Nighthawk: A Superhero Story (closed for Siobhancan99)

[Halcyon638]

By the time Monica made it home, Gabi was fast asleep. It didn’t take Monica long to join her.

She awoke to Gabi’s soft lips on her forehead. “Good morning, querida. I didn’t want to wake you up,” she said, playing with a strand of Monica’s blonde hair. “There’s breakfast on the table.”

It was going to be an eventful day, Monica realized as she started perusing the various reminders in her phone. The podcast with Townes between 7:00 and 9:00. An 11:00 meeting with Morgan Hughes.

When she arrived at her first class, Austin asked her when they could get together to study. “I’m bringing dinner. Oh, and I can also hook you up with the, uh…beverages for your Halloween party. Speaking of which…there’s going to be a big blowout Halloween thing a week from this Saturday.” Monica and Gabi’s party had tentatively been planned for a week from Friday. “I get that you guys want to do your thing, and I’m sure it’ll be great. But if you and Gabi and anyone want to go to your classic, all-out college Halloween party, you all are invited.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica rubbed her temples. Fuck the week was going to be busy. Packed night tonight, date with Gabi thursday, then maybe make it to the iguana. She'd kind of intended to maybe stay in all night and give Gabi what she knew she wanted, and frankly she wanted too. That might have to wait. Dammit. This was starting to be inconvenient but... she couldn't just stop. Great power and great responsibility and all that. Dammit.

When Austin asked if they could get together to study she racked her brain, trying to find a good night. With parents weekend being this weekend maybe Saturday night she'd stay in with Gabi... depending on what she found thursday. Fuck. Alright, so Monday... well Monday was her self imposed "no nighthawking" rule. "monday" she said to him. Honestly taking Gabi out to a big party did sound pretty great, but she needed the flexibility to be a hero depending on how involved her week was going to be. She needed to be non-commital. "You know I'd LOVE to. I'll have to see if Gabi has plans for us. You know how it is when you... oh wait you don't" she teased him and elbowed "so when you're in a relationship with someone you have to consult them and their calendar. It's this whole thing" She smiled, thinking about Gabi. Her rock. She was blessed that the girl had been supportive of her other self. If Gabi had confessed earlier she probably wouldn't have done anything like that... and Hadley would be dead. She needed to keep doing what she did. To do the things nobody else could or would do. She needed to keep Gabi happy too though.

"So yeah, We'd love that. And if you could bring a couple bottles of clear liquor to the apartment Monday that'd be great." She looked him over. Damn he was still fine. I mean, she was in a relationship she wasn't dead. Part of her said "threesome" then she pushed that thought way the fuck down, way way down where it could never surface again. hopefully. "So what are you having the most trouble with anyway?"

 

[Halcyon638]

“Monday is great.” Austin smiled. “Linear momentum and collisions just about broke my brain,” he explained. “I even went to Dr. Hu’s office hours but I think I learn better from hot blondes. Sorry. Wasn't trying to flirt or anything."

Hadley was back in Townes’s film class for the first time since her abduction, and seemed at least on the surface to be back to her normal self. “So…you and Gabi,” she said with a slight smile. “How did that start up? Was it after we all went to that club that night? By the way, if you all need couples costumes idea, I’m your girl. I’ve got a costume idea but I need to hit up some places in downtown or in Founder’s Square this Sunday in case you all want to tag along.”

At the end of class, Townes called to Monica. “We’re still on for tonight?”

 

[siobhancan99]

"um. I think it started about ... the day we met." Monica laughed softly "I just didn't know it." She set her stuff out, waiting for class to start "I confessed to a bit of a school girl crush on my psych professor and well. I guess she realized I was on the table after all. That's when she started dressing a little different and stuff." Monica pulled a can of soda from her bag and opened it "Then she made like, a special DND game for me to sort of confess how she felt. It was really sweet and nerdy and all very Gabi." She sipped at her Dr. Pepper "I mean, its all very new and uh... I mean i've never. So... yeah. I don't know what I'm doing and well. That is terrifying. absolutely terrifying." She shifted "I mean Gabi's been my best friend forever so... its kind of like.. better not fuck this up you know? Anyway. yeah. I was thinking vampires. Lets see what Gabi is thinking though. Happy wife happy life and all that."

