Risk It All: Round Table (ch. 21) (Patreon)

I looked different, I noted as I checked myself out in the mirror after a shower. I expected some changes, but I hadn't expected how...drastic they might be. When I first doubled my stats, I looked a bit better. My skin cleared up, my hair was shinier and softer, my jawline a little stronger… I expected more of that.

Instead, I almost didn't recognize myself. Well, I did, and it was still clearly me that was looking back at me, but… it was hard to put words to it. My skin was clear and free of blemishes, my hair was silky and just did whatever I wanted it to without the need for gel. My teeth were perfectly straight and almost startling white, and my eyes were almost too blue. They didn't so much change color, but they just popped more. Almost like my eyes were glowing or something that make them stand out

Looking back at me in the mirror was the best possible version of myself. A me who was still clearly me, but had been polished up until the shine was almost blinding. As odd as it sounded, I felt like I now bordered on the verge of being too handsome.

It was awesome. I might get the most use out of Endurance, but I think Charisma is my favorite stat.

Add that to my build which changed as I slept -- I had gained two inches of height and about twenty pounds worth of muscle. I looked great, like my body had been sculpted to the exacting demands of the best nutritionists and physical trainers in the world. . Absolutely fantastic. It felt a bit arrogant to call myself a ten out of ten, but putting arrogance and humility aside, I was clearly an eleven out of ten.

"I love my superpower," I decided, declared wrapping a towel around my waist before I stepped into my bedroom. I honestly wondered what would happen if I kept jacking up my Charisma stat -- would I just become so handsome that looking at me would be like staring at the sun -- a blinding experience that left my image seared into the minds of others, even long after they had looked away? One way to find out, I guess.

Though, suddenly gaining a few inches of height and another fifteen pounds of muscle mass left my clothes feeling too small and too tight. Pretty much everything in my closet was a no go, forcing me to look at the Market for an outfit to wear . The team was going to hang out and celebrate our first mission. It was the first time all of us would be together just to hang out.

I wanted it to go well. I wanted to put the drama behind us.

So, I bought clothes that I thought would look good. Stylish. Black and white converse high tops, slim fit blue jeans, a white v-neck with a black leather jacket. To top it all off, I even got a pair of sunglasses. I thought I looked good -- the clothes fit so well it was like they had been tailor-made. That confidence in my new appearance took a major hit when I stepped out of my bedroom and found Mom watching one of her shows in the living room.

"Is there a reason why you're dressed as a Nineteen-fifties greaser?" Mom asked, sounding incredibly amused as she looked at me. I opened my mouth to protest that, but the words failed to come when I took a second look at my reflection in the reflective glass of a nearby cabinet. Damn it, now I couldn't unsee it. "What are you all dressed up for?" Mom asked, getting off of the couch and approaching me, before she frowned ever so slightly.

She had clearly noticed the change in appearance, but she chose not to comment. I guess Dad had warned her that it could happen again.

"It's nothing important, but I'm hanging out with the team," I said, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about my sense of style. Was style a skill I could pick up? Because I think I might need to buy it.

"Ahhh," Mom made a noise of understanding, "In that case… jacket or the sunglasses -- pick one and ditch the other. Both is too much," Mom instructed, and after a moment of thought, I shrugged off the jacket. It was like ninety degrees outside. I'm not sure why I got the jacket in the first place. "You have to balance an outfit, Ren. Style is more than just color scheme and design -- it's an expression of who you are."

I cocked an eyebrow before Mom started fussing over my hair, "Where's that coming from?"

"My four years getting a fashion degree," Mom answered before she paused to give me a stern look. "It's why I was in China when I met your father -- I was studying abroad. Everyone went to Italy, Greece, and so on, but I wanted to study the styles of Asia. I visited India, Taiwan, Japan, and China. I wanted to incorporate traditional Asian style and convenience with the western approach to style." Mom began, before she pushed my bangs back, revealing my forehead… and the two scars there.

Her gaze lingered on them for a moment, before she pinched my cheek, "Then I met your father and had you, killing my dreams before they even began."

"Sorry for being born," I apologized sarcastically.

