Modern Family: New Life

Chapter 94 - Comic-Con 2009

Preview Night at San Diego Comic-Con 2009 had opened its doors.

The contrast couldn't have been greater: from the sweltering heat of the football field to the air-conditioned, massive convention center filled with posters, lights, displays, LED screens, and booths.

It wasn't crowded yet, the Preview Night was limited to those who had purchased the full pass, and that allowed them to walk freely through the halls without being pushed or lost in a crowd.

Even so, the energy was palpable. There were cosplayers on every corner, photographers capturing moments, music playing from some booths, and rumors swirling about surprise panels for the weekend.

Within the first hour, Andrew had already bought several signed comics, a few limited edition pins, a small replica of Darth Vader's helmet, and a t-shirt with the Dark Lord himself printed on the back.

As they walked down one of the convention center's main avenues, Howard pointed ahead excitedly.

"Over there! They're doing the demo for Batman: Arkham Asylum! It's one of those Warner booths," said Howard.

"Let's go! People say it has the best atmosphere ever made in a superhero game!" Leonard added with enthusiasm.

Both turned to Andrew, expecting him to follow, but he simply shook his head.

"You guys go. I want to check out another section," Andrew said with a relaxed smile.

"Alright, we'll meet up later," Howard and Leonard said as they headed toward the Warner booth.

They assumed Andrew just wanted to explore other stands.

What they didn't know was that Andrew had already played Batman: Arkham Asylum. He knew it too well and had finished it a couple of times in his previous life.

And while the game was a masterpiece for its time, he had lived through far more advanced, intense, and complex video game experiences, games that didn't even exist in this reality yet.

To him, the demo didn't hold much mystery.

'Hmm, where to go?' Andrew thought as he wandered through the crowd without a clear destination.

As he walked, he took in everything around him: groups of people laughing, taking pictures, carrying bags filled with collectible figures.

Just a few hours ago, he'd been on a football field, surrounded by athletes, coaches, and bleachers mostly filled with teenagers in school jerseys.

And now... he was surrounded by cosplayers, collectors, proud nerds, adults wearing comic book t-shirts, guys debating over limited editions, and more.

He eventually drifted toward one of the most renowned booths in the entire place: Sideshow Collectibles, famous for its highly detailed statues of comic book, movie, and video game characters. Even though it was Preview Night, several fans were already gathered, mesmerized by the scale figures of Spider-Man, The Joker, and Darth Vader, all with their own lighting displays.

Andrew spotted a special figure of Green Arrow. It was rare to see such a high-quality statue of Green Arrow, since he wasn't as marketable as Batman, Superman, Spiderman, or The Joker.

He didn't think twice and reached out to grab the box, but at the same time, another hand grabbed it too.

Andrew turned his head and saw her. Willa Holland.

She was wearing a short, fitted black leather jacket, a plain white tee, and tight jeans. Her hair was down, slightly wavy, cascading over her shoulders with a kind of calculated naturalness that didn't seem accidental. On her shoulder, a designer handbag that clearly wasn't from any ordinary store.

She wasn't wearing anything geek-related, yet somehow she stood out more than any cosplayer within five meters.

While everyone else around was dressed in geek apparel, she looked like she'd just stepped off a fashion runway.

And maybe that's why she drew more attention than anyone else.

"You again?" Willa said, not surprised, not smiling, just a hint of irony in her voice.

Andrew blinked, confused. "Sorry?"

"Andrew Pritchett-Tucker. The guy pretending to be McLovin Yasuo Yamagata and signing up for tournaments with fake identities," Willa said in a neutral tone, though the slight curve at the corner of her lips betrayed a hint of amusement.

Andrew's mouth opened slightly. He was surprised she recognized him.

"You... know me?"

"Yeah, remember I read your ID? Also, I know your YouTube channel," Willa said.

"Quite the ego, by the way," she added.

Andrew was surprised to be recognized by Willa, and that she knew his YouTube channel.

"It wasn't ego, what I did at the tournament it was... intentional. Planned. A character I created with my friends. Haven't you ever done something just for fun with your friends?" Andrew defended himself.

Willa raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want to keep humiliating the same teams by 50 points. That was your line, wasn't it? The one you sent to the CIF when you requested to move up," she said.

"That's not ego. That's being realistic. If you saw last season's results, you'd know it's not a lie. We won every game by a blowout. And if you actually watched my videos... you'd know I'm not out there bragging about how great I am," Andrew said.

Willa didn't reply, because Andrew had a point. She had judged him based on second-hand comments, his YouTube fame, and the records he'd broken. She assumed any athlete with a track record like his had to be an arrogant, insufferable jerk.