When Townes called out she gave him the thumbs up "my girlfriend is demanding to come, you know, with all that's happened" She said as she walked down "but we are totally on for tonight."

 

[Halcyon638]

“Wow, that was a pretty baller move on Gabi’s part,” Hadley remarked. “Or at least if anything D&D-related can be considered remotely baller. Can’t say I’m super surprised after seeing her whole dance routine at Riverside.” She tapped a few keys on her phone then put it down. “I’m happy for you two. As someone who’s tried the whole ‘best friends into something else’ thing, I wish you all the luck in the world.”

Hadley nodded thoughtfully. “Vampires are a good one. It’s a classic but then you have plenty of varieties: you got your goth vamps, elegant Victorian vamps, your Count Orloks…Chinese hopping vampires. Those are my favorite, though obs not a good choice if you’re not, you know, Chinese. I think I might go as Patty Hearst this year in full Symbionese Liberation Army attire. Have to find a killer beret.”

Townes’s eyes widened slightly in suppose. “Of course,” he said. “Glad to hear it. Do you know where Leeds Hall is?” he asked, referring to the building where the music production majors did their recording. Monica had seen it but never been inside.

When Monica arrived back at her apartment after work, Gabi was on the phone. “There’s a museum downtown that’s having an art exhibit of, uh—Hopper work? He’s famous. I thought maybe we could check that out.” She smiled broadly when she saw her girlfriend entering. “I don’t know. They might come with us, I think. I don’t know. She’s good. Yes. Yes.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica made kissy faces at Gabi to try to make her laugh, then went in to the bathroom to quickly freshen up before dinner, so they could get over to the podcast. "So what were your parents on about?" She spooned some salad into a bowl then mixed in grilled chicken and roasted red peppers, before tossing in some italian dressing. she laid the salads out and poured some water from a jug in the fridge, before kissing Gabi softly and settling in to eat "Also don't kill me but I need to go out after date night tomorrow night..." She looked uncomfortable "There's a bartender working tomorrow night that I need to talk to. She's connected to this mobster who is like, bad news. Tonight after the podcast I'm giving an interview to a guy from the paper. I gotta get out ahead of this DA lady saying I'm a menace. This is really only gonna work if I have public opinion on my side."

 

[Halcyon638]

Gabi lightly slid her hand down the length of Monica’s arm as she completed the call with her mother. “My mom wants to have everything planned out for the weekend to the minute. I was like, ‘Mom, we’re not pulling a heist. Just relax.’” She sat down at the table. “Thank you, mi vida.”

As Monica described her objective for Thursday night, Gabi nodded. Her smile slipped away for a moment. “Oh…okay,” she said, before a pleasant expression settled on her lips once more. “That makes sense. What…time on Thursday? I think the first movie starts around 8 and then they go to past midnight, but we don’t have to go to more than one. I probably won’t sleep if I see too much scary stuff anyways.” She looked down at her salad, trying to spear a thin slice of carrot.

 

[siobhancan99]

"Oh I wouldn't head over there till midnight at the earliest." Monica sighed and reached across the table for Gabi a moment, then pulled her hand back, feeling like maybe she shouldn't. "I don't want to devote a chunk of time I could be spending with you to finding some girl who might or might not have something to tell me. Plus I can't go inside, that means waiting for her to get off her shift and well.. it's a bar it's probably open till 2.... So yeah. Not before midnight. We could do both movies before I head out, or we could do one and come back here and curl up for a little bit... I mean... you know if you want."

 

[Halcyon638]

Gabi’s smile returned. “One movie should be good,” she said, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. “You can calm me down after.”

Before long, both women were headed out the door to Leeds Hall. A warm front had pushed in, bringing near 70-degree weather, and the campus was crowded with students trying to make the most of it, even with it being a Wednesday evening.

Townes greeted them warmly, dressed a little more casually than usual, a bit of scruff to his usually neatly maintained chin and jaw. “Hi,” he said as Monica introduced him to Gabi, his eyes notably not roaming as they had in the past. “Nice to meet you. Are you a film buff, too?”

“Oh—no,” Gabi said, a bit shyly. “I mean, I love them, but I don’t really know too much about them. Monica’s the expert.”

Townes smiled. “Well, hopefully you won’t be too bored.”

