Daughter, Lover, Superheroine Ch. 04

Even the thought of it made her feel ill at ease. But then Cindy, ever sensitive, ever caring, ever mindful, gave her hand a squeeze. She turned, and Cindy darted in for a quick peck on the lips.

"This is nice, isn't it?" she whispered. "Close to nature. Quiet."

Looking into her daughter's eyes, while Michelle suddenly quickened her pace and strolled on ahead, humming loudly, Barbara smiled and nodded.

"Well, this means we're northeast of the lake," Michelle called back over her shoulder. "We got only a little ways to go now, east and slightly south of here. Here's the path. I'll go on ahead. Take your time, you two."

She continued walking ahead, with her hands in her pockets, whistling a jaunty tune. Cindy and Barbara slowed to a leisurely lover's pace, in companionable silence.

After a while, though, Cindy spoke. "I'm not going anywhere, Mom."

Barbara gave a start. Cindy continued, "I'm no Ophelia! Have no worry about me, Mom. You built me way too strong for that!" And she moved to stand in front of Barbara, flexing her arms proudly.

Barbara had grown to love how utterly willing Cindy was to adopt that cheesecake pose with her, even in public - she was so lacking in self-consciousness herself that she made Barbara lose her inhibitions as well. She had to smile, and place her hands on Cindy's biceps, rubbing them fondly.

"I'm your mother, dearest," she said, tenderly. "I can't help but worry. But I know you're incredibly strong and tough, honey. You make me so proud, all the time."

"I'm glad, Mom," Cindy whispered, and they embraced, their lips melting together in a full, tender kiss. "I'm whatever you made me," she murmured into Barbara's mouth, moaning slightly. The moans sent warm vibrations down Barbara's throat.

Then out of the corner of her eye, Barbara noticed someone sneaking up on them. It was a Hellion thug, with the signature black leather apparel and flaming insignia emblazoned on the clothes. He had a knife unsheathed, and was - foolhardily - advancing on the two superheroines with malicious intent.

Cindy writhed pleasantly against Barbara's body, blissfully unaware. Barbara tilted her head slightly, caught the thug's gaze...

... and glared.

Only the thug afterwards could've described what it was like, to be the recipient of that glare. Many months later, in a rehabilitation facility for reformed criminals, during a group sharing session, his voice would become hushed as he attempted once again to make sense of that encounter.

"It was like, the fury of a thousand suns, man," he'd say, beginning to shake at the memory. "And my blood, like, stopped flowing, you know what I'm saying? It was like my veins were filled with rivers of ice, man. And I know that don't make no sense 'cos the gaze was like fire, right, but it made my blood run cold... but I'm telling you that was what it was like."

At that moment, in the park, beneath the shade of the sycamore trees, the thug found himself rooted to the spot, unable to move.

And that was when suddenly a pair of ebony arms, thick with muscle, snaked around him - one around his neck, the other clamping a hand over his mouth - and dragged him off into the foliage, with only a rustle to mark his passage.

Barbara closed her eyes, and continued enjoying the kiss.

***

A while later, they arrived at the memorial.

Michelle was already standing there contemplatively, arms folded across her massive chest, looking at the plaque below the statue. At their arrival, she looked up, and gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Alright, here we are."

Cindy stepped forward, in awed silence. There was something about the place that practically compelled an attitude of somber respect - despite the various gangs operating in the area, this particular memorial was noticeably undefiled and pristine - no graffiti or trash. "What is this place?"

Michelle indicated the plaque with a gesture, and Cindy bent down for a closer look. Barbara caught Michelle's eye. Wordless communication passed between them, and Barbara gave her a meaningful look and a nod of gratitude for her earlier intervention. Michelle's lips quirked, and she shrugged nonchalantly.

After a while, Cindy straightened up and looked at the statue, her eyes brimming with tears.

"My cousin told me, it's a bit of a tradition for every up and coming hero to make a trip here, after they've had a chance to prove themselves a bit first, to show they're in for the long haul, you know. It's not a kind of Darwinian thing. Ain't a winnowing or pruning, hell no - it's a rite of passage we hope everyone in the business gets to make. Of course," Michelle said softly, "that ain't always the case. But hope springs eternal, don't it. Nebula was proof of that. Is proof of that."

Barbara had made this pilgrimage herself, so long ago. This memorial statue honored the novice heroine Nebula, who had lost her life during the Rikti invasion defending Perez Park and the people in it. The Rikti eventually overran the place, but Nebula had bought enough time for many citizens to evacuate. Many people alive in the present owed their very lives to her sacrifice.

This was probably the reason why her statue was preserved almost untouched, while not so far away the statue of Avatar, a hero from the 50s, practically lay in ruins; not much was known about him except that he had been well-connected with the rich and influential members of society, and that one of his most well-profiled actions was aiding in the forced eviction of some tenements, to make way for a commercial construction project. He'd broken up a protest that was threatening to turn violent. All in all, not a legacy that endeared him to many.

But even the most brutal thugs in the area seemed to know that if not for Nebula, they would not even be alive. They gave this place a wide berth to this day. Some things were just too sacred, even for the mean-spirited.

"She was way out of her league," Cindy said softly, "but she didn't hesitate. She didn't have any choice. She couldn't call anyone else for help. But she rose to the occasion and did what needed to be done." She touched the base of the statue. "She is everything I want to be."

"And that is why she and Galaxy Girl and others like them, and Atlas and Talos and all the rest, are honored forever," Michelle affirmed. "They're already planning a new statue to Galaxy Girl, after what happened with the Shivans. The city knows how to honor its finest, Cindy. Have no fear on that account. Sometimes it might take us a while to get at the truth of things - like that whole business with Faultline, I'll tell you about that some other time - but we get there, in the end."

Barbara moved forward to put an arm around Cindy, and they stood together, looking up at the statue.

"I am going to help clean up Perez Park, for good," Cindy said finally. "We're going to find a way to do it. I'm going to make it so that anyone and everyone can visit this place, in safety, any time they want."

Crey, Perez - tremendous challenges, for any Hero or Vigilante, for differing reasons. The Freedom Phalanx hadn't been able to handle such matters decisively. Justin Sinclair - Manticore - with his billions hadn't managed it. The mighty Statesman with his near-godly powers hadn't managed it. On the face of it, Cindy's promises of late - first to Debbie Dinh, and now to Nebula - were preposterous.

But with a mother's faith, as she looked at Cindy's shining eyes and resolute countenance, Barbara knew that if it could be done, her daughter would be part of it, or at the forefront.

***

"Hello? Michelle?"

"Oh, hey, this is Barbara, isn't it? Hey Barb, how's it hanging?"

"I hope this is a good time to call. Can we talk?"

"Sure! Any time is good, Barb, always got time for you. Just... gimme a moment... alright, here's your purse lady... and you, scram! Now! Sorry Barb, robbery in progress. Not any more, though. Settled his hash. What's up?"

"It's... about Cindy."

"Mm-hmm."

"I have a request."

"Mm-hmm. Go ahead."

Barbara took a deep breath.

[TO BE CONTINUED]