A/N: I must say that I like this story very much and that I hope others enjoy it as well. The main Justice League character that will be focused on in the long run is Batman, however many of the others will be decently involved as well. There will only be a total of two original characters in this story, one being more focused on than the other. Criticism and suggestions are highly encouraged in reviews.
Chapter One: The Watchtower Physician
It was an odd thing to consider since their indisputable success in crime fighting had been established mainly through their strength in numbers, but the fact still remained; the Justice League was severely understaffed. One could argue, of course, that the problem itself was due to the overwhelming amount of employees and its tendency to put said workers under a false sense of security, resulting in their eagerness to spread themselves much too thin. Sadly, the problem was not an easy one to resolve. It was impossible for any of the members to even consider suggesting that they ignore certain cries for help or to prioritize them in accordance to some decided level of importance. No, they certainly couldn't do that. So, instead, they continued to recruit. They hoped that one day they would finally be able to achieve that perfect number of members allowing them to assure universal safety with minimal collateral damage.
Yet the bolstering confidence that came with the plethora of crime fighting comrades wasn't the only thing leaving The League shorthanded; a lot of the issue had to do with the increasing number of injuries among the staff. Whether their heroes were becoming weaker or their enemies were getting stronger was uncertain, but the fact that something needed to be done was definite. Already, the size of the watchtower infirmary had been expanded twice in a single year and the hours of mandatory training time had been upped to 21 per week. Unfortunately, although the frequency of injuries had gone down as a result, recovery length remained at a constant. Green Arrow, for instance, had recently had his tibia broken in several places and his recovery time was estimated in months. Even worse, Shayera was experiencing a series of unexplained migraines, the pain being much too extreme for her to participate in battle.
Luckily, however, The League had found what they hoped would be a grand solution to their problem. Their desperation towards developing a more efficient medical staff led them to stumble upon a provocative online article. The commentary told of a doctor in Central City who had been fired due to the hospital board's discovery of her meta-human abilities. Despite the fact that her talents allowed her to excel over any other medical professional, the public's natural prejudice and distrust of mutants led to her dismissal. Fortunately for both parties, however, the league was more than happy to offer her employment as the official watchtower physician; her certification in surgery was simply icing on the cake. Although her birth name was Eleanor Josie Lockman, Central City Post had dubbed her Dr. Anesthesia; the name was far too fitting and much too catchy to not stick with her. J'onn, who might have possibly been the happiest to have her on board, was currently giving her a tour of the watchtower.
"I cannot accurately express how happy we all are to have you here, Dr." J'onn said to her as the two walked down the metallic hallways.
Dr. Anesthesia smiled, her high cheek bones becoming more defined as her full lips curved softly.
"I should be thanking you." She told him, "Losing my job was such a shock to me; I wasn't sure what I was going to do!"
The two fell into some small-talk as they continued on their journey. Every now and then J'onn would stop to point out an important part of the tower and answer any questions she may have concerning it. As they rounded the corner towards the dormitories, they crossed paths with Black Canary and Green Arrow who, much to his irritation, was now shuffling his way around the watch tower with the help of crutches.
"Ah, Black Canary, Green Arrow," J'onn called to them, "I would like you to meet Dr. Anesthesia, our new watchtower physician."
Both heroes shook hands with the doctor and politely introduced themselves. Neither of the two could help but notice how beautiful she was. Her tan skin was practically flawless and stretched nicely over her wonderfully structured face. Her eyes were a sympathetic brown that matched with her soft and waving shoulder-length hair. Her figure was slim yet curvaceous, and her legs were long like a supermodel's. Overall, however, her face was kind and motherly. Her beauty wasn't one to conjure up jealousy or lust, but admiration and respect.
"You must be the one with the broken leg." Dr. Anesthesia commented while shaking Green Arrow's hand.
Green Arrow smirked before looking down at the hulking cast.
"What tipped you off?" He quipped.
Eleanor laughed.
"Dr. Anesthesia has special abilities." J'onn explained, "As soon as you entered her presence, the rate at which your leg was healing nearly doubled."
"That's incredible!" Black Canary exclaimed before looking down at Arrow's cast as though the process would somehow be visible.
"Indeed," J'onn said, "Her powers will be an essential part in making sure that all of our injured friends are able to return to their league duties as quickly as possible."
