Chapter Text
The Justice Society Of America becomes pretty divided almost as soon as Courtney introduces Henry King to the mix.
Yolanda understandably is very very against teaming up with her ex boyfriend and after everything that happened between them, Rick isn’t surprised. Hourman hates Henry but having the individual fury of Yolanda Montez is like signing up for a fight you can’t win. “No way I’m working with him.” Rick hisses brushing ketchup off his sweatshirt after Henry, brainwaves fucking son, throws him across the lunch room floor with his weird mind powers. Courtney Whitmore saw the best in people. She saw the best in the worst people. It was one of her best qualities and one of her worst character flaws. that character flaw was currently peeking it’s ugly head.
Beth Chapel tries to keep the peace, trying to be reasonable when this situation Courtney currently put them in doesn’t feel reasonable at all and Rick refuses to be swayed no matter how bright and reassuring Chapel's smile is. Courtney was fighting a losing battle. She was putting up defenses Henry King did not deserve. They have too much bad blood with Brainwaves son to ever give him a proper chance.
“You chose Henry over me after all he did. We’re not friends anymore.” Yolanda words cut through the lunchroom like acid. Courtney looked crushed and Rick thinks Yolanda actually means it.
And just like that the momentary unity the team had was cut off.
Yolanda comes to Rick Tyler before the end of the lunch period, eyes sharp and still looking irritated but clearly needing to say something as she approaches his locker. “I wanted to say thanks.” She says suddenly and Rick lifts a brow at her “for?”
“You had my back with the Henry thing. I thought…I thought you’d side with Courtney or let Beth convince you or something. But you didn’t. So thanks.”
“I hate him just as much as you do.” Rick receives an unimpressed expression from the dark haired girl “well maybe not just as much. But I’m not one to forgive and forget. Henry’s an asshole and his dad is an asshole. He can’t be trusted.”
“I agree. We need to keep an eye on him.” Yolanda fiddles with the necklace around her neck. A sneering Jock walks pass them—making weird grabby hands at Yolanda who squirms away uneasily. Erik glares at the Jock as he walks by, memorizing his face.
“Yeah.” Rick agrees keeping his eyes on the boy who’s already walking down the hall to Artemis who instantly puts him in a headlock. They fake fight but it looks like real anger behind Artemis Crocks fists.
Rick closes his locker and looks away from the scene and back at Yolanda. “What did you mean by ’let Beth convince me?’”
She shrugs “Beth tends to sway you.” She gives him a knowing look which annoys him.
“No she doesn’t.”
“I guess when it really counts she doesn’t. Thanks.”
“Stop thanking me. It’s weird.” Are girls always this mushy?
He goes to class, wanting to skip but not wanting to hear Mrs. Woods constant dribble over tardiness again. He sits nowhere near Beth Chapel, opting to sit in his usual seat in the back of class. He leaves pretty quickly after dismissal as to avoid talking to the girl who apparently has to much sway over the taller boy.
Henry finds him just before school ends, with heavy eyebags and chewing on his nails anxiously. He looks like shit. “Hey.” he says as soon as he spots Rick.
Hourman glares at him “don’t ‘Hey’ me. We’re not friends.”
“We dont have to be but i can still help.”
“The last thing i want is help from you.”
“Why?” Henrys eyebrows furrow together in confusion.
“Because you’re an asshole,”
“Yeah, i was an asshole to Yolanda. But you clearly have your own vendetta so what did i do to you specifically that makes you think im an asshole?”
Rick doesn’t have to explain himself to Henry. “You literally threw me across the lunchroom not even two hours ago.”
“You hated me before that, i felt it.”
“First of all: gross.” Rick feels that anger boil up again “Second of all: if you can read my mind then you should already know.”
Henry stares at him then shakes his head “I can’t see anything past the rage. You’re so angry. But I can’t tell why—it’s all so messy in there.”
Rick just snorts humorlessly. “You really don’t remember?”
Henry just stares at Rick and he doesn’t know what he expected. “Let me jog your shitty memory.” Rick slams Henry King between the locked lockers, making sure it’s digging into his skin painful enough to bruise because he wants him to hurt.
“I was seven and my fucking parents just died. You remember that?”
Henry nods slowly.
“You and Cindy where thick as thieves and I wore shitty second hand clothes and barely brought any lunch and I walked to school all sweaty and gross and you guys just fucking loved it. Jogging your memory yet?”
Henry stays silent.
“You guys dug your stupid little privileged claws in and you ripped up my life like it was a joke. You called CPS on me. I only know this because Cindy bragged about it to anyone that would listen. You said that he starved me. You said that he neglected me and that I should be taken away. And they came to our house and they took me away for two weeks and reevaluated my uncle. They cleared him and I went back into his custody after two shitty weeks bouncing from foster home to foster home.” Henry tries to look away from him but Rick slams him against the wall again, forcing him to look at him.
“But he didn’t abuse me. He never laid a fucking hand on me. Not back then. But he was so angry at me because he thought I was ungrateful. He said that if I was so desperate to be the victim then he’d make sure it was true next time. I couldn’t—I couldn’t do anything. I was fucking seven, man. I couldn’t go to school for three weeks because the bruising was so bad. I had to wear a cast for two months because you and Cindy wanted to have some fun. You’re both fucking assholes and you always will be.”
”Right. I don’t remember it like that exactly.” Henry grimaces and Rick balls his fist in his collar tightly, his knuckles turning white.
“It was just a fucking Tuesday for you. Another act of shitty behavior forgotten by even worse behavior. Because that’s who you are Henry. Fundamentally. That’s who you’ll always be. An Asshole.”
“But in the end he was abusing you.”
“Because he was pissed.”
“No—I mean before that. You never had food during lunch and you were losing weight like crazy. You were only seven years old and you walked to and from school. You wore the same clothes to school for two weeks straight. Neglect is still abuse. I knew that even back then.” Henry straightened his back “but I wasn’t the one that called. My dad was. I never even said anything to him but I’m realizing now that he must’ve used his powers.”
“Your dad…” Rick coiled up and he pulled his fist out of Henry’s collar, feeling annoyed at the turn of events. “So you’re saying you’re blameless. It was all some big misunderstanding?”
