Ultimatum (2/2)

“Sorry for being late; the traffic was crazy.” Jonah called from his newly created portal.

“I would have taken him down far faster.” Kendra Saunders said instead of engaging with his joke.

Taking her comment as an invitation, Jonah stepped into Kendra’s metropolis apartment. He had never been inside her civilian home before, and what struck him the most was how spartan it was. Few pieces of furniture, pale walls, and no personal touches. Honestly, it reminded him of his apartment not too long ago. If he were to explore the apartment more closely, he would eventually discover a large trunk in her closet that contained many personal effects from years prior. All locked away and hidden from sight.

“You have beat him in combat, but I doubt you would have managed as many quality quips.”

“The footage had no audio, so I guess we’ll never know.” Kendra retorted. She was standing in her living room expectantly. She placed her hands on her cocked hips in a confident pose. A short-length gold summer dress complimented her slim waist and toned limbs.

“We can discuss the finer points of my inadequacy over dinner. You can point out every flaw and misstep I have made. You look absolutely radiant, by the way.”

“Ok, champ, let's save the sweet talk for later.” Kendra’s faux stern look melted away. She kissed Jonah on the cheek and whispered, “This better be a good date because my sleep schedule is already messed up as it is with monitor duty, and now you drag me away in the middle of the night.”

“Well, I hope you got a good sleep-in because I plan on tiring you out as much as possible.”

“Really? And here I thought you were a gentleman.” Kendra teased.

“Not like that. Besides, I am a gentleman. Here, let me get the door for you.” Jonah opened a portal to an unknown destination and raised his hand to Kendra.

Kendra delicately grabbed his hand and stepped through the portal.

Hawkgirl’s caramel skin was instantly warmed by the beating sun and the cool breeze of a foreign destination. She could hear the sound of crashing waves, feel long grass tickle her feet from her open-toed shoes, and see an open park filled with people stretched out before her. Jonah had ported them behind a large oak tree.

“What a beautiful December day, don’t you think?” Jonah followed Kendra through the portal.

“We’re in the southern hemisphere?” Kendra asked rhetorically.

“If there’s not going to be any snow, why bother with such dreary weather? I thought that we might as well have some fun in the sun.” Jonah explained.

“It isn’t exactly what I would consider Christmas.”

“You’re showing your northern hemisphere bias here, Kendra.”

“What? I’m American, so what if I wish for a white Christmas every year?”

“Let’s try a gold Christmas, why don’t we?”

“Fine.” Kendra relented with a fake eye roll.

The area where Jonah had brought the two was a large grass part dotted with large trees. There were many smooth paved footpaths that crisscrossed the park but eventually led to the golden sand beach, which bordered the park in a long crescent spreading down the coast. Individuals ran and walked on the sand and grass, but groups congregated under the trees or around stationary BBQ stations.

“Jonah! Jonah over here.” A voice called out across the park. Soon enough, the source of the call jogged towards the couple. He was a young man with messy blonde hair and an open floral shirt. “So glad you could make it, mate. I was worried you’d gone back to the States.”

“Of course, Ronnie. Wouldn’t miss a traditional Australian beach BBQ for anything.” Jonah replied to the dude with a bright smile.

“And who’s this fine shela you’ve brought with you?”

“This is Kendra.” Jonah beamed, wrapping an arm over Kendra’s back “She’s my-”

“I’m his personal trainer.” Kendra shook Ronnie’s hand extra tight.

Ronnie looked Kendra up and down like a dog making a new friend. “I can see that, mate. Bet she runs you ragged.”

“You have no idea.” Jonah shook his head.

“Bloody right, too.” Ronnie chuckled and pointed to a gathering of similar freewheeling folks. “Me and the misses have parked ourselves over there. Help yourself to some food. I’m heading to the servo, but when I’m back, I expect to play some cornhole. And I want her on my team.”

As fast as he arrived, Ronnie left. Running towards the park’s parking lot.

“Two questions,” Kendra said to Jonah as they approached the BBQ. “Where are we, and how does Jonah know that guy?”

“First of all, we are in Perth.” Jonah paused “Australia.”

“I gathered as much.”

“Secondly, I met Ronnie the other week while I was on a walk.” Jonah explained.

“Hell of a stroll.”

