7 Justice League the Corps
John and Shayera sat on a table cloth on the ground in the Appalachian Mountains. They had a large basket full of food, bottles of water, but right now they were indulging in beer to go with lunch. Shayera also snuck in a fifth of whiskey so she could make boiler makers. She was on her third while John was content to switch back to beer. He hated to admit it but he was beginning to feel it while Shayera's Thanagarian metabolism had already shrugged off the beer-whiskey mixes and three bottles of beer.
He noted that she wasn't eating and instead was staring at the ground. He inquired as to why. Her frown deepened.
"There's a bug headed for my sandwich," She said.
He leaned over, "It's an ant."
"It wants my sandwich," She protested.
"You're not eating it so it figures it's fair game," John chuckled, "But just fair warning, if it gets a piece of your sandwich, it'll head back to the nest and bring more of them back."
"And they'll all want my sandwich?" she indignantly asked.
"That's the name of the game," John confirmed her fears.
"I'm going to kill it," Shayera decided and she reached and squished it between her fingers. She sniffed her fingers and her nose wrinkled, "Now my fingers stink."
"Such is the nature of the beast," John tried not to laugh.
Apparently he didn't hide his mirth very well for Shayera was ticked, "This isn't very damn funny."
"Of course it isn't," he chortled.
Shayera just glared at him. John held up his hands in surrender, "I'm not making fun of you but you slept outdoors before you moved into Fate's tower. You had to have encountered ants back then."
"They want food. I didn't have any," Shayera revealed.
That struck John. Shayera didn't discuss her time adrift after leaving the League and before seeking sanctuary with Fate. As fierce and independent as she'd always been, he just saw her being fine. Although, the muted creature that rejoined the League should have alerted him to the changes within her, especially when she was hard pressed for survival. It wasn't as though she could waltz into town and get food. She was a Thanagarian. Even after her readmission to the JLU people wanted her dead.
She barely even referred to those days but he thought he saw a chink in her armor with this admission. He projected as much love and concern into his voice as it was humanly possible, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Shayera was closed down and she sat silently staring at the remnants of the forsaken sandwich. Finally, she picked it up and cast it out into the grass beyond.
"Everyone needs a meal," She said with infinite sadness.
"Shay…" John was growing ever more concerned.
"It's okay, John," she said with her customary confidence, it was just that she was so sad. It broke his heart.
"Can you…will you talk about it?" he asked.
She sighed, "I guess it's about time to."
"You don't have to," John assured her.
Her emerald eyes met his chocolate ones and he melted at the reflection of love within hers. She spoke, "When I left the League I transported down a spot not far from here. I lasted a day and a half before I ventured into the small town that was near my 'camping' spot. They chased me off with shotguns and rifles. They combed the woods looking for me. If they'd found me they would have killed me. As it was they found my camp."
"I retreated further into the forest and went higher into the mountains," Shayera wore a rueful expression, "The problem was that I'd to leave my pitiful collection of supplies behind. I had no spare clothes or any blankets. And of course, I had no food."
"Remembering my survival training and using my natural adaptations, I hunted wild game. I speared fish, snatched up rabbits and mice with bare hands while flying, and tried to make a passable bow and some arrows so I could go after larger game." Shayera looked uncomfortable, "I couldn't risk a fire. It was dangerous enough to fly out in the open, so I ate my meat raw. Luckily, it was late fall and there were still some wild berries available but it was getting colder and it rained all the time, which cut down on my hunting."
"I was one step away from starvation when Fate appeared out of nowhere and offered me shelter. At first I turned him down and asked him why but then he told me he believed in me. I was so desperate for affirmation, I blindly went with him at that point," Shayera confessed.
John rose, came behind where Shayera was kneeling, positioned himself between her wings and knelt down. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head next to her so he could speak directly into her ear in a low voice.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you," he admitted.
"It's okay, John," Shayera was resigned to what had happened, "You thought I'd betrayed you. Hell, everyone thought that I'd betrayed them. What counts is that you came around over time. Now if you still felt that way about me, or if you and Mari had never parted ways, I'd be devastated."
That admission surprised him. Shayera was liable to own up to minor fears or doubts, but to use the term 'devastated'? It was unheard of. In a backhanded compliment kinda way it bespoke of her deep love for him. And if Carter were to be a judge of these things, their undying eternal love for one another.
John held her for over an hour, whispering reassurances and pledges of love to her in her ear. She spoke to him, assuring him that his efforts were unnecessary. She was happy now and that happiness was in no small way because of him. She suggested they take a stroll through the words.
John smirked, "What about the ants?"
Shayera shrugged, "Screw the ants. They can have a feast."
As they walked it started snowing. Shayera was delighted and captured a snowflake on her tongue. She was quite proud of this accomplishment and repeated it in a command performance.
They frolicked and played for another couple of hours as the snowfall intensified. Finally, it was late in the afternoon and they decided to head back to the Hall. Gathering up their things, after digging the table cloth out of the snow, they requested a transport.
They reappeared in the Hall in a blue flash. They returned the basket and paraphernalia to the kitchen and headed for the rec room. It had a gas fireplace and it sounded cozy to lift the chill from the snow. As they headed down the hallway, the Huntress stood up against the wall. She wore a knowing smirk.
