*AN* I do not own the Justice League. This chapter was also hard to write. Again, it was rather personal, and brought up a lot of flashbacks and emotions, so it was rather difficult to write. You'd think that would be the Joker chapter, but, no. I wrote that quite some time ago, before this other thing. Also, I'm aware that it would have brought things up for others, for which I apologize. I did try to rate this appropriately, and I'm still trying to figure out the best description for the entire story. But anyway. I did my best to put in some humour, but yeah. So. Vera. New haircut, new dragon tattoo, the start of a new wardrobe. A discussion of a new battle suit is coming up, too. Any suggestions? :) The closest I have is the cover picture for this story, it's basically a dark red version of her current costume. I'm sure you all have better ideas!
Sorry this was so long. Chapter and note. Ha-de-ha!
When Bruce reached his office just over an hour later, he found Vera's note on his desk. He read it over and over, and sat down in relief and exhaustion. He looked up when his assistant knocked on the door. "Is everything alright, Bruce?" she asked. Mena was a pretty woman, with dark brown hair pulled to the side in a fishtail braid and green eyes that shone under her glasses. She was very kindly, and she was very good at her job, having gotten him out of trouble with the board on one occasion.
"Yes, thank you, Mena," he smiled. "It's just that Vera went out for a while last night, and didn't come home."
"Is she alright?" Mena asked.
"Yes. She left me a note. She's just gone to Metropolis early."
"Oh, well, that's good, sir. My daughter pulls the same stunt, but she's not half as responsible about it as Vera." Bruce smiled wryly, re-reading the note.
"Ronnie is only sixteen, isn't she?" he asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Vera's good with teenagers," he said thoughtfully. "I know Ronnie is going through some things. Maybe she'll talk to Vera."
"Oh, thank you, Bruce," Mena smiled. "I appreciate that." Bruce smiled.
"Bring her in Monday, if you can," he said. "I know what a headstrong sixteen year old is like. I've had four of them."
"Four?"
"Well, there were Dick, Jason, Vera, and her friend Jenny. Now, Jenny can put someone in their place." Mena smiled.
"Like she did this morning, I'm guessing. I'll go and get you some extra coffee."
"Thank you, Mena." Bruce sighed when his assistant left the office, and re-read the note again.
Bruce, I'm sorry I didn't come home. I know you're freaking out. There's something I need to talk to you about. I don't know what Dick told you, but I admitted something I've been afraid to. I'll be back soon, I promise. I'm just keeping busy for a while. And I promise to see the psychologist, and the doctors on Saturday. You can send someone to check if you want to. I'll explain everything when I come home.
Love, Vera.
He sighed, and picked up the phone. "Wally," he said when his son-in-law answered, "You and Dick need to see this."
"Your stocks for the week?" Wally asked.
"Vera left a note for me in the office."
"Oh. On our way."
It was Saturday afternoon when Vera returned to the mansion with Bruce and Wally. She had spent the night at her house in Metropolis, and run on to see her doctors in San Francisco Saturday morning. Now, Wally was watching her as they pulled into the driveway at the mansion. She had cut her hair to shoulder-length, and was wearing it in a ponytail. She was wearing a green cropped singlet paired with a burgundy skater skirt and black low wedge-heeled shoes – all unusual, but the biggest change she'd made to herself was the tattoo of a green and black dragon on her back. When they walked into the mansion, Jenny looked up from her book and stared at Vera. Sam and Tim looked at each other in puzzlement, and tilted their heads at Vera.
"I'm not sure how I feel about the wardrobe," Sam said finally, "but the haircut is ok. Still, you look better with long hair. You know what? Maybe the skirt can go, but the top could stay. It's a good colour on you."
"Thanks," Vera said, surprised. "You can be my personal stylist from now on." Sam grinned. "You're not mad?"
"A little," Sam admitted. "Don't know about Tim. Jenny definitely is."
"Yeah," Vera sighed, looking at Jenny. "I know."
"Did you kill someone?" Jenny asked.
"What? No. Why do you ask?"
"I'm just trying to figure out why you'd do that," Jenny said, turning back to her book. Wally raised an eyebrow.
"Just yesterday morning, you were the one telling us to give her space," he pointed out.
"Yes, that was when I thought she'd be back in a few hours," Jenny said shortly. "Excuse me. I'm going to read upstairs."
"Jenny…" Vera started, but Jenny's glare told her to say no more. Bruce just put his hand on Vera's shoulder.
"Why don't you go and change?" he asked. "I'll meet you outside with the horses."
"Ok," Vera said quietly. She walked past Jenny and upstairs, barely hearing Sam's exclamations about her tattoo. She was just reaching her room when she came across Dick, the other Wally and the younger Lex.
"Whoa," the other Wally said. Vera quickly wiped at the tears under her eyes.
"Oh, hey," she said.
"Are you ok?"
"Uh… Yeah. Yeah. I'm ok." She avoided Dick's eyes. "Um… I'll see you guys when I get back, I guess."
"Riding with Bruce?" Dick asked.
"Yeah."
"We'll leave you to it, then," Lex said. Vera smiled softly as they started for the stairs.
"Hey, Vera?" Wally turned back.
"Yeah?" she asked, opening the door.
"You're really short without stilettos. You know that?" he grinned. Vera laughed a little, and nodded.
She met Bruce outside, where he was holding the reins of two beautiful horses. One was a sweet skewbald mare named Maia, and the other was a curious bay gelding named Cocoa, who had a cataract in one eye and got along with only Maia out of the other two horses that Bruce's friend kept in the paddocks behind the mansion in the cooler months. Maia was older than Cocoa by a year, but she acted as though the gap were twenty years. Vera had often watched them in the paddock together, when Cocoa would try to steal one of the other horses' food and Maia would chase him away, or the time when Maia had been trying to reach a patch of grass outside of the paddock and Cocoa had rubbed his rump on the gate until the latch had come undone and the four horses were loose. Cocoa nosed at Vera now, and Maia gave a welcoming whinny.
