Alright, come close / Let me show you everything I know / The jungle slang / Spinning 'round my head and I stare
Gooey - Glass Animals
"Supes, Di, Bats, GL. Oh, why not? Flash and M. Manhunter, too. They shouldn't miss out on the fun. This is turning out to be a VERY interesting day." - Tuesday Morning Breakfast
Watchtower - Tuesday Morning, after the early breakfast shift
J'onn could know all the secrets of every person on The Watchtower. Humans were an undisciplined race and let their thoughts run amok. Sometimes, all he could do was put his mental fingers in his telepathic ears, especially around those who had constant commentary running through their heads. (Flash.) Even those teammates that weren't born on Earth adopted that bad habit. The resident Kryptonian and Thanagarian were as obvious as the others.
Humans called his telepathic ability a "superpower." J'onn called it being Martian… the human word for his race. Their actual name was the summation of thoughts, feelings, and intuitions that coalesced into a jumbled mass meaning "The People". It nearly drove Superman mad when J'onn introduced himself that way. He decided "Martian" was what he would go by… for their sake.
It took considerable discipline to keep his abilities to himself. J'onn found that not only did his team not appreciate being scanned without permission, but their thoughts had him shaking his head in various levels of exasperation. He used his talents to help solve crimes, link his teammates together for stealth purposes, or have private conversations with those he deemed friend enough for such intimate communication. After that, he respected their privacy.
That is, unless their thoughts screamed out at him, therefore he couldn't help but investigate.
The first indication of something amiss was the feeling that someone was very amused. More than that, he was trying his best to keep in his laughter. But… this person never laughs. It was against his nature.
J'onn nearly collided with Batman as they rounded the corridor's corner. Instinctively, the Martian let the human walk through him. Both paused, acknowledging the other's presence.
"J'onn."
"Batman. Are you alright?"
"Need… to get… somewhere… away from here… excuse me." J'onn moved to let Batman rush down the hallway and dodge into a council room. Soon, muffled laughter emanated from behind the door.
J'onn contemplated the exchange. Curious, and feeling slightly naughty, he reached out to find the source of Batman's amusement.
Oh, Diana. Our chickens were blocked at every corner, weren't they?
"This is most strange," the Martian muttered out loud. He couldn't reconcile what blocked chickens had to do with Diana. He dug a bit deeper. His eyes flashed brighter at the resulting image. "Oh!"
Store that under a growing list of 'humanisms' he was reluctantly learning. They were always giving colorful terms to bodily functions and reproductive actions. They were especially curious about his abilities, though he questioned the validity of their interest.
Yes, he was a shape shifter. No, he would not demonstrate what he could do with that part of his anatomy. You want me to what? I am including a psychological analysis in your next League physical.
He had asked his wife about such nonsensical questions. She laughed then shrugged, her dark hair falling on a small shoulder and her brown eyes crinkling in amusement. "They are young and curious, and you are … ah… flexible!" He responded with a very human snort, though he couldn't find fault in her diplomatic and wise answer. She had an almost Martian calmness about her that he needed on this loud planet...
"Besides, I don't blame them. I like knowing my husband can change into a dragon. So exciting! A very strong spirit, indeed!"
She embraced who… what he was. Among the many reasons why he married her.
Continuing down the hallway, his thoughts wandered to that day's activities. He didn't expect much to happen unless there was an emergency. He would still monitor the event horizon for anything that needed the League's attention. For the most part, everything seemed peaceful on the space station…
He felt a flurry of emotions - annoyance, embarrassment, exasperation… amusement? And why is someone furiously trying to fly away?
Help me! They found me out!
J'onn felt a surge of panic. Shayera was protecting classified information, but her interrogators were close to making her break. Batman suddenly ran towards the cafeteria. J'onn followed, ready to assist at rescuing their comrade. Whoever these intruders were, they would rue the day they decided to take on the Justice League on their own headquarters...
"This place is a freakin' floating soap opera! I think I'll call it 'As the Watchtower Turns.'"
J'onn paused. He searched for the mind that blurted out the thought, to find out what a "soap opera" was and what Shayera had to do with it. He came to a full stop when he realized it originated from Superman.
Is this one of those training situations Green Lantern is always trying to get us to do? J'onn thought.
