Justice League: The Heir of Hecate

The Justice League Expo

Luke Finch could barely conceal his excitement as he walked out of school. The school day had been interminable, every minute feeling like an hour. When the final bell had sounded, he wasted very little time in rushing to his locker, then to the parking lot where his best friend waited for him.

"Come on!" Lydia shouted from her car as she pressed the horn. "Are you trying to make us late?"

Luke looked at his watch and rolled his eyes; they had plenty of time to get to the Metropolis Convention Center. Even with traffic being the typical menace, they would make good time. He threw his backpack into the backseat, then hopped in beside Lydia, scarcely buckling up before his friend drove out of the parking space.

"You know, if you get pulled over on the way there we'll never make it. And my parents will send me off to a monastery for the rest of my natural-born life," Luke warned.

"We'll be fine," Lydia scoffed. "I'm only going, like, seven over the speed limit. Dad says that as long as I drive in that range I'm golden. Also, your parents kind of suck."

Reaching for his phone, he raised a finger to his lips and Lydia promptly turned down the radio and shut her mouth.

"Hey, mom," Luke said when his mother picked up on the first ring. "I'm fine...school was good...I'm just checking in. I'm headed to the library with Lydia and the others for study group...I love you too, bye."

"I can't believe your parents are that strict," Lydia groaned. "I mean, it's not like we're going to some drug den or selling ass on a street corner in Gotham City."

"Yeah, well my parents are really protective of me," Luke said with some mild irritability in his voice.

"But doesn't it seem just a little on the creepy side? I mean, do they even let you go to the bathroom without supervision?"

Luke sighed in annoyance. "Lydia, it's not that bad. They just like knowing where I am and..."

"And keeping you from experiencing life."

"I experience plenty of life," he said defensively.

"Summer camp doesn't count, babe."

Luke smiled and looked out his window as they drove out of Rosewood- the quiet little town just outside of Metropolis. Soon the suburbs would shift to more urban surroundings and he couldn't help but feel excited. He'd only been to Metropolis accompanied by an adult- whether it was his parents or his teachers for field trips. Going in this capacity made him feel rebellious and very adult-like. But also nervous.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Lydia asked.

"No," Luke lied. "Just really excited."

Lydia slapped the steering wheel with excitement and squealed. "We're actually going to see the Justice League. And not just on the news. In person! In the flesh. Breathing the same air."

Luke thought about all of the Justice League memorabilia he'd collected, the fanfictions he'd written, and the countless hours he'd spent fantasizing about leading a life as exciting as the members of the League did. He also thought about the times he'd spent fantasizing about certain members of the superhero team. To think that he would actually be getting the chance to see them- meet them- was almost too surreal to believe. "Jessica said Superman smells incredible," he said.

"Jessica is full of shit," Lydia laughed. "You know she's the biggest liar. She never met Superman. Nothing ever happens in Rosewood. At least not anything that would attract a member of the Justice League."

"You never know," Luke argued. "The Flash could have run through our town before. We wouldn't even know it."

Lydia laughed at his logic. "Okay, maybe he has. But I can guarantee you he would never stop there. I would never stop there. I can't wait until this year of school is over. Then it's bye-bye Rosewood, hello Metropolis."