| Date | The Color Guard #3 | View | Read the... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/27/17 | A Family Affair, Part 3 | (Blog) (Forum) | Disclaimer |
| Rating | Rating explanation | Last Issue: |
|---|---|---|
| T | Murder and death discussed. | A Family Affair, Part 2 |
| Try to Keep It Straight: |
|---|
"Well, it took me awhile to find out," Blue Lady confessed. "I'm adopted, and they wouldn't tell me. I finally got mad and threatened someone with a little electroshock therapy--" She stopped when Super-American looked at her disapprovingly. She hunched in her chair a little, and said, "I'm not proud of it." Then straightening back up, she very quickly added, "But it did work! They told me who my mom was, and I knew she was Green Sorceress' sister! So I tracked down Golden Arrow, and--"
"--Green Sorceress. Blue Bolt was your mother?"
"--Green Sorceress," said Super-American, looking just as shocked as Purple Tigress had. "Blue Bolt was your mother?" he asked, his hand shaking as he set down his beer.
"Dad? Are you okay?" asked Green Ghost.
Not answering, he asked Blue Lady, "Who was your father?"
"I... I don't know," she answered. "My adoptive parents didn't know, and neither did the orphanage." Pointing right, she continued, "I was about to say- I tracked down Golden Arrow to see if he would know, but he said his mom didn't like to talk about her sister."
"Yes, they were a bit estranged, I'm afraid," Super-American said weakly.
Blue Lady looked at him oddly, and nodding hesitantly, she finished, "I never did find out."
Super-American sat in stunned silence. Then very quietly, he said, "A 'family affair,' indeed."
"Dad?" asked Green Ghsot.
He turned to his son with wide, haunted eyes.
"Dad? What's wrong?"
"Your mother. She died when you were born."
"Your mother," he started. "She died when you were born."
Green Ghost started to look deeply concerned. "Yeah, dad, I know," he said gently. "You've shown me pictures, but you never really talked about her."
"Grief," his father said simply. Turning to Blue Lady, Super-American said, "Would you take off your mask, please?"
The room was very quiet. Blue Lady didn't know what to say. After a few long moments, she reached up with both hands, and slowly removed her mask.
The old man gasped, as did his son. Green Ghost said, "Oh my God. Dad...the pictures--"
Super-American put one hand on his son's arm. "You... you look so much like her," he said to Blue Lady, putting his other hand up to his mouth, trembling. "They--" his voice broke with a sob. "They told me you died with her."
"What are you saying?" she said angrily.
"Dad, what are you saying?" Green Ghost asked, not quite able to accept the implication.
"You had a twin sister that didn't... that they said didn't make it."
Turning back to his son, hand still over his mouth, he lowered it slowly and said, "You didn't know her, but Blue Bolt was your mother. You had a twin sister that didn't..." Looking back at Blue Lady, he corrected himself, "that they said didn't make it." The group was stunned once again. "My dear girl..." he reached a shaking hand across the table, and haltingly, she reached out and took it. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
She half-smiled, still not knowing exactly how to react.
Going from shock to anger, Super-American added, "I don't know why they told me you had died, but I will find out. That I promise you."
"We'll find out," added Green Ghost, just as somberly. When Blue Lady looked to him, the full realization finally hit him, and his face changed as he shouted, "Holy crud! I have a sister!" He turned to mist and flowed across the table, solidifying between her and Golden Girl, and giving Blue Lady a hug. She was shocked for a moment, but then hugged him back.
"We're going to need more beers."
"We're going to need more beers," said Silver Streak, and before anyone could answer, he was back handing them out. Popping the top on everyone's beers at super speed, he raised his bottle, and said, "A toast! To family!"
"To family!" shouted the group, raising their bottles, and clinking them all around. Then they all sat down and threw their cards in.
White Panther passed the deck to Red Rocket, who started dealing and said, "Well, it seems we all need to get to know each other even better. So Super-American, what about that long story of why you never joined The RBC?"
"Ah," said Super-American. He took a long pull on his beer, set it down, turned it in his fingers a few times, and then said, "That's been a closely guarded secret." The group waited silently, and he finally sighed. "Well, the truth is I couldn't join The RBC, because it might have messed up history too badly. Once I met and saved Blue Bolt? And then fell in love with her? There was no way I could join."
"But it would have messed up history too badly before you met her?" asked Purple Tigress, her feline irises shining as she tilted her head.
"...Golden Knight and Silver Knight are my great-great-great grandfather and grandmother, several times removed."
"Yes," said Super-American, taking a deep breath. "My history. You see, Golden Knight and Silver Knight are my great-great-great grandfather and grandmother, several times removed."
The group gasped.
"That..." started Golden Girl. "That means..." she shook her head in disbelief.
"Yes," said Super-American. "My family line comes through you. You're my ancestor as well."
"Oh-ho, wowww!" shouted White Panther, throwing his cards on the table. Laughing he said, "Just... wow!"
Pointing to Green Ghost, Super-American said, "And his. And hers," he said pointing at Blue Lady. "None of us could even exist without you."
"And you saved Blue Bolt," said Golden Girl, "which saved Purple Plague, which kept Golden Knight from going to jail, which allowed me and Tigress to be born..." she shook her head with the implications.
Realizing where it was going, Golden Arrow laughed and said, "Which means they couldn't exist without you!"
"WOW!" shouted White Panther.
Golden Girl looked at Super-American, clearly reeling from this information, and although her mouth moved trying to form words, she found herself speechless. He nodded at her, answering her unvoiced question. She shook her head slowly, backing up in her chair a little, and then she fainted.
"Golden Girl!" shouted Golden Lad, catching her before she fell over. Setting her up in the chair and patting her face lightly, he said, "Golden Girl! Golden Girl!" Then realizing something, he looked at Super-American, and asked, "Wait-a-minute. Does that mean...? Am I...?"
"Wait-a-minute. Does that mean...? Am I...?"
Super-American winced and nodded. "Great-great-great--"
Golden Lad passed out.
"WOW!" shouted White Panther.
Red Rocket fell back in his chair and stretched his arms up with a cheer of "Woooo! Best. Poker night. Ever!" and laughed with the rest of the team.
| Please let me know what you think, and thanks! -cb | Originally Presented In: CCC #49. |
Story and characters owned by Chris Bishop, copyright 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.
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