Artemis was waiting for them around the clinic. Several people were pacing and brandishing signs in front of the door. The three friends cringed when they read the signs. Stop killing babies, abortion is murder… That wasn't going to be easy.

"We can come back later if you want", Dick suggested, adjusting his sunglasses.

"No", Zatanna said. "I want to know now."

She went to the door with her head held high. Almost immediately, an angry woman barred her path.

"Do not enter that temple of death!" she almost shouted.

Zatanna smiled politely and tried to get around her. The woman continued to bar her way.

"Do not enter that temple of death!"

Dick intervened:

"In ancient Greece and in many civilizations, temples were places where animals were sacrificed to please the gods. "Temple of death" is a tautology."

The remark didn't make the woman smile. She was glaring at Artemis and Zatanna in turn.

"Which one of you is pregnant?" she asked abruptly.

"None of your business!" Artemis said. "We can go wherever we want so you're going to let us enter!"

"Oh yeah?" another activist shouted. "Don't you think you better close those legs instead of opening that mouth?"

The guy didn't have time to dodge the punch. He found himself doubled over, moaning in pain. The others stepped back, none of them dared to fight back. The bigger a group is, the more cowardly their members are.

"Let's go!" Artemis said to her two friends. "We enter and we get information. It won't hurt anybody."

They had nearly entered the building when they heard a whiny voice behind them:

"But have you thought of your baby? Your poor innocent baby? He already has fingernails, teeth and eyes! He cries when you cry and he has feelings! He calls you mommy! He can even do math problems, write poetry, dance and sing in your belly! How can you think of killing him?"

"What do you think they've been smoking?" Dick asked while the receptionist was gesturing them to come.

The doctor was a calm and composed bespectacled woman in her forties. Zatanna liked her immediately and explained her briefly why they were here while Dick and Artemis were waiting in the corridor and the activists were howling louder. After a blood test and a pelvic exam, the girl asked the question that was burning her lips:

"Please, how much time do I have to take my decision?"

"Legally, in this state, the time limit is twelve weeks", the doctor said. "When did it happen?"

"My period is one week late."

"Three weeks, then. You have plenty of time."

"I'm not sure about what I want to do", Zatanna said. "What happens during an abortion?"

"There are two possible procedures. With the medical method, you have to absorb a tablet to expel the egg."

"What about the other way?"

"The aspiration method. It requires anesthesia, your cervix dilated and an aspiration. Are you afraid?"

"I was operated for appendicitis when I was six", the girl said. "I'm not afraid of hospitals. But is it going to make me sick or sterile or anything?"

The doctor put her hand on hers and smiled sweetly.

"Of course not. Complications are rare. There are many women who have children after an abortion, and who love them!"

"And what if I decide to keep it?"

"It's up to you. Your body, your choice."

Zatanna looked around the room. There was a picture of two smiling children on a corner of the desk. She remembered something and she asked:

"One more thing… does this embryo have fingernails?"

The woman burst into laughter.

"Fingernails? Come on! There are no fingernails, no teeth, and no complicated organ at three weeks! It is a cluster of cells of two millimeters, fingernails are formed much later! These people really do not know what to invent..."

"I'm pretty sure my dad wouldn't like me to do that…"

"You're not your father, you know?" the lady said sweetly. "You're big enough to take this decision."

"Thank you", Zatanna said. "I'll go back home and think about, then."

"Do you have someone to go with you?" the doctor asked.

"Two friends. They're waiting for me outside."

The three friends left and had to pass the angry activists again. Then Dick asked:

"What do we do now? Hey, isn't it Raquel?"

Indeed, Raquel Ervin was standing a few steps away. She was staring at the door of the clinic with what appeared to be a mixture of fear and determination. Zatanna glanced at his two friends and asked:

"How does she know about…"

"We didn't tell her anything", Artemis said. She must be here by accident. Hey, Raquel!"

She waved at her across the street. After a few seconds, Raquel crossed and went to meet them.

"Hi", she said. "I can see that…"

"Yeah", Zatanna said.

"I hope you're not going to judge me."

"Judging you? Well…"

The three friends were silent for a moment, and then they realized that Raquel wasn't spying on them. She was pregnant, too! Artemis glanced at the other two and spoke:

"You want to enter and get some information, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"The most difficult thing is entering without being insulted!" Dick said. "Once you're inside, it gets better."

"Yeah", Zatanna said. "I just talked with one of their doctors. She's great."

"Are you pregnant, too?"

Zatanna nodded and hugged Raquel briefly. Then all four of them turned around and rush into the clinic.

"You should save lives rather than kill!" yelled an activist, blocking their way. "Superman would never do what you're doing!"

"As far as I know, Superman never found himself pregnant!" Dick said while pushing him gently away.

"Should we tell them how we saved twenty lives just last week?" Raquel risked while the door closed, leaving boos and insults behind them.

"No", Artemis said. "They won't even listen..."

To be continued...