"So," Bruce said. "Cocoa or Maia?"
"Maia," Vera said. "Sorry, Cocoa. Next time." She rubbed the gelding's nose, and he nuzzled her one more time before she turned to mount up. Maia nickered and tossed her head as Bruce mounted Cocoa, and the father and daughter rode off together.
"So," Bruce said when they had put enough distance between them and the mansion, "what's going on?"
"I don't know what Dick told you."
"He told me what you told him the other night. All of it." Vera nodded. "He told both myself and J'onn. J'onn isn't sure how to approach this. To be honest, neither am I."
"Yeah," Vera sighed. "I don't even know what to do. I thought… I thought that going out and fighting crime for a couple of days would clear my head. I don't know. On one hand, it would keep everyone else safe from anyone wanting to hurt me through them, or vice versa, but on the other… I'm the only person who can keep people like Falcone at bay, and if I back down, I won't be able to. That's the arrangement I have with the criminals. As long as I'm around, they don't hurt you or Wally, or anyone in the League. For the most part, that's held for three years." Bruce looked at her. In the late afternoon light, she was glowing gold on the outside, but he knew that she was feeling far from golden on the inside.
"Is that what Killer Croc was talking about last night?" he asked. Vera looked at him questioningly. "I went to talk to him at Arkham last night. He mentioned that you weren't yourself."
"Yeah. I told him that I was thinking about leaving." She rubbed Maia's neck. "I should have listened to you from the beginning." Bruce stared at her. "Yeah. I just admitted that you were right. So I guess that's two things I was afraid to say."
"Vera. I'm not sure what upsets me more right now." Bruce looked to where he was going, speaking sternly. "The fact that Cadmus used the Joker in their plan to take you out; the fact that you're backing down like they wanted; or the fact that you're letting someone run your life for you as though what you want doesn't matter. You have no idea how pissed off Diana is about that one. You're not listening to the one person who matters the most – you. You're giving way to a monster who can't hurt you anymore, dead or alive." His voice softened. "I always loved that about you. The way you fought anything and everything that was ever said or done to you to pull you away from what you love. Even fighting me on the good fight." He looked at her again, and she was silent. "I still love you, Vera. We all do. Regardless of what you do. But we know what you want, and even though we want you to be safe at all times, we know the best way to protect you is to let you be who you are."
"I don't know who that is anymore, Bruce," Vera said.
"I think you're the same person you always were. You're just scared and in pain and confused." Vera stared ahead of her thoughtfully.
"Ok," she said. "So, what if I am the same? I still don't know what to do. I feel like I only have two ways out of this." When Bruce saw they were approaching the hill that overlooked Gotham City and the mansion, he looked at his daughter.
"I'll race you to the top of the hill, and we can stop and talk about this," he said. She nodded, and they nudged the horses into a trot, then a canter. Vera and Maia got to the top first, and waited for Bruce and Cocoa to catch up. Vera and Bruce dismounted, and sat down on the hill. Bruce passed her a bottle of water from his saddle bag.
"If you didn't have to worry about the rest of us and your daughter," Bruce started, "what would you choose to do?"
"I would…" Vera sighed. "I would have killed every single one of them by now."
"Well, it's a start," Bruce said. "Alright. Your third preference? Keeping in mind that your second is to fight Cadmus without killing them."
"Joined them. If I can't fight them…"
"I have a hard time believing you'd join them without some ulterior motive, without a fight. To fight them from the inside, perhaps, but to simply switch sides?"
"What are you saying?" Vera asked, taking a drink from the bottle.
"I'm saying that maybe your second way out isn't what you think it is." Vera frowned.
"You think that I could 'surrender', and shut them down that way."
"I didn't say any such thing," Bruce said. "But now that you mention it, that is an idea." He glanced at her. "You just need to find that fight in you again."
"The idea occurred to me. But you're right, I don't have that fight in me."
"Which brings me back to my earlier point. You're letting Cadmus and the Joker ruin you."
"So, what's your advice? As both a father and a team leader?"
"As a team leader, I recommend you stay with us. As a father, I want you to be safe, happy and doing what you want to do. Don't let anyone run your life except you."
"I'll think about it," Vera sighed. "I mean, that's all I've been doing, but… I need to sleep on it."
"It's up to you. Now. This other option you feel you have."
"Like I told Dick, I'm not going to act on it. I just feel… Trapped. I feel like the one thing I love doing is going to destroy me, and it would be an easier choice."
"What if you could have the best of both worlds? Being part of the League, but not risking your life every moment you step outside?"
"I'm not following you," Vera frowned again. Bruce smiled slightly.
"I know you well enough to know that you love the fighting. I know Wally does, too, and your daughter is going to get that from both of you. There are always going to be young heroes in need of mentoring. I've seen you with children and teenagers, Vera. You and Wally, you're both natural parents. What if we started a team of younger superheroes?" Vera blinked.
"You mean, I'd be training them?"
"Something like that."
"Yeah. I like that idea. I'll have to talk to Wally, of course, but…"
"I may have mentioned it to him before we picked you up," Bruce said. "He loves the idea." Vera nodded slowly.
"Thank you, Bruce," she said after a moment. "You just gave me something to look forward to." They smiled at each other, and Bruce put his arm around her shoulders in a hug.
"You'll be alright. You're a stronger woman than they give you credit for." Vera smiled, and looked out over the scenery. Maybe he was onto something.
When Vera and Bruce had finished feeding and rubbing down the horses and put the tack away, Sam and John came down to meet them. "I don't think Pippa likes me," Sam announced, eyeing the little grey mare. At the mention of her name, the Welsh pony flicked her ears and raised her head and snorted.
"Don't take it personally," Vera said, giving the little mare a scratch on the withers. "She doesn't like anyone who could sit on her back." When Pippa stepped to the side away from Vera, she sighed. "Including me, apparently."