More like a rescue mission. A teammate needs help. Batman's thoughts came through loud and clear. That was when J'onn realized that he had unconsciously made a mental link with the dark hero.
Seems like I'm adopting some of those bad habits.
J'onn nodded. They had to continually work on their teamwork, and Green Lantern created scenarios to simulate emergencies. He likely recruited Hawkgirl to play both sides, something she had experience doing. Currently, she had Superman and Wonder Woman discussing… blocked chickens.
An original exercise indeed.
"What should I know about the situation?" J'onn asked.
"Hawkgirl's protecting confidential intel, but Superman and Wonder Woman are trying to get it out of her. She needs help finding an exit. They have her surrounded."
"A difficult extraction. Should I provide a diversion?"
"No, I'll do that. You stand by to cover our retreat."
J'onn felt a great amount of respect for this warrior. Batman held no super powers, yet he was confident that he could take on two of the most powerful members of the league. And one of them was the woman he loved.
Wait a minute. Batman felt more than love for Wonder Woman. Something happened between them that has their thought patterns almost intertwining. What is this?
Before J'onn could probe deeper, Batman signaled for him to wait. They crept closer to the cafeteria door's edge. He reached to his utility belt and brought out a green orb.
"Move when you see it? See what?" Diana's voice asked the question. J'onn wondered the same thing. Batman rolled the orb into the cafeteria.
"LOOK OUT KAL!"
J'onn heard the most disturbing crash, and a high pitched "eep!" Batman reached through the door and pulled Shayera to safety. She grinned the entire time, holding a drinking glass and her mace.
"Thanks for the rescue, Bats! You should have seen the way Diana threw Superman across the room. It was epic! Hey, J'onn!" Shayera took a sip of her beverage. She looked very pleased with herself. "That was a close call."
"We're not clear yet," Batman said. "J'onn, cover us."
J'onn nodded as they rushed down the corridor, then waited. He could sense someone's annoyance. Diana was on the hunt…
J'onn grabbed her arm as she strode through the door. "I must not allow you to pursue them."
"Oh, good! You're here." Diana hooked her elbow through J'onn's, pulling him with her. "Which way did they go?"
"I can't tell you," he tried explaining. Diana continued to walk.
"But you're always so helpful! You even helped when Batman was chasing me. We're good friends!"
J'onn suddenly felt warm inside. They WERE friends. She worried about him the most when he had doubts about his presence on Earth. She even greeted him with open arms when he revealed himself during a battle from an unassuming human disguise, to a massive red dragon, then his Martian form after a long absence. It wouldn't hurt to help her. Would it?
What was this exercise about again? Chime!
Both heroes paused as their communicators indicated a new message. Curious, they reached for the tech at the same time. J'onn gasped as Diana guffawed in surprise.
Each held incriminating evidence - a picture of Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman kissing Superman on the cheek. J'onn felt a sense of foreboding and admiration… and a bit of envy for the blue-clad hero. He read the origin of the text, and who else received the naughty image.
Supes, Di, Bats, GL, Flash, M. Manhunter. This came from Shayera's communicator. Why would she be sending this?
"Damn it! Supes still has my comm unit! I need it back before he sends that picture out to the entire League." Shay rounded a corner with Batman. They paused when they saw the other duo.
Batman held up his communicator towards Diana. "What the hell is this?"
The women glanced at each other. "Busted," Shay muttered.
"Kal said it would shut him up," Diana accused. Shayera shrugged.
"You know there's only one way to do that," Batman responded, advancing forward. Hawkgirl barely held him back.
"Not yet," she whispered, harshly. "We need to come up with a strategy. Those two together can be lethal."
"Don't I know it," he muttered back.
"Come on, my friend. We can take them down," Diana said. "You fly high and take out the dangerous one, I'll go low and get Batman."
"Should we be doing this in the middle of the corridor?" J'onn asked, confused. The quartet looked around.
Any approaching pedestrian traffic found convenient detours, even if it meant taking a stairwell or walking the entire perimeter of the station in the opposite direction. A technician who had the foolish tenacity to snoop suddenly retreated when met by four pairs of glowering eyes. No one wanted to get caught in crossfire between these powerful, and volatile, heroes.
"How about we take it to a training room," Diana answered. She threw Batman a wink.
"I'm not touching you after that picture," Batman growled.
