"How did he get in here?" Diana demanded as she carried Melanara back to her bed and laid on her stomach. J'onn shook his head.
"I don't know. That's what I want to find out though," J'onn said and peeled the shirt off of the stab wound. "It doesn't look to bad."
"Easy for you to say. It hurts like hell." Melanara snapped, coming to.
"Relax, you'll be fine." Diana said, stroking her hair. Melanara swatted her hand away gently.
"I know I'm going to be fine. Ow! Must you do that?" she asked, looking at J'onn in irritation, he was applying iodine to the wound.
"Yes, otherwise you'll get infected."
"Okay, just don't put so much on, huh? Ow! Will you quit that!" Melanara snapped, J'onn remained silent as he sewed the wound closed, ignoring Melanara's yelps of pain.
"It looks as though he missed the spinal cord."
"Good, so when this gets better, I can find and rip him into little bitty pieces."
"Melanara! You're awake!" Huntress called, her joy faded slightly when she saw the stab wound.
"What happened?"
"Nightshade, that's what. The little twerp stabbed me in the back, literally." she replied, as J'onn applied a bandage and tape to hold in place.
"Is she going to be all right?" Huntress asked J'onn. Melanara glared at her.
"I'm right here you know."
"Yes, you are and yes she will be fine, if she can stop fidgeting." J'onn said, putting pressure on her back.
"Ow! Hey, what'd ya do that for?" Melanara demanded. J'onn grinned tightly.
"You stopped moving, didn't you?" he asked, Melanara kicked him in the side.
"That's for putting pressure on my back like that." she said as he jumped.
"Well, if you hadn't stopped moving something else might have been sewed to the wound." he growled. Melanara winced and rolled onto her back.
"Says you, now move. I'm gonna stand up." she said, J'onn was about to protest when she just looked at him.
"Fine." he said and moved. Melanara swung her legs over the side of the bed, and hopped off. She stood for a moment and collapsed against the bed, swearing.
"Dammit. For once, I want things to go my way." she snarled and glared at them, daring them to say something, which they didn't. She tried again, she almost fell backward, but she steady herself with her magic. She took a step forward and growled, because her other leg wouldn't follow. Swearing in multiple languages, she straightened her shoulders and back and stubbornly moved forward. The first few steps were faltering, but she continued, using her magic less and less, stubborn nature driving her, not letting her stop moving and never letting her fail. She walked to the end of the room, steps more sure. Then, she turned around and when they thought she was going to walk back, she ran and skidded to a stop in front of them, grinning like the cat that ate the canary. J'onn shook his head.
"Your pushing yourself too hard." he muttered, Melanara, still grinning, turned to him.
"Bite me, I'm perfectly fine, thank you. I haven't felt this good in weeks." she grinned and did a back flip, then turned to Diana.
"As a matter of fact, I have too much energy, care to help me work it off in the training room, Diana?" she asked, Diana shook her head.
"I don't think that's a good idea Melanara, you're not fully recovered yet."
Melanara nodded. "You're right, okay, Huntress?" Melanara offered, the other woman took the offer.
"Lets, but can we stop by Fate's first? I don't want him to kill me." she said, Melanara nodded. The two linked arms and Melanara shimmered them to Fate's tower. Diana turned to J'onn.
"How do you think it will last?" J'onn looked at her in confusion.
"How long what will last?"
"Melanara staying in once piece."
"Eternity probably," he shrugged. then sighed. "Honestly? I don't know, I truly don't. All I know is that she's feeling better, up around and probably beating Huntress into a bloody pulp," J'onn chuckled. "I suggest we enjoy it while we can...
Training Room--------------------
Melanara dodged a crossbow arrow, then threw a dagger, Huntress ducked and attacked physically, Melanara blocked her punches, but caught a kick to the knee. She went down on one knee and before Huntress could worry, she returned with a punch to the stomach, Huntress grunted and flew backwards with the force of the punch. Melanara rolled to her feet and walked over the panting heroine, breathing heavily herself.
"You okay?"
"This was...My first bus ride." Huntress said with a grin, finishing one of Melanara's favorite quotes from 'The Mummy Returns' (Which incidentally, Oded Fehr who does the voice for Dr. Fate, played the character Ardeth Bey in both Mummy Movies, who said Huntress' line.) Melanara shook her head.
"Yeah, you're okay." she said and walked away, supposedly letting her guard, when in reality she was listening for Huntress' next move, which came immediately. Melanara whirled around and swept her legs out from under her, but Huntress was waiting for that, she landed a punch on Melanara's jaw before landing on her. Both women laughed as Melanara pushed Huntress off. Green Arrow walked into the Training Room to see Melanara and Huntress on the floor, laughing and out of breath.