"She's just annoyed because she didn't get her apple when she arrived yesterday," Bruce said. "She'll get over it in a day or two."
"Don't worry," Vera said. "Maia and old Jasper over there will happily talk to you." She nodded at the big black stallion. "Even Cocoa might, if he's in a particularly good mood. Just make sure you bring sugar." She scratched Maia's ears fondly before stepping outside of the gate with Bruce.
"Why do you have to put a chain on the gate?" Sam asked, watching Bruce fixing a padlock onto the chain.
"Cocoa figured out how to open the gate last fall," Bruce explained. "And Jasper, while he doesn't look like it, is a mischief maker. I've caught him nibbling at the latch a few times." Jasper just snorted at Bruce indignantly.
"What about Maia and Pippa?" John asked.
"Maia just follows the grass," Vera shrugged, "and while Pippa could jump the fence if she wanted, she's too lazy. She was quite the show pony in her younger days." The four walked back up to the mansion in the twilight.
"Killer Croc is requesting you to visit, Vera," John said.
"Really?" Vera asked.
"So is Pam," Sam said. "And you got a call from some guy named Leonard Snart." Vera looked at her brother.
"I did? That's weird."
"And another Sam called!" Sam went on. "And James Jesse, and Harvey Dent, and an Australian guy. Oh, and Maroni and the Penguin and Falcone."
"I'm suddenly feeling wildly popular again," Vera said, raising an eyebrow. "Now, I know that Bruce didn't call them." She looked between John and Sam. John was trying hard to look as though he didn't have a clue. "So, obviously, one of you did, or you know who it was." Sam, John and Bruce looked at each other, and she sighed. "WALLACE!"
Inside the mansion, Wally looked up at the sound of his name being called outside.
"Uh-oh," he said. Diana looked at him curiously.
"What?" she asked.
"She knows."
"She knows what?" Lex asked. "What did you do?"
"WALLACE RUDOLPH WEST!" Vera's voice came stronger.
"Oh, God, Wally, what did you do?" Dick asked, rushing into the room.
"Uh…"
"Wally!" Vera appeared behind her brother. "What the hell!"
"I thought that with you going out of action, we could use some help," Wally said.
"From Falcone?!" she almost shrieked. "I don't need you owing him a favour, too, Wally! Do you know how stupid that was?!"
"Kinda?" Wally asked nervously.
"Kind of? Kind of?! Wally, you may as well have given him your head on a silver god damned platter!"
"Is he fast enough for that?"
"Wally!"
"I did what I had to!" he protested. "Just like you always do."
"But you didn't have to! Bruce and I came up with something earlier, that's what I was coming up to tell you! And then Sam tells me that Falcone called… God, what did you tell Falcone?"
"That we needed help," Wally shrugged. "He was happy enough to oblige…"
"Oblige? Wally, this means that you owe him something, no questions asked! It'll probably be even worse than the favour I'll have to do for him!" She turned on her heel.
"Where are you going?" Wally asked, alarmed.
"To fix this!" Vera called back.
"That's my girl," he called. He waited a moment, and then Vera returned, still looking furious.
"You bastard," she said, walking past him and grabbing his wrist.
"What are we doing?" he asked, puzzled. She glanced back at him, and he blushed before following her upstairs with a grin.
"That wasn't part of the plan…" Dick said, slightly confused.
"They're married, Richard," Bruce said. "Just don't go there. For the love of God and all things good, don't go there." Sam looked as puzzled as Dick did, but didn't ask any questions. He wasn't sure he wanted to know if Bruce didn't.
In the Bat Cave after dinner, Lex turned to Vera and Bruce. "So, what was this idea you mentioned earlier?"
"Essentially, the Trojan Horse," Vera said.
"You want to build a giant wooden horse?" Wally asked.
"Funny. No, I was thinking more along the lines of switching sides."
"Haven't you done that before?" Dick asked. "You know, recently? I can't remember, but it feels like only a few months ago."
"He has a point," Lex said. When Dick raised an eyebrow, Lex shrugged. "I was ignoring the sarcasm." Vera and Bruce glanced between them.
"What they mean is," Shayera said, putting her helmet on Dick's head to cover his face, "they won't buy it. They know what happened with Lex – they were behind that. They know that you'd never join them without a fight." Vera looked at Bruce.
"Why are you guys just quoting each other at me?" she asked him. "Look, there's always the chance that they won't take it." She bit her lip. "Wally?"
"Whoa, what?" Wally blinked. "I thought I was a terrible liar!"
"You are," Dick said under Shayera's helmet. "You look ridiculous when you do it." He mimicked Wally's fearful cringing earlier.
"Yeah, now who looks ridiculous?" Shayera asked, slapping at the back of Dick's head before looking back at Vera.
"Anyway," Vera said, shooting one last weirded-out glance at her brother, "if Wally and I go together, they're less likely to second guess. It's our daughter, it's totally plausible that we could betray the Justice League."
"Except…" the other Wally started. "Uh, you know what? Ignore me."
"Maybe this Cadmus has no idea about the Justice Lords," said Wonder Woman. "There's no harm in that, right?"
"Whoa, Justice Lords?" Jenny asked. "Tell me more."
"I'd rather not," the other Wally muttered. "It gave me nightmares for a week."
"Aww," Jenny tousled his hair. "I still want to know."
"Ah, best not now," Vera said with a grimace. "I've gone through their files repeatedly, and there's nothing about the Justice Lords or the Oval Office. Besides, I'm a manipulative sociopath, I could easily convince Wally to cross over." Wally looked at her sceptically. "Well, as far as Cadmus is concerned." Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from underneath them, and the Cave started shaking and went dark. Everybody froze until it was over. The Kryptonians glanced at each other in the dark and flew out of the Cave.
"What the hell was that?" Jenny asked.
"Earthquakes aren't that uncommon here," Bruce said.
"We'll see when the guys get back," Vera said, looking up at the roof of the Cave. "For now, everyone upstairs." She waited for everyone to file up into the mansion before going up herself.
