Buckeye and the Hawk (Test Thread)

[quarterback_of_steel]

 Nathaniel Heywood is many things, but "ungrateful" is not one of them. As he walked down the corridor of the JSA Brownstone, hearing the new metal tiles underfoot and their crunch, he looks to the kitchen. He remembers when he had to eat. It's odd now. He picks up the apple and looks at it. He has to watch his strength with it, but he can't feel how much pressure he's using. Hell, with the suit he still can occasionally be too strong. Not enough to break bone unless he tries, but enough-

splat!

to break an apple in his hands. He feels bad about that and quickly wipes the remains off of him before continuing down the hallway. In the study waits the man he was looking for. Though the man was just visiting today, Nate wanted to talk to him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Hall? Do you have a second?"

Comments

[notcommander.livejournal.com]

"I just wanted to say thank you. For earlier. I mean, if you hadn't shown up, I'm sure that the kids wouldn't have made it. I doubt I would have made it, i you hadn't taken me to see Doctor Mid-Nite. So... thank you. For everything."

Nate's voice resonates in his throat, giving him the slight sound of someone speaking in a coffee can. But something else resonates: hesitation. Like something else is bothering him.

[abluntobject.livejournal.com]

His hearing isn't the equal of his famed vision, but its not bad. He also takes only so well to thanks - he does what he does for his own reasons, and its not accolades, but he's glad the kids made it.

"Something else on your mind?" he asks, skipping straight to the point.

[notcommander.livejournal.com]

Nate puts a hand behind his head. The sound of metal on metal is a little sharp on the ears.

"Yeah. I'm... just unsure. About everything now. I mean, I knew one day I'd be the main Heywood, just like Grandpa or my cousin. But I didn't expect it to happen so..." Nate looked for the word. "Suddenly."

[abluntobject.livejournal.com]

Carter eyes him a moment. Saving people is one thing. Talking about expectations and feelings... is not a Carter thing. His eyes narrow.

"Whatever you expected, you're it now. If you're not ready, stick with the junior leaguers til you're up to the task, but the future starts now, how you deal with it is up to you."

[notcommander.livejournal.com]

Nate closes his eyes. He nods and looks up. "You're right." He's got to face this like a man. Be the hero his family knew he could be. Not a football star, but a JSAer. He grins at Hawkman.

"So, you fought alongside my grandfather, right? The original Commander Steel?"

[abluntobject.livejournal.com]

A simple nod. "I did. He was a good man."

[notcommander.livejournal.com]

Nate nods. "Would you mind showing me a few things you learned? Grandpa told us a few stories about how you saved his hide from some Nazi soldiers with that mace of yours. You saved my hide with it once now too."

[abluntobject.livejournal.com]

Hawkman eyes the mace at his belt, then looks back to Steel. There's a pause - he's usually not the trainer here, nor the person people go to for help with these things. But the guy's grandfather was, at the least, an ally in the war.

"Alright, we can do some basic combat lessons, but you'd best try and keep up."

[notcommander.livejournal.com]

"Yes, sir!" Nate stands ready. "Just name the time and place, Mr. Hall."

[abluntobject.livejournal.com]

"Tomorrow morning, 6 sharp. Don't be late."