Diana pouted. "I'll take a shower then." Her eyebrow rose suggestively. Batman's glower lightened. Shay perked up in curiosity, then groaned in dismay as Green Lantern stomped towards them. He stopped beside J'onn and Diana.
"I'm minding my own business, making preparations for our new lunar stations, and I get this… this…?" He held up his communicator for all to see.
"Looks like he's still talking, too," Diana quipped. Shayera blushed.
John took stock of the situation. "First me, now Superman AND Batman? How many more are you trying to claim?"
Shayera planted her fist rebelliously on her hip. "All of you if I wanted to." She grasped Batman's arm. He placed his hand over hers, his smirk challenging Green Lantern to no end. Shay lifted her chin coquettishly.
"Hey, Di. Look who I got."
She's... touching... him! J'onn flinched at Diana's indignant thought. "Oh yeah?" Diana grabbed GL's arm and pulled J'onn closer. "I got two."
"But I got yours."
"Do you now?" Diana leaned her head on Green Lantern's shoulder. J'onn wondered about that gleam in her eye and mischievous smile towards Batman. The Martian felt a signal pass between the Amazon Princess and Dark Knight. A flirtatious taunt… a secret understanding…
"Looks like we're outnumbered, Bats. I don't think we can get past them," Shayera said.
"Yes, we can," Batman said. "We're more than enough to take them down." A gust of wind blew in from behind.
"This is great! Why wasn't I in on this? Can I get one, too?" Flash bumped shoulders with Shayera, holding up the damning double kiss selfie. She grabbed his arm.
"We're even! Now, step aside," Shayera demanded.
"Not a chance, Feathers!" Diana shouted back.
"Feathers? Is that the best you got?"
"What else can I call you?
"John, what is this exercise? Are we choosing teams?" J'onn asked.
"This wasn't my idea," Green Lantern answered. "But I know she has something to do with it." He pointed towards Shayera. "Are you collecting for a harem? And you were trying to seduce me last Friday."
Shay gasped. "If I was actually trying, you wouldn't be walking right now!"
Diana whistled. "He would have needed three day recovery time? Not bad, Shay." She squeezed GL's arm. "I thought you had a date with Mari. She had all kinds of interesting plans for you."
'I did," he muttered. "Didn't work out. Something came up that… changed things."
"That's too bad. Then Shay made a counteroffer and you refused? That's some strong will power." Diana patted his arm. John groaned in disappointment.
"Thanks, Di," Shayera said. "Someone's looking a bit tired himself. Good job."
"I know," Diana quipped. She yawned. "I worked hard." She grinned at Batman's smirk.
"Alright, Miss Thang!" Flash crowed. "You got the Ice Man to crack a smile!" He cringed at Batman's glare. He drew closer to Shayera… and her mace. She wound her wing around the Speedster's shoulder.
"Leave him alone, Bats. My little brother, remember?"
"Awww, thanks Shay," Flash said, wrapping his arms around her waist. He resisted the urge to stick his tongue out.
"I wasn't going to hurt him," Batman retorted. "However, I do have a question for you." He roughly pulled her closer.
"Hey!" Flash yelled. He tried escaping, but Shay's wings held him tight.
"So, Ms. Hol," Batman began. "Who else knew of my 'enchanting' night with Diana?"
"Oh shit," Shayera muttered. "I told her not to say anything! Ow ow ow ow…" She shifted as he pinched her on the arch of her wing.
"She didn't, not to me anyway," he murmured in her ear. "The breadcrumbs led back to you. Interesting that the only person I told of my evening was also the one on monitor duty when Nightwing requested Oracle to call for a Javelin."
"You wouldn't hurt me. Matchmaker, little sister… feathered stalker… we have something special!" She threw her puppy dog eyes at him. His glower fell away. He hesitated… his grip loosened...
"You're not supposed to touch her there! Let her go!" GL yelled over.
"You want her? Give me that one." Batman pointed at Diana.
"Come and get me," Diana challenged. Batman held up the incriminating evidence of her kissing Superman's cheek. She drew closer to Green Lantern, then pulled J'onn in front of her. She had a strong, and very green, barrier shielding her.