"Am I interrupting something?" he asked mildly, grinning slightly. Word had already spread that Melanara was back on her feet, so it wasn't much of a surprise, but a welcome sight.
"Nope, just sharing a private joke." Huntress replied, Melanara was still laughing and shaking her head.
"And that would be?" he asked, setting his Bow and Quiver down. Even as good as he was, he needed to practice.
"You a Mummy Fan?" Melanara asked, Oliver nodded.
"Yeah."
"Second Movie, after the bus ride, Ardeth's response to Rick's question 'You okay?'." Melanara said, any true Mummy fan would know. And Ollie knew it, and got the accent too!
"This was...My first bus ride." Ollie grinned. Fate walked in.
"Who's first bus ride?"
"A Mummy movie character. You wouldn't know it." Huntress said, Fate chuckled and did a Yoda impression.
"Much knowledge, I have, young jedi," Huntress' jaw dropped while Melanara sniggered, Huntress reached out and smacked her upside the head. "Ardeth Bey, played by Oded Fehr."
"You, a Mummy Fan?" Melanara said in disbelief. Fate nodded.
"What do think my last birthday present was? The Mummy and The Mummy Returns DVDs, from Inza. Anyway, how about a magic match? Me versus you, in a no holds barred Battle Royale." Huntress was about to say, it wasn't a good idea, but Melanara spoke first.
"Sure. I can take ya." she said. Huntress, having had a little experience with magic, motioned to Green Arrow to backup, he picked his Bow and Quiver back up and followed Huntress. Melanara and Fate squared off, they bowed to each other and set the wards, Melanara going first, then Fate.
"By Shadowsbane and Demonstalker in this duel, I set the wards by the Trine." Melanara intoned, magic flowing from her hands to set half of a large arena type box.
"By the Lords of Order and Lords of Chaos in this duel, I set the wards by the Trine." Fate intoned, the magic flowed from his hands as well, setting the other half of the arena. Then they began. Melanara launched an energy ball and reabsorbed it when he batted it back, he launched the same attack on her, he tried on Grundy, but it failed on her as it had on Grundy. Instead of absorbing it, she negated it, he blinked at first, then changed resonance. Melanara had a harder time negating it, but she did. To negate it, Melanara pulled what energy she could use from the blast and rapidly wasted what she couldn't, by strengthening the Wards, Fate stopped what he was doing when he realized what she was doing. He changed from Blasting to Draining. Melanara grinned at him and reversed the flow. He stopped surprised. They stopped, realizing for, perhaps the first time, that they're strength was the same. So Melanara did she hadn't done lately. She cast a very powerful spell, not to destroy or defend, but simply to analyze, she did let Fate know what she was doing.
"It's easy, but powerful, just let it do its thing, it won't hurt you." she warned, he nodded. Melanara started the incantation.
"Opponent of my strength, hear my plea, let me see, what I need, to beat the stuffing out of thee." she said. It surged from her hands, sweeping up and down Fate, analyzing, memorizing and returning to Melanara. She arched her back as the magic re-entered through her hands.
"Wow, power rush," Melanara staggering slightly.
"Are you all right?" Huntress called, Melanara straightened and nodded.
"Yeah, that happens every time, no big." she grinned, closed her eyes and whistled as it played before her eyes. Fate got the distinct and uncomfortable feeling, that it took more information, than just how to beat him.
"So that's the problem! Huntress, remind to talk to Inza when I'm done with this." Melanara called and faced Fate with a smirk.
"Power that flows from helmet above, rise and cut the connection, cut him off and let me win this fight!" Melanara said with a grin. Fate's helmet rose above him, he was too shocked to do something. He stood there and glared at her. Melanara's lips and face were twitching with laughter, she couldn't help herself, she started laughing. Melanara doubled over laughing at Kent's face, a look of indignation. Melanara fell over laughing. With her concentration broken, the wards she set were broken, and with one half gone, the other half fell as well.
"Oh, that's too good!" she howled, Kent glared at her harder, which made her laugh harder.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Melanara said, still laughing but holding her sides. "Oh, ow! I wouldn't recommend laughing until it hurts." she smiled, Huntress shook her head at her friend. Melanara stood up and grinned at Kent.
"You're insane. Now give me my helmet back." he snapped, Melanara released the spell. Kent stepped back so it wouldn't hit him on the head, and caught it before it hit the ground.
"I heard you got stabbed," Kent said, addressing Melanara, ignoring the blaring fact that she was still laughing. She finally stopped a moment later. "By who?"
"Shade, how he got on board, I still don't know." Melanara said, chuckling.
