6 Justice League Conflict
One frequently overlooked fact about Belgium was that it possessed 42 miles of pristine coastline beaches. The sand reached out from the depths of the North Sea onto land and was amongst the cleanest coastlines in Northern Europe. The water though was chilly. It is the North Sea after all. Instead of swimming or frolicking on the surf, most visitors concentrated on running, jogging, walking, sunbathing, sea shell collecting, or playing Volleyball and other sports as their activities.
Despite the coolness of the water, Ulla and Dick frolicked in the surf. Ulla transformed her legs into a mer-tail and she stayed underwater while Dick went for air. After fifty minutes, Dick was getting cold so Ulla got him to shore. There they joined Blackhawk and Galatea in loungers.
Galatea employed a mirror to help focus the sun's rays onto her head and chest. The day was clear and the sun was beating down on the beach goers. It was a balmy 76 degrees (F) and people were walking into the surf to cool off. They just didn't stay in the water. Only Dick's years of slogging through the winters of Gotham in next to nothing kept him from experiencing hypothermia…that and Ulla's insistence to head for shore.
Tea helped Blackhawk in applying sunscreen. She abstained, not that she would ever wear any. Absorbing solar rays was her thing. The more that she got the more powerful she became. And it wasn't like her very fair skin ever burned. She was named the "Milky White One" for a reason.
Galatea was laying reclined with her mirror propped up and engaged in conversation with Blackhawk. The man himself was reading international papers on his iPad 2. Dick saw that and smirked.
"Did you snake that out of the Orb?" he joked.
Blackhawk tipped his sunglasses with his finger so that he could peer over the frames and make eye contact, "The League only has 1st generation tablets. This is an iPad 2. Lady Blackhawk gave this to me for my birthday."
Tea frowned, "You've never told me when your birthday is."
"It hit while you and the Guardians were busy setting up your new HQ. It just seemed like bad timing."
"Let me worry about the timing." Tea warned, "It's not up to you to decide for me that I can't do anything for your birthday."
Blackhawk adopted a sheepish air, "Yes, dear."
"And don't you forget it." Tea grinned.
"How could I? Such passion has to be rewarded." He replied with an easygoing grin of his own, "But in my own defense, I asked you for your birthday and you put me off."
Tea's face fell, "I don't know when I was 'born'."
"I had the Question hack the old CADMUS files. You were conceived on March 1, gestated between March 2 and July 31. You were then put into the accelerated growth phase of your development. You emerged from that on August 31. I was using that date as your birthday and now the surprise is slightly ruined. No worries though. Now you have something to look forward to." Blackhawk related.
"I'm gonna have a birthday?" Tea practically squealed.
"Yes, you are." Blackhawk smiled and then she smothered him with kisses.
"I have a surprise planned but don't get your hopes set too high. I'd hate for you to be disappointed." He advised.
"Hey, whatever. Something's better'n nothing." She still wore a giddy smile.
"As long as you're set." Blackhawk happily said.
"Did you know about this?" she asked Dick.
He said, "No."
She asked Ulla and also got a "No" but this time Tea wore a victorious smile, "You're lying!"
"I never was good at it." Ulla said, a little crestfallen.
"You didn't stand a chance against those super senses. I doubt I could pull it off." Dick consoled her.
"Tea, promise me you won't harass anyone to get details about the surprise." Blackhawk intervened.
"I promise." Galatea glumly complied. After a moment a smirk spread across her features, "I suppose all of the Guardians are in on it."
"Tea." Blackhawk sighed.
"That's not an answer." She teased.
"It's the only answer you're receiving." Blackhawk's smile returned upon seeing hers.
"All right." She said in exaggerated exasperation, "I'll give up."
"Now what?" Ulla asked.
"I have to pee." Galatea announced.
"Well, good for you." Dick dryly quipped.
"Hey mister, I've been holding it for two days. I think it's time to go." Tea protested.
"The restrooms are over by the changing booths." Blackhawk reminded her.
"I remember." She hesitated though.
"I have to go as well. Mind if I walk you?" he asked.
Her face lit up, "I'd be delighted."
As they left Dick shook his head, "I'm surprised by Galatea."
"Why?" Ulla asked as she stretched out on a beach blanket.
"She's always been so strong and capable. It's weird seeing her be vulnerable." Dick opined.
"She can't be strong all of the time. It's good for Blackhawk to take care of her. She needs that." Ulla revealed, "The only other person that will do so is Black Adam."
"There's a scary thought." Dick grumbled.
"Adam's a changed man or at least he's a less violent one now." Ulla defended her teammate, "I don't know him that well but I do know what he's teaching us."
"Teaching you?" Dick skeptically asked.
"They're our drill instructors. He and Tea have the greatest training and experience of any of us. We all know that they've killed in the past but everything they've shown us has been non-lethal." Ulla explained.
"They're saving the best `til last." Dick retorted.
"Richard Grayson! Are you disparaging my teammates?" Ulla demanded to know.
"It's just that they have such murky pasts. It's hard to forget, y'know?" Dick tried to explain.
"You don't have to forget but it would be nice if you could forgive." Ulla pointed out, "Not everyone is a hardened, unchangeable criminal. Most people are quite flexible."
"Maybe, maybe not." Dick allowed, "I just don't have much experience with repentant killers. Most of the people I've dealt with would kill you just as soon as they'd look at you."
Ulla reached out and brushed her fingers across his cheek, "Not everyone is the Joker."
