White Knight

1

2021
Coast City

I snuck into my apartment just past midnight.

"Hey"

Oops.

I spun around to see Devin plopped on the couch. Evidently, she had tried to tried to stay up until I got home, like always. Unfortunately for me, the door gave me away.

"So, journalisms work or superhero stuff?" She asked, sitting up on the couch.

"I'd rather not say," I murmured.

"So, if I turned on the TV right now..."

"Dev, don't!"

The TV turned on.

It was the news. I was truly in trouble.

"White Knight strikes again. This time, she took down a drug smuggling operation, who were also...."

I turned it off.

"Let me see," Devin said, moving towards me. I moved away. "No, we agreed. You do the superhero thing, I do the worry about you and take care of you when you get hurt thing. One doesn't happen without the other"

"Devin, I'm fine"

"Honestly, I'd prefer it if neither had to happen"

"Devin, seriously, I'm..."

Devin yanked up my shirt and slapped her hand against my side, nailing the nasty bruise covering my ribs. I hissed in pain.

"Usually when you do that, it's a lot sexier. But then again, it's not usually..."

"Shut up," Devin said. She moved away from me towards where she kept her first aid kit, turning her back. I felt the mood shift

"What?" I said.

Devin froze.

"Devin, talk to me"

I could see her hands gripping the kitchen counter.

"Dev, it's okay. I'm okay"

"No! It's not okay!" She exploded. I could see tears streaming down her face. "It is not okay!"

"Please, Devin, I'm fine"

"What if you weren't? What if you die one night and don't come home? Where does that leave me? Or the others?"

I stood silently in the kitchen, staring at her. She was looking at everything but me.

"Please, Maverick, I can't loose you," she slid to the floor, back against the cabinets. I joined her there and she rested her head against my shoulder.

"I can't loose you, either, Dev"

*******************
Central City
The night of the Star Labs particle accelerator explosion

"Miss. Merlyn, thank you again for coming," I shook Dr. Wells's hand as he guided me toward the control center.

"I just want to keep the people well informed Doctor. The best way to do that is with the facts," I glanced around, taking my first glances of a space I would eventually be spending a lot of time in. "And please, call me Maverick. I don't like using my last name any more than I have to"

Dr. Wells led me over to a dark haired man. "Maverick, this is Ronnie Raymond, one of our engineers. Ronnie, this is Maverick Merlyn, a journalist form the Central City Times"

"What, they stick the new kids on the assignments everyone else is to afraid to go on?" Ronnie joked, reaching out a hand to take mine.

"Afraid so," I responded, shaking his hand.