"You should be," Mom returned, giving me a smile before she smacked my hands away when I went to go hide the scars. "Are you ashamed of them?" She asked me, making me pause. The scars weren't something I cared about one way or the other. Most of the thought I put into them was how to hide them so people wouldn't be able to connect Ren Song to my secret identities. I slowly shook my head as an answer. "Then don't be afraid to show them off. It proves that you lived."

Then Mom patted me on the cheek, "Plus, women love scars. It's why I dated your father," she informed me, and I really could have gone the rest of my life without knowing that. I didn't want to think about my parents flirting. "Go have fun, Ren. Let me know who the lucky lady is." She added, seeing through me and picking up on the true reason behind why I wanted to look nice.

Pre getting shot in the head, I… was kinda a loser. I had some friends at school, but… well… I haven't heard from them since I got shot. That was eye-opening. I hadn't thought we were fair-weather friends, but I couldn't argue with results, and the results were that I hadn't seen or spoken to them in over six months. They hadn't visited the hospital when I was there, nor did they reach out after I woke up. As for girls… well…

Let's just say I wasn't exactly experienced with girls. At all. Across the board.

So, I wanted this to go well for a couple of reasons.

"I will if I can drive my bike there," I bargained, earning a look from Mom. "I can drive it better than anyone else on the road. It'll be fine, Mom." I pressed, not quite begging, but not far off either.

"Only if you wear a helmet. And if you get pulled over for driving without a license, then you're stuck paying for your own lawyer and insurance," she said, pressing me to drive safely. I gave her a quick hug as a confirmation that I would, and the deal was struck.

"Thanks! Love ya'," I said before I practically skipped to the garage to hop on my bike. I could just take the Zeta Tube, but where was the fun in that? Opening up the garage, I revved up my bike and took off, though I did, unfortunately, stick to the speed limit like glue. Leaving the suburb, I drove through Happy Harbor as I headed for the Mountain.

Happy Harbor, I found, was a quaint little place. It was just… weird. There was no traffic. The tallest buildings in downtown were four stories at most. The sidewalks were sparsely populated, and instead of everyone just minding their own business, people greeted each other and struck up conversations on the sidewalks. Not to mention, the complete lack of public transportation.

It was weird. Kinda nice, but mostly weird.

I reached the end of a back road, before I drove onto a dirt path that would take me around the mountain to one of the base's secret entrances. The grass at the base of the mountain gave way, lowering down as I entered through the same exit I tried to escape from not all that long ago. Pulling up, I kicked the kickstand down and parked. Rolling my shoulders and fixing up my hair a little before I entered, I walked inside of the Mountain proper.

As the doors slid open, I found Megan and Superboy in the living room. "Hey, is everyone else here?" I wondered, making Superboy look up as Megan fussed over him.

"You're taller," Superboy noted, sounding distinctly unhappy about it since I had broken the six foot barrier that he was at the edge of.

"Powers did its thing after the mission," I offered as an explanation, and I think it said a lot about my power that Superboy just nodded in acceptance. Megan looked at me, her lips curling up into a smile.

"The others haven't arrived yet, but could you help me convince Superboy that he needs a name? We can’t just call him Superboy out in public!" She pointed out, making Superboy scowl.

"Why not?" He questioned, sounding grumpy about it. I tilted my head to the side ever so slightly, considering that for a moment.

"You don't have a name?" I asked, feeling surprised. I thought he was like Robin and Kid Flash -- they were keeping their secret identities hidden from the group. Well , Kid Flash was trying to keep it from me in particular, so I only knew his first name. When everyone just called Superboy, Superboy, I figured that was just his preference.

Superboy shook his head, "Superboy is my name." He stated, crossing his arms over his chest. I could practically see him digging his heels in, daring me to challenge him on the topic.

"Fair enough, I guess," I conceded. Megan looked a bit put out, so I shrugged, "Can't give a man a name if he doesn't want one. But, we'll have to call you something like SB in public to avoid too much attention." My gaze slid to Megan, who let out a small sigh.