"Thank God, not that that's a problem anymore." Dick blurted.
Seeing Ulla's perplexed look, he grinned; "Long story. Ask me about it again in twenty years or so."
Although he was smiling, there was a tightening around his eyes. Ulla recognized it as the same reaction that she got every time he approached a secret of the former Bat clan. Of course, the greatest secret of them all had already been revealed: the identities of the mythical Bat clan had been given away in one fell swoop! Knowing Dick's secret identity had just opened the door of logic and the others had sorted themselves out.
After all, how hard was it to figure out that Batman and Robin were Bruce Wayne and Tim Drake once you knew Nightwing's secret? Batgirl was a gimme if you followed Gotham's gossip at all. What other redheads besides Barbara Gordon and Veronica Vreeland were in Bruce Wayne's immediate periphery? Veronica was too old to be Batgirl so that left Wayne's ex-wife. More to the point, Batgirl's career ended when Gordon divorced Wayne.
To be honest Ulla was surprised that none of Batman's foes like the Riddler, the Calendar Man, or even the demented genius that was the aforementioned Joker, hadn't figured it out yet. To be fair, all of the listed criminals suspected Bruce Wayne was the Batman but they'd never confirmed it. What Ulla didn't know was that the Riddler was on the verge of an epiphany and the Joker had known before his death. But of course she didn't know about said death. She, like the rest of the world, merely wondered what had become of him and Harley Quinn.
In the end it just seemed as though Dick was belittling the Global Guardians in favor of the Justice League. That hurt and it showed in her eyes. Dick suddenly softened and asked what he'd done so she told him. A much more repentant Dick Grayson resumed the conversation.
"Ulla, you have to know I don't hold anything against the Global Guardians. How could I? You're a member and any group that you'd belong to has to be a fantastic one. But do I think that the JLU has an edge in experience and capabilities? I do. The Guardians are brimming with potential and that's why Black Adam and Galatea worry me. Potential can be misguided just like it can be squandered; I just don't want to see that happen." Dick tried to clarify his thoughts on the matter.
"Hmm. I see." Ulla needed time to reflect, "You're off the hook for now but this isn't over."
Blackhawk was rounding the blockhouse style restroom when he heard Galatea arguing with two men inside of the women's side of the restroom. She was getting angry and he was afraid that she'd wipe them out in a minute. He ventured in and found two strapping young bucks trying to grope Tea. The fact that they were still in one piece bespoke of her growing restraint. In his opinion though, it wasn't warranted under these circumstances
"Tea?" he asked.
"Go away, Yankee. The woman is ours." The bulkier of the two said in a rough Corsican accent.
"The woman is her own." Blackhawk declared.
"Very well, Yankee pig. I will deal with you while my brother Andre deals with the woman. He can soften her up for me." The other brother said.
"And you are?" Blackhawk asked.
"Beveraggi. Hector and Andre Beveraggi. I am Hector and that is…" Hector began.
"Andre. I got it the first time." Blackhawk quipped.
Hector pulled out one of the curved blades Corsicans specialize in, "You will die slowly."
At this, Galatea decided to end it. She punched Andre, breaking his jaw and knocking him out. She raced at super speed and interposed herself between Blackhawk and Hector. Hector thrust the blade forward only to push it against Tea's abs…only…it didn't penetrate. She just stood there with her hands on her hips smirking at him. He repositioned the knife in his hand and brought it down in a stabbing motion. It struck the uppermost portion of her breast and did not penetrate. Hector began to panic.
Galatea grabbed his knife hand's wrist and snapped it. Hector dropped the knife with a cry. Next Tea punched him. He sailed into the concrete wall and collapsed after the impact.
Galatea turned to Blackhawk, "Are you all right?"
He grinned, "Never better. How about you?"
"Ugh. I could use a shower." She grimaced.
"I suppose you'd better call the local police." He suggested. Seeing her dubious expression, he added; "They are wounded."
"Fine." Tea growled, "Where are we again?"
"Zeebrugge." Blackhawk informed her, "And your NATO credentials will get you further than my UN affiliations."
"Sure, sure." She blithely called back as she strolled out to use the public phones.
The local police responded immediately. Knowing that a Global Guardian was involved greased many wheels. The Inspector in charge of the case grew excited when he discovered he had the Beveraggi brothers in custody.
Seeing Galatea and Blackhawk's confusion, he explained the why of it; "These two are enforcers for the Corsican mafia. Interpol has had warrants out on them for five years now. Now we can learn how they entered the country without being detected."
The Inspector focused on Galatea, "Can I count on your testimony?"
"Of course." She pledged herself.
"Good. That is our greatest leverage to use against them. They won't want it revealed in court that they were both singlehandedly taken down by a woman." He laughed.
"Just let me know how I can help. The whole point of basing in Europe was to offer support to local law enforcement on top of our global commitments." Galatea assured him.
The Inspector wore a grateful smile, "I'm certain every Interpol signatory will be grateful."
"Whatever we can do to help." Tea promised.
"If you could pardon me for a moment?" the Inspector consulted with his officers and then returned, "We're done here. You've made your statements. We'll call you through your respective offices if we need anything further from you."
Blackhawk and Galatea wrapped an arm around each other's waists and Tea said farewell, "Thank you, Inspector."
Blackhawk and Galatea finally returned to the others and Dick wryly commented, "That was some pee."
Tea sputtered and Blackhawk merely said, "Wait `til she tells what happened."
Which Tea indignantly did.
