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Hawk could not believe Other Mom had grounded him. What ever happened to ‘It’s your choice’? Mom, no Alex was the worst villain in the world. If Hawk wanted to make a name as a hero ridding the world of its greatest threat was the obvious way to do it.
When Hawk was a child (because he was absolutely a grown up now, not that he was even constrained by stupid human conventions anyway) he’d always curled up under his bed when Other Mom grounded him. But right now with all the extra biomass he’d piled on for the fight (that never happened) there was no way he’d fit. Not that he needed to do that. Because he wasn’t sad, he was angry, and frustrated. He should arrest Other Mom. That would show them. See who’s grounded now!
Of course Hawk wasn’t going to do that. Other Mom would probably raise an eyebrow or something and then Hawk would feel terrible. Also Other Mom wouldn’t let something like that go for months. It really wasn’t worth it.
And… if Hawk was entirely honest. Now, here, in his bedroom, without the pre-fight adrenaline, he was perhaps a tiny bit unsure as to whether or not he could have beaten Mom… Alex he meant Alex. But… perhaps there was someone he could talk to who could help. Great Grandma would at least not judge, and might know some magic that could help. Could maybe even talk to Other Mom, get them to understand. But Hawk didn’t have a sending stone. Grandma needed a blood connection to make one. Hawk used to use Ducky’s when they were kids but Ducky locked his away years ago. Taking his Mom’s warning about Grandma to heart. Besides Hawk was grounded and couldn’t go round to Ducky’s anyway.
But Other Mom had one. They kept it in their workshop. But Hawk was a little big to sneak there and back right now.
“Hawk,” called Other Mom. “I need to go out and get something for supper. Do not leave the flat.”
“I won’t,” Hawk called back sulky.
Other Mom sighed loud enough for Hawk to hear from his room. “Promise me?”
“Yes, I promise,” Hawk snapped back.
“See you soon,” called Other Mom and Hawk heard the door open and close as Other Mom left. He left it a few minutes before venturing out to get the stone from the workshop.
The stone had a weak green glow and was cold in Hawk’s hand. Whenever he used Ducky’s stone he always had to fight past the feeling that it didn’t really belong with him. This stone felt the same, but Hawk pushed the thought to the back of his mind and reached for Grandma anyway.
“Hello baby bug,” said a voice from behind Hawk. “Bless Cthulhu! You really have grown. I take it you’ve been experimenting with biomass? Looks good on you.”
“Thanks,” said Hawk feeling little awkward now Grandma was here (sort of here, she didn’t smell of anything at all which unsettled Hawk more than her not being able to touch anything). “It’ll only last for a few days.”
“Well yes I suppose you would have to maintain consumption to maintain the extra mass. What did you use this time?” asked Grandma.
“Cows,” said Hawk.
“Oh dear, well that won’t do the price of beef any good,” said Grandma with a smirk. “Why did you ‘bulk up’ so to speak? Last time I spoke to your Other Mom they said you were heroing. Has there been an invasion of some kind? You’re a little young for the front line, baby bug.”
“I’m not a baby!” said Hawk hotly.
“Of course not,” said Grandma. “Call it great-grandmother’s prerogative. You will always be my baby bug and Ducky will always be my baby bear. This doesn’t mean that you aren’t both also some of earth’s strongest ‘heroes’.”
Hawk shrugged. “There isn’t an invasion, I was going to kill M… Alex. But Other Mom grounded me!”
“Oh dear,” said Grandma. “That was a very bold plan. Did you have any more of a plan other than ‘get big’?”
Hawk shuffled his feet and studied the carpet. “I could have won,” he mumbled.
“Winning is very overrated baby bug, it’s very rarely a good idea to deal in such absolutes,” said Grandma carefully.
Hawk sighed. “No-one thinks I can do it.”
“I suspect, baby bug, you don’t really want to. I believe, truly believe, that there is no member of my family that couldn’t end all things if they actually wanted too. But the will to destroy something, or in this case someone, who is so interwoven into your identity is hard to foster. You need faith. There was a reason Martha entrapped and didn’t kill me,” pointed out Grandma.