"Well, I'm going as Megan Morse!" Megan decided as the surface of her body rippled like water before it began to change shape. Her body and features remained the same, but now there was an auburn-haired Caucasian girl with freckles dusting her cheeks standing in Megan's place, wearing a red skirt with a white blouse She looked incredibly proud of herself. "That way no one can connect Miss Martian to Megan."

Superboy looked put out for a moment before his arms dropped. "Fine. You made your point. What's my name going to be?" He asked, looking to me and Megan to name him. Causing the two of us to look at each other, and I could only shrug. I came into this conversation unprepared.

"I've always liked the name Conner," Megan said, and Superboy- now Conner, I guess, just shrugged with an expression that said he couldn't care less even if he tried.

"Sure," Conner agreed, sounding like he was doing so just to end the conversation. "Do I need a last name?"

Megan looked at me, and I shrugged, "You can use Song-" I started, before I thought that sentence through. "Never mind. My family from the Mainland is really touchy, and they'll definitely try to murder you if you use our last name."

Conner tilted his head, "I thought your uncle was already trying to kill you?" Megan looked aghast, and I guess she missed that piece of gossip. I hadn't told anyone, but Conner had super hearing. It wasn't a surprise that he knew.

"Nah -- it's a cultivation thing, apparently. He throws challenges at me, and if I die then it's my fault. And if I get stronger… well, from my Uncle's point of view, he should be at the top of my Christmas card list." I said, and after Kobra's whole 'I'm just going to reincarnate myself' thing, stuff like my Uncle trying to kill me so I could grow strong enough to fight his daughter… well, it just seemed tame now.

Megan looked like she disagreed, so I changed the subject. "Have we decided what we're doing?" I questioned, going to the coffee machine, and S- Conner perked up at that while Megan answered.

"I wanted to see a movie, then go to an arcade!" Megan announced, stars shining in her eyes at the prospect. It sounded like she had a very clear idea what she wanted out of this day. Glad one of us did. My gaze slid to Conner, who simply shrugged, so that was two votes for the movie and arcade plan. After I prepared a cup of coffee for Conner, Megan, and myself, the door slid open to reveal two people -- it was easy enough to recognize Zatanna at first glance.

The other had to be Wally -- it was my first time seeing him out of costume. He looked to be around my age, give or take a year. Dark red hair, green eyes, and pale skin that was marked with a few freckles. Oddly, Megan and Wally looked enough alike that they could possibly be siblings. And that was a weird thought that I now regret thinking.

"Hey guys, Ren," Zatanna greeted as she quickly stepped inside, offering me a small smile that grew a fraction when I offered to make her some coffee. She wore something resembling her uniform -- tight Capri pants that hugged her long legs with a white blouse shirt. She looked good. Wally wore a pair of cargo pants, a sports team shirt, and a letterman jacket.

Honestly speaking, it looked like something I would try to wear, and I don't know how I felt about that.

Wally met my eyes and he looked like he was trying not to scowl. To mask it, he looked at Megan, "Helloo there, beautiful," he said, approaching her and Conner, while Zatanna neared me. Megan turned around and offered a smile, while Conner just gave him a dull look before he headed to the table. Which wasn’t the move that I would have done, but Megan followed Conner, which forced Wally to join the group around the table.

I couldn’t tell if he engineered that or not.

“Are you seriously wearing sunglasses indoors?" Wally questioned, looking very unimpressed. To answer that question; I was. Like a tool, I know, but the fact that it was Wally that was pointing it out made me disagree with the implicit disapproval in his tone on principle, regardless of how right he might be to judge me for that. "Try hard much?"

"Wally," Megan scolded, a pleading tone in her voice, while I just let out a sigh. I saw Zatanna send a smile at me.

"I think they look good," she offered, and I returned it with a flash of a smile in gratitude. Glad someone liked them. And I felt slightly validated when Robin and Kaldur entered the common area, the former wearing a pair of sunglasses and a jacket. The heat would absolutely kill him later. Kaldur nodded a greeting and I went ahead and prepared more coffee. Luckily, I anticipated that and made enough for everyone, so I just had to pour it out.