“I guess…”
“Nice try, King. Just cause you didn’t pull the trigger doesn't mean you didn’t cock it. You were relentless and cruel and just cause’ you weren’t the one to call doesn’t mean it makes you less of an asshole.” Rick leaves him there, he’s angry and frustrated and all he wants to do is punch something and he knows it can't be Henry fucking King. Not yet.
His phone rings as he’s walking to his house still seething over the events of the day. His phone is shaking in his pocket like a blizzard. He answers, no caller ID shown.
“Hi Ricky! Do you have the Hourglass with you?” Beth Chapels voice slips through his ear like a worm. He didn’t even get a chance to process the unassuming nickname.
“Beth? How’d you get my number?”
“Chuck gave it to me.” Great. Rick looks up at the sky in exasperation.
“That’s not creepy. And yes I do. Why?” He always has the hourglass on him. Heavy in his pocket or zipped up in his book bag like a lucky charm.
“It’s not creepy! I should have your number, I’m your friend. We’re in the JSA together.”
Rick makes an indiscernible noise and Beth just sighs.
“Well–-anyway—Courtney has cooked up a plan.”
They go into the tunnels that night—-more like mid-afternoon but it gets so dark so quickly now it feels like midnight. Courtney doesn’t have her staff and Beth can’t use Chuck at all when she’s offline. No staff. No Chuck. Courtney can take care of herself but Beth can’t fight for shit. She has no training. Down here she doesn’t have Chuck so she’s just Beth. Reasonable and cautious—Beth. Beth who he's still kinda pissed off at for siding with Courtney on the whole Henry thing.
The phone call earlier in the afternoon had been abrupt and blunt and even though it was mostly Beth talking he was just a bit flippant with his responses and hopefully it got the message across to Beth that he was annoyed with her. He wasn’t being subtle but Beth can be a bit oblivious at times.
They split up. Even though that’s not something Courtney likes to do. Stargirl was desperate to cover more ground and with Henry with them it felt like maybe they stood a chance.
They split up and Rick and Beth find Solomon Grundy. In that moment he saw only his parents crash, the green projection of the beast attacking his parents and orphaning him. His ears tuned out Beth’s insistent begging. He was so angry. Solomon was right there. He’s the one that killed his parents. He did that. But he’s trapped behind a Door. Protected even. It makes him unthinkably turn his hourglass early.
“No Rick! That’s not why we’re here.”
“Yeah. Change of plans.” With fury only he can carry he attempts to open the door. Beth tugs on him. She tries to pull him away from the door. Away from Grundy, away from everything he’s ever wanted.
Yolanda’s words come to him suddenly. “Beth tends to sway you.” But Rick won’t let himself be swayed. Not from this. Not from his revenge. Not now. Especially Not by Beth. He yanks her off him, brushing her off harshly. Maybe a bit rougher then needed but he only sees Solomon Grundy. He only sees this unopened door. Solomon hits the door as well making his heart pound against his chest.
“Please Rick we have to go. This isn’t why we’re down here!” The ceiling starts to crumble. “Stop!” He feels Beth attempt to pull him away again her words frantic “the others are counting on us.” Fuck.
“Rick, who are they?” Shit, fuck. Her voice shakes “who are they?” She repeats and Rick finally pulls away from the door facing the random masked men facing them at the end of the tunnel.
They step closer to them—Closer to Beth—and Rick punches one with enough energy to knock them all out.
“We should go. We should go.” Beth pulls on his arm. Rick swings around and faces Solomon Grundy with a glare and a warning “I’ll be back.”
And he runs further down the cave, Away from the beast that changed his whole life, he’s going first to make sure no danger is ahead of them. “We need to find the others.” Beth says quickly and Rick can barely speak without growling so he just nods. The hourglasses energy courses through him like lightning and he doesn’t trust himself with saying anything that isn’t angry or harsh.
They find the others in the middle, both of them being chased by bad dudes. Rick nudges Beth ahead of him, making sure he has her back since Courtney has her front.
At the end there’s metal bars holding them hostage. As Hourman Rick is able to pull them apart wide enough for Beth to go through them. “Here, Beth, go!” He forgets about Beth’s lesson in code names at that moment. In this instance, without Chuck to help her in the tunnels she was Beth and Rick can’t reasonably be expected to call her Dr. Mid-night when she feels more like a civilian than a superhero. Vulnerable to any attack.
She walks through the bars securely and Yolanda follows her after with a nod.
Rick looks at Courtney who is still holding off Brainwave. “Come on!” He contemplates grabbing her but doesn’t trust that he’ll be gentle enough not to bruise her, the strength of the hourglass clouding his mind.
“Courtney, come on!” Wildcat looks at Courtney on guard posture, Like Courtney’s waiting to strike.
“Settle down children.” Brainwave makes a move using his powers to pull the bars closed again.
Hourman tries to pull them apart again and morbidly realizes that his hour is running out. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He pulls and it won’t budge. He looks at Henry, putting his ego aside and asking for help. “An assist?”
He helps without hesitation pulling the bars apart with his inherited powers. Rick goes through the bars. Beth and Yolanda pull him closer away from the action instinctively, both of them staring in horror as Henry uses his powers to force Courtney to go through the bars. He straightens them out again.
He’s going to fight his dad. Ricks hour is dwindling into seconds. Nonetheless he punches the bars hoping to make a dent. Courtney uses her staff, wildcat uses her claws and Beth tries to connect back with Chuck—finally far enough out of the cave to maybe get a signal.
Rick knows the exact moment Henry realizes he’s going to die. His eyes are so sad and he speaks to Yolanda And Courtney.
Yolanda was the person he wronged the most and Courtney was the one that fought the hardest for him. His eyes meet Ricks for a moment before turning to Courtney.
“You were right. People are good. Don’t let this change your mind.”
It was the last thing he would ever say. His father, his flesh and blood, caves the ceiling in and it crushes him to death. Abrupt and final and so horrific that it’s silent for just a second. All four of them are staring at where his body is meant to be in shock. Yolanda is crying in his shoulder—he doesn’t even realize he’s crying too. He thinks he might be in shock. He thinks they might all be in shock.
This is the first time Rick has ever seen someone die before. With his own two eyes. not through a projection or a movie or via the news. With his own two eyes. only Feet away from him. Someone he spoke to.
He barely sleeps that night. Tossing and turning in his small bed. When the sun rises and pokes through his window Rick forces himself to get dressed.
