Justice League: The Heir of Hecate

Count Marakov

"You're pretty quiet over there, fanboy," Lydia pointed out once they were on the road and driving back to Rosewood.

"I embarrassed myself so bad," Luke groaned. "Did you see what happened?"

"Uh, yeah? Superman gave you a hug."

"Uh, and I also didn't let go of him," Luke added. "I held onto him like a fucking weirdo!"

Lydia waved a hand. "I'm sure there was a lot worse going on at the meet and greet. In fact, I know there was. That Aquaman fangirl with that dumb shirt asked him to sign her boobs!"

"Really?" Luke asked. "I didn't notice."

"That's because you were too busy burying your face in Superman's chest," Lydia teased.

Luke hid his face in his hands.

"Here," Lydia said as she tossed her phone into his lap. "I even got a picture."

Luke stared at the phone and his cheeks immediately started to burn. There, in the bright lights of the convention center, Luke was standing against Superman with his arms wrapped around his waist and his head resting against his chest. Just seeing the image reminded him of just how solid the superhero felt in his arms. He could still feel the firmness of his chest and smell his cologne. Jessica may have been lying, but one thing was certain- Superman smelled amazing. Crisp, fresh, with a hint of musk.

"You want me to pull over at a rest stop so you can have some alone time?"

Luke's phone rang and his expression instantly shifted to one of total anxiety. He looked at the time, knowing he most definitely should have already been home long ago. He answered the phone with a sheepish greeting.

"Where are you?"

"Oh, Lydia and I went to the mall," he hastily lied. "I'm sorry, I forgot to ask first."

"Just get home."

"Yes, ma'am."

Lydia shook her head and tried to think of something to say that would detract from the instant tension the phone call had produced but found it incredibly hard to think of anything else. "Luke, can I level with you for a minute? Without you getting mad at me?"

Luke, who had been staring out the window, shrugged his shoulders. "I don't have the strength to get angry at this point."

Lydia smiled softly. "Okay. Your parents are toxic. Since you were little they've been controlling every single thing you do. You aren't allowed to go anywhere or do anything without their permission. They won't even let you decide what you want to do with your life. They picked your college. Did they also pick your major?"

Luke took a breath. "Yes."

"Listen, it's your business what you do. But I really wish you would think about all of that. Think about how fucked up all of that is. Think about every other person you know and how their parents don't puppet-master every aspect of their lives."

Luke turned to look at her and a sudden flash of headlights filled the car, followed by a fearful gasp from Lydia. A crash of metal and the shattering of glass filled his senses and everything went black.

Darkness surrounded him, so thick and impenetrable he couldn't see his hand before his face. Stepping forward, he stumbled over the uneven ground and fell. He reached out to break his fall and the burn of concrete stung his palms. Rising up, he tried to search the darkness for any sign of his surroundings. His eyes didn't adjust and he began to recall a field trip he'd taken once to a cave. The guide had wanted to show everyone what it would be like to be deep beneath the earth with no light. Fear enveloped him and he fought the urge to run, which could only lead to injury or send him into the arms of whatever dangers surely waited in the dark.