Gabi held up her tablet. “Got some studying to do, so…”

“Alright. Like to hear that,” he responded. A few minutes later, after offering both girls a choice of water or seltzer, he brought Monica into the recording booth. “I’d like to introduce my guest for today, Monica Bergensen. Monica, tell us a little about yourself and your relationship to film.”

As Townes and Monica got into the discussion, Gabi worked on her tablet, occasionally glancing in at Monica, an admiring look in her eyes.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica spoke about growing up in the middle of nowhere, with immigrant parents who used film and TV to try to learn more about the culture, and how immersed in it she'd been as a result. It was true, even if she had to pretend her parents were Nords and not aliens. She gave Gabi a knowing wink at that, then started talking about the films. "One of the things i noticed was the different ways the film makers show you from the jump the main character is unlikeable. Kirk Douglas' whole 'I'm a 250 dollar a week newspapaper man" schtick was painful as hell to watch, his like... big city Chicago swagger just made him seem like an asshole right from the jump. With Nightcrawler there's a lot of subtle parts of Gyllenhal's performance that sort of unnerve you. Like, you know you're watching a person that is very much not ok. He has this palpably alien quality about him. But its still all subtle. the way his eyes are open too wide and his flat affect the whole time. Where the older film went really broad, the newer one was hyper focused on the small stuff to give you that warning."

She and Townes chatted about the film and the differing perspectives they had based on their genders and ages, and he laughed a bit at Monica's struggle with the dialogue conventions of the older movie "there were points where it was just painful and I wasn't sure if it was intentional or not."

After a pleasant evening, she ushered Gabi out and then gently pushed her against the wall of the building "you're a saint. you saved me from some potential handsiness." She leaned in, sucking softly at Gabi's lower lip, then snaked her tongue along into the pretty Latina's mouth as she held her against the brick "My heroine"

 

[Halcyon638]

Townes seemed genuinely impressed by Monica's insights. He brought in some historical context about the evolving structure and role of media, and mused about how certain aspects of Ace in the Hole seemed as timely as ever (the media focusing on human interest stories because they grabbed headlines rather than focusing on more important issues of the day), while also commenting on how the notion of one news source having such power to frame a story seemed almost quaint in the age of countless opinions and "facts" being available to citizens at the swipe of a screen. "Thanks for joining me, Monica," he said. Once the mics were off, he added, "You did great."

“Mmm…I wouldn’t say you’re safe,” Gabi responded, one hand reaching down to tentatively cup Monica’s ass, the first time she’d touched her there. She giggled a bit, then gently massaged her girlfriend’s tongue in return. “So, are there any other professors I have to worry about perving on you?” she asked in a teasing tone. “Or if you’re into that, maybe I could play the naughty professor with you. You know, you come in looking for extra credit…” Smiling, she pressed her lips against Monica’s neck and kissed her warmly, before softly nipping at the flesh with her teeth. “Speaking of which, I’ve been putting together another adventure in case you want to continue the adventures of your sorcerer-princess and her lovely elven companion.”

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica leaned in, kissing along her girlfriend's neck, biting softly "of course I want to continue it. I want it to continue for the rest of my life" she grinned and slid her hand down to echo Gabi's touch, kneading her ass softly. She sucked playfully at her earlobe "I mean if you're not too busy to make that happen" She moved back around, kissing Gabi's exquisite lips, feeling the wonderful softness of her against her. She kept a firm grip on Gabi, holding her, letting her lips brush over and around Gabi's. She smiles, pressing her forehead to her girlfriend's, looking her in the eye. "Because I kinda like playing with you, you know? you're my favorite... mistress." making a play on "dungeon master" She grinned again, cheeky, keeping Gabi pressed to the wall "I mean if you wanna do a naughty professor role play I'm down for that. You can teach me how to please a woman" She laughed again, sucking on Gabi's lower lip tenderly before breaking the kiss to look into her eyes. "I am really glad you had the courage to say something Gabi. ANd everyone seems to think we're a cute couple so... Maybe some things work out after all."

 

[Halcyon638]

Encouraged by Monica’s hands, Gabi began to caress and gently squeeze her girlfriend’s rear. “I’ll find time,” she said, pulling Monica closer as their lips came together. Monica could feel the slightly sticky sweetness of the dark-eyed girl’s lip balm.