Zatanna let out a sigh that bordered a pleased moan after she took a sip, "I tried recreating that cup with magic, but it wasn't this good." She complimented me, before her face started to heat up when she noticed the looks she was receiving from the others.

"It's good," Conner seconded, a far less ringing endorsement, but I figured that was about the most I could expect from him.

Robin took a sip and shrugged, "I've had better."

I chose not to respond to the comment even as Kaldur gave Robin a look. Instead, I focused on moving things on, "Megan wanted a movie and the arcade. That okay with everyone?" I questioned, and, predictably, Wally's hand snapped up in a blur. With his vote added in , the decision was made even without the others having a chance to agree.

"Are we sticking around in Happy Harbor? We do have the Zeta Tube," Zatanna pointed out, and I had an answer lined up.

"We should. We could get another mission at any time, so better to stick close to the Mountain," I said, earning a supporting nod from Kaldur.

With that, the decision was made. All that was left was transportation -- I had assumed that we would all just use Miss Martian’s bioship, which is why it caught me off guard when she suggested that we split up. “It would look weird if we all arrived in the same car, right? A human vehicle that can carry seven people is unusual -- I can take two or three others, and Ren can take someone else on his bike.”

I paused as I headed for the door, and Zatanna and Megan shared a look. Conner spoke up, “I know how to drive,” he offered, and Megan looked slightly alarmed, as if she hadn’t considered that as a possibility. That’s when it became very clear that she was trying to trim some fat to get one on one time with Conner.

Luckily, Robin’s hand popped up, “So can I,” he offered, much to the annoyance of Wally. Robin caught the look and shrugged unrepentantly. "Not my fault you never bothered to learn."

"I do know how to drive -- I have my learner's permit! And who needs a car when you can run at the speed of sound?" Wally pointed out.

Kaldur gave the two a patient look, "I will drive. There will be fewer questions that way if we are spotted." He decided, while Megan looked briefly relieved.

"I'll take Conner and Robin, Zatanna can ride with Ren, and Kuldar will ride with Wally." She decided on arrangements, and Wally looked briefly disappointed, but Wally was just as fast to recover as he was on his feet.

"Sounds good to me, but what are we seeing? I was thinking something… romantic?" He tried, and I…

"I'll meet you guys at the theater," I said, cutting over them and fighting to keep my eyes from rolling right out of my head. It really didn't feel like it was my place to say anything about it, but there was a big part of me that wanted to. The only thing that really stopped me was the fact that Megan didn't seem to exactly mind the flirting. At the very least, she wasn't shouting it down and she never seemed uncomfortable.

Still, it was weird how persistent he was.

"What's going on between you and Wally?" Zatanna asked after we got on my bike. This time, I purchased two helmets from the Market and we both wore one. Looking cool was important, but it became a lot harder to justify when I wasn't riding alone.

"Conflicting personalities, I guess," I said, revving up the engine as Zatanna wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed her body against my back. And I very pointedly didn’t think anything about that. "But it's nothing for the most part," I said before we took off, leaving the Mountain.

"Doesn't seem like it's nothing," Zatanna pointed out, her voice reaching my ears with the help of a communicator in the helmet. "Are… you jealous that he's flirting with Megan?"

That got a laugh out of me, "No, more annoyed that he's being creepy about it. Megan is crushing on Conner hard. Superboy, I mean. Apparently, he didn't have a name until Megan named him." I added, "It's just that it's a weird situation that really isn't any of my business, and I don't want to rock the boat anymore than I already have."

"Well… I don't think you should hold out hope that you and Wally will ever be friends," Zatanna offered as we drove over the dirt path that eventually gave way to pavement. I pursed my lips in consideration.

"He was talking shit?" I asked for clarification and I felt Zatanna nod, giving Wally up without a second thought. "What'd he say?"

"That you were a thug, and you were only on the team to keep you from going wild without the Justice League to watch over you. And that you only avoided murder charges on a technicality -- he was making everything sound way worse than it actually was. Megan told me all about Black Mask and stuff," Zatanna said, admitting that she and Megan also talked about me behind my back. "Are you going to do something about it?"