“Where the hell are you off to this damn early?” his uncle Matt was hungover on the couch with an empty beer can near his feet.
“School.” Rick grits out and tries to walk past him without further explanation only to be met with grappling hands holding him back, forcing him to a harsh stop.
“Your little girlfriend is here, sniffing around the house. Being a damn nuisance.”
“Who?” Because he can only be talking about three girls. The only girls he hangs out with. The only people he even associates with. But they shouldn’t be here. Not ever, not when his shithead uncle is around.
“Didn’t know you liked black girls Ricky.“ Beth fucking Chapel is at his house. Has met his uncle and he barely has any time to think before he’s crossing past the couch towards the door—a hollering Matt making gross gestures like some pervert trailing behind him. “Will you shut the fuck up for once?” Ricks face pressed in displeasure.
“No need to be shy, we’ve all tipped our toes once or twice. Just can’t bring one home to the family. Wouldn’t look right.”
Rick is seeing red.
What fucking family is he even talking about? His family; his mom his dad, are all dead and have been for some time. Matt Harris can’t be drunk enough to have forgotten that.
Ricks ears ring and his eyes are darting across the porch trying to spot Beth—hoping that she’s far enough away not to hear his Uncle's gross commentary. “Stay out of my business Matt! You don’t get to tell me what does or doesn’t look right—you smell like a damn liquor store and it’s 6 in the fucking morning.”
“Just don’t go getting her pregnant. We don’t need another bastard running around town.” Matt makes a face that looks so punchable but Rick holds his temper, pushing the door open with gritted teeth.
“Fuck you Matt!” Rick growls slamming the porch door closed. He darts down the steps of the driveway and glances at his nearly fixed yellow mustang—eyes landing on an unassuming Beth Chapel who is peeking inside through the passenger window.
“Time to go Beth.” He huffs out grabbing her hand and walking towards the dirt path that leads out of the house property. He takes long brisk steps and he’s only half aware that she’s practically dragging Beth behind him who’s struggling to keep at his pace. When he feels like he’s far enough away from his wretched home he slows down his steps, his breaths coming through his nose in a desperate attempt to calm himself.
“Your mustang looks cool.” Beth says in a small hollow voice and Rick knows that she probably heard his Uncle simply from the inflection of her voice. She probably heard everything Matt said about her. About the things he insinuated. Rick hates that he’s related to that scumbag. He hates that Beth had to hear any of what he had to say. He hates that she feels small and fragile over it because his uncles nasty opinions are meaningless.
“My uncles a dick.”
“He’s racist.” Beth expresses instead like a bomb erupting and Rick feels that pebble land harshly, the waves bumping into shore.
“Yeah. And a bunch of other horrible things. Half the time I can’t believe he was ever related to my mom. I mean I can be an asshole but my uncle is...” Rick says and avoids her eyes as they walk the path to Yolanda’s house.
“Hey.” Beth chapel stops—standing right in front of him, eyes narrowing, her serious face on. “You’re not your uncle. You’re nothing like him. You’re good.”
Rick lets out a shaky breath because it’s six in the morning and he wasn’t expecting a whole emotional response this early in his day. “Right. Thanks.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know you are.” Beth doesn’t say things she doesn’t mean—not to Rick. Not when she has her serious face on.
They go to pick up Yolanda and It’s not something they usually did but Courtney wanted them to meet up before school at the Pig Stop to regroup and reasses. Beth wore her rainbow necklace today and a soft Yellow sweater that reminded him of The color of his cape. Yolanda looked like she barely got any more sleep than Rick. Her braids were freshly done and pulled away from her face.
Yolanda’s mom gave him a long judgmental look that made his stomach tighten but otherwise didn’t say a word as Wildcat joined him and Beth on their walk to the Pit Stop.
“Sorry about my mom.” Yolanda says numbly when they are a good distance away from her yard, her eyes deep with eyebags from lack of sleep.
“It’s whatever.” Rick is used to adults not approving of him. They walk in silence , the three of them deep in their own thoughts before Yolanda speaks.
“I’m going to stop by my church.”
Beth and Rick give each other a look.
“I want to pray for Henry.”
“I think that’s a great idea Yolanda.” Beth says kindly and Rick just trails between the two, feeling too big and too tall to be anywhere near the two girls.
Yolanda splits off and heads up the direction of the church and Rick watches her go with an uncomfortable twist in his chest. “She’ll be okay.” Beth says, pulling his gaze back to her.
He walks beside the shorter girl in long silence. “I couldn’t sleep.” Beth whispers like it’s a secret. One hidden away in shame. Rick feels that deeply in his head “me too. I don’t think Yolanda slept either.”
“I can’t believe I won’t see him in school. I sit behind him in trigonometry.”
“I can’t believe he was smart enough for trigonometry.” Rick says thoughtlessly and Beth slaps his arm in shock “Rick! That’s mean!”
Rick almost says something meaner before he rewinds and decides better of it “Sorry.”
Brainwave killed his son. Someone died.
Not the first.
“Did you feel like this when Joey died?”
Beth looks at the pavement as they walk. “Joey died right in front of me. A few minutes before i almost died myself. It was really scary and I still have nightmares about it. You know that.” Beth touches her necklace in comfort. Rick watched the movement. “He was sitting next to me. He was so close and then suddenly he wasn’t. It feels like everyone’s forgotten him. His parents are gone, the school gave away his locker, his chair in class is already occupied. It feels like he didn’t even exist. Like he didn’t even matter.”