Gabi let out a brief laugh at the “mistress” label. “Hmm…Not sure how good of a teacher I’d be,” she said, playing with some of Monica’s hair, “but I know exactly what I want you to do to me.” She squeezed Monica’s hip briefly, momentarily flashed her a sulty expression, then punctuated it with a giggle.

Gabi smiled, then hugged Monica close, resting her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “Thank you for saying ‘yes,’ carino.” She pulled back, then kissed Monica’s forehead. “As much as I’d be okay with you keeping me pinned against this wall, we should probably get back.”

Gabi took Monica's hand and began heading toward their apartment.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica held her girlfriend's hand "you've been following every dumb idea I've had since we met. Least I could do was say yes to your best one" She held Gabi's hand, walking back home. Once there she curled up on the couch with her, just holding her a little bit, letting thelr legs twine and as they watched some tv together. She sighed, looking over at the clock, and about 20 to 11 she disentangled herself "I shouldn't be long love. Just an interview. If you want you can sleep in my bed and I'll curl up with you when I get home"


She summoned the sliver to the roof and changed on the way there, cutting it all a bit close. When she got there, she looked around and seeing Morgan, waved "Come on over I don't bite."

 

[Halcyon638]

Morgan made his way over, still hesitant, dressed in a lightweight sweater and khakis, a far cry from the grunge duds he’d sported at the 90s party on campus, though the pants were fairly wrinkled. “Hi,” he said, putting his hand out to shake, his other hand holding a leather-bound notebook. “Morgan Hughes. Though I guess you knew that. We can keep this part off the record, but I gotta ask…why me? And let me know if you’re okay with me recording this. Or I can just take notes.”

 

[siobhancan99]

"I'm more comfortable with notes. As for why you... I thought a student newspaperman would be less susceptible to demands from advertisers and so it was more likely my words wouldn't be twisted. Not guaranteed, but you know, safer." She leaned against a nearby wall, crossing her legs at the ankles as she relaxed "You can refer to me as "The Nighthawk" which is the name I came up with after workshopping it." She looked him over a moment, then straightened and stood a little taller. "I'm sure you have questions, and I'll answer them to the extent that they don't give away my secret identity or put anyone in danger, and I'll also make a statement about the DA race. What do you want to do first?"

 

[Halcyon638]

Morgan nodded, then began opening the notebook. “And here I thought it was for my hard-hitting coverage of Madison Hall’s lack of vegan meal options,” he responded with a slight grin. “The Nighthawk?” He scrawled in his notebook as he asked. “Is that one or two words? Hyphenated?”

He sat on a nearby bench that was placed in front of a granite WWII memorial depicting a group of soldiers surmounting a hill. “I’d love to start with some questions. What would say your goals are? What is motivating you? Can you talk a little about your history with Prospect City? What is the nature of your relationship with Detective Knapp?”

 

[siobhancan99]

"One word. Nighthawk. Otherwise I'd have to be The Night Hawk. That starts to make the name on my bowling jacket too big."

She shrugs "I grew up here. It's sad what has happened in this city. It's dangerous. Good simple innocent people are suffering for the failures of our government. You think I want to come home from a long day of work and run around in a mask? You think I like walking through founder's square and wondering if I'm going to get shot when I'm not wearing a mask? None of us do. The goal is to be safe in our own city, especially at night. The goal is an end to fear. An end to criminals ruling the night instead of our elected officials. I grew up here, sure, but if I had to pick any city in America to do this kind of thing I'd pick this one. Prospect City is a pit, but it doesn't have to be. I want a future where a woman can go jogging at night and not get raped. I want a future where a guy can get on the subway and not get mugged. I want Prospect City to be as safe as Pittsburgh or Sacramento, and not a hell hole like Philadelphia or Oakland. As for Detective Knapp, I met him while doing an investigation. I call him because I have his card. 911 calls are logged and traced. Calls to departmental phones are not. If I knew other cops I would call those other cops. So... hey other cops. If you see me at a crime scene...you know.. give me your cards."

