donors. In the meantime you need to think up a full name. Grant will be your last name; now just the first and second."
"No need," she said quickly and he raised an eyebrow, before she blushed faintly embarrassed. "Whether you said yes or not, I couldn't help thinking of names on the way over."
He shakes his head but the amusement is clear on his face, "Alright, what have you come up with?"
She paused thinking over the name she had come up with. "Trinity," she states full of pride before remembering how Sean had introduced himself (though she was pretty sure he was just being funny), "Trinity Blue Grant."
He nods approvingly. "Good name, but what made you choose the middle name?"
"Sean introduced himself as such and I figure they might need middle names on papers or something. Plus, seemed like a nice touch. The blue is due to my Atlantean genes."
"Water, got it." He stands up. "So I'm feeling weird about this and would appreciate it if I could think about this a bit later. Care to spar, Trinity?"
Ephyra grinned at the use of her new name. "Happy to." Ted just laughed as they went over to the mat to spar. "Oh and Ted?" The man pauses in his stance and raises an eyebrow for her to continue. "Just between you and me; mantle or no mantle, you're the best out of them all."
He grins, his expression warm but covered with smugness, "I know." He bounces a bit on the balls of his feet, his hands coming up to guard his face, "Don't think that's going to get you out of a beating though."
Ephyra mirrors his grin. "Wouldn't dream of it Teddy."