Superhero Adventures, UK Style

Tomorrow was the start of the New Year and ‘his’ Annie wanted, no demanded, a day out in London shopping and a meal, before joining the crowds on the Embankment for the countdown and fireworks. Who was he to refuse? He supposed Annie wanted to make the best of the Boxing Day sales and resigned himself to a happy fate trailing after her, fumbling with countless designer bags like a scene pulled straight from a ‘direct to DVD’ rom-com film.

This would be the longest he’d ever tried to remain in his human form though and he was a bit nervous, especially as Annie had insisted they wear fancy clothes. She’d then spent the next two hours trying on dress after dress (complete with squeals of delight whilst twirling before their full length mirror), before running into the wardrobe to try something else on. Every dress she now owned had been tried on at least three times already.

He tried to be supportive but quickly drifted into automatic response mode; “Yes, your bum looks great in that dress. No, it doesn’t mean you’ve gained weight over Christmas.” She glowered, “If you’re going to play the supportive boyfriend Sam, try and remember this is an artificial body, DARLING, it can’t gain weight and if I remember right, you chose this ‘bum’ when you selected the hologram we, I ah used to sculpt the final design… Ok?”

He gulped slightly at the menace in her voice and paid more attention with his comments, “ah, ok!?! Yes, that clutch bag does compliment the ensemble and no, it doesn’t clash, honest. Look we’re going to be late and I think I need a drink…”

He’d had to lock the bedroom door as the dash to the next dress was usually carried out in various stages of undress. It seemed his new and improved Annie had no inhibitions!

Sam was quietly pleased about this fact and if he was being honest, unsurprised, knowing Annie both now and from before. It had seemed unlikely to be an issue, and really how could any reasonable heterosexual man complain? But he did think her lack of inhibitions in other areas might occasionally cause issue were the wider society to observe! He quietly prayed that the paparazzi would never get involved with her as he suspected that Annie would possibly enjoy ruining said photographers’ day or week as a bit of a side project or as a momentary distraction.

Sam’s anxiety became reality when Adam came pounding on the door; it appeared he would be joining them for the day both as chauffeur and for the fireworks. Sam felt a moment of displeasure at having to share their day and then blushed as a half-undressed Annie sprinted to the door, unlocked and pulled it open wide, gave his extremely embarrassed brother a kiss on the cheek and with a big, cheeky smile said “Fifteen more minutes!” and slammed the door to run and finish trying on dresses.

Sam approached the door, opened it a creak and whispered, “Sorry, thirty more minutes… Get room service or something, on me.” It was actually an hour later when Sam, now in human form and dressed in a very smart suit, opened the door to see his brother, in a matching tailored suit, sitting on the floor outside their room waiting patiently, reading a stack of Alley Hawk comics… Annie followed him out wearing an elegant midi length green dress, strapless, with a slit up to her thigh, a matching green jacket and a Saint Laurent handbag. If it had been anyone else wearing this outfit in the middle of winter they would have been too cold but of course, Annie only experienced temperature when she wanted to. Sam grabbed a graceful, subtle set of gloves and a thick winter coat and sincerely wished he too did not feel the biting, bitter British winter, though he suspected they would only be darting between shops, mostly.

They walked to the hangar and the waiting grav-vehicle (now minus its Christmas decorations) and set off. Annie had the day fully planned out apparently, as he was told which shops she really needed to visit and that she’d booked a table for everyone at the Maison d’Lish, next to the British Library.

Sam requested a quick visit inside the library to scan their selection and observe the architecture, but with naught but a kiss on the lips, Annie announced that it wasn’t on the itinerary and anyway it would be closed. It was ‘their’ day and she’d happily get him any book for his tablet he wanted when they got back to the ‘bat cave’. “Yes dear.”

The next few hours passed in a haze, made bearable by the obvious delight Annie showed at having all of the top clothes shops pander to her every desire. The last was achieved apparently by the flashing of a private Swiss bank credit card that declared Annie Moreau (not Morrow, despite that being the name she used at the ARC) a member of the rich and spoilt.

Sam considered asking a few questions such as “Where did you get that card?” and “How can we afford all of this?” and “How do I get one?” but elected to just nod and smile just at the right times instead. He just wished he could have joined Adam as he wandered the techie shops of Oxford Circus instead; he’d been spying up a few tablet accessories and upgrades recently and it would have been a good opportunity to see what was available, but… Several thousands of pounds and/or EC’s lighter, as well as dozens of bags later, Annie agreed to drop off her ‘trophies’ at the Raft and head to the restaurant where she’d arranged to meet Adam.

