Hours earlier the halls of Arthur's estate had been alive with laughter, conversation, glasses clinking together, Kara arguing loudly with Constantine, Raven pretending not to laugh at them, Bruce somehow disappearing and reappearing like an actual ghost inside Arthur's own home.
Now all of it had faded into silence, only the soft glow of warm golden lights remained across the enormous estate while the night settled peacefully over Gotham's outskirts. High above the clouds, Arthur and Clark had spoken for a long while after Didi left.
Mostly about family.
Eventually Clark smiled, clapped Arthur on the shoulder, and finally flew off toward the estate below.
"You should probably return too," Clark had said with a grin. "Before Kara files a missing person report."
Arthur smiled but eventually… He did return.
Arthur stepped inside sometime deep into the night, long after midnight had passed. The mansion felt strangely peaceful now compared to the noise from earlier.
No music and no voices, Arthur loosened the collar of his black suit slightly as he walked through the halls.
One of the lights in the guest lounge was still on.
Arthur glanced inside.
…and immediately stopped.
Constantine was sprawled across one of the expensive couches like a corpse after a battlefield massacre, one leg hanging over the armrest while an almost empty bottle of whiskey dangled loosely from his hand.
The room smelled vaguely of smoke and alcohol.
Arthur stared at him.
"…John."
Then his eyes shifted slightly.
Zatanna was asleep beside Constantine.
Or more accurately, halfway on top of him.
Her head rested against his shoulder while one of Constantine's arms hung lazily around her waist even in sleep, probably completely accidental… or maybe not.
Arthur blinked, for a moment he genuinely didn't know how to react.
Then unexpectedly… He smiled, the sight was oddly normal, comforting even.
After everything they had all survived today, seeing people capable of simply sleeping peacefully felt strangely precious. Arthur quietly pulled the blanket laying nearby and tossed it over both of them without waking either.
Constantine mumbled something incomprehensible in his sleep.
Arthur immediately regretted helping him.
He walked away before hearing anything else.
The estate corridors remained dark as he moved through them until eventually he stepped outside into the garden.
Cold night air greeted him immediately, the gardens were beautiful this late at night. Moonlight painted silver across the pathways and trees while the fountains reflected the stars above.
Arthur expected nobody to still be awake.
But someone was sitting quietly near the garden pavilion.
His mother.
Miss Eleanor Blackwynd sat elegantly beneath the soft lantern lights wrapped in a shawl, a cup of tea resting between her hands while she watched the night sky.
She looked up the moment she sensed him approaching.
A warm smile appeared immediately.
"Hey, son."
Arthur smiled faintly back.
"Hey, Mom."
He walked over slowly.
"Can't sleep?"
Eleanor chuckled softly.
"Oh, I can."
Her eyes lingered on him carefully.
"I simply waited for you to show up again."
Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly.
"You vanished for several hours after your own celebration."
She tilted her head with playful accusation.
"Did we all bore you that much?"
Arthur let out a laugh.
"No."
He leaned lightly against the railing nearby.
"I just needed fresh air mom."
His eyes drifted toward the sleeping estate behind them.
"It was… overwhelming."
He gestured vaguely toward the mansion.
"All of this."
The guests, the celebration and the emotions, alongside the talk about future.
Eleanor watched him quietly for a moment before smiling softly.
"I know."
She stood slowly and walked toward him.
"It's not easy preparing yourself for something like this."
Her expression grew warmer.
"But Arthur…"
She grabbed his hand gently between both of hers.
"You have no idea how happy I am."
Arthur looked at her silently.
Eleanor's eyes glistened faintly beneath the moonlight.
"When you were younger, I used to wonder what kind of man you would become."
A small emotional laugh escaped her.
"You were always so strange."
Arthur immediately frowned.
"That sounds insulting."
Eleanor laughed softly.
Then her expression softened again.
"But even back then… you cared so deeply about the world around you."
Her thumb brushed lightly against his hand.
"And now look at you."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"You became someone capable of protecting it."
Arthur stayed quiet.
Eleanor stepped closer.
"I can't believe I'm going to be a grandmother."
There was so much emotion in her voice now that Arthur actually looked away briefly.
"My son…"
Her eyes shined proudly.
"You are the greatest gift this world ever gave me."
Arthur's expression shifted slightly at those words.
"And I know," she continued softly, "that your child will become a gift to this world too."
She smiled warmly.
"Not because of powers or because of destiny."
Her hand rested gently over his chest.
"But because they'll have your heart."
Arthur lowered his eyes quietly.
Eleanor kept speaking softly.
"You protect people instinctively and I know that you love deeply even when you pretend not to, you carry a huge burden and a pain so great without letting it poison you."
Her smile trembled slightly.
"And despite everything you've become… despite all that terrifying power…"
She reached up and touched his cheek gently.
"You're still my son."
Arthur remained completely silent through all of it.
Not because he had nothing to say, but because for once… words failed him.
Then Eleanor studied his face carefully.
"…Are you afraid?"
Arthur blinked slightly.
"Afraid?"
The question genuinely caught him off guard.