"You've got a point," Willa finally admitted. "I guess I'll have to actually watch your full videos if I want a clear picture. Who knows, maybe you'll surprise me and turn out to be more than just a stereotypical egotistical jock," she added.

'That was your image of me...?' Andrew thought, with a strange expression.

"Though I have to admit, I didn't expect to see you here," Willa added, eyeing him like he was some kind of odd specimen.

"Says the Hollywood actress trying to buy a limited-edition collectible," Andrew shot back with a slight smile.

"You know who I am?" Willa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Gossip Girl, right? Season two," Andrew replied.

Willa narrowed her eyes slightly, clearly surprised.

"Wow... I didn't expect a famous YouTube athlete to know anything about Gossip Girl," she said, unable to hide the mix of skepticism and confusion his answer stirred in her.

Willa wasn't a Hollywood star, far from it. She'd had secondary roles: first on The O.C. as Kaitlin Cooper, then in a few episodes of Gossip Girl, playing Agnes, a rebellious model who caused chaos in the life of one of the main characters. It wasn't a lead role. Not even a regular one, she'd only appeared in five episodes during the second season.

And Gossip Girl wasn't exactly the kind of show you'd expect someone like Andrew to watch: male, star football player, and also a nerd. He was the opposite of the show's main demographic.

"You're telling me you watched Gossip Girl?" Willa asked, unable to hold back.

"Not by choice. My cousin is obsessed with the show and forced me to watch it with her," Andrew replied.

"And you actually listened to your cousin and watched the whole thing?" Willa asked.

"Once I start a series, I have to finish it, even if it tears my soul apart," Andrew said with a resigned smile.

"Mm, I see..."

"Though I have to say, your performance was really good. The character was chaotic, rebellious, and annoying at times," Andrew added, as if it were just a passing thought.

Willa blinked, slightly surprised. Not because she didn't expect a compliment, but because it sounded genuine, no hidden intent, no flattery in his tone.

"Thanks," Willa said, with a smile that didn't show up on her face very often, a real one.

They both fell silent.

Their eyes slowly drifted back to the Green Arrow figure still in their hands. Neither one let go, as if, despite everything they'd just talked about, the only thing that truly mattered was that limited-edition figure.

"I grabbed it first," Willa said.

"No, I grabbed it first," Andrew replied.

"You're not going to let a girl have it?" Willa asked, with a sharp look.

"I doubt you're the type of girl who expects favors just for being a woman. And I'm a big believer in equality," Andrew answered calmly.

"You're really stubborn," Willa muttered, frowning.

"I say the same about you," Andrew said.

A few feet away, the booth attendant, a man in his thirties, black Sideshow T-shirt, thick glasses, and a lanyard with his badge hanging from his neck, watched them with his arms crossed.

From where he stood, he'd been watching this boy and girl talk in silence for nearly three minutes, neither letting go of the Arrow figure.

The tall, athletic guy with a naturally confident stance. And the girl who looked like she'd walked out of a fashion magazine. Fitted leather jacket, expensive bag, perfectly styled hair, and an intimidating aura.

'Why are two models arguing at my geek booth? They're scaring off the real buyers,' the attendant thought, scratching his head.

He saw two kids with the stereotypical nerd look and backpacks full of pins approach, glance at the scene... and then quickly turn back.

"Excuse me," said the booth attendant as he approached with a patient smile. "I don't mean to interrupt the mental duel, but... are you going to buy it, or are you waiting for Green Arrow to move on his own?"

Andrew and Willa turned to look at him.

"I grabbed it first! You saw that, right?" Willa exclaimed quickly, raising her voice and looking at the attendant.

"That's not true. I grabbed it first," Andrew replied just as firmly, also looking at the man.

The attendant stared at them for a second, somewhere between confused and amused, as if still trying to process the fact that two teenagers who looked like magazine cover models were arguing over a Green Arrow figure like their lives depended on it.

"No... I didn't see who grabbed it first," he said finally, shrugging. "But if it matters that much to you, I've got a proposal."

They both looked at him attentively.

"A trivia contest. Alternating turns. Questions from the DC universe, specifically Green Arrow. First one to get a question wrong... loses."

Andrew and Willa looked at each other, then at the figure, and finally nodded in unison.

"Alright. One question each. If you both get it right or both get it wrong, we continue. If one gets it right and the other doesn't, game over. Ready?"

"Ready," Andrew answered confidently.

"Always," said Willa with a small, challenging smile.

The attendant nodded and started by looking at Andrew.

"What's Green Arrow's real name?"

"Oliver Queen," Andrew answered instantly.

"In which fictional city does Green Arrow fight crime?" he asked, looking at Willa.

"Star City," she responded without hesitation.

The questions continued, neither of them missing, until one finally stumped Andrew.