"Vera?" Sam's voice came from the other side of the living room.
"I'm here, buddy. Are you ok?"
"Yeah. We're all ok."
"Good." Vera found her brother in the dark and knelt beside him on the floor. "We're waiting for the Supermen to come back and tell us how things are." As she spoke, the Supermen appeared from the Cave.
"Everything's fine. There wasn't a movement in the earth plates, no destruction…" Clark trailed off.
"Thought so," Vera murmured. "Wally. I think we should go now."
"You just got back!" Sam protested.
"He's right, V," Wally said. "And even if we knew what we would do, I don't think we'd have a lot of hope right now." Vera sighed.
"Yeah, you're right." She hugged Sam a little closer to herself. "Still. I don't like the idea of leaving it until it's too late."
"Leaving what until it's too late?" Sam asked.
"Tricking Cadmus." She jumped when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled the phone out, and looked up at Wally. "Speak of the devil, and she shall call."
"Answer it," Wally said. Vera cringed, but answered the phone anyway.
"Yes, Waller."
"Vera, we need to talk," Waller's voice said.
"Oh, really? What on Earth gave you that idea?"
"Can you come to Cadmus? You and the Justice League, all of you. Whenever suits you."
"Has Cadmus gone dark?" Vera smirked.
"Yes."
"What makes you think I'm interested in talking to you right now? I'll call you." Vera hung up the phone, and sighed. "Ugh," she groaned. "She's either a step ahead or scared out of her wits."
"She wants you to go to Cadmus?" Bruce asked.
"Us. She wants us to go to Cadmus. All of us. As you heard, I said no." She looked at Sam. "It's ok, she's probably just scared of the dark. Just like the Butcher boys."
"Danny's brothers are afraid of the dark?" Sam asked, puzzled.
"I'm a little worried about how she knows this," Wally said. Vera and Jenny just snickered evilly.
"Oh, God," Dick shuddered. "Don't laugh like that in the dark. That's creepy."
"Ok." A second later, the lights turned back on, and Vera laughed again.
"That's not any better!"
"Sorry." Vera flashed a small smile at her older brother, who, she was delighted to see, was still wearing Shayera's helmet. "Hey, Bruce?" Bruce looked at her. "Have you heard from 3-O?"
"No, I haven't. Sorry." Vera shrugged solemnly.
"Thought I'd ask." She stood up and pulled Sam up with her. "You should get to bed soon, kiddo."
"It's a weekend," Sam said. "I don't have to go to school tomorrow."
"Yeah, but…" Vera sighed. "Ok. Fine. Change into your PJs, choose a movie, and I'll get the popcorn." Sam grinned and ran upstairs to change.
"Why do I have the feeling that the moment he's fast asleep, you're going out again tonight?" Dick asked.
"He won't even notice," Vera said. "And yes, I'll be back in the early hours of the morning. I know that you'll be keeping a close eye on me, whatever I do."
"Yeah, that's true."
"Does she need a babysitter?" Tim asked. "I mean, really? She can handle herself out there. We've all seen her."
"She couldn't the other night," Dick said. "She had help."
"Shut up," Vera said through gritted teeth.
"No. Who was that, anyway?"
"A friend."
"One of your 'close' friends?" Vera hesitated.
"What do you mean by 'close'?" she asked.
"I mean 'close' like Sionis." The Justice League looked at her questioningly.
"Ew! God, no!" Vera exclaimed, horrified. "He was my – I mean, he's like a brother! Ew!" She shuddered. Dick narrowed his eyes under the helmet.
"He seemed awfully concerned about you jumping off that crane," he said. "I got the impression he wouldn't have the same reaction for many other people." Wally looked at him and then Vera with wide eyes.
"You jumped off a crane?! Wait, how tall was it?"
"The big one in the middle of the city," Dick said.
"That one?!" Wally asked in dismay. Vera rolled her eyes, and looked up towards the stairs where Sam was standing at the top, uncertain as to whether he should come down.
"Is everything ok?" he asked, holding his teddy bear close to his chest. Wally winced inwardly, clenching his eyes shut.
"Yeah, buddy," he said, turning with a smile. "Everything's ok." He looked at Vera sternly. We'll talk about this later, he mouthed at her.
Yeah, I know, Vera mouthed back irritably. Sam looked at Vera for reassurance as he descended the stairs. "It's ok, Sammy," she said. "Decided on a movie?"
"Yeah," Sam said, cautious. Bruce turned to the boy and knelt in front of him.
"I promise you, Vera's not in trouble for anything," he said.
"Debatable," Wally muttered to Vera. She just looked at the windows on the other side of the room, her fists and jaw clenched tightly.
"Wally, don't," Diana murmured. "Not now."
"I'm not," Wally said, not taking his eyes off Vera. "I don't need to."
"Sam, I'll be back in a few minutes," Vera said, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. "There's something I need to check on downstairs. Stay with Bruce and Tim, ok?"
"Ok," Sam said in a small voice. Without another word, Vera left for the Cave. When Wally moved to follow her, Diana put out a hand to stop him faster than he'd ever seen her move.
"Cool off," she said, a deadly look in her eye. He glanced after Vera, who was disappearing into the darkness of the Cave, and then at Sam, who looked scared, and sighed.
"I'm sorry, Sam," he said sadly before leaving to go outside. Diana looked around at the League.
"Everyone has been so hard on Vera this evening," she said. "Bruce had the grace to ease up on her, but this was unbelievable. What Vera needs right now is her family and friends. Obviously, something happened out there on Thursday night. I'm going to talk to her. Someone go and talk to Wally." When she and Jenny both moved, Dick sighed.
"No, Jen, Diana. This is on me. Let me fix this one." He took the hawk helmet off and handed it back to Shayera before following Vera to the Cave. He found her screaming and punching and kicking one of the punching bags in the training section of the Cave. "You want to save some of that for me?" he asked. She stopped to look at him, and shook her head.