It was then that Annie’s Machiavellian nature became apparent; she entered the restaurant with Sam and Adam on either arm, truly a rose between two thorns, and was directed personally by the Maitre D’ to their table in a private booth. That’s when the shock hit and he almost involuntarily changed, his form wobbled as his concentration faltered in the surprise – already seated at a table set for six was a very nervous Mr and Mrs Meyers, his mum and dad! They looked so out of place and deeply uncomfortable to be in such fine surroundings, and utterly surprised at their arrival, dressed meekly in their Marks & Spencer’s Sunday best.

“Adam, what are you… Is that Sam? Sam!” twittered their mum already shuffling across in the booth awkwardly. His father was more constrained, almost angry, clutching his water tumbler with a white knuckled grip.  “Why haven’t you been in touch, your mother has been worried sick about you…” and nervously, almost hesitantly, put out a hand to shake but Annie quickly shoved first Sam and then Adam (who was also obviously not expecting this) forward to give both parents a hug and/or a kiss on the cheek. Sam obliged his mother, but otherwise regarded his father coolly.

Sam’s parents were perceptibly shocked and surprised at the physical changes that had come over Sam since last they’d seen him and once he assured them that he wasn’t on any form of steroids or any other drugs they seemed to accept the apparent massive physical alteration, though they still looked extremely upset. “I ran away to the gym.” he joked very quietly, almost to himself.

“I barely recognise you, Sam. This isn’t you. I don’t know you anymore,” his father said blankly, arms folded. Sam turned away, not offering a response but looked distantly thoughtful rather than irritated. Annie smiled, “Forgive the surprise Mr and Mrs Meyers but I wasn’t sure you’d come if I’d just invited you to a family get-together, hence setting up the prize draw scam. Sorry about that and I know Sam is deeply embarrassed that he failed to keep in touch after what happened to him. May we sit?” She sat down anyway, despite the look on their father’s face as though he wasn’t sure whether to stay or run.

Taken by surprise they both sat down across from their sons. Everyone around the table looked embarrassed, except for Annie who ordered a bottle of wine and began to explain that she was Sam’s partner and that she’d also invited Adam’s. Mr Meyers began to rise again as though to leave, his son’s unwilling to stop him, but Annie laid her hand on his shoulder and firmly but gently pushed him back in his seat.

“I appreciate this will be an uncomfortable meeting which is why I asked Tony to meet us in a few minutes. Mr Meyers, I appreciate you do not approve of your son’s lifestyle but having lost one son, even temporarily, do you really want to risk losing another over something so petty (that last word came out with some verbal force) as who your son loves, especially if that love is as strong as that between myself and your other son? Both of your son’s have partners who love them beyond life itself, Mr Meyers. Love so strong we will do anything to protect the men we love. We do not need your approval but I think you may need theirs.”

Sam paled and his jaw dropped, if it had been a cartoon, it would have hit the floor. He felt like his heart stopped and he forgot how to breathe for a torturous few moments. Mrs Meyers reached over and slowly, hesitantly took Adam’s hand and whispered, “We do love you both, you know that don’t you?” Mr Meyers looked upset, (or embarrassed?) but remained seated then, quietly, almost pleadingly asked, “Are you happy Adam? I mean really happy?” Adam smiled, “I am dad, I really am. I’m part of a team doing important work. We’re saving people and Tony..? Tony is someone I really care about.” “You’ve really cared about other… blokes before, Adam.” he sighed.

Annie reached for Sam’s hand, then turned, and looked the old man in the eyes, “Very few people only fall in love once in their life, Mr Meyers. We’ve all had a John, Mary or an Elsbeth in our lives before finding our true love, their own Alice like you did when you married Mrs Meyers, don’t you agree?”

On hearing the name Elsbeth, Sam’s dad suddenly looked up in shock. That name had certainly had a reaction Sam thought. I wonder what the story was behind that (and wondered if Annie would ever be willing to share)? Alice of course was his mum’s name. Sam quickly changed the subject, “Did you read about the rescue on Bali? That was partly due to Adam and my own contribution, dad. You should be proud you raised someone as special, talented and as caring as him.” Mr Meyers looked surprised, “You were both part of the relief work on Bali? You went there after the volcano eruption? Were you part of the relief effort? What do you do, fly in supplies? Both of you?”