"We'll be spending at least three hours a day together." The doctor told Arrow, "It will be taking the place of your training time; your leg should be as good as new in about a month or so."
"At least three hours?" Arrow asked in disbelief, "I sure hope you like Lord of the Rings…"
"I have the entire trilogy on Blu-ray." She responded with a smile.
Green Arrow grinned enthusiastically.
"Well, then I think we'll get along just fine." He assured her.
The two pairs said their temporary good-byes knowing that it was a guarantee they would see one another at a time not too far from then. J'onn proceeded to lead the way down the hall of dormitories while commenting briefly on each member of the team as they passed the name plates attached to their bedroom doors. Eventually, they reached the room that would be assigned to the doctor; Huntress' name tag remained drilled to the door. The metal doors separated at their arrival to allow their entry.
"We'll have your name plate ready for you by tomorrow; this was the room of a former member, but now it shall be yours. Feel free to decorate and personalize it however you please. We have provided clean sheets and linens for you as well as a set of towels for when you wish to bathe." J'onn told her, gesturing to the materials that lay folded on her bed.
"Wow, this is perfect." Eleanor praised, "Thank you."
With that, J'onn left the doctor to unpack her things from the suitcase Flash had eagerly delivered to the room earlier. Overall, Dr. Anesthesia felt much welcomed by all whom she had met; even The Batman, whom she had been very nervous to encounter. She hoisted her suitcase onto the bed, unzipped the very top compartment, and began to unpack her things. As she did so, her thoughts centered themselves around the idea of organization. She had already decided that her very first order of business was to become familiar with every member of The League, particularly the ones who were currently admitted to the infirmary. This, she decided, would include the conducting of physicals so that she could have a general understanding of everyone's current status of health as well as the necessary means of treatment if they were to ever become injured or fall ill. She had already figured that she would need a special set of surgical tools laced with kryptonite if the time ever came that she needed to operate on Superman, along with a lead safe to keep them in so they couldn't harm him in the meantime. She engrossed herself with her thoughts and continued unpacking; unaware that across the hall was a very frustrated, faceless man.
The next morning, Eleanor woke from her bed feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day. She picked up her set of clean towels and made her way to the team locker room where she was able to engage in conversation with some members of The League while waiting in line for the showers. She found herself rather impressed with the quality of water pressure that spaceship baths had to offer and, once clean, she returned to her room where she brushed out her brown locks and put on a pair of grey slacks along with a short sleeved purple top. After applying a very minimal amount of makeup, she left her room and made her way to the infirmary where she found a very wide range of injured and ill patients, all of whom were decked out in colorful spandex suits.
Eleanor had decided last night that Shayera would be her priority due to her being both a team leader and the most skillful fighter in the infirmary. Not to mention that she was the one in the most pain. Most likely searching for any feasible medications that could help sooth her throbbing mind, the doctor found her fishing through one of the medical cabinets.
"No need for that, Shayera." The doctor said to her, startling the woman.
The hawk's wings prolonged in fright and she rotated quickly only to calm at the sight of the temperate-faced woman. Eleanor extended a hand in order to reach for the bottle of Aspirin that was clutched tightly within the Thanagarian's fist. Shayera's lips formed a sheepish smile.
"You must be the new physician." She said while dropping the pill bottle into the doctor's hand.
Eleanor smiled while setting the container down on a table next to them.
"Dr. Anesthesia." She introduced, this time extending a hand to shake that of Shayera's.
The two met each other's acquaintance and soon got to talking about the series of mysterious migraines that had been haunting Shayera as of recent times. Shayera found herself comforted by the doctor's genuine concern for her well-being and began to feel increasingly at ease in her presence. Rather shortly, the doctor had the hawk feeling as though she were on a quick route to recovery.
"This is remarkable." Shayera purred.
The Thanagarian was lying on one of the medical tables within the infirmary with her eyes closed and head resting in Eleanor's cross-legged lap. The doctor's soft hands trailed soothingly across the hawk's forehead, through her hair, and athwart her scalp. In addition to her powers of accelerated healing, Eleanor also had the ability to cease any physical pain simply through touch; this had been what earned her the name Dr. Anesthesia.
"I'm glad you're feeling better." Dr. Anesthesia said with an honest smile, "You know, Shayera, there is one last thing my abilities allow me to do."