“He’s not forgotten.” Rick feels compelled to comfort Beth even though he’s pretty shit at comforting people. “I saw the early draft of the yearbook.” He had to threaten Johnny to let him see it. He refused to be in any weird group photos or any “Most Likely to’s”. he didn’t want the name Rick Harris written on the yearbook credits more than necessary. Rick spotted a picture of himself earlier in the year. Sitting across from Beth—before Yolanda—before Courtney—before the JSA when it was just the two of them sitting at a lonely table. Beth was FaceTiming her parents in the picture, a tablet propped in front of her and she was smiling and talking at them like nothing else is important. It’s fine. It’s normal. Except that Rick is in frame and you can clearly see him staring at her. Like full on staring. He couldn’t even pinpoint when this was—what conversation he was overhearing but the small smile across his mouth was unmistakable. From this angle you couldn’t see Beth’s parents, you could only see Beth smiling and the absolutely fond expression Rick is pulling. It freaks him out so much that he forces Johnny to crop it. He almost makes him scrap it all together but Beth barely has any pictures in the yearbook and taking this one away felt cruel. Nonetheless while he was inspecting the yearbook for any more incriminating pictures he finds that more than half of them feature the recently deceased Joey. His face was in nearly every page of the yearbook, proud member of many clubs and present to many school events. There’s was even a picture of him from early on in the year at the first football game, a handmade Artemis Crock poster propped proudly in his hand, glittery trans colors spreading the cardboard sign and the Crocks cheering beside him, most likely just a coincidence, decked out in school colors and wearing their daughter’s memorabilia tshirts. Mr. Crock had a hand on Joeys shoulder, shaking him most likely in excitement—A good outcome in the field that escalated his elation. Joeys smiling face was plastered in the center of the football spirit page so casually.
”He was friends with everybody and it shows. He was kind to everyone, a good dude. They were happy to have him. He’ll be remembered as someone who people genuinely liked being around. He’s left his mark on a lot of people. He’s missed.”
He doesn’t know if that helps. Beth doesn’t say anything else the rest of the way to the Pit Stop.
When Pat Dugan shows up to the shop Courtney isn’t with him, which is weird considering it was her idea to stop by before school but not nearly as weird as—“her fathers here.” Rick's face scrunches up in confusion.
“Starman’s here?” Beth blurts out. “Alive?”
“Well, then he can help.” Rick gestures towards Pat. Better late than never. Although the guy could have better timing.
“Except her fathers not Starman, alright?” Pat reveals with much emphasis in his voice. Rick looks over at Beth, even more confused. Is he missing something?
It was weird. But not nearly as weird as their school janitor showing up looking extra kooky and holding an honest to god sword In his hands. Pat tries to calm him down and Rick grabs his hourglass from the table walking in front of Beth and Pat like a shield to his sword.
Pat gestures a placating hand towards Rick, stopping the teenager in his place and so Rick looks over at Beth who makes a show of breathing. Okay. Rick follows her breathing, taking in a deep breath as well, trying to keep his nerves at bay. Rick backs off a little trying to not flip his shit.
Something passes over the janitor's face and he starts to swing his sword at them with more strength than Rick realized the scrawny janitor possessed.
“Whoa whoa whoa!” They all take a drastic step back and Beth’s frantic “bad guy bad guy!” Is what makes Rick snap at Pat who doesn’t even have a weapon on him but is in front of them both between a car and a sword.
Pat Dugan is a brave idiot.
“Stay back! It’s okay.” Pat says chillingly, keeping his eyes on the janitor. Pat keeps his hand up towards Rick as if he knew that Rick would be the one to attack if he didn’t soothe him too. Pat takes a step towards the janitor anyway “you know this freak?” Rick glares at the him, feeling on edge with how manic the man is.
“He’s no bad guy.” Pat says with deep reverence in his voice. “Take it easy. Justin it’s me.” Pat tries to get closer to the janitor, Justin, who seems to be blinking and hissing like he’s the one being attacked.
“Careful Mr. Dugan.” Beth worries and Rick is becoming frustrated with Pats placating “Let me take him.” Rick demands, gripping the hourglass.
It doesn’t seem like Pat is getting through to him until suddenly he is. Justin is dropping his weapon and collapsing on to ground in sobs—losing his composure in the face of his friends understanding voice.
Beth and Rick watch as the two seem to grieve something they’ll never understand.
Then Pat tells them that their manic high school janitor is The Shining Knight. The leader of the seven soldiers of victory. Which sounds like bullshit but not any more crazy than a giant gorilla killing his parents, or a band of supervillains living in blue valley. Ricks definition of weird has changed drastically in the last couple of weeks.
“No one is safe.” Justin says distantly and Rick agrees wholeheartedly. Probably the sanest thing he’s said all day.
It was an interesting morning. When they all sat down at their lunch table—yes, okay fine their lunch table—all four of them where pretty gloomy but specifically Courtney who had the morning with her father, who apparently isn’t Starman.
“He was just some jerk.”
“Well, my dad isn’t wildcat, but I am now.” Yolanda tries to comfort Courtney even though they had that big blow up fight earlier in the week over Henry. Henry who is now dead. It all seems trivial now.
“This is different Yolanda.” Courtney says sadly.
“How?” Yolanda frowns.
“Yeah, how?” Beth asks as well. Who also isn’t Dr. Mid-Nights Daughter. ”I never met Dr. Mid-Night but I’m the new one.”
Courtney takes in a shaky breath, clearly kicking into a speech “because the staff won’t work for me anymore, okay?”
“Well, why not?” Beth asks.
“Because it knows I’m not starmans daughter?” Which makes no sense. How did it know she was starmans daughter before?
“Courtney, the staff is stupid then.” Rick says as calmly as he can, wanting, needing, to contribute to the conversation because the girls are all concerned and comforting while Rick is just sitting there brooding and listening. He doesn’t know how to comfort her. He’s no good at that stuff but if the staff is whats making her feel this shitty then yeah, that staffs an asshole.
“No it…it’s not. I used it when I wasn’t meant to, and now I know for sure. It was my fault Henry died, and it was my fault Joey Zarick was killed.” Courtney only looks at Rick when he says this. Avoiding Beth’s eyes and not daring to look at Yolanda as she fights back tears. Rick just gapes, staring helplessly and trying to figure out why he was suddenly witnessing Courtney fall apart and having to be the one to comfort her when her two very affectionate friends are right next to her. He’s no good at that.
“I can’t have anyone else get hurt because I thought I was…because I thought I was someone I’m not.” Courtney stops talking before she breaks down more and none of them say another word. Rick feels like an asshole as he watches Courtney struggle to open the plastic container holding her salad.
“Mr. Harris, you got a 62 in our last pop quiz.” Mrs. Woods at least had the decency to pull him away after class instead of blurting out his failings in the middle of class. “Better than I thought.” Rick flippantly declares and Mrs. Woods shakes her head in disbelief “you need to take your studies more seriously Mr Harris or you’ll be left behind. Everyone in class is understanding the material except for you. Even Miss Chapel, despite you distracting her, is grasping the information in my class.”