Adam admitted that they’d been there before and during the explosion itself working with Heroes without Frontiers to get people to safety and then forming part of the initial recovery phase afterwards.

Then Tony walked in and to Sam’s surprise, he too wore a suit. Apparently, Annie had primed him beforehand, unlike both of the Meyer brothers. He put his hand on Adam’s shoulder and gently squeezed and Adam reached up to touch but not take his hand. A very constrained greeting between lovers but one that, although Mr Meyers was slightly embarrassed about it, was sufficiently reserved that he held his peace.

The rest of the meal went by, if not congenially, at least without any major incidents. Their mum seemed genuinely interested in Tony’s career as a reporter and photographer. They managed to get to the dessert course where Annie and Sam opted to share a decorative, delicious looking Sundae, while the others opted for a variety of coffee liquors. Mrs Meyers had a look on her face and a glint in her eye; her curiosity needed to be satisfied. “So Sam, we’ve heard all about Adam, Tony and their work, but you’ve been awfully quiet, sweet. I’m glad you’re able to afford expensive clothes, that you’re alive and healthy and that you have a lovely, charming partner… But what happened to you?” she could no longer stifle a few tears of frustration and relief, dabbing them with a napkin as Mr Meyers rubbed her back in support, and glared at Sam.

She continued, “We filed the missing person report when the university said you didn’t hand in your final work, and they hadn’t seen you for weeks and you weren’t responding to calls or emails. We couldn’t contact you. We were so worried, we thought you’d died. I saved everything in your room. I–” she rambled, emotions bubbling close to the surface.

Sam nodded and understood he’d walked the line, risking rudeness and betrayal where family were concerned. He’d lost his appetite and passed the rest of the dish to Annie. With an open expression, he uttered, “mum, dad, I’m sorry.” pausing to allow the apology to hang in the still, silent, tense air for a moment. “I didn’t re-contact you or almost anyone because I thought it was the best option at the time, not because I didn’t want or need to.”

He ran his finger across the pristine tablecloth, preparing his next words carefully. Mr Meyers was practically inhaling his glass of wine whilst waiting for Sam’s explanation.

Then they heard the sound of a crash from the main restaurant floor as though something or someone had fallen to the ground which was followed immediately after by a shout of “This is a robbery; give us your wallets and your jewellery.” Looking round the side of the booth, they saw three men with balaclavas over their heads and armed with handguns standing over a fallen waiter. The shouted words threw Sam out of his stupor. Adam and Tony looked calm and collected, being hardened to this kind of situation. Annie leant back, folded her arms and smirked, winking one eye shut and side-eyeing Sam, almost enjoying the situation play out. Only Mr and Mrs Meyers reacted badly, one with hysterical screaming and the other with shuffling, futile, attempts to protect the other. One masked gunman pointed his weapon at the downed waiter, taking a hostage and began yelling instructions as the other two set to crowd control, locking doors and closing blinds. They split up and set about their work quickly, brutally and effectively. This was a carefully prepared job with professionals of the most dangerous sort. Sam almost suspected Annie of planting them here and tonight, but shrugged it off concentrating at the task in hand. Adam looked to Sam nodding with a knowing, stoic look. Sam shook his head in response.

Annie smiled and whispered, “You need to tell them sometime and why not a demonstration?”

One of the robbers eventually came over to their table, brandishing their firearm and holding a grey dishwashing bucket filled with jewellery, watches and expensive wallets. He tossed the loot collection onto the table. “Valuables, wallets and purses into the bucket, now! No funny business and nobody try and be a hero or you’re all dead. Hurry up.” His voice was disguised electronically through the balaclava; clever. Sam slowly raised his hand in surrender. He quietly offered: “I am a large man in a tailored suit; I will have to stand to be able to get in my pockets.” He was pistol whipped in response, the gunman training his weapon between Sam’s eyes. “Move, NOW!!!”

Sam slowly, shuffled to the edge of his seat and stood. With the most subtle change in his eyes, he attempted to persuade his assailant, “Sir, I’ve just noticed that the safety on your gun is jammed. I’m a buyer; you want me to take a look at that for you. You want this to go smoothly, don’t you?” trusting his Draconic Persuasion will play on their doubts just enough. What he did not notice was his own shape-shifting fading, silently revealing Young Sam in his true nature but he heard it; his suit ripping up the back as he changed into his dragon personae.