“Martha?” asked Hawk. “You mean Grandma Sterling?”
“Yes,” said Grandma with a smile. “I should imagine the two of you aren’t close?” Hawk shook his head. “That’s a shame, you have a lot in common, it might help you to talk to her.”
Hawk frowned. “I thought Grandma Sterling was bad, even Aunt Diego avoids dealing with her. Uncle Dave once called her a ‘punk’ when he was really mad.”
Grandma smirked. “Oh bug. There you go with absolutes again. No-one is really bad, and no-one is really good. People just are, until they are not. For example Martha has always done what she believes to be ‘right’ every time, even when it has cost her dearly. But she rarely thinks things through to the long term or the far reaching consequences. And she absolutely cannot let herself think for even one second she might be wrong.”
“I’m not like that,” argued Hawk.
Grandma raised an eyebrow. “I never said you were, baby bug.”
“I mean, I know Other Mom would be sad if Mom died. But they’d be better off really…” Hawk trailed off.
“Yes, of course, I’m sure you know best,” said Grandma reassuringly.
“And I’d miss Mom, of course I would, but, but the whole world would be safer. I’m not more important that everyone else in the world…” continued Hawk.
“I would argue you are, but then I lay very little worth in this world. Of course, you also considered what it would do if you didn’t win? Not to impugn your abilities but your Mom is a formidable foe,” reasoned Grandma. “Do you expect that your Other Mom would ever have forgiven your Mom?”
“Yes!” said Hawk straight away. “Other Mom forgives Mom everything.”
Grandma just raised her eyebrow again.
“Well… I mean… maybe it would have taken a little bit of time…” conceded Hawk.
“And of course Ducky would have been upset, maybe even attempted to take your Mom on for revenge?” suggested Grandma.
“Ducky can’t fight Mom!” said Hawk immediately.
“Why not? He’s invulnerable,” said Grandma. “And not worth more than everyone else in the world surely…”
“But… I did it for Ducky,” said Hawk.
Grandma stayed silent and let Hawk speak.
“I… Ducky let me on his hero team. The Juvenile Chastisers?” Hawk explained. “But people keep telling him that I can’t be trusted and he shouldn’t be my friend and…”
“People?” asked Grandma softly.
“His girlfriend,” said Hawk.
“Ah,” said Grandma. “A girlfriend.”
“She’s called Portia, her hero name is Emerald Rose. She… doesn’t like me,” said Hawk. “She says I can’t help but be a villain because of my parents. She’s from an old hero family. I thought if I could prove…” Hawk trailed off.
“Oh baby bug,” said Grandma. “You will never prove anything to a girl like that. She has already made up her mind. Your best course of action would be to find her insecurities and target them. Destroy her confidence and she will be no threat at all.”
“Grandma! I can’t do that, that’s villainous,” argued Hawk.
“And yet it is exactly what she is doing to you,” pointed out Grandma. “Heroic, villainous, dealing in absolutes again, baby bug. I suspect young Rose is struggling with the expectations of her family. ‘Hero’ families tend to place a lot of pressure on their offspring. Martha really would be the best person to help you with this. She might even if you asked. You are a Sterling after all. And I have no doubt Martha could destroy a teenage girl with ease.”
“I’m not though,” said Hawk, he saw Grandma’s confused expression. “I’m not a Sterling. Not by blood. You can’t even make me a sending stone. I had to steal, I mean borrow, Other Mom’s.”
“Baby bug, listen to me. Family is not about blood. Blood was just the medium Martha used to blind my prison. Blood and fire actually. You are my family. And I will hear no other opinion on the subject. As for Martha, she would love to claim the family name back from your Mom. How better to do it than taking you under her wing. Everything is possible, baby bug, you just have to approach it from the right direction,” said Grandma, her eyes glowing with an eldritch energy as she spoke.
“Hawk!” called Other Mom coming back in from the other door. “Suppers ready if you want some? I got fish and chips.”
“Time for me to go,” said Grandma. “I will work on making you a stone of your own, baby bug, there will be a way, you’ll see. Look after yourself, okay?”
“Thank you, Grandma,” said Hawk, watching her fade away.
The fish and chips did smell good.