"Haven't I done enough damage?" she shouted. "You, Bruce, Jason, and now Wally and Sam?!"
"Jason?" Dick asked, puzzled.
"That's who it was last night," Vera sobbed into her hands. "He came back from the grave, just like Jenny, just like me. That's why he was so concerned." Dick nodded.
"Ok. That's not important. Vera, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have opened my mouth. I didn't mean to cause a fight with Wally." Vera shook her head, sobbing furiously. Dick hugged her tightly and she cried into his shoulder, like she had when Jenny had died, when the Joker had first attacked her, and when she had jumped at windows flying open.
"I get that I shouldn't have done what I did. I should have come home. I should have – but I couldn't, and apart from Bruce, nobody has given me the chance to explain. Nobody is asking why, nobody is listening."
"I am," Dick said. "And Wally will if you talk to him. He'll understand. He just doesn't understand why you wouldn't talk to him about it beforehand."
"I couldn't, don't you see that?"
"I do. I do. But he doesn't."
"I couldn't burden him like that. He thought that things were ok again. With John's ring, he thought that I'd just forgotten how to use my willpower, but I didn't. I just used the very last of it to use the ring." Dick closed his eyes.
"He needs to know that. I'll talk to him, ok? Vera, I don't want you guys to fight."
"It's not your fault."
"Yeah, it is," Dick said. "I want to fix it."
"How?" Vera asked, pulling away. "I'm classified as mentally ill! This is something that can't be fixed. The only solution the psychologists have is to put me away in an asylum for the rest of my life!"
"They won't," Dick said. "I'm not letting you go through this alone. Neither will Wally. I'm guessing that he doesn't even know, otherwise we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. He'd be sitting with you, watching a movie with Sam."
"God…" Vera clenched her eyes shut. "Sammy. His face… He was so scared. I thought he'd never have reason to be so scared of anyone again. But the way he looked at me… I must have looked like my mother."
"I'm not touching that one. All I know is that Sam is more worried about you and Wally splitting up than anything else."
"So am I." Vera finally raised her eyes, and he saw that her irises were glowing green.
"Vera," he said. "This might be a bad time to bring it up… But your eyes have changed colour."
"What?"
"Yeah, they're… Green. Look, you and Wally are not going to split up, ok? You love each other too much for that. He's not going to desert you."
"I wish I could believe that right now," Vera said quietly, turning away. "Dick, please. Just leave me alone."
"No. Vera, for the first time since Jenny died, you're well and truly opening up to someone. I'm not going to just leave you alone. Not until I know that you're going to be ok." Vera looked at him helplessly, weighing her options. Finally, she sighed a shaky breath, and Dick took her to sit down on the chairs at the Computer. "I'm ok knowing everything," he said. "But start small if you want to."
When Dick finally came upstairs with Vera, he sat her down on the couch, and nodded for Bruce and Clark to join him in the kitchen. "Clark," he said in a low voice, "did she mention anything about her appointment with the psychologist yesterday?"
"She only said it went well," Clark said. "Why?" Dick groaned, rubbing at his eyes.
"It didn't. She was officially diagnosed clinically depressed almost immediately. She must have told the doctor she'd discuss it with us herself." He looked at Bruce. "I know that this might be a bad idea, but if something comes up tonight, could you put her, Wally and myself on it? They need reminding what a good team they are." Bruce nodded.
"Alright. I trust you know what you're doing."
"Thanks. I'm going to talk to Wally now. Where is he?"
"Still outside," Clark said. "He doesn't know, does he?"
"No." Dick sighed. "Ok. Back soon." He walked outside to find Wally. He found his brother-in-law sitting against a tree on the edge of the garden. "Mind if I join you?" he asked.
"Free country." Wally didn't look at him. "Why would she do that?"
"She wasn't trying to kill herself, Wally. It was just the highest point she could find to scope the city at once. Besides, Jason was watching. If he hadn't have seen her grappling gun working, he would have jumped in then and there, they would have had a conversation, and none of this would be happening." Now Wally raised his head. "Yeah. I know about Jason. Deal with it."
"Why wouldn't she talk about this with me?" Wally asked wearily. "Doesn't she trust me?"
"Wally, she trusts you more than she trusts me or Bruce. She was just scared that you'd never look at her the same way again."
"What do you mean?"
"Her psychologist appointment didn't go as well as she said it did. They want to put her into full-time mental health care." Dick searched Wally's face. "She's terrified. She's so scared that she actually broke down and has been crying on my shoulder for the last hour."
"God…" Wally rubbed his face. "What did she tell you?"
"Everything. Including the fact that she's terrified you'll leave her."
"I could never do that."
"She doesn't know that right now," Dick said quietly. "She's too scared and angry to know that."
"I need to talk to her," Wally said.
"Just give it some time to sink in first," Dick said when Wally started to pull himself up. "She doesn't even fully understand it herself. You know Vera, she's always had to be the toughest of all of us." Wally sat back down against the tree. "Jason must have known something was up with Vera and I, because he made a point of lecturing her when Batman and I found them."
"What had they been doing before that?" Wally asked.
"Like I said. She was outnumbered when she was facing down a gang of thugs. He helped her. She didn't even know he was there until he spoke to her, she was so preoccupied." Dick paused for a moment. "You should know that she's been smoking again. She had one down in the Cave, but I've confiscated the rest of her pack."
"Thanks," Wally said. "She'll appreciate it later, too."
"She already does. That was our deal." Wally nodded.
"I was too hard on her tonight, in any case," he said. "We all were."
"Yeah. Diana chewed everyone out for it when you left. Surprisingly, Bruce was the exception."
"That's because she would have told him everything while they were out."
"Not everything. She didn't tell anyone about the diagnosis until now. There's a lot of things she's not telling anyone."
"Like what?" Wally asked, distressed.