Damn! It had looked as though he’d been about to hand over the gun as well. Before the thief (or his parents) could scream, Sam grabbed the robber and held his mouth shut and dragged him towards the others. He passed the gun to Annie, “if the leader looks like he’s going to kill the hostage, take the shot. I’ll try and negotiate and encourage them to flee.”

She nodded and winked at the hysterical parents, “Surprise! Sorry, we’ll explain after. Promise” was all she said as she applied pressure to the robbers’ carotid artery rendering him unconscious.

Sam was still angry with himself for losing concentration. He should have realised that his human transformation was a concentration skill; using any other ability other than maintaining that form would obviously break him out of it, especially as he’d just had a long day of shopping and after all this had been the longest he’s ever held the form.

Annie asked Adam to keep an eye on his parents and keep them safe. She then climbed on her chair and elegantly vaulted over the back of the booth vanishing from sight as Sam took off his torn jacket and shirt and walked calmly towards the remaining two thieves. Suddenly there was a blackout as though the power was cut. Annie had reached the light switch. That was followed immediately by Verdi’s Requiem suddenly playing over the speakers at 11 on the Richter scale! The change was not as dramatic as Annie had hoped; the increase in volume caught them off guard but the street lights outside had prevented the room from going into complete darkness. She could hear the sound of a momentary struggle as Sam grabbed both of the remaining robbers and hurled one towards Annie and began to pummel the other. Sam couldn’t help but feel that this was extremely… Therapeutic!

Annie stepped forward crushing her heel into the back of her thrown robbers’ hand, leaving him screaming as she bent over to pick up his handgun. It was a fake. Sam had picked up the other handgun, almost gently punching the robber in the solar plexus just in case. It too was a fake.

Annie walked over and switched the lights back on then went back to ‘her’ robber who was crawling on the floor, trying to sneak towards the kitchen.

“Going somewhere?” she lifted him off the floor and held him. The manager shuffled across, still in a daze at the speed of the rescue and muttered his thanks. She considered whether to ‘interrogate’ her prize or just render him unconscious as she heard the squeal of tyres and the pounding of fists on the door. Britain’s finest had arrived and in under three minutes. Not bad for an armed response.

She nodded to Sam who, leaving his unconscious boxing partner on the floor wandered back to his seat with Annie arm in arm leaving the manager to shuffle over and open the restaurant door.

Sam sat down, “This is what I had difficulty telling you about mum, dad. Your prejudice against Meta’s – oh, don’t try and claim you haven’t dad, I’ve heard you shouting at the TV on many occasions about human rights and how people like me shouldn’t have any. Well I’m sorry but as far as the world’s concerned, I’m one of them.”

The rest of the conversation was interrupted by a Police Sergeant arriving at their table wanting statements and details. Sam handed over his ID card and was astonished when Adam pulled out his recording drone from his shoulder bag which he’d kept under the table. He quickly explained that he’d activated ‘Tinks’ remotely as soon as he’d realised what was going on. It hadn’t recorded the first minute of the robbery but had captured everything from that point on. Adam pulled out the thumb drive, sealed it and handed a copy to the utterly flabbergasted officer.

Sam smiled, Tinks always made two copies of everything it recorded. Bet the other copy ended up with Tony’s editor tonight.

The Officer confirmed Sam’s HCP status and, thanking them requested they contact them to give a ‘witness’ statement tomorrow. The recording was sufficient to charge the three who were obviously now regretting their choice of location.

Remaining in his true Young Sam form he sat back down and ordered several bottles of wine – Annie insisting to the grateful manager that they couldn’t accept them free as a reward.

His parents were in shock, his father trying to claim that Sam had misunderstood his sentiments but wanting to know how it had happened and could he possibly, just stop being a.. a meta-human?

Sam sighed, he could explain about Adam also being a Meta and how it must be in their DNA but felt that was not his story to tell, at least not tonight. Instead he decided to try and explain about how he’d been lured to the caves in Wales, his loss of sense of time and his re-programmed memories and of the legend of Tiamente. He elected to leave the whole necromantic ritual and transfer aspect of his transformation unspoken.

He knew his father was struggling to take it in. His dad did try and suggest psychiatric help at one point only for Sam’s mum to shush him and reaching out both her hands towards Annie and Sam’s, asked him to continue. Sam did, explaining that he couldn’t go back to his old life so he took to going from Comic convention to comic convention across the UK and his subsequent work with The Balance.