"Are you gonna find him?" Fate asked, Melanara sobered immediately.
"And rip him to shreds. But first, I need to get the date Longshadow set and try to stay in one piece until then." she said with a grin. Fate nodded, Melanara and Fate walked out, while Huntress elected to stay and practice shooting with Green Arrow, towards the cafeteria.
"That's a good idea, he's been very patient."
"I'm glad. Where are we gonna go I wonder?" Fate smiled and gestured to the other side of the cafeteria. Longshadow was standing on the otherside of the room. Melanara looked at Fate a minute, shook her head and went to talk to Longshadow.
"Hey, Shadow," Melanara said, right behind him, causing him to jump and sending his lunch flying, Melanara froze the food, but not Longshadow, the grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, couldn't help myself." she said. Melanara grabbed the tray and unfroze the food, she caught it all in a pretty good impression of Toby Maguire in Spiderman.
"Not bad."
"Thanks. So, have you given any thought as to where we're going on our date?" Melanara asked with a wink, Longshadow turned red. Melanara laughed.
"Relax, I'm teasing. So, where are we going?"
"I don't know."
"Taco Bell?"
"That's kinda..."
"Kinda what?"
"I don't know, cheap? Beneath you?" He tried, Melanara shook her head.
"Bubba, I'm an original, don't-get-no-better-than-this, Jeff Foxworthy red neck. Taco Bell is perfect. When?"
"Tomorrow?"
"At?"
"8:00?"
"Earlier."
"7:00?"
"Perfect, we'll meet here." Melanara smiled, Longshadow nodded.
"Are you always this bossy?"
"Usually."
"My taste must be off." he muttered, Melanara laughed.
"Must be, see ya later," she said cheerfully. Fate was laughing when she walked over. "What?"
"You are the bossiest person I have ever met since Diana."
"Why?"
"Because you just completely bowled him over."
"How?"
"You set the place and time."
"He suggested 7:00, not me."
"And you suggested and enforced, Taco Bell."
"Hey, it's cheap enough for him to afford and he likes Mexican food."
"How do you know?"
"I just know."
"Ah, so what justifies this assumption?"
"He told me."
"Uh-huh, sure." Fate said in disbelief.
"Anyway," Melanara said loudly. "What'd I miss?"
"What are you talking about?"
"When I was playing cucumber, what'd I miss?"
"Nothing much. Huntress beat Booster Gold, Batman took Diana to a Big & Rich show, Green Lantern made up with Shayera and someone broke in and stole the Annihilator." he said calmly and quietly, Melanara's response was not quiet though.
"WHAT?" she yelled, Fate flinched away.
"Do you mind?" he asked, Melanara was quite literally ignoring him and stalking towards the towards the door, wings growing, nothing like Shayera's this time. Big and black with sinew and muscle were apparent against the gleaming black skin. Tiny claws appeared at the bone joints as the connection swept downward. Melanara reached the hall and flapped her wings once, twice, three and took off, heading for the top of the tower. Her wings were spread and this was a rare treat for anyone watching to watch an expert flyer, for Shayera couldn't fly like this in the tower. Melanara landed lightly on the platform and wrapped her wings about her, keeping them for the return trip. (A/N: I know it would have been quicker for her to Shimmer but not as dramatic.) She stormed into the conference room where the Seven were having a meeting. Superman opened his mouth to speak but a glance from Batman silenced him and Batman spoke himself.
"Nice wings, what brings you here?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Batman asked, thus the verbal dance began.
"About the Annihilator."
"You didn't need to know. Fate and the others are taking care of it." Batman said, Melanara glared at him, the dance was turning into a sword fight, though dancing and sword-fighting are similar.
"And who decided I shouldn't be a part of this?" Melanara asked, every finger pointed at the Man of Steel.
"He did." said six different voices
"Traitors. Yes, is it my idea." Superman said and waited for the coming hailstorm.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why keep me out of it?"
"Because you were hurt and we didn't want to stress you, besides we don't know who did it."
"Cadmus." Question said from the doorway. Melanara smiled at him.
"Conspiracy at a child's birthday party, huh?"
"You betcha. Nice to see up and around."
"Nice to be up and around. Why Cadmus?"
"It's obvious, they want the Annihilator to defeat the League."
"It's only if, if we go rogue, which we won't." Melanara pointed out. Question and Melanara continued to trade theories and possibilities, the Seven sat and had their own quiet discussion. Finally both discussions came to the conclusion. They had to do something about Amanda Waller. By this time, Melanara's wings were gone as her temper cooled from the discussion with Question.
"We could assassinate her." Shayera suggested, eight sets of eyes turned to look at her.
