Chapter 7
Claire was roused out of sleep by her phone ringing. She deftly grabbed the device and glanced at the screen. Seeing an unfamiliar number, she hesitated to answer before changing her mind. She accepted the call and brought the device to her ear.
"Hello? Who is this?" Claire asked gently.
"Good morning Claire. It's Diana. Would you like to join some of us for Lunch?" Diana spoke softly.
Claire stole a furtive glance at her watch. She was dismayed to see that it was nearly noon. She scrubbed her hand over her face to clear the fog in her brain.
"That would be lovely. Give me a few moments to get ready?" Claire questioned.
"Of course. We can pick you up in twenty minutes, if that's acceptable?" Diana asked.
"Wonderful. See you then!" Claire exclaimed.
Claire disconnected the call, and tossed the phone next to her in bed. She threw the blankets off her lithe frame and heaved herself out of bed. She stumbled slightly towards the Bathroom, eager to take one of the quickest showers of her life.
The water in the shower surged around her body. She felt the final dregs of fog lift from her mind. She sped through her shower routine. Claire turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She haphazardly dried herself, and ran her detangling comb through her long tresses.
She quickly braided her hair, expertly weaving her honey-colored hair into a beautiful braid. She closed the distance between her closet and the bathroom and pulled out a simple Mint green knee-length dress. Claire tugged a simple white bra and panties before pulling the dress over her frame.
She slipped on a comfortable pair of white Converse and tossed a few essentials into her smaller satchel. She delicately fastened her watch to her wrist and glanced at the display. Five minutes until Diana was picking her up.
Claire's thoughts endlessly swirled in her brain. The more she thought about joining the League, the more she felt sure she was making the right decision. But would the League even want her? Batman was a known member of the League and their initial meeting had been less than stellar.
She felt immense relief at being able to not hide who she truly was from anyone though. Her greatest passion and drive in life was to save other people. It's the reason she'd become a Doctor in the first place. Claire wanted to do good in the world. Wouldn't being in the League grant her that? The very idea of revealing her truest secret to the League terrified her, but also liberated her.
Claire idly walked to where Akira was resting and threaded her fingers through the fox's silver fur. She scratched her just behind her shoulder blades, Akira's favorite spot. The small fox began wagging her tail as her human gave her some much needed attention.
Claire withdrew her hand and filled Akira's bowl with a mixture of fresh boiled chicken, mangoes, berries, and sweet potatoes. She drew the carafe of water off the shelf and refilled her water dish. It'd been eight years since Claire rescued Akira and she loved her small friend. She felt the all-too familiar buzz of her cellphone in her satchel and expertly fished the small device out of the bag. She glanced at the display before accepting the call.
"This is Claire Kennedy. How may I assist you?" Claire asked gently.
"Hiya Ms. Claire, there's a lovely bunch of visitors down here asking for you. Does the name Diana Prince mean anything to you?" Scott asked sheepishly.
"Yes, Scott. She's a new business colleague. Thank you, I'll be right down." Claire replied softly.
She disconnected the call and quickly bade Akira farewell before exiting her apartment and heading downstairs. Butterflies flitted around her stomach. Claire internally wondered who'd be at lunch.
The elevator chimed and the large doors parted, revealing the very normal looking Wonder Woman, dressed in a simple T-Shirt and jeans. With her was a formidable looking African, Hawkgirl, and a Red-headed male. Claire's interest was piqued as she tried in vain to recognize the two men.
Diana swiftly closed the distance between Claire and herself. She ever so gently scooped Claire's hands into hers and kissed her gently on her cheek. While she towered over the smaller woman, she tried her best to radiate peace to Claire.
"Good afternoon Claire. So lovely of you to join us for lunch today. I'd like to introduce you to my friends. Hawkgirl, known better as Shayera Hol, John Stewart, and Wally West." Diana motioned to each as she called their names out.
Wally promptly closed in on Claire, eager to introduce himself more formally. His emerald eyes shone brightly. His short red hair was tousled.
"Wally West, Forensic Scientist with the Central City Police Department. Enchanté." He gracefully said, while kissing Claire's hand.
Claire stole a glance at John who was scowling deeply and rolling his eyes. She brought her gaze back to Wally's eyes and bowed her head ever so slightly and drew her hand back. Her steel colored eyes shone with a radiant fire in them.
"Le plaisir est pour moi, Monsieur Ouest." Claire replied in kind. She smiled brightly as she spoke.
"Wally, if you're done with your schmooze fest, do you mind if we get going?" Shayera quipped to the young man.
Diana ushered everyone outside and into the beautiful sapphire blue Audi Q7. Her Identification Card from her Museum job swung loosely around the rear-view mirror. She slid into the Driver's seat, motioning for Claire to join her up front.