"What's that?" Shayera asked. Her voice still sounded as though she were far away in a universe of comfort and pleasure.
"It enables me to instantaneously diagnose an illness and its cause." She told her.
With a spark of curiosity highlighted within them, Shayera's eyes opened.
"Do you know what's causing all of my migraines?" She asked, looking up at her.
Eleanor smiled.
"Shayera, I believe you are in the early stages of pregnancy."
Shayera was back to herself at the point. She shot up from the doctor's lap. Her hands came to her face as she stared down at the ground in disbelief.
"W-What?" She stuttered.
Eleanor let her hands rest atop her thighs.
"A common cause of migraines is sudden hormonal changes. Your estrogen levels are very high and I sense another life in you. Congratulations, Shayera; you're going to be a mother."
The doctor's words echoed loudly throughout Shayera's mind; the hawk wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to be feeling at that moment. Was she excited and overjoyed? Of course; she had always wanted to mother a child. Regrettably, that couldn't change the fact that the father was in a committed relationship with another woman.
"I…I have to go." Shayera announced.
She hopped off the medical table and made her way quickly out the infirmary door. Dr. Anesthesia watched with worried eyes as the Thanagarian disappeared from sight with a single sweep of her angel-like wings. Eleanor sighed.
As the doctor got up and off the medical bench and reached for her clip board, she decided that now was an excellent opportunity to begin conducting the team physicals. She examined the full list of members that J'onn had so kindly supplied her with and began to strategize the way in which she wanted to execute this task. After giving it some consideration, she decided that the most logical way to accomplish the chore was simply to do it in alphabetic order. She spent the succeeding abundance of hours traveling about the watch tower searching for those who weren't currently dispatched on a mission and asking them if they presently had time to go through a brief medical examination. Most complied whole heartedly, some wishing to have the exam implemented in their rooms while others agreed to take a walk down to the infirmary. In only a four hour period of time, the doctor managed to obtain basic medical information on nearly forty percent of the team, all while checking in and treating the current infirmary patients every so often.
After checking the last member she had seen off her list, she traveled to the transport bay where she then reported her progress to J'onn. The Martian was quite pleased with her established work ethic and eagerly agreed to check over her list and see if there were any others within the watchtower who were free of duties and had time for an exam.
"It appears that the only one you have missed is The Question who, ironically, inhabits the room directly across the hall from yours." J'onn told her.
Eleanor thanked him and made her way back to the hall of dormitories. As she journeyed there, she felt her heart fill with love and compassion as many of the people she had only met that day smiled kindly at her and bid her a greeting. A smile remained plastered on her angelic face as she arrived in front of The Question's door. Her confidence, high from all the friendly interaction she experienced that day, allowed her to lift an arm and knock on the heavy metal door without hesitation. Merely seconds later, the doors parted to reveal a tall, faceless man dressed in an orange dress shirt, untied tie, and wrinkled slacks. His black hair was mightily disheveled, and, despite his lack of facial features, she could feel hostility radiating from him.
"What do you want?" He practically hissed, annoyance laced in his tone.
The doctor's eyes immediately dropped down to her clip board in discomfort.
"I'm Dr. Anesthesia, the new watch tower physic-"She was cut off.
"I know who you are, Dr. Eleanor Josie Lockman; that wasn't the question I asked." Question told her, sounding exasperated. "The question I asked was what do you want?"
Eleanor stood there in shock at hearing her legal name leave the lips of this man she had never known existed until this very moment. She swallowed hard, anxiety filled her system.
"Um, well, I'm conducting team physicals and I was wondering if you had time to-"
"I do not, sorry." He said sharply.
The doors to his room began to close, but a gloved arm extended over the doctor's shoulder and prevented them from shutting completely. The door's safety feature caused them to quickly slide back open. Eleanor gasped and spun around to find The Batman standing closely behind her with a scowl on his face.
"Give her what she needs, Question." The Dark Knight growled, his eyes narrowing with every word.
Question stared down the man before letting out an irritated sigh.
"All right, all right." He said, waving him off.
The doctor whispered thanks to Bruce before stepping inside the faceless man's room, the door sliding shut behind her. She watched as Question made his way swiftly to the computer that sat on his desk and shrunk down multiple windows that remained open on the screen. He then began to shuffle around with papers on his desk, putting them into some form of organization.
