A/N: Time to add some romance…
Chapter Two: Lunch-Time Conversations
There was a particular something about the watchtower refectory that many of its inhabitants found quite soothing. It sometimes seemed as though its broad entry-ways were supported by a magical barrier where, when one passed through, all worries of the universe's possible impending doom were washed away entirely. Naturally, it was a place to share meals with others and, with the wide variety of advanced technology and foreign weaponry that the watchtower contained, it served as a symbol of normalcy that everyone could take comfort in despite what planet and/or alternate universe they originated from. For those whose in-human bodies did not require the consumption of earthly food, the cafeteria still managed to function as a sanctuary of social interaction which, despite what some may believe, was something of which all living creatures necessitated.
As one would suspect, the dining-hall became its most crowded during meal times; its Thursday lunch hour being particularly popular. This popularity was most significantly due to the serving of The League's all-time favorite pulled-pork special, whose barbeque goodness was presently dripping down and all over The Shining Knight's plate.
"My friend, you have yet to consume even a single morsel of the meal before you." Sir Justin observed whilst utilizing a napkin to wipe the messy brown sauce from his chin.
Vigilante, the man of whom the knight was addressing, seemed to be in some form of day dream; there was a lengthy time lapse before he even recognized that his friend was speaking to him.
"Huh? What's that you're sayin', Sir Justin?" The cowboy inquired, briefly looking up from the object of his fixation, "I reckon my mind is about as empty as a rain barrel durin' drought season right about now."
The knight raised an eyebrow at his dearest companion's unusual behavior.
"What is it that staunches your hunger?" Sir Justin asked. Once again he received no immediate answer.
The knight put down the remnants of his sandwich in order to observe his friend more closely. Greg's bandana-covered jaw rested upon the palm of his rough tanned hands as he gazed dreamily off into the Northeast of the cafeteria. Sir Justin followed the cowboy's line of sight in attempt to match it with his own. Once he succeeded, he discovered that it was none other than the lovely Dr. Anesthesia that lied at the end of the trail; the woman was currently standing in the lunch-line waiting to be served. A knowing smile formed upon the knight's lips.
"Ah, I see." Sir Justin said softly. He scooted his chair closer to his companion in efforts to keep his voice low in volume, "Your heart has been enchanted by a woman."
Vigilante straightened up at that, his deep brown eyes fixing a surprised look on the knight.
"Partner, you have done lost your fifth century mind." Vig declared, pointing an accusatory finger at the man for effect.
Sir Justin leaned away and jestingly raised his arms in defense. His smile had officially transformed into a smirk.
"I merely state my observations, dear friend." He explained. "When I ponder it, I have indeed found your thoughts to have been quite withdrawn since the very day we became acquainted with Miss Eleanor."
Vigilante opened his mouth to protest, but the keen, confidant expression across the knight's face was enough to force the man into surrendering and confirming his companion's suspicions; Greg sighed.
"She done lassoed up my ol' ticker real good." Vigilante confessed, "I ain't never seen a gal so stunnin'."
Finding himself quite satisfied with the cowboy's declaration, Sir Justin proceeded to finish the last few mouthfuls of his sandwich.
"You shall court her then, yes?" The knight presumed before finishing off the last delicious scrap of French bread.
Vig sighed once again.
"Life just ain't that simple, partner." The cowboy explained, "I can barely get myself to speak to the gal."
Sir Justin placed a reassuring hand upon his companion's shoulder.
"Nonsense, my friend!" The knight nearly shouted, "Request that she might be seated near us; observe, she emanates this way now!"
Greg felt the overwhelming need to clasp his hands tightly over his impassioned friend's mouth, but refrained from doing so since the object of their conversation was currently approaching nearby with her lunch tray at hand. The difference between what the two men saw of her image was massive. Where Sir Justin saw no more than an above-average looking woman, Vigilante saw a striking goddess whose immense beauty and compassionate nature could not be matched by another. Once she came in intimate proximity of the duo's table, Shining Knight did not hesitate to assist in his friend's quest to woo the lady of his heart.
"Miss Eleanor, mind you not to join us?" The knight called to her.
Eleanor heard the call, looked over at the two men, smiled at the sight of their familiar faces, and instantly re-routed her path towards their table.
"Mind? I'd love to!" The doctor said gleefully whilst setting her tray down on the tabletop.
Sir Justin gave a signaling smile to Vigilante while Eleanor took her seat, but the cowboy merely glared at the man from atop his bandana.
"How are you, Sir Justin?" Dr. Anesthesia asked before taking the first bite of her salad.
"I am very well!" The knight replied, smiling brightly. "And how does this day please you?"
"It pleases me greatly." The doctor answered after swallowing.
She couldn't help but laugh internally at the man's old-fashioned speech patterns of which she had not yet become accustomed to.
"How about you, Greg?"
Vigilante, who had removed his hat and bandana in order to start nervously scarfing down his un-touched meal, suddenly became frozen. Sir Justin gave him a wakening kick beneath the table's shielding.
"I-I'm doing well." The man stuttered.
Fretfully, he reached to pull a fresh napkin out of the holster that rested upon the table's center in order to furiously dab at his barbeque sauce-covered face.
The doctor, quite similarly to Shining Knight of prior moments, raised an eyebrow at the cowboy's strange disposition.
"Are you sure?" Eleanor pressed, "You seem a little anxious."
Vigilante cleared his throat before taking a quick gulp from his water glass.