 

[Halcyon638]

Morgan took notes rapidly and eagerly, his hands almost a blur in the dim light. “This question is probably going to touch on some of the same stuff I’d guess you’ll cover in your statement to Fiona Haigler, so feel free to tell me you’ll save it until then. What would you say to those critics who say you’re actively breaking the law by interfering with police business, assaulting suspects, and so forth? When you talk about the failures of government, do you lay that at the feet of Mayor Lazzarra? Chief Bell? District Attorney Delacourt? Do you support any of the candidates for District Attorney?”

A huge truck rumbled in the distance but loudly enough to temporarily disrupt the flow of conversation. “There’s been some speculation based on the recent incident with Allie McKenney,” he said, referring to the pseudo-vampire Monica had fought. “There are rumors you have some kind of genetic, or chemical, or…technological enhancements that enable you to, uh…well, survive fights with much larger opponents or people wielding guns. Can you comment on that?”

 

[siobhancan99]

"Well let me first say, kids, its important not to use drugs. Winners don't use drugs. And by that, I mean no chemical enhancements. Also I assure you that I've never undergone any sort of biological or genetic enhancement. As for some tech... well there's been some shots of my aircraft so I'd be foolish to lie. I do have some access to advanced tech. Maybe I'm an eccentric billionaire whose parents were murdered in front of her or something. I'm not gonna say because that would obviously create issues for me. I will say that I have a marvelous talented tech person I work with, and I owe every one of my days above ground to that person." Technically true, as without her father she wouldn't exist. "Take that for what you will. A girl has to have some secrets you know?"

"as for what's to blame? Look. I'm a fucking celebrity athlete basically right? Do you really want Michael Phelps dictating public policy? No. Its like... get in the fucking pool right? How cities get shitty is really complex. I mean, most people who know say that crime is in part driven by income inequality. So that's a huge thing. Can you point to the mayor or a city council person and say... but for that individual we'd all be living like brothers and singing Kum Bah Ya? probably not. But you can also see that there's corruption rampant in city government, and all the attendant waste that comes from that that could be used to address some of those issues absolutely contributes. Part of it is that we've done some things like try to eliminate bail and whatnot that puts dangerous people right back out on the street. Part of it is the war on drugs, which actually makes criminals richer. So no. I don't have a solution that will cure everything. I can only act to control the things which are within my power. My personal ability extends to fighting street crime. To making my presence known in the hopes of deterring. What I do isn't really about the guy that I'm beating up. ITs about not having to beat up 10 other guys that might be contemplating the same thing. It is about sending a message, that if you attack a woman by herself at night, you might be facing me. You might be getting your fucking ass handed to you. And if that means that five or ten or twenty girls don't get raped then I did my job. It means looking over your shoulder when you're mugging someone. And again, if I stop a few people from ruining their lives or someone else's because they elect not to commit a violent crime in case I'm watching? great. Everything I have done will be worth it. If I save a single life... and I know I already have... then I have to keep doing what I'm doing. I am... however... willing to stop."

She inhaled and exhaled "which leads me to my comments about Fiona Haigler. Like I said before, I think celebrities should not influence public policy or elections, but she involved me and so now I'm involved. Here's my statement, you can publish it if it is unedited. I would like to believe Fiona Haigler's comments come from the purest place. I would like to believe that they are only sadly coincidentally coming on the heels of me catching the son of her largest donor and his miscreant friends attempting to murder a homeless man in retaliation for him breaking into a car. I would like to believe that she is not just another paid mouthpiece for Mr. Lowell. I'd like to believe she is not for sale. I think everyone in Prospect City would like to believe that. I will believe it the moment she returns Mr. Lowell and his friend's campaign contributions and prosecutes Paterson Lowell for the attempted murder of a man in the park. And I don't mean a show indictment with a quiet slap on the wrist and some community service or a fine. I mean a prosecution as vigorous and as robust as if Mr. Lowell and his friends were three minority males who were caught beating a rich white man. There is no justice if there are two justice systems. If a man, who in my opinion is nothing more than a vicious little miscreant, like Paterson Lowell can use his father to escape justice then there is no justice for anyone in this world. It is my firm and fervent hope that Ms. Haigler does the right thing, returns the money Mr. Lowell and his wealthy friends gave her, and does her best to bring real justice for the younger Lowell's victim. I tell you this right now, I have no doubt that if I hadn't arrived when I did the police simply would have found a nameless corpse in the park that night."

