After J'onn returns Jeremiah to the D.E.O the first order of business is of course to explain to the director, Hank Henshaw what the hell has been going on this whole time. At first it starts out as just a retelling of what really happened at thier first meeting. but it goes further -and deeper.
“No leave him alone!” Jeremiah cried out. He placed himself in front of Henshaw. “Is this how you prove your superiority, by attacking a defenseless solider?” He challenged me.
“You defend him, why? What has inspired you to rush to his aide like this? What makes him worth it?
“He does nothing to inspire loyalty in me. But he is my commanding officer; I cannot let him come to harm. I will not just sit back and let you knock him senseless. You don't keep kicking a man when he's down. Even MY people, even in open war we keep ourselves to that standard. So please, if for no other reason than to prove yourself better than us, leave him be.”
I stepped away from him. Jeremiah just stood staring at me. Henshaw eventually passed out, presumably from pain. He did have a bullet in his leg.
“You don't want to kill us?”
“No, I don't. But I cannot let you go back. It is difficult to explain but I cannot let you go back to your superiors. And I would not willing let this man stay. He... would be considered poison. I don't want anything to do with him. Obviously I am not willing to go back with you.”
“Then let him go back. I'll stay.” I was genuinely surprised to hear this. And asked him to elaborate. “I am suggesting__and requesting that you take me with you__ and let Hank Henshaw return home.”
“You're willing to give up your own freedom for this man's life?”
“Sir, and I call you that because I have nothing else to call you, I swear on anything that matters if you will not only let him live but let him GO, then without your order to the contrary, I'll not leave your side.”
“I had never met a human like him. I bent down, pressed my hand against Henshaw's temples and led Jeremiah through the jungle, to Arias. Where he has lived for the past six years. With myself and Sarrin as his most constant companions.”
“Sarrin?”
“One at home in Arias who looks almost as human as you Kal-El.”
“That is when you gave Hank memories of his death. Why did you?”
“Because the only way we would be safe from Henshaw and the rest of the D.E.O. is if Henshaw and the rest of the D.E.O believed Jeremiah was already dead. I assumed if he knew Jeremiah was still alive Henshaw would not rest until he had rescued Jeremiah from me. He would consider it his duty as a solider to retrieve one of his men. Or he would want to proverbially kick him in the ass for abandoning his duty. And yes, from that moment on, Hank Henshaw absolutely remembered Jeremiah's death at my hand.”
“At your hand?”
“I take it Hank Henshaw never fully disclosed what happened that day?”
“Only that dad died saving Hank's life and it changed his heart forever. It's why he and Nikita back each-other so completely. It must have been from you but...”
“It was more than stepping in front of a bullet.” Henshaw said suddenly. Three sets of eyes looked up. “When I thought Jeremiah died saving my life it was more than just taking a bullet that was meant for me. I saw him...heard him offer his life for mine. You turned him into a hero...beyond anything.”
“He was a hero and that was the choice he made.” J'onn Jo'nzz said with a hint of anger. “He sacrificed his life for yours. In a way that took far more awareness than stepping in front of a bullet. When he offered his freedom in exchange for yours, he was offering his life. In a way that was far greater and more meaningful than offering his death for yours.”
“He became a hero for you too.”
“And for the last six years he has lived with us, forbidden to leave Arias but free in every other sense of the word. Sarrin and I...both grew quite fond of him. I mean he is dear to us. I am sorry, but I am eager to return to Arias soon as I can.”
“To return to Sarrin and the rest of your people?” Superman observed.
“If it wasn't for the news Elana brought to us, and what Nikita means to a man I consider a member of my family, I would never have considered setting foot inside this place of my own free will. Jeremiah has chosen to stay. Now that I know the rest of his story, I'm alright with that. From what Jeremiah told me, I assume I am free to go.”
“You are free to leave at any time Sajen.” Hank said blithely. “And you have my thanks.” J'onn looked up. “There's something that's right in front of my face now, literally that I didn't realize before. Nikita...has become convinced that it was Deimos not Phobos that we were chasing. She has educated me on a lot of what that means. And for taking care of Jeremiah...you have my thanks.”
“Second that last part.” Superman exuded. “I would have hoped you'd stay around for another day, tell me about your time with my father...and Arias. But we have no intention of holding you here against your will.”
“It seems Jeremiah was right about you all along Director. You are nothing if not a man of honor.”
“Now you're sounding like Nikita.” Hank Henshaw replied.
“ 'You will never do anything in this world without Courage. It is the single greatest quality fo the mind...next to Honor.' Sarrin's people, the Atraxi share that axiom with my own. Apparently Xavallens share it with them.”
“I've been hoping to ask you, what is it with the three of them?”
“3,000 years ago they were one race on one planet. Then the fled to the stars.”