“I’m not distracting Beth. More like the other way around.” Rick says irritably, feeling like he’s being blindsided by this conversation. He also feels like he unintentionally admitted to how distracting he finds Beth Chapel and her scented colored pens.
“How about you take this new found friendship with Chapel and let her tutor you in the areas you don’t understand.”
And it’s a good idea. Really it is. It would be helpful except he would have to admit to Beth that he’s struggling and he literally would rather fail than have her think he’s stupid. Actually, Rick thinks he’d prefer it if no one knew how badly he was failing this class.
“Whatever. Can I go?”
She gestures at him to go with a put off expression and Rick all but storms out the classroom and immediately bumps into Beth because of course.
“Did you tell her about your name change?”
“No.” Rick exasperates. “I’m not doing that. It’s too much work.”
“But it bothers you.”
“It’s fine.” Rick walks past her and she follows with shorter legs.
“It upset you when my mom called you Rick Harris.”
“It didn’t. It’s seriously not a big deal Beth.” He does not want to have this conversation.
They hold a memorial for Henry Kings death. They sit beside each other. Beth and Yolanda on either side of Courtney and Rick beside Beth— not trusting himself to be able to comfort Courtney or Yolanda if either of them start to break down. Then suddenly they are looking at Henry’s killer. Brainwave is making a speech about the tragic death of his son and Rick is simmering in his anger. He reaches for the hourglass in his pocket. A stupid move in front of all these people but he’s blinded and stunned by Brainwaves sudden presence. Rick feels Beth grab his hand. Stopping him from reaching into his pocket and causing some scene that Rick wouldn’t have been able to explain. Her hands are soft and soothing and he takes in a breath.
“Sometimes tragedies happen.” The principal says and Rick subconsciously squeezes Beth's hand, grinding his jaw painfully, wanting to hurt something but not wanting to hurt Beth.
That fire that had diminished in Courtney from Henry’s death came back after seeing his killer walking around free.
They kick started a plan. Something big was coming.
“A camping trip? I don’t know anything about a camping trip.” Beth’s Dad, James, was visibly confused as Beth carried a weirdly heavy book bag down the stairs. Yolanda had snuck out instead of making an excuse to be able to stay out. “My parents don’t check up on me. They won’t notice I’m gone.” Yolanda told them and Rick doesn’t even get questioned by his uncle when he leaves the house with packed bags.
Beth’s parents are very attentive though. So an excuse had to be made. “With the Dugan family. Remember?” Beth says like this wasn’t something they made up on the spot. “I told you last week. During FaceTime.” The FaceTimes they barely have anymore since the JSA and the ones they rarely listened to to begin with. Rick wonders how long Beth has realized that her parents don’t listen to her during their lunch breaks. How many times has she used the FaceTime excuse? “I don’t remember that. I mean-“ James Chapel looks at his wife as if to collaborate his confusion. She looks unconvinced. “-I’ve never even met Mr. Dugan or his family.”
“You’ve met Courtney.” Beth chirps easily “and you’ve met Yolanda.” And Rick wonders absently when exactly they met.
Do they hang out without him?
Oh. That’s an embarrassing thought. He shouldn’t be upset over that. Obviously they would hang out without him. They’re girls. They’re friends.
“Yes, but…” James Chapel looks at Rick for the first time since Yolanda and him knocked on the door. “...I don’t know this one.”
This one being Rick Tyler.
“That’s Rick.” Bridget and Beth say at the same time and Ricks whole face must look horrified because Yolanda is fighting back a laugh.
“That’s Beth’s friend. They are all Beth’s friends, dear.”
“But he’s…” James Chapel very openly points at Rick and hourman must make a face because suddenly Bridget is coming to his defense “Rick is a very sweet boy. He’s friends with all the girls.”
That’s a sentence Rick never expected to hear ever.
“But he’s a boy.” James chapel says looking openly confused by his wife’s suddenly easy going attitude.
“Dad!” Beth exclaims, looking just as embarrassed as Rick felt. Holy shit he should’ve stayed in the car.
“My god James. Mr and Mrs. Dugan will be there. It’s a family trip. Nothing nefarious is going to happen.” Rick wants the ground to swallow him whole. He seriously doesn’t want Beth’s parents to think he’s some creep but he definitely should’ve stayed in the car for this. Holy fuck.
“But it’s in some cabin in the woods. That’s how horror movies start dear.”
He sees the worried Chapels and without even thinking about it he swears—“I won’t let anything happen to the girls.” Then with a fierce instinct Rick adds “I’ll protect them.”
Bridget and Janes take Rick's declaration with surprised faces and with a questioning look towards each other their faces turn softer.
“You swear by it?” James' eyes meet Rick and even though Beth is protesting “-i can take care of myself dad-“ Rick meets his eyes with assurances “nothing bad will happen to your daughter. I’ll keep her safe. I swear by it.”
James seems to calm down taking his words serious and with one last long look from his wife he nods and Bridget smiles kindly at Rick which resets his brain because Beth definitely got her smile from her.
“We’ll hold you to that.”
They get to the Cabin in half the time it usually takes to get there. Pat scares the shit out of them by bringing Stripe via Autopilot.
Mike is thrilled by the whole thing and Rick is impressed by the upgrades that Pat has done since the last time he’s seen it. Justin, the janitor made an appearance and brough take out.
When they go inside Beth uses Chuck to look into Pats hunch on the frequency’s being off around Blue valley and Pat settles in a table upstairs to study his fathers journal. Pouring over the text for any clues.
“Are you reading m’lad?” Justin’s voice was much less manic than it was that morning.
“It’s my dads journal.” Rick says, tapping the journal with his unused pencil. “He was investigating the injustice society long before you were. They killed him. And my mom.”
“They sent Solomon Grundy after them. And I think that that’s because my dad found out exactly what they were doing in blue valley. And I’m betting that that secret is in here. But it’s all written in some kind of code.”
Justin leans closer to the book “I do love a good puzzle.” He stammers and Rick chuckles “Yeah. Uh…the…the equation-“ he flips to th last page “-on the last page is the key. But I’m missing a number, you see that?” He points at the page that’s been driving him mad for months now. Frustrating him to no end. “That’s all I need.”
“I’ve tried my moms birthday. My dads, mine. I don’t know what else it could be.”