 

[Halcyon638]

Morgan continued furiously scribbling as Monica finished up her statement. “Great. Thank you so much. Is there a way I can contact you so you can review the transcript of the interview once I have it typed to make sure I haven’t misquoted you?”

Afterwards, Monica arrived home to find a sleepy but affectionate Gabi lying in her bed, patting the covers to beckon her. “Hey, sweetie,” the Latina said. “I need you next to me.”

Classes went by agonizingly slow during the day, as both Townes and Dr. Wu seemed intent on cramming in as much material to learn by the mid-term to make up for the day of class they missed. Austin was absent from Physics. On her way to work, a news item caught Monica’s eye.

WHITTIER OUT FOR SEASON WITH TORN ACL

Apparently, Austin had injured himself in a practice yesterday afternoon, and only had it fully diagnosed this morning. There was some speculation it would substantially impact his pro draft prospects.

 

[siobhancan99]

Monica curled up with her girl and held her, feeling her soft and warm against her. It felt right. It felt so right. She tangled her legs in Gabi's and groaned when dawn came too soon. She kissed the back of her head and got up to get a shower.

When she saw the article she paused. She'd have to check on him. Bad timing in a way. If he'd have been less sure of going to the NBA they might have been something. He was a nice guy and a great fuck, but she couldn't help but think that if he hadn't thought he'd be a star some day, he'd have actually not fucked everything that came down the path. Too fucking bad on one hand, but... he was probably going to need people to be around him and people would probably evaporate out of his social circle if he wasn't going to be drafted. She texted him "heard about your injury. I'm here for you if you need anything at all. Gabi and I both are." Best to add that second bit so he didn't forget she was attached and ask for a BJ or something. Though... threesome. No. bad Monica.

She made her way through class for the rest of the day, then raced through work. She got home and beat some chicken breasts flat, then dredged in flour then egg then breadcrumbs. She added some sauce and cheese and threw it in the oven, then hopped in the shower while it was cooking. Out of the shower she tossed a salad and threw some pasta in, then dried her hair and did her makeup, putting on a nice dress.

 

[Halcyon638]

Austin replied almost immediately to Monica’s text. “Thank you. I’ll probably need you to do a little more heavy lifting to get me through physics since I may have to fall back on being a physicist or something.”

Later that day as she was cooking, Austin texted a pic of himself holding a brownie and watching the movie Wall-E with the text, “The healing process has begun.”

Gabi made it home from the gym in form fitting black pants and a pink top, her long, dark hair back in a ponytail. “Wow. You look so good,” she said, not able to contain a smile. She sidled up to her girlfriend, then slid behind her, arms wrapping around her midsection. “Caitlin Preston’s birthday party,” she said, naming the occasion for which Monica had purchased the dress. “I mean, not that it made that a big an impression on me, or anything.” She nuzzled the back of Monica’s neck with her nose and lips, lifting up some of the blonde hair to place a kiss there.

“Mmm. Something smells good, too. Let me go change into something nice for you.”

 

[siobhancan99]

"Wow. It really must have" she laughed and drained the pasta, then let it sit a moment. IT didn't have to be piping hot, as she'd be putting sauce on it "I made some sort of chicken parm using mozzarella and jarred sauce, so its not exactly gourmet." She poured them some water, then set the table and laid out the meal when Gabi was changing "it was sort of my original plan to just cook you dinner and stay in tonight, but movies await" She didn't add that she had to go meet that bartender as well, as she was doing her level best to not draw attention to it. "Austin hurt himself by the way. So.. we might have to take him a care package at some point."

When Gabi came out she blushed "you look amazing" She took her girlfriend in her arms and kissed her softly, then looked her over again.

 

[Halcyon638]

Gabi started setting the table. “Oh, we don’t have to go out,” she said, sounding more than a little enthused at the idea of staying in. “I just thought you’d be wanting to get out of the apartment.” She took Monica’s hands in hers. “A night in with you would be nice. Even though I know you have to leave after…midnight, right?”

Gabi shook her head in sympathy when Monica mentioned Austin’s injury. “I saw that. That sucks so much. Yeah, whatever you need."

The brunette returned in a pair of dark, form-fitting jeans and a slightly low-cut white top that showed off a bit of her full cleavage. “Aw, thank you,” she replied.