"That's not really my place to tell you. I've encouraged her to tell you everything, particularly about what's happening at S.T.A.R. Labs, and she will if you ask. Just give it time. Don't expect everything to come out at once. Especially after tonight. She's not sure if it's a good idea to tell you about her appointments now."
"I understand," Wally said. "I scared her."
"A little. We all did. When she needed someone on her side, we were all angry. She understands why, but it's not like nobody knew where she was. She left Bruce that note in the office, and she told Clark yesterday that she was going to fill in time between Central and San Fran. I don't think she went to the apartment, though."
"No," Wally shook his head. "She wouldn't. I can't even look at the place anymore. Maybe we should move to Metropolis."
"She doesn't want to do that to you. Central City needs the Flash. She's happy to continue living in Central City, if you can agree on a house, cat and three more baby names. Those are her conditions."
"She didn't say that, did she?"
"No, but she does want more kids, if it's ever possible." Dick glanced at his brother-in-law, and smiled a little. "Come inside. Just give yourself and Vera a moment to calm down before actually talking. She's with Sam right now. I think they're watching Hercules. When I came out here, Sam was asking Diana if she knew him."
"How is Sam doing?" Wally asked as they stood.
"Worried. He didn't have to say anything, but to him, it looked like his parents after Vera left. She looked like their mother, and she knows it. Just… don't mention that to either of them." The two young men walked back up to the mansion. Before Wally knew what was happening, Alfred was pressing a cup of hot cocoa into his hands, and he could hear piano music coming from the living room.
"Thank you, Alfred," Wally said quietly.
"You are welcome," Alfred said, handing Dick another mug. "Master Sam changed his mind about watching Hercules and decided he would learn to play the piano."
"Vera must love that," Dick said.
"Indeed," Alfred said. "She is the one teaching him, after all." Wally listened to the soft sound of Vera singing along with the piano.
In the living room, Vera and Sam sat side by side as they played.
"And when you speak, angels sing from above," she sang softly with the melody Sam played, "Every-day words seem to turn into love songs… Give your heart and soul to me, and life will always be la vie en rose…" The siblings split the last few chords to the song between each other, because Sam couldn't quite get the hang of multiple chords at once.
"How was that?" Sam asked.
"You did great," Vera said reassuringly. "You could be a professional concert pianist when you grow up."
"Really?" Sam frowned. "That's a job?"
"Depends on where you perform," Vera admitted. "If you worked at, say, the Ice Berg Lounge, you'd be paid better than Bruce's secretary, and she's pretty well-paid."
"But if I didn't work at, say, the Ice Berg Lounge?" Vera smiled.
"It would be a little more difficult." Sam nodded thoughtfully.
"Are you leaving the Justice League?"
"What? No." Vera tousled her brother's hair. "I thought about it, but Bruce convinced me I can protect you better if I don't. So, I'm not." She offered a small smile. "And don't worry about Wally and I, ok? I did the wrong thing."
"You both did," Sam said. "He shouldn't have gotten mad at you. You can't help it if you're sad." Vera stared at him, and jumped when she heard Dick clear his throat.
"V… Bruce just called us out," he said. Vera glanced at Wally, who was already in his uniform. "Something's going down."
"Do you mean in the Cave, or outside?" Sam asked.
"Outside," Dick clarified. "Central City."
"You know that I'm going to be drinking coffee until you all come back alive."
"Want us to just wake you up when we get back?" Wally asked.
"Yeah, I would prefer that. I hate coffee." Vera kissed her brother on the forehead and stood up.
"Cutie," she said. "See you later, ok?" Sam nodded with a yawn. "Night, baby."
"Night," Sam said sleepily.
Spitfire and the Flash arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs in Central City before Nightwing did. The first person they saw was a doctor they recognised as Doctor Greene staggering outside of the building. Spitfire caught him before he fell. "Doctor Greene," she said. He looked up with unfocused eyes.
"I'll take him to the hospital," Flash said. "I'm faster than you." Spitfire nodded. As the Flash was picking up the scientist, he spoke with a wheezing breath, and blood tricked from the corner of his mouth.
"Rogues… they've got help…"
"Don't try to talk," Spitfire said. "You'll be alright." Flash looked at her before disappearing. He returned a few moments later, and Nightwing landed the Batplane behind them. Spitfire glanced at her partners cautiously and went inside.
"Should we split up?" Nightwing asked. Spitfire looked back at him.
"Probably."
"We'll meet you in a few minutes," Flash said to Nightwing. Nightwing nodded, and took the east wing of the building while Flash and Spifire took the west.
"Do you think he's doing this on purpose?" Spitfire asked as they ran.
"You, too, huh?" Flash asked with dry amusement. "Yeah, I do." Spitfire glanced to her left and skidded to a halt. Flash, too, stopped when he noticed she had, and followed her into the room where two masked figures were attempting to hack a computer. They took the two men out easily, and Spitfire radioed Nightwing.
"Hey, we found a couple of hackers," she said. "What about you?"
"Same," Nightwing muttered. "They're after files concerning bio-engineering."
"I guess Cadmus was too secure for these guys to get in," Flash said.
"Maybe." The couple listened to Nightwing's report while they continued their search. "They're looking for something about genetically engineering – basically another Superman. Super-strength, super-speed, super-hearing, heat vision, etcetera, etcetera."
"You mean like cloning?" Vera asked. "Or bio-engineering an already-existing person?"
"Both."
"I don't think it's the Rogues we need to worry about, so much as Cadmus themselves," Flash said. "Doctor Greene said that they had help, but what if they are the help?"
"Then, we find the Rogues and ask them nicely," Spitfire said. She and Flash glanced at each other.
"Uh… Yeah," Nightwing said. "Or, we could let them come to us." Spitfire rolled her eyes, and the two speedsters bolted to find him. She could hear him fighting with Captain Boomerang and the Trickster, which made her wonder where Captain Cold and Mirror Master were – her question was answered when she heard her husband grunt with pain. She stopped and looked back at where he had fallen to the ground and was pulling himself up. She scanned the corridors, and saw a mirror hanging on the wall.
