Okay, so I know, this is really really late in coming. Not to make excuses, but my old computer kinda fried itself....

Heh, so anyways, to note again, I re-uploaded all of the chapters. I made a few teensie edits (you prolly won't notice) but it's not necessary to re-read them. I also named the chapter. The cheesy names came off the top of my head as they were uploaded, so please excuse them. Now...on with the story....

Chapter 11: Not Now

There were surprised murmurs all around and Mardi Gras held her breath, hoping Batman wouldn't say anything else. Thankfully he didn't say any more, but she could hear quiet conversations all around her.

"Isn't he the guy who took over an entire prison a year ago?" Someone asked.

"Yeah, and he did it from solitary confinement." Another person answered.

"I thought he only operated in the Northwest."

"I heard he's been all over the country."

"So how'd you manage to run into him?" Flash asked appearing suddenly in front of her.

"Unfortunate circumstances." She told him, not lying, but not really telling the truth. "You pick up on how he works pretty quickly. Anyways, I need to go now."

"You can't stand up straight." Green Arrow pointed out. "What makes you think you can go anywhere on that?"

"Cause I have to go." She answered, kind of stupidly, but very truthfully. She planned on getting home before Oscar. Suffice it to say, 10 minutes later she was laying down in the infirmary again, this time at the insistence of several female leaguers, with the added bonus of being told that if she tried to leave she'd be taped to the bed. She was pretty certain they had restraints, but threatening to tape someone to a bed was almost more effective really. Even with that threat, she was determined to leave.

Cautiously she got up and made her way to the door. The one way glass in the room allowed her to see out, and as far as she could tell, no one was anywhere near the door. She smiled slightly, thinking that she could probably escape, if she did it right. Although she was admittedly listing slightly, Mardi Gras figured that if she could at least make it to the employees locker room and change, no one would suspect her, and therefore no one would stop her. Well, aside from Batman. And Superman may have used his x-ray vision to look under her mask. J'onn could be reading her mind even. But as far as potential snags to her plan, they were only minor ones. So she thought.

As soon as the door opened, Mardi Gras found herself backpedaling away from the dark colors that had suddenly engulfed the doorway. Once she was a few steps back she realized that Batman had pretty much literally appeared out of nowhere, materializing right when she was about to make her escape, making her wonder if he really didn't have super powers. She opened her mouth, intending to scold him or something for startling her, but nothing would come out. Not even a squeak.

Batman said nothing, instead entering the room just far enough that the door closed behind him. To her it seemed as if everything, including him, was swaying and attempting to distort in strange ways. As funny as that might seem to someone else, Mardi Gras just found it rather disturbing and creepy. After what felt like years of just standing there in silence, Mardi Gras finally found her voice.

"So, uh, what are you doing here?" She tried to ask, nonchalantly. Silence. Not that she'd really expected an answer. "well, I gotta go now…"she tried to casually straighten up and leave, but was startled still when he actually responded.

"You're incapable of standing upright." He stated, firmly. "You're not leaving."

"But I have to leave now. I promised Oscar I'd pick him up to take him shopping tonight!" Mardi Gras explained insistently. "If I don't leave now I won't make it back in time!"

"And you have no other way of getting back." She wasn't sure if he was asking a question or making a statement, but either way it sounded like he knew she carried the small teleporter signaler he'd given her. His expression didn't change, but Mardi Gras knew she probably looked stunned. If he didn't know then, he knew now.

"You're one creepy…I'm not going to say it, but you know what I mean." Mardi Gras muttered, and immediately bit her lip. She really had a death sentence when talking to him, or so it seemed. More like her brain-mouth filter seemed to be disabled in his presence. Maybe it's just nerves, or being creeped out. Mardi Gras reasoned.

"Explain your blocking method." Batman suddenly commanded. If the world hadn't already been tilting, it would have been simply from the sheer suddenness of the change of topic.

"Explain…blocking…who? Where? When? What are we talking about?" Mardi Gras asked, her befuddled brain refusing to make sense of the new topic and its relation to her current situation.

"The only one aware of and affected by the transmitter in that knife" Batman stated calmly, "was you. J'onn cannot clearly read your mind, due to mental 'interference.' Explain." This surprised Mardi Gras. She thought the method used to negate The Angel did only that. Never did she imagine that it would also work in any way against actual telepaths.

"Well, you know he uses music. Since he prefers smooth melodies to gain trust and often slowly permeates their minds, harsher and more upbeat tunes disrupt his attempts. Unfortunately the clashing of tunes is pretty much an instant migraine and balance disrupting." Forgetting her predicament for a moment, Mardi Gras straightened up and almost fell over, in a way, punctuating her explanation. "I've listened to that type of music so long I always seem to have some song running through my head. Guess that's what is causing the 'interference.'"

"And the compound on the knife?" Batman asked.

I might as well tell him what I can. Maybe they can stop 'him.' Mardi Gras thought. "I don't exactly know what it is, but he secretes it through his skin, usually his hands. It seems to lower mental resistance." Though lacking, it was the best explanation she could give.

Mardi Gras brought a hand up to her forehead, closing her eyes as her headache got worse for a moment. After a moment she looked back up at Batman, except he was no longer there. I guess that was all he needed to know. She thought, slowly sinking back onto the bed and covering herself back up. It's not like she would actually sleep, but she figured there was no harm in lying there until it was time to leave. Her headache might actually be gone by then too. I wish I didn't have to worry Oscar, but I promised to tell him. Mardi Gras sighed. Of course this would happen now.

midnightsprite: Well, a really long time in coming, but here is some more. I will try to get the next chapter up a lot sooner.

So, since I am trying to work on this story (and pass my classes) it may be a while, but I promise not quite as long (sorry about the year thing....)