“Well…all good things come in due time.” Justin says sagely but Rick shakes his head. “According to Pat, I’ve got tonight to figure it out. Less then eight hours to be exact. Do you have any ideas Justin?”
Justin stares for a long time and then—“I’m gonna go clean the bathroom.” right.
“Uh…yeah!” He reels in his irritation “have a blast.” He’s just a damn janitor. Why the hell did he think he could actually help?
He’s at it for hours. he’s been at it for months. A time crunch is only making this harder. He can’t sit still and he’s becoming extremely irritated at the idea of failing because now other people are on the line.
He glares at the book like it’s the problem and not him and he throws it against the wall.
“Having trouble?” Pat walks in during his tantrum and picks up the book off the floor.
“What do you think?” Rick rakes his fingers through his hair, it’s getting longer then it usually is. “I know there’s a number that will unlock that code.
“Tried birthdays. Then I figured my dad was Hourman so I tried: 60 seconds, 12 hours, 24. Nothing.”
“Okay. A number. What else did he care about that had a number?” Pat says simply like Rick hasn’t tried everything.
“Who the hell knows Pat? I never got to know my dad. Because of the ISA.”
“So what about his car? Is there Anything in there?”
“The car?”
“The mustang. I don’t know…I’m just-“
“-wait. The 1966 mustang.” Of fucking course. Rick does the calculation. His hands shake the further he gets into it…feeling hopeful for the first time since he got the damn book.
It’s…It’s the code. Holy shit. “That’s it.” 1966
“Rick.” Pat says in disbelief “you did it.” And the boy smiles the Pat with red eyes, looking to relieved. “You did it.” He says again, patting his shoulder in congratulations and being praised is foreign and weird that Rick just stares at the notebook unable to say anything else.
Rick in all his excitement goes to Beth who has stayed up with him more than once trying to crack this very code with him. It felt only right to tell her as he drags her up the stairs, jittery and finally excited for once. “Scan this.” He asks her, voice calm and quiet. “The formulas were the coordinates of a map for the tunnels.” He runs down the stairs. “My dad must’ve gotten down there and scoped it out.”
“I’m scanning the journal now.” Chuck projects the map into the living room and Rick feels a rush as he explains in detail exactly what they are looking at. They finally know exactly what they are fighting. They are building a machine. One connected to satellites. One that manipulate people’s minds. Big and dangerous.
“Brainwave.” Courtney says with alarm.
”So Henry’s dad can reach somebody else’s mind.” Yolanda frowns, her arms crossed.
“Millions of somebodies.” Beth says ominously.
“But why?” Courtney’s mom asks.
“Maybe those creepy guys in the tunnels were just a test run.” Rick says, recalling their robotic movements and how easily they went down.
Pat says they might be planning something big, and Courtney’s only adds fuel to that fire. “Rick is there a tunnel that STRIPE can go through?” Courtney asks and Rick provides the answer easily “yeah, the River. But don’t think I’m not coming with you.” And stupidly his oath to the Chapels rushes through him.
“I won’t let anything happen to the girls.”
And unfortunately Courtney is prone to getting her ass beat and landing in hospitals.
“No, you, Yolanda and Justin should enter from the opposite side of town.”
That doesn’t sound like Stargirl at all “you want us to split up?” He questions.
“Only to try to avoid detection. But we meet back up at the machine.”
“While you guys go and destroy the amplifier, Chuck and I can take down the computers running the show. We’ve traced the town's electrical surges to The American Dream. Chuck thinks we can access their systems from there. You know. Hack the Hackers.”
It’s not a perfect plan but it’s the only one they have and any conflicting emotions Rick has over splitting off is overtaken by just how exhausted everyone is. He gets bunked with Mike who ends up crashing out almost immediately, snuggled up next to the dog.
Beth sleeps in the big room with the girls and Mr and Mrs. Dugan pull out the bed from the couch.
Rick is too tall for the twin bed but it’s still more comfortable then the one back home which has a few loose screws and pokes at his back. This one’s firm and relatively new.
He can’t sleep despite the nice bed. He’s too amped up from cracking the code to his fathers journal and for tomorrow's mission that he ends up slipping out of the room and into the kitchen for some leftover take out.
He spots Yolanda’s dangling braids sitting on the kitchen table in front of a hot chocolate. “Can’t sleep either?”
“Yeah.” Yolanda whispers not wanting to wake up the dugans who are on the pull out couch. “Beth is a restless sleeper.” She says and Rick looks at her in sympathy. “Yeah she gets nightmares.” And Yolanda frowns.
“I didn’t know that.” Fuck, was that suppose to be a secret?
“Yeah, well, Mikes out like a light.” He recovers quickly.
“Courtney too. The second her head hit the pillow she was clocked out. It’s kinda nice.” Yolanda muses and Rick glances at the Sleeping Pair in the couch “Must be a Dugan thing.”
Yolanda nods, smiling at the loving couple. She takes a sip of her chocolate. “Good job on cracking the code by the way. I meant to say that earlier. It really saved us.”
“Thanks. I’m glad I finally figured it out.”
“I know it was weighing on you.”
Rick grimaces “yeah, it had.”
“But now…?”
“Now that I can read it and actually understand it I’m kinda afraid to. Once I read it all that’ll be it. I’ll have nothing else of my dad. I won’t have anything else to look forward to.”
“That’s not true. I’m sure Pat knows plenty of stories about your dad.”
Ricks shakes his head “No, Pat knows Hourman not Rex Tyler. He didn’t even know my dad had a kid. Didn’t know he was dead. Pat can’t help me with that. He barely knew him either.”
“He helped you with the code. Pat isn’t useless. He has unexpected knowledge sometimes.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“I usually am.”
“Whatever.” Rick rolls his eyes. “Sometimes you aren’t.”
“Name one time I was wrong.”
Rick doesn’t say anything and just gives her a long look. “Henry doesn’t count.” Yolanda says fidgeting with her mug.
“Henry was a dick.” Rick says “he did bad things. Not just to you. He actually was an asshole. He didn’t deserve to die though—his dad is the real asshole. Anybody would be upset over that. It doesn’t mean you have to forgive him for screwing you over.”
“I know.” Yolanda says quietly “I trusted him once and when he betrayed me it felt like I lost a bit of myself. When I became Wildcat I gained a bit of it back but I’ll never be the same as I was before.” never that trusting.