As the rest of the group filed into the vehicle, Claire started nervously playing with the hem of her dress. She cast her gaze out onto the streets of Gotham as Diana began driving. Wally was seated directly behind her and leaned towards her, trying to catch her attention.
"So, Claire, tell us about you! Like long walks on the beach? Moonlit strolls? Ever been outside of Gotham? Where's your favorite place to eat?" Wally rapidly questioned.
Claire smiled a little to herself before resigning to her fate of answering the had been a long while since she had actively paid any attention to the advances of a man interested in her. She frankly kept herself too busy with work to date.
"The beach does have its merits, but I've always preferred intimate dates over going out somewhere. Gotham isn't exactly the best city for a moonlit walk, though, back in college I was an extreme night-owl. Still am, I suppose. I was born in Chicago, but I've lived here in Gotham for almost 11 years now. Before that, North Carolina." Claire brightly spoke.
Diana expertly wove the Audi through the lunch rush of traffic in Gotham. She navigated them to a very small Greek restaurant. She pulled around back and parked her beloved car in the shade of a silverbell tree.
The gang climbed out of the car, and Wally graciously opened Claire's door, eager to make a first impression on her. He extended his hand and smiled when Claire accepted the gesture of assistance. Wally gently helped her out of the large SUV, and quickly flanked her.
"What made you pick a city like Gotham to live in? I hear they've got a bat problem." Wally jokingly asked.
"My job. I was offered the position of Chief Resident during my Residency. Held it for four years, during my General Surgery Residency. Gotham Mercy Grace General allowed me to do a triple Residency. I'm certified in General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Internal Medicine." Claire wisely stated.
"You must be very intelligent, Ms. Kennedy. An admirable quality. It is even more admirable to see an academic such as yourself so passionate about their line of work." Diana calmly spoke.
Claire blushed slightly, a rosy pink color flushing across her cheeks. She continued to walk next to Wally as they made their way inside the small Greek eatery. Her nose was assaulted by the swirling aromas of traditional Greek foods.
The look on Diana's face was near rapture as she relished in taking in the smells of the restaurant. Diana moved the group to the small, private dining hall. As the waiter made his way to Diana she greeted him in flawless Greek and proceeded to order for everyone. As he left, with order in hand, Diana shut the doors to the room, and sat down.
"I ordered our usual meal. The food here is wonderful Claire." Diana smiled happily as she addressed the younger woman.
Shayera navigated around the table and sat with her wings against the wall. She extended them, and smiled as John assisted her with scratching an itch on her left wing. Her soft copper colored hair flowed around her loosely, and her emerald eyes were lighter than Wally's, like a meadow on a summer day.
"Thank you. That's been irritating me all damn day." She uttered under her breath.
"You're welcome." John spoke, his voice rough.
There was a soft rasp on the door and Diana again spoke flawlessly, allowing the waiter entrance to their quiet meeting. He set out bowls of fresh Pita and Hummus. A young girl carried a tray of water and bowls of freshly sliced lemons. She delicately navigated the small room and placed each glass in front of their respective owner.
She bowed on her way out and waited for the waiter to leave before again shutting the door. Diana shifted her focus to Claire who was silently eating a small portion of bread and hummus. Everyone was getting along nicely.
"So, Claire, I know you're aware of who I am. Aleixo is a friend to the Justice League. Have you figured out who John and Wally are yet?" Diana asked freely.
Claire swallowed her bite of food, and took a chaste sip of water before speaking. "John is Green Lantern, and Wally is The Flash."
"Aww man. I wanted it to be a surprise!" Wally groaned.
"Before we continue is there anything we should know? Anything at all?" Diana smiled as she asked the questions.
"Well, the night after the explosion, Batman came to my apartment. He was very perturbed that I was in the city. I still need to clean the burn marks off my wall. He left a Batarang. Kind of threw it at my face." Claire frowned.
"Haha, the Bat is crazy afterall. What did he say?" John finally smiled.
"That Gotham wasn't big enough for the both of us, and that Gotham didn't need another pathetic, washed up Superhero trying to help. I launched an orb at his chest, knocked him on his butt." Claire smiled proudly.
"No kidding? I think I'm gonna like you." Shayera grinned.
"I see. That's not surprising, unfortunately. Batman is very… unique. The Founders had a meeting about you this morning, Claire. The motion was made to offer you a position in the League. It passed 6-1." Diana bore her gaze on the young girl as she spoke.
"Oh. That's. Wow." Claire stammered.
Diana fished the paperwork out of her satchel and passed it to Claire with a pen. "We understand if you're uncomfortable with this, but we are very excited to have you join us."
Claire took the documents and sped through reading them. She hadn't graduated at the age of 20 without merit. She was an expert speed reader. She signed the documents and passed them back to Diana.
"I accept. When do I start?" Claire stated boldly.