I wanted to. But… "I'm the team leader. Doesn't sit right if I'm the one starting more drama. Wally can say what he likes, so long as it doesn't impact the team." I decided, making the conscious decision to just let go of the annoyance I felt after everything I had just heard. I had responsibility now. I had to be a leader. I had to be above the petty bullshit.

"If you think so. It's cool that you're being the bigger man," Zatanna said, and I'm glad someone thought so. "But… you don't just have to take it. No one would blame you if you responded to it. I mean, Robin is just a kid, but Wally's old enough to know better."

I paused for a moment, trying to articulate my words, before nodding my head as we approached the movie theater, "It's not that I'm unwilling to start anything, but… Wally is just talking trash about me. They're just words. I don't really care what he has to say about me, so in the end, nothing he says affects me, you know? If he starts stirring drama with other people… well, that's different." I said, coming to a stop in a parking spot. Shrugging off my helmet, I pushed my hair back before I took off my sunglasses.

Zatanna got rid of her helmet hair with a quick backward word before I fed both helmets and my sunglasses to Gluttony. Zatanna offered up a sly smile, "How… heroic of you," she remarked in a teasing tone.

I thought so.

"Come on, let's go see what they're playing."

…

Turns out being a member of a superhero black ops team ruined action movies. They just felt so… fake, I found after experiencing real combat. First dealing with the Snake-Flower Triad, then fighting actual ninjas, then to top it off, fighting drug lords and cultists… so, spy action movies didn't exactly hold up after that.

"Told you," Robin said, directing it to all of us as the lights came back on. "Hollywood can't do action movies right."

"The explosions were still cool, though," Wally pointed out, and I found myself agreeing with that. Explosions were always cool. Megan did seem a little disappointed that we weren’t praising the movie, but with a quick look, I tried to show that lambasting a movie was just as much fun as gushing about one.

"How about a double feature? There is a romcom," Zatanna offered, making Wally's hand snap up.

"I'm in favor!" He announced as we headed down for an intermission. The theater had a small arcade, so that was two birds with one stone. Megan nodded in agreement.

Zatanna looked at me, also raising her hand. I looked at Conner, who shrugged. Robin raised a hand as I made to do so, and the motion passed. "Sure, sounds good. Looks like we have about thirty minutes until it starts, though. So, let's chill in the arcade," I said, making Megan beam in response.

As the others headed over, I broke off to use the restroom and Conner followed behind me. We went inside before I looked at him. “What?” I asked him, earning a small shrug.

“This feels like a waste of time,” Conner admitted quietly, and I guess he had developed some tact since he waited until we were out of earshot.

To that, I shrugged, “It’s important to celebrate the victories. You heard B -- they don’t come often.” I said, checking around the bathroom to make sure it was empty.

“Yeah… but, if we hadn’t arrived at Santa Prisca when we did, then Kobra would have thousands of those Mammoth guys. What else is going on that we’re missing because we’re here? We’ll find out about it only after it happens, and that’s too late to do anything about it.” Conner pressed, apparently already knowing that we were clear and I felt like that question was a bit above my pay grade to answer. Simply because I had similar thoughts.

“Probably,” I agreed, and the look that Conner gave me made it clear that he was looking for a reassurance rather than agreement. “But, we have to trust that the League will send us on missions as those things come up when they find them. And the things we do miss, we have to be ready to kick its ass.” I rationalized to the best of my ability. But, I wasn’t sure if I really believed it as I said it.

Conner frowned, “Superman wouldn’t…” he trailed off, his frown deepening. I think he was going to say that Superman never took time off, and… honestly, given how active the hero was, it was entirely possible he was right about that. I didn’t know if Kryptoanians even needed to sleep or not.

“Maybe not, but you aren’t Superman,” I pointed out, and I saw Conner’s hands tighten into fists, and, for a brief moment, I thought he might take a swing at me for the remark. Instead, he settled for a glare, “There’s nothing wrong with that. If you spend your entire life trying to be like someone else, all you’ll ever be is a second-rate knockoff. I’d rather you be yourself rather than trying to be the second coming of Superman. I know Megan would too,” I pointed out.