There really wasn't anything organized about this room, the doctor realized. There were papers pinned and taped up all over the walls along with strings attached to pushpin's that dangled haphazardly about the room. The only thing that lit the dormitory was a small desk lamp that stood on top of a stack of encyclopedias. A blue trench coat, fedora, and gloves lay across his bed which, in great contrast to the rest of the room, was perfectly made.
The doctor went to take one step further into the room, but was stopped before her foot could hit the ground.
"Watch it!" Question hissed, referring to the scattered papers her heel was about to make contact with. "Those are important…"
Eleanor retracted her foot and maneuvered around the maze of paper work in order to make it to the man's bed. She set down her clip board and medical equipment in order to prepare herself for the examination. Begrudgingly, Question submitted to being weighed, measured, having his reflexes tested, his blood pressure taken, and heart listened to. Just when he thought the exam to be over, the doctor asked him a question.
"Do you have a face?" She asked without removing her eyes from her clip board.
"Excuse me?" Question asked, looking down at where she was kneeling on the floor.
"A face, do you have one?" She asked again, this time looking up at him.
"What's it to you?" He responded, shifting awkwardly on the bed. Eleanor put down her pen; she could feel her usually ever-flowing patience wearing thin.
"Well, I'd like to examine your eyes, nose, and throat; however, I can only do so if you have a face." She explained, now staring the man directly in where his eyes should have been.
After a few moments of silence, Question finally responded.
"No, I don't" He said.
Eleanor sighed.
The doctor could feel her face soften, compassion filling her heart; she was beginning to understand this man. It wasn't that he was inherently rude, he was simply overworked. Whether his exhaustion was self-inflicted or forced upon him she didn't know, but she knew it was taking a toll on his mood.
"I know you're lying to me, Question." She said while standing up to sit next to him on the bed; Question averted her gaze. "I can sense the pain you have in your eyes; no doubt it's from spending hours staring at that bright computer screen in this poorly lit room. That and the pain in your back that's probably from hunching over that keyboard of yours, along with that splitting headache you have from not sleeping for days on end. You can't do this to yourself, Question; it isn't healthy."
Question didn't say anything concerning the matter; he still refused to even look at her. After a few long moments, he finally spoke.
"There's a can of aerosol on my night stand." He muttered.
The doctor turned and discovered the can he spoke of, reaching for it without hesitation. She looked to Question, who had finally turned to look at her, and waited for further instruction. When none was given, she simply followed her instinct. She gave the can a generous shake and sprayed it all over the man's covered face. She watched as the yellow mist caused a floppy skin-like mask to loosen from the sides of his face and his black locks to change into a lovely orange. Eleanor set the can back down and reached up to pull the rest of his mask off, revealing his bright blue eyes and handsome features. The doctor smiled.
"Now, why would you hide a face like that?" She asked, setting the mask aside.
"So the CIA can't identify it using their face detection software…" He responded without hesitation.
The doctor laughed, although the man was far from joking. At last, they managed to fall into decent conversation as she finished up the exam. He explained to her how he was the only employee working in the Justice League's data department and how it was very stressful for him having to deal with so much work. Not only this, but it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to work undercover and extract information; he was an above average fighter, but when he was eventually discovered to not be a hardcore mobster like he claimed, six versus one were never fantastic odds and he'd be lucky only to escape alive. He explained to her how The League had attempted to find new members that could possibly work under him and improve his situation, but none were even close to having an appropriate handle on deductive reasoning, nor did they have much of an ability to persuade and obtain information from others. He figured the only luck he'd ever have at obtaining a decent partner is if they gave him The Batman himself.
As the doctor listened to the man prattle on about his last assistant's lack of persuasive skills, her thoughts couldn't help but wander towards her estranged sister. She wondered where she was and if she could possibly be in a better situation than she was when she had last seen her. Daringly so, she even considered if maybe her sister could possibly be that one successful partner The Question was looking for.
Eleanor smiled as she got her equipment together and prepared herself to leave Question's room. She watched as the man put his mask back in place, feeling her heart warm at the fact she had managed to somewhat befriend a man who she had originally thought to be a hostile. She took one last look around the room, her eyes turning sympathetic as she absorbed its unkempt atmosphere. Yes, she thought, I believe my sister can do some good here.
A/N: Please review. Criticism and suggestions are highly encouraged.