Porter: Year One

Looking back, Jonah was confident that his first year with Kendra was one of the best in his life. That is not to say it did not have its fair share of difficulties, but when compared to the agony of his life before, nothing would ever compare. The love he felt was overwhelming and scary. He would hide the intensity of his emotions within himself, but he always felt the driving desire to prove himself.

It did not take long for the superhero community and the wider public to figure out that Porter and Hawkgirl were an item. Most were happy for them, but regardless, he had big shoes to fill. Hawkman was a pillar of the community and legacy personified. Some questioned the speed at which Hawkgirl seemed to move on. They saw Jonah as lecherous or ignoble for courting a widow. These people couldn’t be further from the truth; Kendra’s relationship with her ex-husband, while true and filled with love, was unique. Kendra mourned his **** in her own way but was strong in her convictions that she would see Carter again. For many years, she would still grapple with the grief she held, but it did not preclude her from loving again. Jonah would help her cope as best he could.

Jonah had no interest in pushing Kendra further than she wanted to go. The beginnings of their relationship were slow at first but quickly increased in pace. Both bore witness to life's cruelties and knew a good thing when they saw it. The hardest part was accepting that they deserved something so different.

On the battlefields of justice, Porter and Hawkgirl cut a terrifying team to the enemies of the Justice League. Even-handed and sly when deployed on his own, when deployed with a warrior like Hawkgirl, Porter’s darker streak came out. The Justice League often needed to safeguard humanity from inhuman threats. Porter took his vow against killing humans seriously and was never a truly violent being, but he surprised even himself with the depths of his survival instinct. With Hawkgirl’s martial prowess and Porter’s support, they cleaved through robots, demons, and monsters. A partnership in life and work.

Despite his accomplishments on the battlefield, Jonah was still not considered a full member of the Justice League. His background was too dubious for an expedited application, but the strength of his recommendations almost guaranteed his acceptance. There was only one thing left to reveal. He did it first to his love, but he still had to face the Trinity.

“It’ll be fine,” Kendra reassured Jonah before meeting with the Trinity.

“I lied to them; they’re going to be mad.” Jonah replied as Kendra plucked at his Porter customer. There wasn’t much to fuss with since it was rather formfitting.

“The Justice League is a free association of superheroes. You had every right to withhold private information. Your girlfriend, on the other hand…” Kendra finished her threat with a harsh pinch on his side.

“Ow. I get it. I already apologized, didn’t I?”

“That you did, with gusto.” Kendra bit her lip, remembering the things Jonah did to repent for his secret-keeping.

“I hope they see it that way.” Jonah said, referring to his right to privacy.

“They’re not going to be mad,” Kendra repeated.

“What if they are.”

“They aren’t.”

“What if Superman gets so mad that he squishes my head and kills me?”

“He won’t do that,” Kendra said. “Wonder Woman might.”

Jonah looked legitimately scared for a second before Kendra laughed and rubbed his shoulder. “Just get in there, soldier. If they kill you, I’ll avenge your **** threefold.”

“Promise?”

Kendra gave him a quick peek on the cheek where his mask was open. “Of course, mi amor.”

With a firm shove from behind, Jonah was ushered into one of the Watchtower’s most secure meeting rooms. The deep shadows and the space-viewing windows warped the light that shined above, making the room’s floor plan difficult to understand. A raised table with three chairs was in the back center of the room. Already seated were Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman.

“Porter, welcome.” Wonder Woman began.

“It is nice to see you in good health, young man.” Superman’s voice was a bright spot in the dark room.

“Thank you, sir.” Jonah said, unsure of the level of formality was appropriate.

“I wish not to waste anyone’s time, so shall we start with the proceedings?” Wonder Woman continued. Superman and Batman responded with nods. “We are here to review the application of one Jonah Richardson aka Porter for a position on the Justice League.

“Before we get started. Jonah interjected. “If I may, I have something I wish to say.”

“That is perfectly alright, son.” The Man of Steel responded cooly.