"Peek-a-boo," she irritably said to Mirror Master's face before breaking the mirror. She turned to help the Flash up. "Are you ok?" she asked.
"Yeah." He looked at her hand. "Are you?" She glanced at the shards of glass in her black glove, and shrugged.
"Yeah," she said, dusting the glass off and flexing her hand. "I think so." She looked around. "Keep your eyes open. What did they shoot you with?"
"I think it was just a laser," Flash said irritably. Spitfire narrowed her eyes. "It hurt."
"As long as it wasn't the cold gun, and it didn't tear a muscle or ligament or disrupt a blood vessel," she said. "Did it?"
"No," Flash shook his head, sneaking a kiss on her cheek as he leaned on her shoulder. "I'll tell you if I find otherwise, though."
"Aww," said a cool voice behind them. They turned to find Captain Cold behind them. "How sweet."
"Leonard, we need to talk," Spitfire said. Captain Cold glanced between the couple, and sighed, setting down his gun.
"The wife is giving me a hard time."
"I know what that's like," Spitfire muttered.
"Well," Flash said, "you get that with wives." They glared at each other, and Captain Cold glanced behind them at Mirror Master. Without warning, Spitfire reached out and punched Mirror Master in the face. The man clutched at his face as he stumbled into the wall.
"Really?" he asked. "That hurt!"
"Well, I had to punch someone," Spitfire said irritably. Flash punched Captain Cold.
"So did I," he said.
"What is wrong with you two?" asked an Australian accent. "Don't mess with an unhappily-married couple when they can kick your arse in seconds!" Spitfire glared back at Captain Boomerang, who was backed by seven men with machine guns and dressed in black like the two earlier.
"Oh, we're not unhappily married," she said as the men charged at them. "Just married and unhappy. I'm told there's a difference."
"Oh, now you admit it!" Flash exclaimed, ducking a machine gun being swung at him, grabbing it and bending it on his knee. He turned his attention to the user himself, engaging in hand-to-hand combat and winning.
"Well, I thought one of us may as well," Spitfire replied, kneeing another man in the groin.
"I wasn't unhappy until tonight!" Flash snapped, taking out another guy. Spitfire gave three men a double punch-roundhouse kick combo. "Or, rather, Friday when you didn't come home!"
"I know you spoke to Clark on Friday, so it's not like you didn't know!"
"And that makes it ok?!"
"I didn't say it did, but hey, for the sake of arguing, yes! Yes, it does!" She judo-flipped the last guy. "And it's not like you gave me the opportunity to explain!"
"Explain what, Vera?" Flash snapped. "The fact that you'd rather run away for two days than talk to me?"
"Time out!" Mirror Master exclaimed. "Are you fighting us or each other?"
"Both!" the couple said in unison.
"I'd really rather not," Cold said, putting up his hands in surrender. "You can just arrest me now. Her eyes are glowing."
"How about we make a deal?" Boomerang rolled his eyes. "We have your mate Nightwing back there. You two apologize to each other and talk it out, and we let him go."
"And then what?" Spitfire asked. "You just carry on stealing information for Cadmus?"
"Hey," Captain Boomerang. "Added bonus. You can have all the information you want."
"Why would we need to know how to clone Superman?" Flash asked in disbelief.
"I don't know. By the sound of things, a bit of tension relief? See someone else?"
"Are you implying that I would sleep with Superman?" Vera asked, taking off her mask.
"I… may have…"
"Dude," Flash said, "that's my wife."
"So why are you fighting?" Mirror Master asked.
"That's what married couples do!" Vera exclaimed. "As much as I love him, we fight! You know what? You guys may as well just turn yourselves in, because if you don't, we will – painfully." The three Rogues looked at each other.
"Yeah, good deal," they said, backing away.
"James," Vera called expectantly, her arms crossed. The Trickster poked his head out of the doorway of a nearby office. "Let Nightwing go, and follow the others. Please?"
"Sure," the Trickster nodded before ducking back into the office and releasing Nightwing.
"Thank you." The man flashed a grin and followed the other Rogues. Nightwing came out rubbing his wrists.
"That was quite an act," he said. "You even had me going." Vera glanced at the Flash, and stormed her way out of the S.T.A.R. Labs building.
"Or not," Nightwing murmured to himself. He looked at the Flash. "She really isn't that unhappy in your marriage," he said.
"Isn't she?" Flash asked sadly.
"No. She's not. Are you?"
"No. I just wish she'd talk."
"Like she said, she hasn't been given the chance. I'll take care of things here. Follow her." Flash sighed, and gave Nightwing a small smile.
"We'll catch up later. Maybe tomorrow morning." Nightwing nodded.
"A little more information in that sentence than I needed, but sure." Flash ran to catch up with Vera, changing on his way out.
"Vera," he called, seeing her ahead of him on the street, heading towards the park. She turned, and stopped until he caught up. "Vera, you're right. I am so sorry…" He took her face in his hands. "Can you ever forgive me?" She looked into his eyes, tears making hers bright.
"Can you forgive me?" she asked.
"You only did what you felt you could," Wally said. "I've been a jerk." She closed her eyes.
"Yeah. I can forgive you." She buried her face in his chest. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Wally kissed her lips gently, and a though occurred to him. When they drew apart, he looked her in the eyes. "Do you want to go to Rome?"
"Rome?"
"You once called it the most romantic city in the world."
"That was two hours before we fought a slimy Martian worm there."
"It can be romantic again. You know what they say – the honeymoon never really ends." Vera smiled a little.
"Sure," she said. Wally grinned, and picked her up in his arms.
They returned to Gotham the next morning before breakfast. Bruce found Vera in the Cave at the Computers. "Good morning," he said, slightly surprised.
"Good morning."
"Breakfast is ready…"
"Ok." Vera stood and joined him in walking upstairs. He was casting curious glances at her, but never said anything. She sat down next to Wally and the two kissed gently.