Eleanor nodded softly.
"I can see it in your eyes."
Arthur looked away briefly.
"There's a subtle fear there now."
Her expression became thoughtful.
"A feeling I haven't seen in you for a very long time."
Then she smiled faintly.
"since before you gained your powers."
Arthur stayed quiet.
Eleanor's voice became softer.
"And honestly?"
"I think it's good."
Arthur looked back at her.
"Fear reminds us we're human."
She said it almost philosophically.
"People think courage means lacking fear."
Her hand remained against his cheek.
"But courage only exists because fear exists first."
Arthur exhaled slowly.
"I don't fear challenges."
His glowing violet eyes dimmed slightly.
"Or enemies, no matter how strong they are..."
Then after a pause,
"But maybe you're right."
His voice became quieter.
"I do fear for the people I care about."
Eleanor smiled sadly.
"Of course you do."
Then she gently guided his face toward her hand again.
Arthur actually leaned into her touch slightly and closed his eyes.
Like a tired child for just a second.
"Don't let that fear consume you." her voice got calmer.
"Keep moving forward exactly the way you have been all this time."
She smiled warmly.
"And nothing unexpected will happen, of that I'm sure."
Then finally, she hugged him tightly.
Arthur froze for half a second before slowly hugging her back.
"I love you, my son."
Her voice nearly broke.
"And I have never been more proud of you than I am tonight."
Arthur closed his eyes quietly.
"…Love you too, Mom."
For all of Arthur's superior senses, neither noticed the figure watching silently from above.
Bruce stood alone on one of the estate balconies overlooking the gardens below.
Hidden mostly in darkness, watching.
He had probably come outside for air himself and for once there was no calculating look in his eyes.
No suspicion or strategy.
Bruce watched Arthur standing there in his mother's embrace beneath the moonlight and something softened faintly in his expression.
A small smile appeared briefly.
Then without saying a word, he looked away and quietly returned inside the estate.
Eleanor eventually pulled back slightly from the hug, though her hands still rested lightly on Arthur's arms.
Her eyes found him again, then she suddenly smiled.
"You really do have an interesting group of friends."
Arthur let out a small breath of amusement.
"That's one way to describe them."
Eleanor laughed softly.
"One drinks like he's trying to personally destroy humanity's alcohol supply."
"Constantine."
"One of them is apparently Death itself."
"…Didi."
"One growls at people socially."
Arthur blinked.
"…Bruce?"
"Definitely mister Wayne."
Arthur laughed at that.
Eleanor smiled warmly seeing it.
"And somehow," she continued, "they all care about you very deeply."
Arthur leaned lightly against the stone railing nearby, crossing his arms.
"I guess.. we all share the same goal after all."
His eyes drifted briefly toward the estate windows glowing warmly behind them.
"Protecting this world."
Then his expression shifted into something more teasing.
"But hey…"
He glanced sideways at her.
"You used to dislike some of them."
Eleanor immediately narrowed her eyes at him.
"I did dislike them."
Then Eleanor's expression gradually gentled.
"I suppose…"
She looked down for a brief moment.
"I was naïve back then."
Arthur's amusement faded slightly as he listened.
"I judged them too quickly."
Her gaze lifted toward him again.
"But having a son like you changes one's perspective.. About those with powers in this world."
Arthur stayed quiet.
Eleanor smiled faintly.
"When you suddenly find yourself loving someone capable of carrying these kinds of responsibilities…"
Her voice became softer.
"You start understanding what that burden must feel like."
Arthur's glowing violet eyes dimmed slightly at that.
"You see the exhaustion hidden behind the smiles."
"The sacrifices."
"The loneliness."
Her expression saddened faintly.
"And you realize people like you don't really get the luxury of being normal."
Arthur looked away quietly for a second.
Then Eleanor lightly flicked his forehead.
"Which is why I'm glad you found people who understand you."
Arthur rubbed his forehead dramatically.
"You hit hard for a regular human."
"Motherly power."
"Terrifying."
She smiled smugly at that before her expression softened again.
"Now…"
She pointed toward the estate.
"Go rest."
Then with playful suspicion she added, "Assuming you still need sleep."
Arthur looked genuinely offended.
"Of course I do."
"Mmhm."
"I'm serious."
Arthur sighed then gestured toward the mansion.
"Not before you go sleep first."
Eleanor smiled warmly at that.
"There's the gentleman I raised."
She squeezed his hand one last time before finally turning and walking toward the estate doors.
Halfway there she glanced back at him.
"Goodnight, Arthur."
Arthur smiled softly.
"Goodnight, Mom."
She disappeared inside the mansion soon after, leaving Arthur alone in the garden again.
For a few moments he simply stood there quietly.
The wind moved gently through his longer ashen hair while Gotham's distant skyline shimmered far beyond the estate grounds.
Arthur exhaled slowly.
"That was…"
He paused with a smile on his face.
'…I honestly don't know what to say.'
And strangely, Arthur didn't mind not having the right words as he stayed there another minute beneath the night sky before finally turning toward the estate himself.
/-\
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