“We’re going to stop his dad. Before he can hurt other people like he hurt his son. Just…think about that.” Rick says and maybe he’s getting better at comforting people. Third times a charm. He might have to get used to it if the girls are going to be in the dumps like this all the time.
The next day they split up. Yolanda and Justin are trailing behind him as they enter the Tunnels, Beth in their ears via Chuck. They thought they had more time.
They didn’t. Rick flips his hourglass and all the strength he didn’t have before courses through him. 25 million people are on the line. Adults. Children’s parents will die if they don’t stop the machine in time.
Justin is frozen, trapped under Brainwaves powers. So is Pat. So is Barbara. Beth is all alone in The American Dream hacking the gambler. But then, brilliant, perfect Beth thinks of a solution. She puts a block on the tunnels, edging the two adults out of their brainwashing. Justin and Pat are free.
“After we take out this machine, I’m going after Grundy. I’m going to rip that vault door open and I’m going to kill him.” It’s the last thing he has to do. He cracked the code and now the only thing he has to do—is focus on getting his hands on his parents killer.
“You really think that’s gonna help you?” Yolanda questions him. They walk quickly through the dark tunnels, Justin leading the way with his sword.
“Yeah, I sure as hell do.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll know that that thing won’t hurt anyone else.” It’s a bigger risk to keep him alive. He’s a monster. “It won’t make another orphan.”
“But killing is wrong.” And Rick is reminded once again that Yolanda is religious.
“Says who? God?” He spits the name like it burns him. The hourglass makes all his emotions bigger and stronger and even though he’s aware he’s being condescending he doesn’t care.
“Yes.”
“Then God shouldn’t let bad things happen. Like my parents being thrown into a tree.” Yolanda doesn’t respond to that bite, looking at him like she pities him and that makes him so angry. He moves away from her. “So don’t try and stop me Yolanda.”
Swords clash and the staff lights up and in the mix of everyone fighting each other and hurting each other the ISA unleashes Solomon Grundy. No vault for Rick to unlock. No machine that he needs to stop first. He can do it now. Right fucking now.
He can fucking kill that beast.
He gets pushed against the wall. Grundy is stronger than he expects. Wilder then he expects. Pat uses STRIPE but metal is nothing to the wild beast. They fight. Rick uses his strength to gain leverage.
Barbara is hurt. Beth is hurt. Something has happened and he’s nowhere near them.
“Go, save your wife.” Rick tells Pat “you don’t need the robot to save her.” And he goes.
He has five minutes left. He has five fucking minutes to kill Grundy. And he punches, letting them out at full strength. Angry and pent up and vengeful in a way only a real monster can be. Rick is a monster. He’s always known that.
He assumed Grundy was too but he isn’t fighting back. He isn’t fighting back at all and it only makes Rick angrier. He screams and he punches and he bleeds and all Grundy does is whimper and look up at him like he’s just some wounded animal.
Like he’s prey and Rick is a hunter. It makes Ricks blood boil. “Damn you! Fight back!” Rick is holding a piece of cement wall in his hand. He’s going to kill Grundy. “Fight me!” he’s going to kill him as soon as he starts fighting back.
He wanted a fight. He wanted someone he can unleash his rage on and not feel like shit about it. How else is he supposed to get rid of all this anger he feels? The anger that’s ruined and infected his life.
It’s unfair.
He hears Yolanda in his head telling him murder is wrong. He hears Beth being hurt somewhere else. He’s being stupid. Wasting his hour on this when he should be helping the team. when his team fucking needs him. Rick feels shame for not even making sure Yolanda made it out. He feels disgusted with himself for hearing Beth get hurt over the coms and not going to her aid. He feels like a fucking monster for letting Pat go alone to help his wife.
“You stupid animal!” Rick screams, more at himself than the beast. Angry and frustrated. “You stupid animal!” This time aimed at Grundy.
He screams and he's throwing the debris out of the way. He gets off the monster and he lets him get up.
“Go on! get outta here! And never come back!” And Grundy looks back at him, almost questioning his mercy before he walks away.
“You spared the beast.” He can hear the disbelief in Justin’s voice. Rick clamps up “Whatever, my hour was up.” And it was.
He’s no use to anyone now. Not even to his team.
“Beth!” When he spots the frazzled girl running out of The American Dream building he’s relieved to see she has no visible bruises.
“Rick! Are you okay?” Her frantic voice matches the concern on her face as she takes in his injuries from fighting Grundy.
“I’m fine.” He says quickly “where’s Yolanda?”
She points up at the fight between Icicle and Stargirl. Barbara and Pat are literally dangling off the roof and Icicle has Courtney pinned. She falls and Rick reaches for Beth to—he doesn’t know—cover her eyes? Shield her from the fall? He’s not sure but he has no more hour to give and can’t catch Courtney even if he wanted to.
He doesn’t have to. Yolanda leaps after her and catches her mid flight like some superhero.
She is a superhero. Rick has to remind himself.
She lands on her feet. Wildcat always does. Icicle is thrown across the pavilion and just as Stargirl and Wildcat are hugging each other, relieved that the other is okay, icicle stands from his spot, half iced.
Mike Dugan saves all their asses with his crazy ass driving. Running the man over like some cartoon character. Rick lets out the loudest sigh of relief and reminds himself to never let that kid drive.
“Does this mean I can be part of the JSA?” He says cheerfully and his dog barks in confidence.
Rick looks around to the people around him and for the first time ever voluntarily pulls them all into a hug. He pulls Beth closer, feeling warm and he reaches for Yolanda with a gentleness he only ever has after he’s used up his hourglass and is left tired. Courtney buried herself between the two girls and he can smell all their shampoos, sharing the same one from the cabin.
He finds comfort in it. In knowing his girls are safe and right here with him. “Sorry for being a dick.” He says outloud into the group hug, to all of them but mostly to Yolanda who got the bad end of his anger.
“You’re okay.” Yolanda says easily like it’s not a big deal. Her easy forgiveness makes him want to cave into himself because he doesn’t deserve it but he lets them hold on to him for a few seconds longer than really necessary.
When Beth’s mom opened the door she smiles at her daughter, she was in the middle of getting dressed. Shoes off and putting on her earrings blindly. “Hello Beth how was the camp—“ her eyes widen when she looks at Rick.