"So," Jenny said, glancing between them, "where were you guys?"
"Rome and a secluded beach," Vera said with the hint of a smirk.
"I don't remember giving you another mission," Bruce frowned. "Am I just getting old and forgetful already?"
"Wasn't a mission," Wally answered.
"Then why..?" Vera shot him a smirk. "Oh. Never mind."
"So you guys are in love again?" Sam asked.
"We never weren't in love," Vera reassured him.
"Is that why you were fighting?"
"Yes."
"Love is weird."
"Yes, it is," Wally agreed. Vera just smiled.
"Are you all going to Cadmus today?" Tim asked.
"No," Vera nodded, "I don't think so. I do have some questions for them. Like, why were they trying to steal bio-engineering information from S.T.A.R. Labs in Central City, instead of California?"
"Uh… That's your priority? Why they weren't stealing it from California?"
"You know what I mean."
"You're a sociopath?"
"That, too." Tim looked at her for a moment, and then at Bruce.
"Tell me this is normal," he said. "I dare you."
"For her? Yes, it is," Bruce said.
"For the rest of the world? Not so much," Dick shook his head. Vera raised an eyebrow as she buttered some toast.
"Srevir lamron ton rehtie saw Adnarim," she said. "Llist, reh hguone uoy dekil." She spoke quickly enough for Dick to catch what she was saying in their code, and for Wally to choke on his toast. She fixed him with an even gaze and a smirk.
"How do you know about that?" Wally asked.
"People talk."
"There were three people who knew about that," Dick said. "Wally, myself and her. How do you know?"
"I make eight," Vera corrected, biting into her toast. Dick and Wally stared at her.
"Ok," Jenny said, looking between the three of them uncertainly. "I don't know what she's talking about, or even what language she was speaking just now, but she's just messing with your heads. She probably just read your mind or something."
"No," Vera shook her head. "I acquired this bit of knowledge a very long time ago."
"You're evil," Dick muttered. Vera smiled smoothly.
"I thought we established this fact when we met."
"I'm re-stating it." Vera winked. Wally just shook his head.
"Let it go, man," he said. "We'll never know."
"No, you will not," Vera agreed. Tim narrowed his eyes at her.
"You're starting to freak me out," he said. "How did you know about the thing the other night, if you didn't read my mind? Is that how you found out about the thing last Monday?"
"The art of deduction. And the school called me about that thing, because they couldn't reach Bruce."
"Bull. All of that."
"Yeah, it is. Sorry, Tim. Can't give that one away."
"Like I said," Wally sighed. "We'll never know."
"But it's going to drive me crazy!" Tim protested. "How does she know these things?!"
"Because I'm bad-ass and awesome," Vera shrugged.
"And extremely terrifying on another level," Lex added.
"Thank you."
"That's not an answer!" Tim exclaimed in exasperation.
"Maybe it's one of her Krypto-powers," Jenny suggested.
"Yes," Dick said, "a Krypto-power she's had for five god-damned years." Jenny shrugged.
"This is why I've never kept secrets from her," she said. "She finds out anyway." Sam nodded.
"Katie told her everything about her new boyfriend because of that," he said. Vera scoffed. "What?"
"She wasn't honest about him, was she?" Wally asked.
"No," Vera shook her head. "I mean, what teenage girl doesn't lie about her boyfriends to her older siblings, but really?"
"Wait a minute," Dick stopped. "So everything you told me about Grant Daugherty was a lie, after all?"
"Uh… I never said that." Bruce just shook his head while the rest of the table choked back laughter.
"I love mornings here," Diana grinned. Vera just continued eating her breakfast while Tim, Wally and Dick stared at her in bemusement, and the rest of the League chatted happily.
After breakfast, Vera disappeared to the gym room upstairs. Bruce found her sparring with the punching bag on her own.
"Want a sparring partner?" he asked. She caught the bag mid-swing, and turned to look back at him.
"Sure," she shrugged. "If you can handle it."
"You're the one who's out of practice in hand-to-hand combat," Bruce said.
"Not that out of practice." Vera smiled. "I'm just bored." As she turned away, Bruce again saw the dragon on her back.
"What's the story behind the tattoo?" he asked, wrapping his hands. Vera picked up the bottle of isotonic drink she'd brought upstairs and took a swig from it.
"Wally once called me his dragon," she said. "I wanted some reminder of that."
"Green and black?"
"It is a good colour combo, I'll admit," Vera shrugged, reaching to help him wrap the other hand. Bruce looked at her thoughtfully. "Besides, Wally's tattoo is red and black. It's just not a dragon, and we're not exactly the 'matching tattoo' type of couple."
"I've noticed."
"Really? Well, wait until you really see Wally's bad-ass side," Vera smiled to herself, returning to the centre of the room. "So far to you guys, he's just been a sweet old romantic." She blocked Bruce's first attack from behind her and served him a double punch and spinning kick combo. He dodged the kick and blocked the punches easily, and he was prepared for her duck and spin in an attempt to trip him.
"Do I want to?" Bruce asked.
"Depends. How attracted are you to angry red-heads?" Vera grinned, judo-flipping him as he served a punch at her. He grunted when he hit the ground, and looked up at her.
"Not enough to develop a crush on my son-in-law."
"Ah, well, you might change your mind. How do you think he caught my attention?" Vera gave him a chance to get up off the floor before starting the second round.
"I thought it was the charm he put on the first time you met, honestly."
"Oh, that was just the clincher." Vera filled Bruce in as they continued their sparring session, before heading down to the Cave.
Yeah, the end here does imply that Vera and Wally knew each other before "officially" meeting as Clark's ward-ish person and the Flash. I will get to that (cheesy as it sounds, I think Vera needs to believe in something, and fate is as good as anything, right?). I will also explain how Vera went from being Clark's ward-ish person to Bruce's adopted daughter - as much as I think that's self-explanatory, I want to do that.