“You would do the same in my position.” Jonah stealthily slipped his hand into Kendra’s “Besides, I was walking the streets of Perth. Pretty lost if I'm being honest with you. And right in front of me, I see this guy.”

“Ronnie?”

“Ronnie. Getting mugged. Broad daylight and everything. I don’t know what came over me, but I just dove in and helped him.”

“You shouldn’t sound surprised. You are a hero, after all.” Kendra squeezed his hand.

“Porter is. I’m just…me.” Jonah paused again and quickly returned to a lighter tone. “Turns out Ronnie is actually a really chill guy. He wanted to thank me for helping him, so he bought me a drink, and we got to chatting. Of course, I didn’t mention how I had gotten to Australia, but he wasn’t too interested in pushing me for details. He said if I was still in town, I should come to his family's BBQ and thought, what the heck, Kendra would like that.”

“I appreciate you thinking of me.”

“I just imagined you sitting all alone cold on the Watchtower and knew you needed to have some fun.” Jonah joked. Kendra’s face fell, and he knew he shouldn’t have said anything about being alone. “So here we are. Fun in the sun!”

“Fun in the sun.” Kendra managed to repair her smile for his benefit. The effects of the comment would pass, but it still stung.

The fun that was happening in the sun was that of your standard summer BBQ with an Australian fair. Various ages were present, each participating in good eats and good fun. Most of the people there were either friends or family of Ronnie’s. As a pillar of his community, Jonah and Kendra were quickly welcomed on mention of Ronnie’s name.

The grill the party was centered around was long and set on a concrete table. Its clean metal cover housed a thermometer on the outside. Jonah was quick to peruse the food options available to him. The current grill master was an older man with wispy white hair and the same wild smile that many of the revealers shared. With a beer in one hand and a set of tongs in the other, the man pointed out all good eats to his new American friend.

Sausage, chicken skewers, prawns, and veggie patties were loaded next to each other and portioned out to whoever wanted it. Organized on a nearby picnic table was what Jonah would call 'the fixins.' Bread buns, chips, grilled vegetables, sauces, and salad.

Jonah loaded up a plate for himself and Kendra. A sausage sandwich and beer to start with the promise of more later. He found her talking amongst a group of children. The young girls had taken an interest in the stranger and requested her to join in their soccer game.

“Sorry, ladies.” Jonah addressed the small crowd. “Kendra’s got to eat first. She can play soccer with y’all later.”

“Thanks for that,” Kendra said with a sigh of relief.

“That bad?” Jonah asked, handing Kendra her plate.

“No, no, they were fine. I’m just not great with kids.”

“That surprises me.” Jonah said between bites of sausage and bread. “You do great with Flash, and he’s very childish.”

“I don’t know, I used to be fine with them. It just feels different now. Like I’m scared of them.”

“You scared of kids?” Jonah was surprised by her answer, “I didn’t think you were scared of anything.”

“More like scared of how I’ll influence them.”

“You shouldn’t be worried about that.” Jonah placed a comforting hand on Kendra’s shoulder. “Millions of kids already look up to you as the strongest woman in the Justice League. You’ve already had a positive impact on them.”

“You really think so?”

“That you’re the strongest woman in the Justice League? Absolutely!” Jonah awkwardly kicked a soccer ball back to the playing children. “Wonder Woman is no pushover, but I’m far more afraid of you.”

Kendra cracked a smile. “You better be. Now, what did you get for me to eat.”

“Your favorite: protein.”

The festivity of the Christmas BBQ was too erratic and friendly to remain constrained to its boundaries. The park and beach became an open playground for all present. Other groups had decided to have their own parties on that day and time. Their presence did not diminish the fun but increased it as friendly neighbors merged and entangled each other. As promised, Ronnie returned from the Servo with more supplies, and the two couples played a rousing game or two of cornhole. Kendra and Ronnie proved the superior pitchers over Jonah and Mrs. Ronnie. A fact that Kendra took great pleasure in reminding Jonah as afternoon turned into evening.

One event that particularly captivated Kendra was the surfing Santas. Men dressed as Father Christmas rode the waves as if they were bounding over snow dunes in a sleigh.

“You can live a hundred lifetimes and still see new sights.” Kendra laughed while sitting on a bench by the sand.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Replied Jonah. “You haven’t brought up your other lives in a while.”

“Perhaps they aren’t as omnipresent as I let on.”