"It was just a suggestion."
"But one that won't work. She's too heavily guarded. We can try humiliating her." Melanara suggested, Flash grinned.
"I like it. How?"
"Those little secrets that no one wants anyone to know? I find those out and post them on my website."
"Your website? Won't she trace it back to you?" J'onn asked, Melanara grinned.
"That's the beauty of sites like that. We use Usernames and Passwords. Especially my site. There's a universal password that lets you see other's user pages, only members know it and I have the right to refuse people access. I don't often do that, but you have to give a name to join and if it's a alias, my tech support will detect it and you'll be banned immediately and refused access to the user pages. (A/N: I don't actually have a website, just the idea.) That was my idea." Melanara said and grinned.
"Interesting idea. How will you obtain those secrets?" J'onn asked.
"Anonymous Mind-Sifting." Melanara replied promptly.
"Say what?" The rest asked in unison.
"I go through her mind and memory, without her knowing and without hurting her, get those secrets and post them."
"It's impossible to do something like that. Besides, it's unethical." J'onn protested. Melanara gave a chilling smile.
"That's the difference between you and me, J'onn. I don't consider doing something like this to people like Amanda Waller an invasion of privacy. Besides, she has done so much against us and people we know. Longshadow, Kara's clone, Doomsday, the Ultimen as much as I dislike WindDragon It still isn't right. So a little Mind-Sifting isn't an invasion of privacy so much as revenge." Melanara shrugged, J'onn frowned at her and dropped the subject.
"When are you gonna do this?" Batman asked, Melanara smiled.
"I'll start tonight, then finish about noon tomorrow. So I have some time get ready for my date with Longshadow." she grinned, Batman gave a non-committal grunt, Diana and Shayera looked interested, Flash was smiling and the others were silent.
"What are you gonna wear?"
"Jeans, a T-Shirt and cowboy boots," she responded and shrugged. "It's just Taco Bell, no big." she said to Diana and Shayera's dropped jaw. Both women got up and walked out with Melanara being drug along yelling while laughing 'It's just Taco Bell!', Batman and the others just grinned.
"Longshadow doesn't stand a chance." Flash laughed...
Tomorrow Afternoon--------------------------------------
Melanara looked at the clothes Diana and Shayera had laid out.
"No. Absolutely, no way, no how." she said, they had a ritzy skirt and shirt.
"Why not?" Shayera asked.
"It's freaking Taco Bell! I'm not wearing that to a Fast Food Restaurant!" Melanara exclaimed, waved a hand and the clothes were put in her closet. "I'm wearing jeans, a halter top and my lace-up boots. And that's final!" Melanara said and pushed them out. Diana and Shayera looked at the closed and locked door.
"She locked us out!" Diana said indignantly. Shayera sighed and pulled the Amazonian Princess away from the door and down protesting loudly...
Melanara smiled as she heard Diana's protests growing fainter and fainter, knowing Shayera was pulling her away. Melanara pulled the clothes on and looked in the mirror. It was missing something.
"Yeah, it's missing something. The front of the shirt." she muttered caustically, but knew the actual reason she was cynical, she was nervous. All the members of her family became sarcastic and cynical when nervous. Melanara pulled her jewelry box out and pulled out a choker. It had black leather straps and a plastic crystal hanging down. She slipped it on, pulled out Red-Orange lipstick and applied it gently and carefully. When she looked in the mirror again she grinned.
"Perfect." she smiled and walked out. She and Longshadow were meeting in the main hall. Under J'onn's watchful eye she noticed, but didn't say anything, she had a sneaking suspicion that Batman had intimidated him into meeting here. Melanara shook her head as she walked, heels clacking on the halls, she'd have to talk to the Bat and J'onn about this. This couldn't go on. She reached the main hall and spotted Longshadow quickly in jeans and a T-shirt, his hair was in a pony tail and he was smiling. There were black rings under his eyes, but he still looked great.
"Wow, looks good." he commented. Melanara blushed, Longshadow smiled.
"Thanks, Shadow."
"Call me Darryl."
"Darryl, huh? Very nice," Melanara smiled, they walked to the transporter pad. "J'onn, now," Melanara said, J'onn was frowning and hesitating to hit the button. "J'onn J'onzz, you will push that button or I'm shimmering us there." she threatened, J'onn immediately pushed the button. They disappeared in blue/white lines...
Taco Bell, Central City-----------------------
"So, anyway, I'm chasing this dragon whos carrying Trevon in her claw. She lands in her cave and proceeds to toy with Trevon, I land in the cave and open my mouth to say something impressive...And get a dirt clod in my mouth." Melanara giggled, Darryl laughed. It was late at night, no one much was there and the restaurant was open till midnight and it was only 9:15.