J'onn looked almost reproachful at this entreaty. “Jeremiah. You don't need to stay with me." Jeremiah started and looked intently at his host. "I'll miss you sure. But I wouldn't keep you here against your will. I thought you knew the choice...you've always had it.”
“Not always J'onn. But I know what you mean. When I traded my freedom for Hank's I hadn't seen any of this. I didn't know what to expect. Having seen Arias, seeing first hand your regard for Sarrin and hers for you, things changed. It doesn't change the fact that I promised I wouldn't leave your side. At first I felt like a prisoner. But I swore I would stand with you, that I would never leave you. From what I understand that was a 'til death do us part' oath of loyalty, if not brotherhood. I mean...I'm not wrong am I?"
“That you are like a brother to me Jeremiah, of course not. You're the best friend I've ever had, the closest to a brother I have known on this planet. As far as staying here because you made an oath, that's what makes no sense. The oath is invalid if you're staying only out of obligation and duty, do you not see that? We will always be brothers, Jeremiah. You don't have to live under my roof for that. But if you have someone in this life who needs you, I would never knowingly keep you from them. That's part of brotherhood at all!”
"I...I see your point." Jeremiah said sheepishly. "Does that mean I might be able to convince you to come along?"
“How else would you get back? They can't send anyone for you. They don't even know you are alive.”
“Again...good point.”
J'onn explains his situation to Jeremiah.
After 2 hours of walking though the fields with a sinking sun to their left they came to a clearing, dotted by a few houses with flat roofs made out of red clay and what looked like an old one room school house. With a wave of his green hand J'onn motioned his companion into the structure. The room was sparsely furnished but dry and cool. A cot was set up on cinder blocks with lightweight sheets and fluffy white pillows on it. A low set table and an equally short bookshelf stood off the one side. “I...sincerely hope you'll be comfortable here. I have to go see a friend. There's more of us here than you realize...strangers and friends.”
“Thank you.” Jeremiah said in a heartfelt tone.
“I get the feeling I should be thanking you.” J'onn replied. And with that he was gone.
J'onn returned the next afternoon. Jeremiah got to his feet the instant he walked in the door. J'onn looked almost disquieted. “There is no need for that, please.”
“I'm sorry, I guess, old habits must die hard. And I'm, not really sure what to expect.”
“Do your people have a word for being able to move freely throughout the premises as long as you do leave the premises?”
“House arrest.” Jeremiah said.
“Then I suppose 'house arrest' is the best description. I do not intend to treat you as any sort of captive Jeremiah. I...I suppose I can only ask you to believe that. You are not a prisoner of war, you are an unwelcome guest, I think.”
“Would I seem, impolite to ask why you are being so kind to me?”
“You were the first human to look me in the eyes when you talked to me, without either anger or fear. If I didn't have as high an opinion of you, I would not let you stay here.”
“That makes sense I guess. Wait, does that mean I can soon see the rest of this place?”
“ 'The rest of this place', is what I came here to show you.” J'onn said with a slight smile. Jeremiah fell half a step behind J'onn and they walked out of the school house. It turned out they were in a rather pleasant meadow, with the mountains away to the north. After about ten minutes walk J'onn brought him to another clearing. This one dotted with houses constructed mostly of gray stone or wood. A well beaten path ran between the structures and at a distance, under the shade of the mountain there was a structure made entirely of dried sticks covered in moss and held together with what could have been twine. Jeremiah got the impression that whoever lived there preferred the company of animals to that of bipeds. And might well have been the 'friend' J'onn had mentioned before. “Welcome to Arias.
“Arias, what does that mean?”
“In many languages it means something between and including 'city in the clouds' and 'near to God.” J'onn said with a clear note of joy in his voice. “It's simply a more specific word for 'sanctuary' which doesn't always translate the same way in our languages.”
“It doesn't?” Jeremiah asked before he could stop himself.
“For Zyerilians a sanctuary is a cloister, set apart from the outside world, dedicated only to the pursuit fo religious knowledge, which we obviously are not. For Enkarens it's a military or government training school where you cast aside all other concerns to become the best of whatever you pursue.”
“Ah, I can see how that would get confusing. Why intentions rather than functions would help best if you have different 'native' languages. This may be a weird time to ask it but were we right about you? In so far as we thought you were a Martian, were we right about you?”
“Yes, I am a Green Martian. And the distinction is significant.” J'onn did not say anything else on the subject and for a few moments did not say anything at all. He simply stared off into the near distance, lost in thought...or perhaps in the past. I regretted upsetting him. He was a good man. If nothing else he was a man of honor and someone his people, the people of Arias looked to as their rock. That's when I realized what Sarrin had been talking about. They follow J'onn because they believe in him. Not because he was their commander or governor. And when Sarrin had mentioned she didn't wear a bracelet, she'd been trying to tell me she wasn't bound to J'onn by anything but self-decided loyalty. That she didn't obey him.
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