Title: Trust Me
Summary: In the aftermath of Grodd's embarrassing Secret Society incident, J'onn believes he has a way to dispel some of the tension and get the newborn League back on the path to true teamwork.
Wordcount: 1,669
Pairings: A little Bruce/Diana. Remember, at this point they're still relatively unfamiliar...but oh-so-fun to put together. *evil grin*
As always, R&R!
Tension hung over the Watchtower like a blanket. The League had rejoined in body, but not in spirit...not yet, anyway.
Yes, Grodd had exploited their built-up resentment with his mutated mental powers, and perhaps they would have stayed together longer without that interference. But the feelings ran deep, and he had only taken advantage of what already existed.
J'onn sighed silently as he started a cursory scan over the hull of the Watchtower. He sensed people's thoughts—and right now the waves of grumpiness rolling off Superman from below the monitor perch were starting to give him a headache. He tried to shut it out, but it lingered, a soft throbbing in the back of his brain that made it difficult to concentrate. Finally he turned towards the broad, red-caped back seated in front of the massive computer. "Superman, is something bothering you?" He waited for the usual reply.
"No."
He had long ago learned that the stronger the denial, the truer the accusation. Especially when it came to personal issues. The royally-hued cape sailed gracefully behind him as he took a step off the small platform and floated down to land easily beside his colleague. "I believe there is. Your mental unease is making it difficult for me to work."
Superman looked at him, instantly apologetic. "Sorry, J'onn. I guess it's just...everything. Everybody. No, no, I don't mean you," he added at J'onn's raised eyebrow. "But what happened? The League seemed like such a great idea, and then it just sort of..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his head.
"...Fell apart?" J'onn finished for him. "I know what you mean. We were used to working independently, complacent in our own abilities. And when a larger threat presented itself, we were not able to pull together fast enough."
"Yeah." Clark looked at his boots stretched out in front of him. "But when the Imperium invaded, we just seemed to click, if you know what mean. We worked. And we beat them, J'onn! Or maybe I should say, you did. And you saved us again last week," he added.
J'onn tucked his hands behind his back, cloak falling smoothly over his shoulders. "We were a team in that situation. Knowing that we could not defeat the Imperium as individuals, we depended on each other. The fact that I did not forget my family last week is an entirely different matter."
Superman's face flushed to match his cape, and he shifted uncomfortably in the steel chair. "Boy, we must make a pretty rotten bunch of little nieces and nephews to look after," he said, a wry smile twisting his mouth.
"Quite the contrary," J'onn answered, dead serious. "If it were not for you, I would still be held in an Imperium laboratory awaiting a lingering death. But that is past. We must concentrate on the task at hand—in this case, it is building trust."
Superman scooted upright in the chair from his slumped position. "But we do trust each other! I mean...don't we?" His eyebrows kinked as he looked up at the Martian. J'onn gazed steadily at him.
"What do you think?"
"Point taken." Clark sighed. "Well, what would you suggest? John's 'teamwork exercises' were nothing short of a disaster. I hope Hawkgirl's wing is ok," he muttered.
"Indeed, they accomplished nothing more than exhibiting how poorly we worked together. I would recommend some exercises similar to those Grodd used—situations in which each of us is forced to rely on another."
Superman stuck out his bottom lip and nodded. "Sounds good. But what kind of situation?"
"I believe I have just the thing...or rather, Grodd did." J'onn floated serenely back up to the monitor perch. "I'll alert the other members to meet us in the holographic training room in ten minutes. Do you think you could persuade Batman to join us?"
"I'll try." The Man of Steel smirked.
"So what are we doing here?" Hawkgirl asked, tapping her mace against her leg.
"Yeah, and what's the canyon for?" John added, gesturing at the towering sandstone cliffs around them.
The dry desert sun flashed off the gold medallions on J'onn's shoulders as he stepped forward. "We are yet again assembled as a team. However, we are a team that has to learn the lesson of trust."
"What?" Flash snorted. "Are we gonna play 'trust me' and jump off the cliffs?"
"Yes."
A circle of are-you-out-of-your-Martian-mind stares centered on J'onn. Then, "I'm outta here." Batman turned and started to walk towards the door in the side of the holographic cliff.
He stopped as Superman stepped into the center of the circle, red-clad feet stirring up small puffs of sandy red dust. "Guys, listen to him," he said, a pleading tone in his voice. "We have to start somewhere. At least give it a chance."
Diana had stood quietly through the discussion, hands resting on her golden belt. Now she spoke. "I agree. We should try J'onn's idea. It might even be..." She paused and arched a smirking eyebrow at Batman. "...Fun."
