Chapter eight (ya tired yet???)


"I......I......"

Katma could feel a distinct lack of oxygen in her system, and it was beginning to make her feel slighlty lightheaded. Waving her arms in a manner that she knew probably looked completely idiotic, she gulped and stuggled to speaak.

"I....you...."

"Do you require assistance, Miss Tui?" Batman asked politely.

"I.....no," Katma managed to sputter. She woud bet her entire savings account that Batman's eyebrows were raised underneath that mask of his. "Did......did you say what I just THOUGHT you said?"

"If what I just mentioned was a prosposition to join the Justice League, then you are correct in quoting me," Batman said dryly.

"Are you crazy?" Katma's voice came out much shriller than she'd intended. "I mean.......cripes!" she sputtered, resorting to one of her childhood expressions.

"The idea is distasteful to you?" Batman asked.

"No. It's just that......." Katma took a deep breath. "Why would you even CONSIDER me as a member? I mean, I......"

"You are a Green Lantern, and a highly recommended one at that, which means that you are focused, dedicated, and a good fighter. Your track record indicates nothing less."

And how did you get my track record? Katma wanted to ask, then decided against it. Batman was a detective, obviously. But he wasn't finished.

"You have worked with the Justice League, and are familiar with both us and our fighting style," Batman continued. "You also are.....familiar with John Stewart and Shayera's cases, I believe?"

"Yes."

Batman nodded sagely. "Given your familiarity with the whole situation, your joining us would also be ideal because we'd be able to....."

"Keep the matter private?" she supplied dryly.

"Yes." Despite the mask, Katma didn't miss the gleam of approval in Batman's eyes. "You are very astute."

"Am I, now?" Though still shocked, Katma was returning to some semblace of her old self.

"Yes," Batman still seemed amused. "J'onn recommended you highly."

"J'onn?" Katma's mind fleetingly went to the Martian Manhunter, and the couple of conversations she'd had with him. She remembered nothing she had said that could have imcriminated her. "What is he, some kind of mind reader?"

Batman only smiled.

"Look," Katma continued, "i'm flattered and all, but as you know, i''m probably not the most popular person with your teammates...."

"The only "teammates" I know you have tension with are Hawkgirl, who is going on leave, and John, who is currently not a member. You seem to get along fine with the others."

"True," Katma conceeded. "I'll give you that. "But what will they feel like, knowing that they've been replaced by......."

"Feelings are irrelevent," Bamtman said, crisply. "It is for the good of the team, and it should be accepted."

"Yeah, if only that were true," Katma said with some irony.

The two sat in silence for a minute; then Batman stood to his feet. Katma followed his lead. "I still think you should think about it," he said, bluntly.

Katma nodded. He HAD just sprung the idea on her, after all. "I'll be sure to," she said, and shook his hand before leaving, head swirling with unvoiced thoughts.

*************************************************************

"You'll come back and see me today?"

"Yes, of course."

"Do you promise?"

"I......yes." The Green Lantern reached out a large, warm hand, covered Hawkgirl's forehead with it for a moment, then traced his finger down her cheek.

She smiled and closed her eyes.

John exited her bedroom, frowning slightly. He was troubled about Hawkgirl. What had happened to her was horrible- anyone could fathom that- but it was how it affected her that was currently worrying him.

Ever since they had decided to try and work things out, he had noticed many things about her that had changed- and not necessarily for the better.

She was depressed- he could see it in her eyes, although she tried to hide it from him as best she could, and over even the past couple of days they'd been talking, he had already caught her crying twice. She wasn't sleeping well- their joint nap on the rug the night before was probably the first time she'd slept undisturbed for the past month- and she seemed very needy, almost clingy.

Almost the total opposite of the fiery, independent Thangerian warrior he'd first fallen for.

"She's probably still traumatized from Katar's abuse of her. That is understandable," he muttered to himself. And her pregnancy probably had to do something with it was well- women were always extra-emotional when carrying a child.

Yes, that must be it.

Still he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something darker- something more hidden- behind those green eyes.

"Hey, GL." In his present mode of thought, the cheerful greeting that now rang through the hall seemed like a cow's bellow.

Startled, John nearly tripped, stumbling in the hall. Superman reached out and grabbed his elbow. "Whoops. Watch yourself there."

The Green Lantern managed to regain his footing. "Jeez, Superman. Why don't you yell my name a little louder? Or maybe take out an ad in the paper?" He felt only a slight pang of guilt at his sarcasm, choosing to squelch it. Superman DID have the tendency to bellow out greetings Boy Scout-master style, but he just wasn't in the mood.

Superman seemed untouched by his testiness, even chuckling a bit. "Sorry, man. I'd be nervous, too, if I was an expectant father and all. Glad to know that you and Shayera are working things out- better for the kid, you know? Congratulations, by the way."

"I.....what?" To say that the Green Lantern was shocked would be like saying Vandal Savage would make the perfect nanny.

"I said, congrats. Y'know the sex yet?"

Was Superman dileberatly messing with his emotions? "Superman," he said, slowly, "you may not know the details of the case, but Shayera's preganancy......it's not what you think."

"Wait......." Superman's voice became concerned. "She didn't......lose the baby, did she? I didn't hear about that- man, i'm sorry. Batman found no post-coital trauma that could result in her losing it, but I guess there always can be the possiblity of-"

"Wait. WHAT are you talking about?"

"Shay's...... pregnancy," Superman said, looking at him as if he'd gone mad. "She didn't know she was pregnant when she did what she did with Katar, so Batman was concerned that-"

"Wait." What the hell......"So you're saying that she was already......expecting when she-"

"Yeah, but she didn't know she was pregnant." Superman looked bemused. "Batman confirmed that she was already a couple weeks along before the invasion, on the day you guys got here."

"How......how was he sure?" John asked weakly.

Superman shrugged. "He's Batman. He has his ways. Besides, genetic bioscans prove the little guy's only half-Thangerian." He shook his head. "Poor Shayera. She must feel....."

"Wait." John halted him once more. "So this means.....that I........"

Superman looked him in the eye, and his normally tanned skin paled noticably. "Sweet mother of........" he paused. "You mean.....you didn't know that you were the biological.......you thought Katar was......Lord. Hawkgirl didn't tell you?"

John broke away from him and headed back in the direction in which he had come, running down the hall this time.

"I'm sorry man, I had no idea!" yelled Superman after him. "Green- Green LANTERN!"