“It's, well. About what I told you when I first arrived on your earth.” Jonah removed his mask, showing his full human face. “I told you that I was a refugee fleeing an oppressive earth, and that was all true. But I lied about the nature of my powers.”

“Why would you lie about such a thing?” The Princess asked.

“I was afraid. I didn’t lie about the state of my earth. I couldn’t trust you. But over the past year or so, I’ve learned to trust.”

“A nice story.” Said the Dark Knight. The statement elicited a side eye from Superman.

“The truth is that I don’t have teleportation powers as Derek Ja- Sideways did. I have his powers.”

“What do you mean by that.” Wonder Woman’s professional tone gained a sharp edge to it.

“On my earth, they called me Deadringer. I can copy people’s powers for a short time, or I can copy a dying man’s powers permanently. There are certain rules and imitations, but my powers come from imitation. I was stripped of my stored powers on the battlefield on that alien planet. I witnessed Derek’s **** with my own eyes. I was ****, so I took his powers.”

“You should have told us sooner. That is quite the boon to have.” Wonder Woman said after a protracted silence.

“I wished you would have trusted us, son, but I can’t say I don’t understand. We all have our secrets.” Superman once again glanced at Batman, who remained silent.

Jonah released a breath of relief. “Thank you. I was so worried that you would be mad.”

“Jury’s not out yet,” Batman added firmly.

“Of course. If this changes your position on my application, I completely understand. That’s why I had to tell you now.”

“It's definitely given us much to think about, but personally, I would like to judge the man you are now Jonah Richardson.” Wonder Woman leaned forward with a slight smile and a discerning eye.

“Yes, we shall move on for now,” Superman suggested.

“Porter.” Wonder Woman began. “We’ve been keeping track of your accomplishments over the past year in order to ascertain your ability to join the League as a full-time member. I apologize for the slowness of this procedure, but, as you previously noted, you are not of this earth.”

“We don’t discriminate against aliens or outsiders,” Superman added, eager to dissuade any hypocrisy.

“Correct, but most of our local initiates have been watched one way or another for longer. We have access to a longer record of actions and history for our background checks than we would for you.”

“Do not interpret that previous statement as an indication that your background check was anything but thorough,” Batman growled with implied threat.

“You’re a popular man Jonah,” Superman said.

“It’s been verified,” Batman added.

“What Batman means is that we’ve noticed that you’ve made many social connections within the League already.” Superman steered his words away from Batman’s, but Jonah knew what the Dark Knight meant. He had eyes everywhere. The reason for his sexual popularity was unknown to him, but its existence was noted. “Strong friendships and other relationships show that you have integrated well with the community and have proven yourself worthy to them already. We even have letters of recommendation from two of Batman’s protegees.”

“However, the Justice League isn’t a popularity contest, nor is popularity a requirement for membership.” Wonder Woman added.

“We’ve investigated your actions and patrols in Star City, and we find them thoroughly heroic,” Superman said with a smile that indicated that a joke was in that sentence somewhere. “While your interactions with local officials seem brusque, everybody has their own styles.”

“And then there’s your accomplishments on the battlefield.” Wonder Woman, a warrior at heart, held up a stack of papers. “Reading these made it seem that you are far more of a warrior than I expected.”

“I appreciate your sentiment, but I can’t agree with you. I’m no warrior. I’m no soldier. I do what I have to.” Jonah admitted.

“Then why do you volunteer for such missions?”

“Don’t tell her I said this, but it's because of Hawkgirl. I couldn’t stand the thought of her being out alone out there. No offense.” Jonah said, knowing that she was never alone on Justice League missions, even if he wasn’t there.

“Hawkgirl is a fine warrior; she doesn’t need your protection.”

“I agree with you wholeheartedly. I can’t help it.”

“I understand the desire,” Superman said with a knowing smile. I warn you of the dangers of such thoughts. People like us who have been granted such powers have an oversized weight of responsibility. When it seems like you can be everywhere at once, you are at risk of being pulled apart.”