Flash peered shakily over the precipice. "You...you really sure you can do this, G.L.?" he quavered. "You're a long way down..."
John's voice echoed faintly from the distant bottom of the canyon. "You're gonna be fine, Wally...just remember what J'onn said about no efforts to save yourself. Trust me." He grinned.
"Yeah, right," Wally muttered. "Well, here goes nothin'..." He stepped off the cliff.
Hawkgirl, standing with the others watching, chuckled at Flash's thin "Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh..." as he plummeted through the warm desert air. It ended in a sharp "Oomph!" as he landed in the palm of a giant green baseball glove.
Green Lantern smirked as he lowered the glove to the ground. "Told ya I could do it."
"Yeah, I never doubted you once," Flash replied as he stepped back onto solid ground and brushed his hands together. He grinned mischievously. "Now it's your turn."
John sighed. "I sure hope you know what you're doing..." He took off for the top of the cliff surrounded by the familiar green halo.
"All right, everyone," J'onn addressed the others on the ground. "Find a partner and a cliff and begin."
Batman made no move, evidently preferring to stand shrouded in his shadowy cape, and scowled sideways at Diana as she stepped over to him. She looked at him archly and placed a hand on her golden lasso. "Care to give it a try?" she inquired, flipping a strand of black hair behind her.
The Dark Knight sighed, and decided it was a lost cause. "Which cliff?" he asked resignedly.
The Princess pointed one out a little ways away on the canyon's wide, winding wash. "I think that one looks interesting."
Superman watched them head for the cliff and turned to J'onn. "Looks like it's you, me, and Hawkgirl...should we just take turns?"
J'onn replied with a smile, "That would be acceptable. Should we try here?" He pointed above him.
Clark grinned. "Sure. Hawkgirl, you're first. Don't worry, I'll try to think of some way to save you." He laughed, a pleasant sound.
Shayera let out a huff and set her mace on the ground. "Fine," she said. "I might be hard put not to use my wings, though."
"Hold onto them if you have to," Superman shouted up after her with a wide smile as she soared to the top of the canyon wall.
"Whatever..." she called back, voice carried on the breeze.
Wonder Woman and Batman had reached their cliff and stood looking up at it, shaded by the towering sandstone.
"Go ahead," she said, gesturing up the forbidding rock wall.
Bruce shook his head. "No, you know the rules. Ladies first," he smirked, mimicking her gesture with a small bow.
Diana just sniffed and jetted up the rock face. She was already uncomfortable at the thought of not using her powers, and to put her life in the hands of a man who had none...she landed on the plateau, took a deep breath, and stepped off.
"Gotcha." Batman grinned smugly at her as they swung down to the ground and he set her neatly on her feet.
She brushed herself off, despite the notable lack of dust. "That was...unexpected."
The smile melted into a patented Bat-scowl. "Like you could do it better," he snarled. She wasn't able to reply before the Caped Crusader vanished up the cliff with a grappling hook.
Well. As an Amazon princess, Diana certainly knew a thing or two about catching people in mid-air. Trust me, indeed.
Batman was three-quarters of the way down the cliff, looking at the ground, and wondering where Diana had gone when bracelet-clad arms abruptly broke his fall, wrapping around him bride-style. Wonder Woman landed softly on one foot and smiled, blue eyes twinkling. He gave her his best Bat-glare.
It didn't help that Superman, sailing down his own cliff at the moment, saw the whole thing and shouted, "Nice save, Diana! He looked kinda scared—oof." Hawkgirl grabbed the back of his cape and lowered him to the ground, helmet glinting bronze in the holographic sun.
Batman snorted derisively and clambered out of the Princess' arms as quickly as possible. He folded his arms with a scowl and jerked his chin towards the cliff. "Up you go, Princess." Diana just smiled sweetly at him and took off.
A distant shout came from Flash, perched on the rock like a diver. "Lookit this, everybody!" he yelled, and promptly rocketed off the jagged sandstone cliff. He spun around, flipped three times, and landed with a ballerina-style toe-point in the Lantern's waiting bubble. He clambered out as the bubble hit the ground and promptly sped up the cliff face again.
Superman and Hawkgirl returned to bickering amiably about who would go next. Flash let out a whoop as he sprang into another high dive. Against a more distant cliff face, a dark shadow swooped in to smoothly intercept a plunging red-and-gold streak.
Mission accomplished, J'onn thought as he looked fondly at his friends. Though they still had much to learn, this "Justice League" of Superman's might survive after all.