"What alternate version of Green Arrow appears as a survivor in the Kingdom Come series?"

"Umm... Older Oliver Queen?" Andrew replied, uncertain.

The attendant gave him a neutral look... and shook his head.

"Incorrect."

Willa let out a small huff, not quite a laugh, but definitely a sound of restrained satisfaction. Andrew glanced at her with a slight frown but said nothing.

"If you get this one right, you win," said the attendant, looking at Willa, who nodded with a serious expression.

"In the classic continuity, whose death leads Green Arrow to become more violent, even distancing himself from other heroes?"

Willa tilted her head slightly. For a moment, Andrew thought she didn't know the answer.

But then she calmly replied, "Connor Hawke."

"Correct! We have a winner!" the attendant said after a few suspenseful seconds.

Willa flashed a satisfied smile, pulling the Green Arrow figure out of Andrew's hands with a soft but firm tug.

"Study up for next time," Willa said teasingly, giving Andrew a light pat on the shoulder.

Andrew stood still for a moment. His jaw tightened slightly. He didn't like losing... especially not over a comic book question. But even so, he muttered, "Well played."

While Willa chatted with the attendant, who carefully wrapped the figure in a special bag with the booth's logo, Andrew glanced at the rest of the figures. There were some good ones, Batman, Superman, even a pretty detailed Hal Jordan, but none really caught his attention.

He turned away, shrugged, and began walking off through the convention aisles.

He hadn't gotten far when he heard Willa's voice behind him.

"Hey! Wait!"

Andrew stopped, turning around with his brows slightly furrowed. Willa was walking briskly toward him, the bag in one hand.

"Coming to keep mocking me or show off the figure?" Andrew asked in a neutral tone, though deep down, it was clear he wasn't as bothered as he pretended to be.

"Hey, don't take it personally. I won fair and square. And I'm not here to show off," Willa said with a half-smile.

Andrew glanced at her sideways, curious. "Then... what do you want?"

Willa took a small breath, like she had to push the words out of her throat. Her tone stayed firm, but she briefly dropped her gaze, just enough to show that saying this wasn't easy for her.

"I wanted to know... if you'd like to walk around the convention with me..." Willa said, with clear difficulty.

Andrew stayed silent for a second longer than necessary.

"You didn't come with friends?" he asked.

Willa shook her head quickly, without adding anything else. She didn't want to go into detail. She didn't say she didn't have any nerdy friends. Or that, in truth, she didn't have many friends at all. She didn't need to. The slight shrug of her shoulders said enough.

Inside, Andrew felt like the world stopped for a second.

'Willa Holland... Thea Queen... my teenage crush for years... And now she's asking me to walk around Comic-Con with her. What kind of timeline is this?' Andrew thought, speechless.

His brain set off all the alarms at once.

'I have a girlfriend. I have a girlfriend. This is dangerous,' he repeated in his head like a warning.

But letting this opportunity pass was dangerous too. Not romantically, but because of how incredibly improbable the whole situation was.

The tournament. The alter ego. That she was even here. That she recognized him. That she knew about his channel. That she was interested enough in him to find him after beating him over a figure.

'I'll meet up with Leonard and Howard in a bit. We'll be four. Nothing weird,' Andrew reasoned, giving himself mental permission to say yes.

"Alright, if you've got no one else, we can go together," Andrew finally replied.

Willa nodded quickly, but Andrew noticed how she released her breath slightly, as if she had been holding it.

It was subtle, but it was there: the relief of not being rejected.

"Perfect. I hope you don't tire before I do. I plan to visit a lot of booths and time's ticking," Willa said, starting to walk again with a casual air.

"Don't underestimate me," said Andrew, walking beside her.

As they made their way through the aisles filled with lights, display cases, and figures, Andrew noticed something else.

Willa talked. A lot.

And not just that, she spoke with depth. She knew about comics, adaptations, all kinds of video games, timeline inconsistencies, and even cover artists.

She had facts, opinions, comparisons, and a ton of passion.

Andrew was genuinely surprised by how much of a nerd she was, maybe even more than him in some areas. He hadn't expected a Hollywood actress to be that geeky and that fashionable at the same time.

'She talks more than Howard when he's excited. And that's saying a lot,' Andrew thought with a discreet smile.

What Andrew didn't know was that Willa talked like that because she never had anyone to talk about these things with.

Because in past conventions, she came alone. And in school, with her acting career and that intimidating presence, it was likely no one really knew how to approach her... or even tried to.

At one point, Andrew and Willa finally ran into Leonard and Howard, both of whom looked at their friend and at Willa with visible confusion.

'This is going to be hard to explain,' Andrew thought, as he began introducing Willa to Leonard and Howard.

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