"Ahem." All turned to find Superman leaning against the wall, watching the exchange with gloating amusement. "If all it took to get everyone together was to send out a picture, then I'll need to record kisses from all of you. Remember, League Founders' meeting at fourteen hundred hours. Don't be late."
He gestured at each hero. "Especially if whatever this is escalates. Clean up after yourselves and patch up any holes you make. Use the lemon-scented cleaner if you have to." He tapped Shay's communicator in his hand, a smug smirk planted on his face.
J'onn was having a hard time understanding any of this. His eyes glowed bright...
I wonder what else is on here. Superman's thought broadcasted to all in their group.
Don't go snooping around! Damn it, I should have deleted those pictures. Shayera tried to escape Batman's grasp.
What other pictures? Whatcha got there? I'll share mine if you share yours. Flash tugged at Shay's waist.
God, I hope you don't still have that one of me. Green Lantern turned and reached towards Superman, who swiftly moved the communicator away. His cheeks turned red as Shay smiled.
Never leave evidence! Batman chastised Hawkgirl. I thought you knew better.
Wonder Woman bit her bottom lip. Ah… then you'll want to delete those texts we sent each other earlier. And that picture you took of me this morning. They were quite explicit.
Batman smirked. Don't worry. They're already encrypted, sent to the cave, and deleted. Only I can see them.
Oh, Bats! I have a picture of Di you'd like. I took it last Friday. Flash tabbed through his own comm unit. He reached over to show Batman. Shay took a peek, too.
I thought I told you to delete that, Red, Diana mentally growled.
I know, but I couldn't! Wally whined. I mean… wow! That look in your eye. I knew Bats would love this one. Flash pressed a few buttons. Batman confirmed having received the picture.
Oh, Diana! I didn't know you had it in you! Shay smirked in admiration.
Neither did I. I was inspired. She winked at Batman again. A wave of mutual attraction flowed over the entire group. Each hero gasped at the intensity. Flash fanned himself with his hand.
Whoosh! That felt nice, Superman commented. Ah, you do realize J'onn linked us. We can hear and feel each other's thoughts.
We figured that out already, Clark, Bruce droned. All attention turned to the Martian.
This is very confusing. I am trying to make sense of all. This is not a teamwork exercise?
No, J'onn. This is us… ah, what is this about? Superman asked.
This is me getting my communicator back if you don't want my mace shoved up your -
SHAY! She shied away from everyone's thoughts.
Don't yell at me! I got some stuff that NO one should see. On ALL of us!
Really? Each person thought.
Uh… yeah. Shay threw a shit-eating grin. I'm an investigator. When I get bored, I look us up. We make it into the news quite often. Some things… well, let's just say some of us need to be a bit more discreet.
Wonder Woman quirked her head in curiosity. Flash blushed as bright as his red uniform as Green Lantern closed his eyes in embarrassment. Hawkgirl glanced up at Batman.
Ooooh, what I have on you…
Superman flew off in a blur, tabbing through the communicator. Green Lantern's stasis beam missed him by a millimeter, then chased in hot pursuit. Flash followed, laughing the entire way.
Batman and Wonder Woman squared off against each other. "This is against regulations," he growled.
"Got to break them sometimes," Wonder Woman countered.
"In this case, you're crossing a line," he said, holding up the communicator.
"Oh, I've not only crossed the line, I've erased it. Demolished it." Diana stepped forward aggressively. "What are you going to do about it?" Her eyes dipped lower as she ran her gaze over his body.
"Seems I need to remind you of the rules. You're not going to get away with this."
"Oh," Diana breathed. "You want to teach me a lesson?"
"One you'll never forget."
"Bring it."
"I'm ready to give it."
"And where do you intend to give it to me?"
"We're hashing this out 'our way'. Meet me in Training Room four."
"The lead-lined one?"
"You know it."
"Good. We got some issues to discuss."
"Then clear your schedule. This is going to take a while."
"As long as it doesn't go past lunch. Something tells me I'm going to be famished," Diana said. Batman pressed his lips to a thin line. She grinned, victorious. "First round is mine."
"Get moving," Batman barked.
"Race ya," Diana countered. "First one there gets to name the terms." She ran down the corridor.
"Oh, you shouldn't have said that. I know a faster way." Batman turned and walked the opposite direction. He tugged at an access hatch and climbed in. The panel closed, and he was gone.
"Did they forget we were here?" Shayera asked.