I wasn’t going to spill Megan’s secrets, but there couldn’t be any harm in giving Conner a nudge in her direction, right?

Conner looked thoughtful for a moment, but there was still anger simmering under the surface. I wasn’t entirely certain what his baggage was, but it was easy enough to guess -- he was a clone of Superman. Just without the full set of powers. It was clear that he had a chip on his shoulder about that. I had just underestimated how far that issue went. No matter what I said, there was nothing I could say that would just make that go away.

He wouldn’t just suddenly realized that he was his own person in a moment of clarity. That was something he had to discover himself. I just hoped that he understand that he was the only one that was expecting him to be a carbon copy of Superman.

“Thanks,” Conner ended the conversation curtly, almost like he wasn’t sure how else to. Which is why it was a surprise that he continued it, "Being team leader doesn't mean you have to keep the peace "

I cocked an eyebrow because that was the last thing I expected him to say, "I think it kinda does," I pointed out, but Conner shook his head as he crossed his arms.

"Kaldur knows you're trying to settle things with Robin and Wally. But, it's not going to work. Robin is mostly fine with you, but he doesn't like that Zatanna likes you. Wally isn't as angry as he was, but he thinks that things would be better if you just weren't on the team." Conner announced, and my eyebrows climbed high.

Where was this coming from? "What? How do you know all that? Wait-- Robin thinks Zatanna likes me?" I questioned, zeroing in on the important information.

Conner shrugged, "It's not like I can turn my hearing off." He explained and I really underestimated just how powerful super hearing was. At least when it came to gossiping. "And, yeah, she does. I heard her talking to Megan about it."

Should… I… talk about boundaries with Conner or… "She likes me?" I questioned, mulling that over. That was kinda a surprise. Or, it was a total surprise, and the fact that it was a surprise surprised me more. I was pretty good at reading people. Or, I thought I was. But, as I mulled over every interaction I had with Zatanna, it could make sense.

Possibly. Maybe. In theory. It was just… was she flirting with me or just talking to me? I made the mistake once -- a girl in freshman year that I thought was flirting just turned out to be nice. "Are you sure?"

Conner gave me a dull look, "Yeah, I am. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. You don't have to let Wally or Robin walk over you to not escalate anything. They're just going to keep finding reasons to not like you. And Kaldur is going to take their side even if he thinks you're alright."

That put a damper on my good mood. Nor was it lost on me that I had rather similar conversations with Zatanna on the ride over. So, I think Conner had overheard a bit of it. His hearing was stupidly strong. "I'm not going to start drama for no reason. They can think what they like of me as long as it doesn't affect the team."

Conner frowned, "And you think it won't when they talk about you behind your back around Me, Megan, and Zatanna?" He questioned, sounding like it had already happened once already. I hadn't really sensed any tension between Conner and the others, but… maybe I had assumed that some tension between Wally and Megan had been her trying to dodge his moves and flirting. Maybe I was seeing what I thought I would see instead of actually seeing it for what it was.

"Point taken," I conceded. "Got any helpful advice?"

"No," Conner answered bluntly and honestly. I appreciated that.

"I'll try to handle it," I offered without any real idea of how. "Thanks, Conner," I said, offering a smile and received a shrug in response. He turned towards the door without a word, but I couldn't stop myself from speaking up one last time. "On a scale from one to ten, how sure are you that Za-" I began, but Conner very pointedly left the bathroom before I could finish.

Right. Cool. So, Zatanna might like me. That was… something, I guess. Well then, I guess I should…

I sighed, "I hate being a teenager."

…

I had to put myself in the mind of a high schooler for this chapter. That shit was the worst. The gossip, the drama, the awkward romance… what I wouldn't give to have just skipped that part of my life and just read a synopsis on graduation.

Also, there won’t be a chapter for Risk It All next week. There are only two chapters this month technically speaking, but since the 31st lands on a Tuesday, I’ve decided to treat it as the 1st so there won’t be a two-week gap with no updates.