The Trinity continued to review Jonah file and life for some time afterward. The questions ranged from details about particular events to general questions about Jonah’s ideals and ideology. Jonah felt like he answered them fine, but the longer he spent under the microscope of the three most powerful people on the planet, the more concerned he became. His palms became clammy, and the beating of his heart almost overtook him.

“Relax, son. That was the last question.” Big Blue said with a knowing, super-visionary look.

Jonah did, in fact, relax. He eased his tense shoulders and wiped his palms against his legs.

“There is only one test left for you, Porter. A sort of psychological evaluation.” Wonder Woman said.

A flash of panic erupted through Jonah’s chest, and he hoped the red heat did not travel to his face. “What would that entail?”

“Well, you have two options. I could use my Lasso of Truth, and we would ask more probing questions. Second is that we have a telepath to investigate your trustworthiness herself.”

“Or neither.” Superman interjected, “This part of the evaluation is completely optional.”

“But my refusal will be included in the final deliberation.” Jonah insinuated the true cost of his refusal. He noticed Wonder Woman’s use of female pronouns. “I’ll take the telepath if you don’t mind. I have a thing about being tied up.”

Batman wordlessly pressed a button on his intercom. He made no sound or indication to the device, but merely activating it was enough because soon after, a door in the back of the room opened, and a timid redhead entered.

Jonah breathed a sigh of relief. For a second, he was worried that it was Omen. That would have made things much more complicated, but he was wrong. He tried to hide his smile as his friend Miss Martian approached him.

Miss Martian was a legacy hero in good standing with the Justice League. She was well-trusted and honorable. If Jonah was anybody else, M’gann wouldn’t even consider allowing friendship to get in the way of her duties. But Jonah wasn’t just anybody.

“Do I have your consent to touch your head and enter your mind, Porter?” Miss Martian asked professionally.

“Yes, I give my consent.” Jonah replied.

“Then I will begin immediately.” Miss Martian asked after receiving an approving nod from Wonder Woman.

Jonah felt the reassuring and familiar touch of M’gann’s psyche against his. He resisted the urge to copy her powers like he normally would. It was an unnecessary risk. M’gann brought them deep into Jonah’s mind palace. He felt himself lose feeling of his physical body and be completely subsumed into the non-literal consciousness.

“It's good to see you, M’gann.” Jonah said with warmth. “I was worried for a second.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” M’gann let out a deep exhale. “I thought it would be better if things played out the way the Trinity wanted.”

“Smart.” Jonah said as he studied the liminal space around them.

They were in what M’gann secretly called the ‘friendship zone.’ A psychic imagined space meant to combine two people's thoughts in visual communication as much as literal. It combined elements that were comfortable for both participants to engender friendly discourse. M’gann created it so that her friends would be more relaxed with mind reading and melding. In reality, only she and Jonah used it.

Currently, the space looked like Jonah’s apartment but was transplanted onto ground level. Out of a back, sliding down a backyard spread onto an oasis with red Martian soil and distant mountains.

“How long do you think this will take?” Jonah wandered the area. It felt strange to have no direct impact on its construction. M’gann was in full control right now.

“Shouldn’t take too long,” M’gann said while floating cross-legged. “However, if we wish to be convincing, we have to be patient.”

“Of course. No sweat off my back.” Jonah picked up a framed photo. The image captured was from a couple of months ago. The Team took a group photo after Jonah participated in a particularly colorful mission. It seemed that the junior team was slowly becoming more public, more mature, and therefore, close to disbanding in favor of the Justice League or a splinter group like the Titans.

“How’s the final interview going?” M’gann asked.

“Fine. I think.” Jonah idly poked through a hallway of doors, curious to see what M’gann had filled them with. The first one was a fancy kitchen.

“That’s good to hear. I’m sure this is just a formality anyway!” M’gann replied with characteristic optimism.

“Yeah, but it’s got me thinking. What sort of hero do I want to be?”

“What do you mean?”