He tried to clean up as best as he could but he was pretty banged up and had a few cuts on his face that looked pretty harsh. “—Rick. What happened?” Bridget Chapels voice was unexpectedly soft and Rick’s throat goes dry. “It’s no big deal.”
“I’m a doctor, I'll tell you what is or isn’t a big deal.” Bridget pulls him into her home, forcing him to sit on their expensive furniture and fall victim to her hospitality. Rick isn’t used to being worried about so when she pulls out her home first aid kit and starts fussing over him like a mom…Well…he feels a bit emotional. Because he misses his mom. She used to fuss just like this when he got scraped knees or small cuts from playing in the woods.
Bridget Chapel was gentle and kind and she was silent as she cleaned Ricks wounds and dressed them properly. “Are there any injuries I can’t see?”
“No.” Yes.
Bridget sighs like she knows he’s lying. “Is your uncle home? I’d like to speak with him. I'm sure he knows how to dress injuries but you might need stitches and he needs to take you to the hospital.”
“I don’t know if he’s home. Can’t you just do it now?”
“I don’t have the tools here. Rick how did this happen?”
“A beast.”
“A bear?” Bridget says in alarm eyes going wide like saucers. “Is Beth okay? The others?”
“Yeah, they’re good. I protected them. Like I said.”
Bridget’s eyes go mush and Rick feels like he’s said too much but then she’s pulling him into a hug. “You’re a very sweet boy Rick. I’m very sorry for how I acted the first time you came around.”
“Uh-I-it’s okay. I get it. People in this town like to think the worst.”
“I shouldn’t have thought the worst. You were making sure our Beth was safe. I’m sorry.” Bridget chapel looks passed his head, maybe towards Beth who had come down from dropping off her things in her room.
Afterwards it feels almost surreal to go to school. They look out at the football field where the satellite had been hooked up to and was brainwashing the town and it’s like it never happened. Gone like the wind. Any evidence tucked away.
“Look at that. It’s like it never even happened.” Courtney says distantly.
“Not really.” Rick says, talking around a bruised face. Courtney and him look like shit. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” He says and he actually means it. Bridget Chapel did a good job at fixing him up.
They look back at Yolanda and Beth who are both looking grim and distant and have been since everything happened.
“Hey, we'll fix the goggles Beth. Somehow we’ll fix them.” Courtney says and Rick looks between the two, trying to figure out how to comfort Beth. She’s been pretty heartbroken since the loss of her goggles. They had fallen victim to Icicles powers and put them in Fritz, practically killing Chuck.
“It’s not them Courtney. It’s him. It’s Chuck.” Beth looks so sad and Rick really kicks it up a notch.
“Well then we’ll get him up and running, Beth.” and with a quieter-gentler voice “Okay?” He says only looking at Beth, willing her to believe him. “Right Yolanda?” He glances over at Yolanda who seems to be in her own head, physically apart from them.
“Yeah, sure.” She nods placatingly smiling at Beth and he knows she isn’t okay so he appreciates her still trying for Beth’s sake.
Beth Chapel smiles, still sad but letting them assure her. Letting them be her friends. Rick thinks he might have this whole Comforting thing down pat.
They go to the parking lot to say goodbye to Justin who has his own journey to start. The guy was super weird but Pat seems to be close to him and so they all huddle to wish him good luck.
“You got any plans for Christmas?” Rick asks Yolanda glancing at Beth and Courtney who are talking animatedly to Barbara.
“Just to stay in my room and avoid snide remarks from my parents during Christmas dinner about how I’ve fallen into sin. The usual.”
“That sounds riveting. Truly bonding. You think you’ll have time in your fun pact event to go to The Dugans Christmas dinner?”
Yolanda shrugs “I don’t know. I was thinking about it but I don’t really wanna be a downer.”
Rick makes a halfhearted noise “Courtney wants you there. She wouldn’t have invited you if she didn’t.”
Yolanda frowns looking unconvinced.
Rick sighs “I would like you there.” And he knows he said the right thing when Yolanda looks at him In surprise.
“Functional loving families make me uncomfortable—I never know how to act without being a weird little orphan. You can be my buffer.”
“Because I also have a dysfunctional home life and would relate to the uncomfortableness?”
“Exactly that. You get it.” Rick says with a snap of his finger and points at her teasingly.
“You’re such an ass. Is that why you were so weird with the Chapels?”
“I feel like the Chapels were being mutually weird. Am I crazy to think that?”
“No, no you’re not crazy, they were weird when they met me too. I think they just aren’t used to Beth having friends over or her having other things going on.”
“Well I’m not used to having friends or meeting their parents.” He wants Beth’s parents to like him so much that it’s a bit embarrassing. The ‘no, sirs’ and ‘no, ma’am’s’ feels like a desperate attempt at their approval.
“Did my ears deceive me?” Yolanda’s voice goes high pitched soaking in humor.
“Huh?”
“Guys!” Yolanda waves the girls over to them “Rick just called us his friends.”
Oh god. Rick glares at Yolanda like the traitor she is.
“Did he really?” Courtney said excitedly and Beth pulled the sun through her teeth, shining a rah of sunshine at his face with her smile.
“No. I didn’t.” Rick frowns, crossing his arms defensively, feeling his face go hot—not with anger, with something else.
“He so did. Unprompted and everything. It was beautiful.” Yolanda gushes.
“You guys suck.”
“I’m so proud of you Rick.” Courtney coos.
“I take it back. You guys are annoying.”
“If you didn’t say it then why would you take it back?” Beth pulls at his jacket and Rick is so fond he just sighs and rolls his eyes allowing his defeat.
“It’s okay Rick. You’re obviously our friend too.”
“Whatever.”
“You're really not gonna say it back?” Yolanda smacks his arm with a mocking smile.
“I'm never being nice to any of you again.” But when they sit in their cafeteria table he accepts Beth’s extra lunch with a thank you and compliments Yolanda's hair without prompting and when Courtney says she’s worried about the ISA not being gone he volunteers to patrol with her at night.
They all trickle out of the round 5 by 5 table one by one as the bell rings to dismiss them from lunch period and he looks back at the now empty table and can finally admit that it’s not just his table anymore. Probably never was.
He doesn’t mind sharing with his friends.