Once heard, the battle song of an angel becomes part of the listener forever. Each victory becomes a new verse.
Glorious Anthem
"Megatron could never successfully rule a planet," Casey commented around a mouthful of popcorn. "Starscream tells him every episode that he's going to betray him, and what does Megatron do? Make him his second in command."
"Keep your enemies closer and all that," I tried to defend the mechanical villain's line of reasoning. "None of the other minions like Starscream. Megatron knows that if Starscream ever tried something no one would ever support him. Everyone is loyal to Megatron."
"Maybe," she allowed cautiously. My four-eyed two-week-old roommate flicked the remote, shutting off the TV and turning to me. "I got a job today."
My mind started at the conversation twist. Casey was a lot like Barbara in that regard. Their minds spun way too fast for little old me to keep up with them. "Another one?"
"Yeah answering phones at Sylvester's. That way I can finally make enough money to get my own place." Her blue eyes shifted almost nervously. "I know I've been staying here for a while..."
"Actually I've been meaning to talk to you about that," I interjected. I hadn't actually been meaning to – my mind usually ran on spur of the moment, or what Barbara referred to as 'idiotically.' Semantics. "I know this is kind of out of nowhere, but... maybe we could help ourselves out. I don't make all that much more than you do you know. If you want we could empty out the studio for a bedroom, split the rent and utilities. Both of us a little more well off each month than we were before."
Her mouth made the compulsory motions of dismay, but I could tell she wanted it.
"I - that's very generous of you, but I couldn't possibly..."
"No generosity involved, only pure selfishness," I promised. "I've been in the market for a roommate for a while," a while being approximately twenty seconds, I thought privately, "but no one really wants to live above a bar. No one savory anyway." I rolled my eyes.
"I wouldn't have to get a car to drive to work." Her bespectacled eyes gleamed. "That would – are you sure? Because I'm more than ready to agree to this. It would make – everything would just be so much easier."
"Yeah," I said. "I'm sure."
The blonde gifted me with a smile, eyes and nose crinkling in a way I could only describe as... cute. I blinked at the realization.
"Want to go celebrate?" she asked, eying me shyly. "Now that I can afford it?"
"Okay," I slowly agreed.
"Celebrating" turned out to be a shopping trip for an air mattress and sheets, in which I craftily snuck off to purchase her first apartment-warming gift (a motorcycle helmet), followed by a club... or two... or three...
Four...
At the last, and I hesitated to ever call the Dark Horse a club, we were greeted like celebrities by our usual patrons, who were more than eager to buy their favorite bartenders a drink and serve us for a change.
"I think I'm falling," I reported as I sat down in a smoky rear booth. "Oof! Okay, successful landing."
Casey laughed as she fell down beside me, the corners of her eyes wrinkling in the way I had found so endearing earlier in the day.
"We should dance," I suggested blithely. "All the music here is good. I picked it all out myself."
"You picked this shit? I refuse to dance to a single song that was made before, like, the year 2000."
"Okay okay, jeez." My head lolled on the alcohol-stained surface of the table. "Pool."
Casey seemed like she was trying to nod but because her head was sideways I wasn't sure if she was trying to actually shake her head no or...
A new track came on. A newer song. New.
What was I thinking?
"Yaaaa." I made a weird noise as the world propelled itself around me. "Where am I going?"
Casey was tugging on my arm, tugging me through the world of music and dancing bodies. "I love this song."
I grinned. "Me too. I picked it, you know." I wasn't sure if she remembered me telling her.
She didn't answer, just drew us into the moving throng, the pounding, pulsating atmosphere enveloping my already dulled senses. Instead of dancing with someone else, however, this go around she decided to dance with me. Except instead of dancing she was grinding her ass against the front of my pants.
I danced with her. Even drunk off my ass I could not help but let the music move me, could not help but revel in the sway of my companion's body against mine.
My hands drew upwards from her waist to the sides of her breasts, savoring the feel of soft flesh that was making my fingertips tingle. Casey moaned and leaned back into me, her back pressing against my nipples.
An annoying, niggling voice in the back of my brain that sounded suspiciously like Barbara whispered something about how this was a bad idea, tempting myself with my brand new roommate.
Roommate...
"Oh yeah!" I jerked away suddenly, grabbing her and pulling her to the freight elevator leading to my – our – apartment. "I got you a present. A house-rotting present. Er, house-warming. Apartment-warming. I have to show you before I pass out."
And the passing out was on a steam train headed straight to my location, no doubt about that. I never could handle alcohol for very long. My body constantly tried to shut itself down and enter feral mode to burn off the alcohol in the bloodstream. It was great to have no hangovers, but it made it a bitch trying to stay awake.