“Maybe they are letting you live your own life.” Jonah scooched closer to the woman. His hands sweated not from the sun but from closeness. She looked so beautiful in the golden sunset. It felt like a dream that she was here with him.

“I really appreciate you bringing me here, Jonah.” Kendra leaned her head onto Jonah’s shoulder, finding comfort in the crook of his neck. “I’m afraid you were right.”

Jonah rubbed his thumb over their clasped hands reassuringly.

“I don’t want to spend Christmas alone. I haven’t been this alone since before I met Carter, and now he’s gone.”

“It's ok, I understand.” Jonah turned Kendra’s face so that he could look deep into her eyes. “There are people out there who love you, Kendra. I would know; I’ve met many of them. You just have to reach out, and they’ll join you. You've helped many people; you deserve a little help here and there.”

“Thanks, I just-”

“Hey, lads! Check out this backflip.” Ronnie called to no one in particular.

“Do you want to go somewhere a little more private, perchance?”

“That would be wonderful.” Kendra leaned in and gave a Jonah soft kiss. “You always seem to know where I need to go.”

After bidding Ronnie and his clan farewell, Jonah guided Kendra through another one of his portals. The invisible membrane of the doorway instantly quieted the hustle and bustle of the suburban beach. Replacing the loud sounds of merriment were the hushed sounds of nature. Bushes rustled in the wind, and the distant sound of unseen animals chirped as they made their way through the Australian bush.

Kendra looked at the open plain before her and took in its beauty. She took a deep breath of dusty, fresh air and relaxed. She didn’t realize the tension she had been wrapping herself in until it was gone.

It seemed to the naked eye that the red earth of the area around them would go on forever. The inky black night that had covered the sky and the absence of artificial lighting made it seem that this was the only place on Earth. Jonah wished that he could take to the sky like Kendra could and see the world through her eyes. What secrets did the world hide from the terrestrial view?

“Look! It's our lucky day; somebody poor hiker has left a perfectly good blanket here on the ground with a bottle of wine and two glasses.” Jonah pointed to what was obviously prearranged by him.

Kendra sat on the wool blanket spread neatly over the cleared rocky terrain. She let him drape a coat over her shoulders. The temperature quickly dropped when the sunset and night rose over the Australian bush.

The two sat and chatted for quite some time underneath the veil of darkness. They chatted about small and big things, but most importantly, they spoke freely. The life of the hero is one of a double life. The difference between a hero and a civilian is stark when you cannot tell anybody that there is a difference. The strangers on the street and the associates of civilian life cannot know that you are superpowered. They would treat you as if you weren’t even human anymore. As a hero, society at large cannot know your true identity lest you are prepared to have intrusions dominate your peaceful life.

This is the problem that all superheroes have to face, but Kendra and Jonah must endure it doubly so. Kendra’s previous lives complicate her relationships and identity. Jonah because he still has so many secrets to keep.

“I can’t stop looking at the stars.” Jonah muttered, his gaze transfixed to the sky.

“They are beautiful, aren’t they.”

“I always detested the desert.” Jonah admitted, the bright moon pulling at his heart. “When I was a kid, it felt so empty, so barren. It was a lifeless void that I was tossed into before I could choose. Before I had any control over my life.”

“The desert? What do you mean?” Kendra asked quietly.

“Reno, Vegas, Carson. Disgusting concrete scars cutting through what was supposed to be pristine emptiness.” Jonah continued as if he never heard her. He pushed his thumb hard into his palm, leaving a red mark. “I held so much hate for that place. You know I still haven’t been back? I have the power to go anywhere in the world at my fingertips, and I’m too afraid to go back to some stupid, barely populated wasteland.”

“You’ve always been able to leave. You had the power.”

“No. You don’t understand.” Jonah stood up and raised his head to the sky. He was trying to find answers in the sky where there was none to be found. In the dark pool of night, all he could find was a portal to his own soul. “I’ve never had control.”

“You don’t have to be scared anymore.” Kendra rose to stand beside him. “You’re safe.”

“It was unfair of me to treat the desert like that. I can see that now. The desert isn’t empty; only the strongest can survive.” Jonah pushed his thumb deeper into his palm, a small trickle of blood flowing from where his sharp nail pierced his skin. “But I don’t want to be a desert rose. I don’t want to survive despite the odds.”