"I'm perfectly fine!" He announced, his voice sounding a bit too eager to persuade. "'Spose I'm just a tad nervous for the Partners' Training Tournament that's goin' on later t'night. Really wanna win, ya' know?"
Although she was certainly not convinced, the doctor returned a majority of her focus to her food.
"Partners' Training Tournament? What is that?" She asked before taking another bite of her salad.
"A pleasant yet exhilarating way to hone our combat skills." Sir Justin explained, "A two versus two sparring match, if you will; the victors of the entire bracket obtain a magnificent trophy and have their names plastered upon the gymnasium walls."
A genuine smile graced the woman's curvaceous lips, "That sounds fun!"
"Indeed." Sir Justin agreed, mirroring the doctor's smile, "Vigilante and I are a team, and tonight we face Fire and Ice. You ought to attend the match, Miss Eleanor; I believe you'd be delighted by it!"
"I believe I would be as well," Dr. Anesthesia said before taking a quick sip from her water, "But, unfortunately, I was already planning to head back to Earth tonight; I have some business to attend to there that might take me a couple of days."
Sir Justin nodded in understanding.
"Would it be rude of me to ask of what business you speak of?" He inquired politely.
Eleanor meant to set down her water glass before responding, but, due to her lack of concentration, she mistakenly rested it upon the table's edge. Not having the proper support, the glass slipped from the metallic ledge and began to fall to its seemingly inevitable demise. Luckily, however, the doctor's miscalculation was immediately sighted within The Scarlet Speedster's peripheral vision. Wally, who had nearly been on the opposite side of the cafeteria, was over to the table within half a millisecond; his hand quickly grasped the glass and managed to maneuver it in such a way that every individual drop of water that had spilled out of the cup on its downward travel fell right back into its rightful place. By the time the doctor succeeded in turning her head to recognize her error, it had already been corrected.
"Drop something?" Flash quipped with a boastful smile across his lips before adding a playful wink.
Eleanor laughed; having already gotten used to The Flash's inherently flirtatious nature within her several weeks of employment, the embarrassing red coloring no longer pooled beneath the skin of her cheeks.
"Thank you, Flash." The doctor said while taking back her cup. "You're my clumsiness' antidote."
Just then, The Green Lantern approached, waltzing gracefully towards the table with a predominantly annoyed look on his face. The agitation most likely had to do with the sudden apparition of an additional tray within his left hand, one of which had originally been clutched between Wally's hands before he valiantly went to rescue the doctor's falling water glass.
"Hey, thanks, buddy!" Flash exclaimed before whizzing over to snatch the tray from John's hand. He then proceeded to seat himself in the last available seat at the trio's table.
Green Lantern rolled his eyes and set his tray down next to Wally's. Without much thought, he fashioned a chair out of green will-driven energy from his power ring and sat himself down next to The Scarlet Speedster.
Finding himself rather agitated with the intrusion and increasingly curious about the doctor's earthly agenda, Vigilante attempted to veer the conversation back on track.
"So, what was that you were plannin' to do back on earth this weekend?" He asked the doctor.
Eleanor smiled before taking a sip of her water and this time ensuring the glass was placed safely atop the table's surface.
"Visiting some family." The woman said simply, placing her hands in her lap.
John looked up at her after swallowing a huge bite of his sub.
"Where do they live?" He asked, "Back in Central City?"
The doctor looked down at her hands.
"I'm not exactly sure." She admitted, "I'm looking for my sister; I haven't seen her in a long time."
Flash's curiosity and natural eagerness to help those in need perked up at the sound of her words.
"Do you have any guess as to where she might be?" He asked, "I could always run her down for you."
The doctor's eyes softened at the man's generosity, but she shook her head in order to decline his proposal.
"I appreciate the offer, Flash, but the initial consultation is something I must do myself." She explained, "The last time I spoke to her she was in Gotham, but I met her at a café and I'm afraid I'm terrible with directions. I don't know Gotham very well; what I could use is a guide."
The four heroes' thoughts all immediately concerned themselves with the same man.
"Why, I believe The Batman hails from Gotham, no?" Shining Knight inquired, "Could he not be of any assistance?"
"King Arthur's right!" Flash said before scarfing down a handful of French fries and quickly swallowing them, "Bats could totally help you; he knows those streets like the back of a batarang."
Green Lantern raised an eyebrow at The Flash as though he were questioning the man's sanity.
"Wally, do you honestly think that Batman has any interest in being a tour guide?" John asked.
The Flash quickly zipped out of his seat and placed himself behind the doctor, his hands resting upon her shoulders.
"Come on, GL, not even Captain Scowl can say no to a face like this!" Flash proclaimed.
The Flash had been accurate in his conjecture; not even the Dark Knight himself was capable of saying no to assisting the warm-hearted doctor in her time of need. It was with an abundance of gratitude that Eleanor shook Bruce's hand and promised to meet him in the javelin bay at seven p.m. sharp. The doctor made sure to pack her things before visiting the infirmary, where she checked on her current patients and left a list of detailed instructions that J'onn had kindly agreed to abide by during her absence. Once Eleanor felt certain that she had completed all the tasks in the watch tower that were on her to-do list, she made her way to the javelin bay and managed to enter the enormous metallic cave, with her tiny suitcase in hand, at precisely six fifty-eight. Once he arrived, The Batman helped her up and into his ship and lifted her luggage up for her to take as well. Once they were all strapped in securely and ready to go, Mr. Terrific cleared them for take-off and the ship's fiery engine blasted them into the mysterious depths of space.
A/N: Let me know if you like the idea of Vig and the doctor together! – Please Review.
