Klarion hated being kept waiting.
Well, all told, he hated a great many things. But being kept waiting was one thing in particular that just didn't sit right with his specific..."personality".
"She had better come, Teekel!" Klarion hissed to his cat, who gave little acknowledgement. The witch-boy hovered above the ground, cross-legged as if in meditation, even though such a passive state of mind was something the Chaos Magician found positively ghastly. But such a posture was one he did nevertheless take when channeling various magics, including the creation of the little pocket dimension he was presently in. And one in which his..."guest" would be coming, if she actually came.
For her sake, she'd better. And the charm I gave her allows access to this place, so she doesn't have an excuse! Not one!
Finally though, a tear opened in the inky black and blue void Klarion had sequestered himself in. He turned about, but did not break his hovering meditation, to see precisely the woman he was waiting for; the queen of Bialya and the world's loveliest despot, Queen Bee.
Of course, it was that little matter of her being the "world's loveliest" that would be the topic of their conversation today.
"What is it you want, Klarion?" Demanded Queen Bee, her beautiful, dark tan skinned face becoming decidedly less pretty as she narrowed her eyes with annoyance at him.
Klarion feigned offense. "Oh, tsk tsk, you mustn't be rude, Queen Bee. My...pet, would not like it if you were."
"To hell with what that mangy beast thinks." Queen Bee spat, the privacy of their little chat ensuring she had no incentive to engage in the hollow niceties and false pleasantries she usually resorted to as queen of a country whenever she was forced to deal with world leaders who she held in the greatest possible contempt. Weak, greedy, grasping fools and incompetents the lot of them. Only the Light knew how to properly manage the world. It was the only reason she tolerated the presence of Vandal Savage, Ra's al Ghul, and the rest to the degree that she did.
She still hated this one particular co-member though. And not just because she owed him.
"What do you want, Klarion? And it had best be good."
Unaccustomed to such straight (and insolent) talk being sent his way, Klarion frowned, and his tone lost it's usual sadistic cheer. "I brought you here because you owe me, witch. And now I'm calling it in."
Queen Bee raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon? Owe you what, pray tell?"
"You know." Klarion said darkly. "I did something very good for you. Something you continue to enjoy even here, even now. Well, you wouldn't have it were it not for me, and now I'm cashing in my favor. I want, no, I demand, that you do something for me. Otherwise, I'll take back what I gave you."
Queen Bee's frown deepened. "Watch what you say, Witch-Boy."
"Favor for favor. That's what we agreed on when I first made the glamor charm for you. Well, I'm calling that favor in. In exchange for your remaining your lovely self, I want something out of you...or you can kiss that pretty face and nice body of yours good-bye."
Suddenly Queen Bee went from haughty annoyance to wild fury. "How dare you, you little brat! Why Savage keeps you around I have no idea! The Light brings order to the world, but you live only for chaos!"
"It's true, I don't really get it myself." Klarion admitted with a shrug. "But Savage does usually find fun stuff for me to do. Chaos and Order can sometimes work together you know. Pity that stupid old Nabu never understood that! Now then...about that favor..."
Sighing in defeat, Queen Bee said: "What do you want, Klarion?" She hated her current situation to be sure, but the thought of losing what had long been one of her greatest weapons, and also something she just enjoyed for it's own sake, was even more distasteful to her. So she bit her tongue and held her pride for once.
Klarion for his part snapped his bony fingers, and a small magical mirror appeared in a puff of red smoke. Within the mirror, Queen Bee could see the image of Doctor Fate.
"Ah. So that's what it is." Queen Bee said, catching on immediately. "You want me to help you get the Helmet of Fate for you, is that it? Still obsessed with that thing, are you?"
"Well, duh!" Klarion spat, his natural petulance shining through. "Nabu and his puppets are my greatest enemies! Period. I get the helmet, I can keep it out of reach of anyone who might use it. Maybe even send it into a sun or black hole while I'm at it. Wouldn't destroy it forever, but it would keep Nabu out of my hair for a few hundred years. But, you misunderstand, Queenie; I don't want you to attack Doctor Fate...I want you to lure him, and the helmet, to me."
Queen Bee raised an eyebrow at this. "And how in the world would I do that?"
Klarion's mouth formed a sadistic grin the likes of which would make the Joker either seethe with jealously or beam with pride depending on his mood. With a wave of his hand he changed the image in the mirror to that of a very attractive sixteen year old girl with long, black hair and dressed like a classic, old-style stage magician.
"This little brat's the daughter of Nabu's current host. Get her, and bring her to me, and I can trade her for the Helmet."
"You're so sure Nabu will let his host make that trade?" Queen Bee asked, her skepticism at Klarion's plan shining through.
"Either that, or the two...'fight it out' for control. Nabu may not want to save the girl, but his host will. And any struggle between them would weaken Nabu and leave him distracted, allowing me and some of my...'friends' to overpower him and take the helmet off his corpse. Either way, I win. It's only a question of whether Nabu's host and his pretty little daughter live at the end."
"You'd actually honor your word in a deal?" Queen Bee asked, again with transparent skepticism in her tone.
"Of course not." Klarion said with a sniff, before adding with pure malice: "Although, I wouldn't actually hurt the girl if Nabu cooperates and I get the Helm. Just...keep her, for myself. I could use a toy."
Queen Bee fought hard to suppress her disgust. Merciful and compassionate were the last words she or anyone else would use to describe her, but even she found the idea of a teenage girl being the plaything of a fiend like Klarion nauseating, not to mention bringing back memories of her own life and it's many indignities before becoming Queen Bee.
But, a deal was a deal. And Klarion had the means to incentivize her to actually keep her end of the bargain.
"Very well, Klarion. I'll find the magician girl for you."
Klarion smiled and nodded vigorously. "Good, good! I knew I could count on you! I suggest you use Riddler and the new kid for this job. The former's been itching for a shot at her ever since she humiliated him last year."
"And...the 'new kid'?"
"Needs to prove himself, that's what!" Klarion said, more impatiently. "Now get moving, Queenie. I hate waiting!"
Queen Bee heaved a sigh but resisted the urge to tell Klarion just what she thought of him and his carping. As she was about to leave though, Klarion called out: "Oh, and...one other thing, Queenie. If you should fail, or try to back out of this..."
Klarion raised a hand, and black and red lightning shot out of it. When it struck Queen Bee, it briefly cancelled out the effects of the glamor charm he'd given her so many years ago, and Queen Bee screamed and sank to her knees as her true appearance was revealed:
Half of her face was still quite beautiful actually, but without any sort of cosmetics to enhance it. The other half was horribly, hideously scarred, the result of acid being thrown into her face by her one-time husband. She was also not as lean as she had appeared, being a little on the chunky side, and especially in the legs, which were no longer their long, slender forms from before. She was also missing two fingers on one hand from the one time she'd fought an opponent personally but also underestimated them.
"Remember this." Klarion said coldly, none of his usual petulance, childlike derision, or sadism present in his tone. Just an utter heartlessness that in some ways scared Queen Bee more. Or perhaps it was just because of the reminder of his power over her that had accompanied it.
"I'll never forget." Queen Bee said simply, and little did Klarion know just what she meant by that. Namely, that if and when she ever, ever got the chance, she'd kill Klarion and keep the glamor charm for herself, and never let herself be on his leash again. And damn what the rest of the Light thought if she found some way to take out one of them.
But, in the meantime, she'd content herself with getting the girl so that she could be allowed to remain as she was.
With another wave of his hand, Klarion restored the power of Queen Bee's glamor charm, and then she was gone from the void.