"No, they did not," J'onn answered. "They were very aware of our presence. That entire exchange was a coded message."
"Obviously."
J'onn walked over to stand by Shayera. He folded his arms across his chest as he regarded her. "There was nothing incriminating on your communicator."
"Of course there wasn't," she scoffed. "I know better. I keep a few selfies, take pictures of things as I fly, and maybe look up a few beauty tips, but nothing else." She fluffed her auburn hair. "I keep the juicy stuff on a different device."
"A wise precaution," J'onn said. "You used your skills to divert the team's attention away from you."
"Old habits die hard," she quipped. "I bet you have some interesting details on all of us."
"Some information I wish I could unlearn."
"Care to share?"
"I do not scan and talk. Besides," he smiled, "some of the things I know should come to light in their own time."
"I've got to ask," Shay said. She planted her fist on her hip. "How come you didn't call me out about the Thanagarian invasion?"
"You are still punishing yourself for that," he chastised. "I knew about the arrival of your people. It was all you thought about, when you were not daydreaming about John Stewart… and your conflict between him and your betrothed." He paused as she blushed.
"You knew about that, too, huh?"
"I did. I was hoping that your feelings for John would help you resolve your dilemma, but your loyalty to your people was still strong. I know you only wanted was best for all involved."
"But you knew I was being duplicitous. Wasn't that suspicious?"
"In your mind, they were benevolent visitors who wanted to know more about this world before they arrived. They practiced on you what humans call 'plausible deniability'. You could not confess what you did not know. You were as surprised about their actions as we were."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Ah."
"'Ah', what?"
"You are relieved. Your thoughts screamed out 'I'm glad Bruce and Diana forgave me.'"
"I didn't need it," Shayera stated proudly. Then she smiled. "But I appreciate it. I think Diana was giving me lip service when she said it the first time, but now I really believe her. Oil and vinegar. We go great together, but we don't mix."
"You would be surprised how much you two are mixing," J'onn replied. "You were not the only one who admired Green Lantern Stewart."
"Really!" Shayera grinned. "Well, I don't blame her. There's a lot there to admire. She didn't do too bad with Tall, Dark, and Scary. I couldn't help but sneak-a-peak when he walked by."
"The interpersonal admiration on this station is mind boggling. I can see why Superman called this station's drama 'As the Watchtower Turns."
Shayera snorted. "Seems Supes has some extra time between crime fighting and writing articles. I need to find out which soap operas he watches. I got into a few during my exile. We can gossip over those."
"I tried watching these stories called 'Reality TV' once. Humans make their relationships unnecessarily complicated."
"High drama brings high ratings. Besides, they're not telepathic like your people. Communicating only with words leaves it open to interpretation. And even if we could read each others minds, would that make it any easier?"
"No, it does not," J'onn admitted. "This entire exchange confused me, and I was reading each person in turn."
"It's amazing we even like each other."
"You like me?" J'onn asked. Shayera closed her eyes, breathed in, and smiled warmly. "Ah, thank you. There was no misunderstanding that thought."
"We're the only ones like us in the League. Us Non-Earthlings need to stick together."
J'onn took her by the arm. "Then come with me."
"Why?"
"I am going to my post at Ops."
"I already did Monitor Duty last Friday!" Shayera whined.
"But I could use your company. It can be incredibly dull on Tuesdays. We can compare our experiences on this strange planet."
"I don't know if I should say some of those things in public."
We don't have to speak out loud, J'onn thought. "Has your stay here been that complicated?"
"Actually, I like it here," Shay admitted. "Earth has its problems, but for better or worse, it's home."
"Agreed." For the rest of that morning, and into the early afternoon, Martian and Thanagarian silently watched the large monitor screen for any trouble. Human technicians jumped in surprise when Hawkgirl burst out laughing, but couldn't tell what the joke was.
Through their mental conversation, J'onn kept a secret tucked away, hidden within his disciplined mind. One of those complicated human relationships seems to have resolved itself. Or made itself more difficult. He wasn't quite sure yet.
He'd confront them later about it.
Business men – they drink my wine / Plowmen dig my earth / None of them along the line / Know what any of it is worth...
A/N - This story coincides with the events from "Tuesday Morning Breakfast - Epilogue to Baila Conmigo".