"Hey Muscles," She said.
John was immediately confused, "Are you talking to me?"
"Sure am," the Huntress confirmed it with a wicked smile, "Superman may be the Man of Steel but you've got the ass of steel."
Shayera bristled. Her wings convulsed to shake of the water from the melted snow. Huntress laughed.
"Don't tell me you're going to cum right now," Huntress taunted.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shayera growled.
"Pay attention to your wings the next time you climax. You'll figure it out," Huntress snickered.
Shayera threw a punch. The Huntress caught her arm by the wrist and twisted it and locked Shayera's elbow with a wrist lock.
"Ah, ah." Huntress grinned.
"Huntress, let Shayera go. I've reached Batman. He's going to help us but we need to meet him so we can plan tonight's excursion," the Question said.
"I'd love to play, Sweet Ums, but duty calls." Huntress released Shayera's wrist, blew her a kiss and sauntered down the hallway.
"What was that all about?" John wanted to know.
A sick sense of dread filled Shayera's heart, "I think I know."
She approached the wall where the Huntress had been leaning. Shayera swiped her hand across a strip of wall and then placed her palm against its surface. A red outline of a hand appeared in the white paint. A scan bar read her palm and the secret door to the monitor womb opened.
John was stunned as Shayera entered. Suddenly he heard her angrily say, "Dammit! They have found it."
John stood in the entrance, "Shay, what is this place?"
"Batman's monitor womb. He had one of these built on the Watchtower and another in the Metro Tower. From here he could monitor every room in the space," Shayera explained.
"Including the bedrooms." It was a statement not a question.
She looked embarrassed, "Yes. Even the bedrooms. Which these two little perverts have obviously discovered."
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" John idly wondered.
"Batman only told me about them. He obviously made allowances for the Question since the palm scanner accepts him as being authorized. I've never had a need to use it so I just forgot about it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep it a secret," Shayera offered.
"Yes, you did," John smirked, "But it's okay. Bats was always a little paranoid. It got infectious."
Shayera pulled him in and kissed him. Whispering, she said, "Thank you."
"I don't think this should be a secret anymore," John declared, "First we tell Sue and J'onn and then we cuddle on the couch."
"Yes sir, Semper Fi and all that," Shayera chuckled.
"And don't you forget it, soldier," John shared in the moment.
"Well, lead on," Shayera shooed him at of the area.
They sought out the League's command authority and were soon drawn into a lengthy explanation regarding Batman's paranoia. J'onn thanked Shayera for finally coming forward and for reporting the activities of the others in the know. The look on his face promised that there would be serious repercussions.
Later that evening, Kyle and Kara came bursting into the rec room in peals of laughter. The game seemed to be one of keep away. Kara had a jewelry box in her hand and Kyle was defiantly trying to get it back.
She wagged a finger at him, "Oh no! You gave this to me. You can't take it back now."
"I gave it to you before you were acting like a brat. In fact, you didn't start acting like a brat until I gave it to you," Kyle pointed out.
"Can I help it if I'm sassy?" Kara grinned.
"It still has to be sized so you can't even wear it. So I don't see why you're being sassy," Kyle had a sardonic emphasis on the last word.
"Can't I celebrate and gloat that my wonderful boyfriend bought me a beautiful ring?" Kara inquired and then she stipulated, "At least you were wonderful when you gave it to me."
"Can we see it?" Shayera asked.
Kara handed over the box. Shayera opened the clamshell lid. Inside, a ring was housed. It wielded a 2 karat sapphire solitaire, was surrounded by six ½ karat diamond solitaires and was set in a platinum band. Shayera was surprised while John merely whistled.
"It's beautiful," Shayera had to confess.
"Told ya," Kara boasted, "It's a Tiffany's."
"So how did this little dispute start?" John asked.
"I asked her to give the ring back so I can get it sized," Kyle explained.
"Over my dead body," Kara retorted.
Kyle hung his head, "See what I'm up against?"
"Have you ever thought about going together to the jewelers?" John wanted to know.
Kyle looked at Kara. She bit her lower lip and wagged her eyebrows at him. At this point compromise was the best option.
"Would that work for you, In-Ze?" he asked.
"Damn skippy, Rayner," she consented.
"Okay, it's a plan. Tomorrow we'll head to the Manhattan Tiffany's and get it sized. And then you can actually wear it," Kyle offered as a peace settlement.
"I agree," Kara was appeased, "Now how about we get some food?"
"Anything. As long as we're on the same page." Kyle readily conceded.
Kara's smile belonged on a leopardess, "Tonight I'm going to show you a few new pages."
"I think I could live with that." He mused.
"Trust me. After I'm done, you won't be able to live without that," she said seductively and then strolled on off towards the kitchen.
Kyle was momentarily stunned. He looked to John. The older Green Lantern smiled.
"Well? Chase her!" John ordered.
Kyle darted off and Shayera snuggled in closer, "I love it when you get commanding."
"But you never obey," John reminded her.
"I said I like it. I never said I'd listen," Shayera tapped him under the chin.