Joseph sat with Kori in his apartnt, days after their sparring match. February was almost over. The night was calm, the city lights filtering through his window, casting a soft glow across the living room.
Wonder Woman had given Kori permission to take a break and spend the night at his place—but not before telling them to be responsible.
Joseph was still embarrassed about that comnt. Kori, on the other hand, had laughed.
He had learned through spending ti with her that Tamaranean culture didn't shy away from such topics. Maybe Amazon culture was the sa. But for Joseph, growing up in Gotham, where emotional vulnerability could be seen as weakness, it was… different.
Earlier that evening, they had explored downtown Gotham together. They'd watched a cody movie, which Kori had thoroughly enjoyed, her laughter bright and uninhibited in the dim theater. Afterward, they visited an aquarium, where she had marveled at the strange and colorful sea creatures.
Then they ate—a lot.
Joseph had long since realized that Tamaraneans had absurdly high tabolisms, but watching Kori put away enough food for six people never ceased to amaze him. Though he'd eaten his fair share as well.
Now, they were back in his apartnt, both dressed in comfortable pajamas, lounging on the couch. The TV played a docuntary on gibbons, the sound filling the quiet space between them. They each had a large bowl of snacks, though Kori's was rapidly depleting.
"Joseph," she said suddenly, turning to him.
He glanced over, noting the serious look in her eyes. "Yeah?"
She hesitated for a mont, then spoke. "I think I've figured out what I want to do."
Joseph sat up slightly. "Oh?"
Kori's gaze flickered to the TV before settling back on him. "This planet… Earth… it is so peaceful compared to other parts of the universe. I want to protect that peace. I want to be a hero—like Wonder Woman."
Joseph felt a warmth in his chest at her words. Kori had seen horrors he could barely imagine—enslavent, war, betrayal—and yet she still looked at Earth and saw sothing worth preserving.
He gave her a small, sincere smile. "I support you. I want to protect peace too… so that kids won't have to lose their mothers or be experinted on."
Kori's expression softened. "Like you did."
Joseph nodded. He didn't talk about it much, but Kori knew. She understood.
She reached out, placing a warm hand over his. "Then we will fight together."
Joseph squeezed her hand lightly, then smirked. "Yeah. But just so you know, I am going to be better than you."
Kori grinned, eyes alight with challenge. "We shall see about that."
Joseph chuckled, shaking his head before turning his attention back to the TV.
He felt content.
**
Joseph returned to Gotham Academy, and before he even made it to his first class, his guidance counselor called him into the office.
"Joseph," the man sighed, rubbing his temples. "You're an exceptional student, but you can't just disappear for days at a ti. Perfect grades and test scores don't excuse attendance policies."
Joseph leaned back in the chair, arms crossed. "I get it. I'll try to be more present—or at least let the school know when I'll be out. That work?"
His counselor studied him for a mont, clearly debating whether to push the issue further. "Given your record, we can be flexible… to a point. But don't make this a habit, or we won't be able to cover for you anymore."
Joseph nodded. "Understood."
With that, he was free to go.
In class, he slid into his usual seat just as Barbara Gordon walked by.
"Sup, Barbara."
"Hi, Joseph."
That was it. No lingering looks, no awkward pauses. Just a casual exchange between classmates. A year ago, things had been different. He'd had a crush on her, even made a fool of himself once by drunkenly asking her out. Back then, it would've made him want to disappear from sheer embarrassnt. Now? He felt nothing. Maybe everything he'd been through had dulled those old feelings, or maybe he'd just moved on without realizing it.
At lunch, he sat with his old friends from the basketball team, listening to them talk about the season. He had missed tryouts for the new sester, and truthfully, he hadn't even considered rejoining. Between his powers, his responsibilities, and Bell Studios, adding basketball to the mix would have been ridiculous. Besides, with what he was capable of now, playing the ga fairly just wasn't possible anymore.
Still, it felt good to be around them again, even if he wasn't part of the team.
Lately, he'd noticed more girls taking an interest in him. At 6'4", athletic, smart, and—if he said so himself—kind of handso, it wasn't a surprise. The glances, the occasional flirtations, the sudden friendliness—they were easy to pick up on. He appreciated the attention, but he subtly turned them down every ti. He had bigger priorities.
anwhile, his friend Andrew was practically obsessed with MyCraft, the ga Joseph had released.
"Dude, it's blowing up," Andrew said excitedly, scrolling through his LexTube analytics. "I hit 50k subs yesterday. People love this ga. I'm not playing with you anymore. Get the ga bro."
Joseph smirked. He hadn't made the fact that he was the owner of Bell Studios known so his friend didn't know he was talking to the creator when trying to convince him to play. "Aight, if I have ti I will. Not everyone has bucket loads of free ti like you. So of us need to focus on studying."
Andrew laughed, eyes still glued to his phone. His channel was taking off, and Bell Studios was finally starting to function without Joseph having to micromanage everything. That was good. He needed to start stepping back from it.
But there was always sothing else to do.
Joseph sighed as he sat through his last class of the day, half-listening as the teacher went over pre-calculus concepts he already knew. His fingers tapped idly against the desk, his mind wandering to more pressing matters. Patrol routes. Bell Studios updates. What new Intergang activity needed investigating. Where to take Kori next.
The work never seed to end.
User Comments
0 comments from readers