"Okay," Casey giggled. "Hang on, hang on, I need to sit down."
I helped her drop to her butt as the elevator doors slid shut, laughing as she leaned back and stared up at me.
"You're so pretty," she murmured up at me, sincerity lining every tone and pitch of her voice.
A lot of people had complemented me on my beauty, in ways either more prosaic or more rough and crude than those three small words, but I realized none of them had ever sounded like they meant it... not like Casey meant it.
"Thanks." It took me a second to realize I was sitting beside her, despite the fact that the elevator door had opened up to the second floor. I didn't remember falling down. "You're pretty too."
"You're so smart," she added for some reason.
That caused me to smile sadly. She sounded like she really believed that too. "No I'm not. You are, I'm not."
"You are," she insisted, somehow complementing me and making me feel like shit at the same time.
"No," I vehemently disagreed, "if I were smart I wouldn't be getting paid nine dollars a fucking hour serving drinks to fat, rich yuppies... my ass wouldn't be grabbed every fucking hour... I sure as hell wouldn't be wandering around nasty ass back alleys every night in tight clothes, trying to attract the pervs..."
I caught a brazen look of horror flitting across her face. Or was it bewilderment? I couldn't remember which facial expressions matched which emotions.
"I'm just..." I trailed off helplessly. "I'm not like them. I'm not a hero. I'm not a bat. You know?"
She shook her head, staring as though seeing me for the first time. "Do you mean what I think you mean?"
"Muffin tops," I clarified. Or made her more confused. I couldn't tell.
"Baby..."
Something warm was nuzzling my shoulder. Casey.
I stumbled to my feet, taking advantage of my meta-strength to drag the tilting blonde up with me."C'mon. Almost there."
I impressed the both of us as I managed to shove the key in the lock one-handed and twist while maintaining positive control over Casey, who had been insistent on assisting me with inserting the correct key.
We fell rather than walked through the door, toppling over each other in a wet, groaning heap. The wet part came from the open beer bottle Casey had been clutching to her breast like a bible to a preacher.
"I'm going to sleep," I announced.
Casey nudged the door shut with her toe. "Goodnight," she slurred.
I relaxed my back, closing my eyelids and allowing my eyes to dilate. I passed out almost instantly.
*...*
"Mmnn..." I covered my ears at the buzzing.
*...*
"L'me alone," I told the voice. I didn't care what it was saying. I had been waiting to sleep forever and I wasn't planning on ruining it by waking up.
*Wake up Huntress. Don't be difficult.*
"G'way."
*Huntress...*
My eyes blinked. I was pitched flat on my back on the living room carpet. Something warm wriggled beside me and I looked to see two unfocused blue eyes squint at me from behind a pair of glasses.
"Helena? Who are you talking to?"
"Phone," I explained hurriedly, pulling away from her pleasant touch before her eyes could adjust to the dark and see in fact that I wasn't talking on anything. I strode into the kitchen, all signs of intoxication having long ago left my body.
"What's going on?"
*I think the intruder may have left something behind.*
"What?" My mind reeled back to two weeks ago. Not that there was any way I could have forgotten what had happened, but there hadn't been any evidence since. No hairs, no fingerprints, not even video footage.
*Come over and I'll show you.*
My gaze flitted to the wall clock above the TV. 3:50. "Fuck," I groaned.
*I'm sorry Huntress. I just don't think it can wait until tomorrow.*
"Fine. I'll be there."
Great. Just fucking great. I hadn't slept a full eight hours in weeks. This was supposed to have been my night to relax and sleep in. I headed towards the balcony fully intending to make every haste to the clocktower when a small voice halted me.
"Muffin tops?"
Casey was sitting up next to the door, eyes turning, struggling to make me out in the dark.
"Uh... yeah. Nothing to worry about. Go back to sleep, Casey."
"I haven't been asleep," she admitted, somewhat hesitantly. "I couldn't stop thinking... about what you told me."
"What?" I asked, confused. I struggled to remember the night before, but everything after the first couple of clubs was one big woozy haze of alcohol and dancing. "I don't remember much."
"You, uh..." She turned her head away, a red tinge filling her cheeks. "You told me about the muffin top business. You told me what you really did."
"I..."
My breathe caught in my throat. What had I been thinking? Wasn't this what Barbara had always been afraid of, me getting drunk off my ass and juggling her and Dinah's lives around like circus rings? Which was essentially what I had done.
"Did I... tell anyone else?" I questioned her, unable to conceal the horror in my voice.
"Just uh, just me," she stuttered unable to meet my eyes. "I won't tell anyone."
"Right. I uh, right. Thanks."
Mortified, I flew.