“Look at me.” Kendra could only see Jonah’s profile reflecting the full moonlight.

“I can’t go back.” Jonah turned his face, his eyes large and wet from restrained tears.

“Jonah, talk to me,” Kendra said firmly, grabbing his hand, preventing him from hurting himself more.

“Promise me, Kendra Saunders.” Jonah enclosed his hands around one of hers. He looked her straight in the eyes and pleaded like she herself was a celestial object. “Promise me you won't let me become the man I used to be.”

“Oh, Jonah.” Kendra wiped a tear away from his cheek, feeling the way he reacted so tenderly to her touch. A part of her still couldn’t let go. That loud part of her that knew that, deep down, Jonah was still hiding something. “I can’t do that.”

“No, of course.” Jonah’s voice shook with the words that confirmed his worst instincts. He stepped away from Kendra, kicking dust onto their blanket. “It was stupid of me to ask.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Kendra took a step to follow him but stopped herself. “You still don’t trust me.”

“God, I’ve been so stupid.” Jonah turned away from Kendra and wrapped his arms around himself.

“Jonah…”

“I shouldn’t have dealt in half measures. I can’t have it both ways.” Jonah muttered to himself. He was not even sure what he meant. What was the mistake, and was it the right path? “

“I get I’m supposed to be the stoic one, but I can tell you’re holding back. That you’ve been holding back this entire time.” Kendra kept a safe distance from Jonah. With Carter, it was like she could read his mind, but he was different. She was afraid to touch Jonah again. Despite the strength she knew he possessed, He looked so fragile.

“You can’t have your cake Jonah,” he said mockingly like he was summoning a voice from too many years ago.

“Look.” Kendra took a deep breath and prepared for the hard conversation. Gods, this was scarier than battle, but she had to be the brave one. She was always the brave one. “I know about the other women.”

Jonah whipped around, his face pale with a look of disarming fear.

“I’m not one to condemn casual sex. But If we are to be anything serious, I need your assurance that your focus is on me.”

“What sort of man do you think I am?” Jonah’s fear had subsided, but his tone was still deadly serious.

“I don’t know! That’s the whole point.” It was Kendra’s turn to walk away, finding her own corner of the clearing. “I think I know the real you, but then I hear all these things about you. Gossip travels fast on the Watchtower, and you aren’t as slick as you think.”

“It's not like that. We were just having fun. I know that they know that.” Jonah followed Kendra, **** to get his message across. “With you, it's different.”

“I’m not that type of woman,” Kendra affirmed decisively by jutting her finger strongly into Jonah’s chest.

“You aren’t. The time I’ve spent with you. It's special, God’s honest truth.”

“I believe you,” Kendra said with a small voice as if she needed to believe it. She paced a large circle around the clearing, nervously fingering the spot where her mace would normally be holstered. She suddenly turned and declared: “Jonah Richardson if our relationship is to continue, you must stop seeing those women, and you must promise to be completely honest with me.”

The ultimatum hung in the air like a storm cloud threatening to erupt and overflow the arid plain. In the silence, animals and insects chirped with hidden nocturnal activity. Jonah was stunned but not surprised.

It was always going to come to this. He couldn’t have his cake and eat it too. When he was younger, his mother would say, ‘Jonah in life, you can’t always have your cake or eat it.’ He was so focused on getting anything he wanted that he hadn’t stopped to decide what he needed. He needed control, and he needed love.

A sickeningly familiar feeling engulfed him. Jonah was cornered. An animal was always most dangerous when trapped. He had deluded himself for so long that he couldn’t even recognize the house of cards about to crash down on him. His heart beat so heavily in his chest that he barely heard his thoughts. His hair stood on its ends, and a shiver covered his body. He felt the temperature drop and was keenly aware of his surroundings. He felt he could tune into the bush and be one with the animals.

Somewhere far behind him, a desert mouse scuttled underneath the tangled vegetation. It scrambled and dug for the respite of food and water, but none was to be found. In the desert, every meal is a struggle. When you eat, you eat. However, eventually, you hit your limit and cannot run any longer. When that happens, you will become the **** moral of another. Slinking above the vegetation is a long-limbed canine. Its long tongue wags silently in the night air. It can taste its prey and smell its fear.

Strike or flee. Mouse, dog, or man. Who was he really?