His mother seemed really happy at his finding a home where he could do so much good, even if she hadn’t really paid a lot of attention to news reports about the latest super team. Wessex was so far away from home after all. His dad did start to ask whether he wouldn’t be more comfortable back studying only to be interrupted by a sharp elbow to his ribs by Mrs Meyers.

It was Tony who proposed sending her a small scrapbook of Sam and the Balance’s newspaper clippings and media. An offer she gladly accepted, to Adam’s delight.

Sam continued, “I’d wanted to spare you the shock. Let’s be honest, I also wanted to spare myself dad’s disapproval. No, you would have dad, you seem to think my abilities and Adam’s sexuality are things we choose. They aren’t, they’re who we are; as unchangeable as our DNA.

There are several reasons I didn’t contact you: it had been so long and the shame, I anticipated a cold and hostile response… I was also worried that if it got out I would literally put you in danger and make you potential targets to anyone wanting to lure or harm the Balance or me… Well, that and avoidance is a coping mechanism, my breakthrough had been quite traumatic and I don’t enjoy thinking or talking about it at great length.

However Annie was right about arranging this reunion. Family is more important and you deserve to know the truth.”

Annie, smiled again, and turned towards his parents. “So now you know. There are things we can do for your protection. This restaurant has arrangements for us to leave discretely, after coffee of course, and whilst we are here, I’ve some associates putting in alarms and defences to your car and home to make sure you’ll be safe.” Her associates? Adam leaned over and quietly whispered to Sam, “ah, so that’s what she wanted the dwarves for.”

Annie continued taking two small bracelets out of her handbag, “these are personal alarms with priority access to friends of ours. Friends that can reach you anywhere in the world within minutes and who can protect you if needed. You won’t,” she added seeing the momentary fear on Mrs Meyers face and the attempt at stoic fortitude on Mr Meyers. “I’m doing all this for Adam and Sam’s sake so they don’t have to worry about you all the time.” She gently punched Sam in the shoulder, “He’s a worrier this one, good thing I’m around to keep him balanced.”

Sam huddled in and whispered, jokingly “maybe I should have an emergency bracelet of my own?” She giggled, “You want the ‘kids’ (referring to the Challenger-Wildeman’s) and Nani coming to rescue you every time you accidentally bang your bracelet? That can be arranged…” He laughed quietly and changed the conversation back to small talk.

After Coffee and the wine, Annie ushered them out through a side door to a waiting limousine having paid for the meal on her Swiss bank credit card. Sam shifted back into his human form and placed his winter coat on over the shredded suit jacket and shirt, both of which had been ripped up the back in his transformation.

As they stood beside the car, Mrs Meyers gave all four of them a hug and a kiss and demanded that both couples come and visit them soon, with Annie explaining that she’d set up video conferencing facilities for her so both ‘boys’ could keep in touch on a weekly basis. Annie leant over and said, “Good night Mr and Mrs Meyers, or can I call you George and Alice? I’ll make sure you see Sam again soon, I’ll even try and make the next time a little less dramatic.”

Even she was surprised however, when Mr Meyers seemed to gather up his courage and hugged all four of them, even if Tony’s hug was very short and abrupt. He looked at Annie and muttered a “thank you.”

Annie had arranged for them to spend the night at the Dorchester, so they would leave them here as she was sure they’d had enough excitement for the night.

As they headed off for the hotel, Annie leant over and whispered, “You can let yourself ‘go’ now, assuming your jacket can cope with those folded wings of yours. I do still want to see the fireworks and New Year in though.”

Sam would have preferred to turn in for the night after everything that had happened; the shopping, surprise parentals and of course the robbery. He was pretty exhausted after all, more emotionally than anything else. He just wanted to chat to Annie about the dinner and his folks and what he needed to do, going forward.

Annie just looked at him with a grin that would have shamed the Cheshire Cat, “Uh uh, I’m dressed to impress and I want some fireworks. Then I promise you some fireworks of your own…”

They headed for the embankment where the two sets of love birds managed to get a good view of the fireworks on the Eye. No dinosaurs this time, Sam was glad to see. He snuggled in beside his Annie, comfortable in his true form and watched as she joined in singing Auld Lang Syne and dancing with complete strangers. She stood head and shoulders above everyone he thought, in more ways than one, her smile always flashing like a beacon whenever she looked in his direction. It completed her somehow and did the same for himself. What a welcome to the New Year he thought as they prepared to go ‘home’.