“It took me a long time to figure out that I wanted to help people, that I even could help people.” Jonah faced away from M’gann as he spoke; easier that way. “Now I have to ask myself, how can I help people? What’s the best way for me?”

“That’s a hard question, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” M’gann had joined Jonah by his side and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks.” Jonah replied with a smile.

“Anytime, friend.”

“M’gann, if you don’t mind me asking. What is this?” Jonah said while peering into one of the rooms.

M’gann’s face turned a different shade of red, and waves of her embarrassment filled the mental space with an uncomfortable heat. Inside, a nearly empty room with sparse paint on the wall. In the corner, a lone baby crib stood.

“It's not what it looks like.” M’gann stammered.

Jonah gave her a look that said, ‘Just tell me already.’

“It's, uh.” M’gann let out a big sigh. “I’ve been thinking a lot about kids lately. About being a mother.”

“Aren’t you a bit young for that?” Jonah said, projecting his own feelings.

“I think you are confusing my human age for my Martian age again. While on the younger side, it wouldn’t be entirely shocking for a woman my age to have children on Mars. Besides, even your human-age peers are starting to have kids. Flash Wally West has twins on the way.”

“It’s just- it’s a big decision.” Jonah looked pale, so M’gann summoned a chair for him to sit in. “Doesn’t it scare you?”

“I think it’s supposed to be scary. But I haven’t made a decision yet!” M’gann said with a nervous laugh.

“That’s good. I mean.” Jonah reached out and held M’gann’s hand. “What I mean is that I think you’ll be a great mother someday. If you can help an immature guy like me, think of what will happen with a blank slate.”

“Thank you Jonah, that means a lot coming from you.”

“Wait.” Jonah thought for a second. “How would it work? Would you have to go back to Mars? Do you have a strapping green man waiting for you? Or white.” Jonah added on the end, still unsure about the exact nature of race relations on Mars.

“I could.” M’gann thought idly. “But I think there’s other methods. My shapeshifting is quite a flexible power. I think with some training and help from heroes like the Atom. I could extend my powers down to the molecular level. When I lose a body part, it retains its shape, so in theory, I could produce human eggs and then implant them into a surrogate womb. Alternatively, I could remain in a perfect human form for 9 months, but I would have to take a long leave of absence.”

“Wow, that’s incredible.” Jonah stated plainly. “If it works.”

“I wouldn’t do anything unless I knew it was safe for me and the baby, of course!” M’gann emphasized.

“Don’t worry.” Jonah rose so he could face M’gann properly. “And whatever you decide, I will support you 100 percent.”

“Thank you. That means a lot.”

“Of course, you’re my best friend after all.”

M’gann’s bright smile filled the space and calmed Jonah beating heart. She didn’t say anything in response, but Jonah was glad to feel that she felt the same way. You can’t hide anything in the friendship zone; it’s against the rules.

“Let’s get back to the Watchtower, shall we?” Jonah suggested, “I’m sure they are waiting for us.”

The Trinity was, in fact, waiting for them. They didn’t seem impatient or angry at the time Miss Martian spent supposedly digging through Jonah’s mind for dirt. Once returned to the material plane, Miss Martian gave the presiding heroes a simple thumbs up and made a quick exit.

“Do you need a moment, Porter? Wonder Woman asked. “I understand that such mental intrusions can be disorientating.”

Jonah feigned dizziness before saying, “It's ok. Miss Martian was quite the gentleman; she has a gentle touch.”

“Let’s move on.” Batman declared from his unnaturally shadowed seat.

“Agree. Superman, would you like to do the honors?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Superman said as he floated down to Jonah’s level. Superman was an honest, straightforward man. He liked to look people in the eyes when he spoke to them. He offered his hand and said, “Jonah Richardson, welcome to the Justice League.”

“It’s an honor, sir.” Jonah shook the man’s hand with a smile. The institutional validation filling him with radiating warmth.

Porter was now a member of the Justice League, all of the privileges and responsibilities such a position came with were now his.