"What did you do?" Darryl asked, gasping for breath.
"I doused her and Trevon with water. The only thing that smells worse than wet dog, is wet dragon." Melanara smiled, Darryl laughed again.
"What happened to the dragon?"
"She's still around, she helps the mages occasionally and we leave her alone as long as she leaves the peasants alone which she does."
"Okay, we're done with our meal, It's 9:17, what are we gonna do now?" Darryl asked, Melanara summoned a paper and looked at the movie theater guides.
"Wanna see Revenge of the Sith?" she asked, Darryl shook his head.
"Nah, I'll wait until comes out on DVD."
"Okay, what else...Damn, theres nothing on! Hey, I've got Season Five of Angel on DVD with Smiletime." she said enticingly, Darryl frowned and checked his watch, Melanara's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Batman, right?" she asked, Darryl nodded. Melanara snarled and leaned back in her chair.
"Dammit, I should have known. Look, let's call it a night, I'll see you later. I'm gonna read the Bat the riot act." Melanara said, Darryl knew enough about her not to get in her way when she was angry.
"Sure, just send me back and go to Gotham, he's on patrol there tonight." Darryl said as they walked, Melanara called good night to the workers who smiled and nodded in reply. It wasn't often that they got to meet Justice League members. They got outside, Melanara kissed Darryl on the cheek.
"Thank you for a wonderful evening, I'll see you tomorrow." she said, waved her hand and the stunned hero was orbed to the Watchtower. Melanara changed her clothes to complete black. It was a cool night already, so Melanara put on a black long-sleeve turtle neck without the neck, black jeans and left the boots alone, they were already black. She shimmered to the Batcave. No Batman. She walked up the stairs. Alfred, who was dusting, looked in surprise at the Grandfather Clock, not expecting Melanara.
"Can I help you?" he asked, Melanara smiled slightly.
"I'm sorry, we haven't met before. I'm Melanara Raya, I work with Bruce in the Justice League. Do you know where the Dark Knight is?" she asked, Alfred pointed to the city. Melanara smiled.
"Thank you, Alfred." she said and left. Alfred's mouth was open, he closed it, shook his head and went back to dusting...
Gotham City, the dingiest city on Earth-----------------------
"You." Batman turned to see the pissed teenage mage behind him.
"What did I do?" he asked innocently. Melanara's clothes were whipping with the wind. Her hair was in her eyes but it didn't seem to bother her.
"You know damn well what you did, what in the name of all thats unholy did you think you were doing?"
"Isn't that supposed to be in the name of all thats holy?" he asked mildly as Melanara pinned him against a wall.
"You are an egotistical, self-centered jerk," she said poking him in the chest with two fingers. "You don't trust Longshadow, so you intimidate him into cutting things short, or you'd pound him, am I right?" she asked, he nodded. "Okay, so, why? Why don't you trust him?"
"He's older than you." he said, feeling like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"So? Flash is older than Kara and he continually hit's on her. Of course she could pound him flat, but that's besides the point." Melanara said, Batman was, for once, at a loss of what to say.
"I--" he didn't get the chance to finish. Melanara stopped him by holding a hand up.
"Let me finish before you interrupt. My business is my business. You butt out, permanently, understand? Now, here are some ground rules for you and my love life. One: You stay out of it, got it? Two: You never, ever do this behind my back again. Three: Just, stay out of it, huh?" she asked, he nodded. Melanara smiled and backed up.
"Look, I'm gonna get going, there's some stuff I need to take care of. So just stay out of this okay?" she rose in the air, turned and launched off towards unknown places.
"I'm getting to old for this." Batman muttered and took off again, hearing a woman scream...
Jason took a deep breath and knocked on Zatanna's door. She answered, surprised to find him at her door.
"Jason, is something wrong?" she asked as she invited him in, he shook his head.
"No, Zatanna. Actually, I was wondering, that is...Would you like to go to dinner sometime?" he asked, hesitantly. Zatanna's eyes lit up with surprise and...A hint of pleasure.
"Yes, I would." she said happily. He nodded.
"Would you like to set a date now or..." he left it hanging.
"How about now? We can get something in the Cafeteria." she offered, reaching for her purse. He nodded and offered her his arm, which she took. As they walked out, Zatanna was silently congratulating herself. 'Good, now, what's next?' she asked herself, and realized she didn't have an answer.
"Oh, boy." she muttered to herself, channeling Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap...
TBC...
Will the Relationship between Zatanna and Jason advance? Who killed Freeze? And will Batman be able to keep his big nose out of Melanara's personal life? Probably not.