Hold On To Me
By: Jade O'Neal
Disclaimer: I don't own all these cool characters. They belong to other people. The lyric isn't mine. It's for the scene. Spoilers: "Wild Card" Rating: PG-13 Notes: I know I should move this over to the cartoon section, but I've decided to divide my work amongst the two sections to get more exposure. I seem to get more reviews on the DC Characters pages than @ the cartoon pages.
PS: If you like this one, check out my fic "Black Cats." You'd like that too. (I hope.)
~*~
CH 2: HUNGOVER HAWKGIRL
{Hello Mr. Heartache I've been expecting you...}
Hawkgirl sipped her beer as the jukebox played a country song. The bar sat on the outskirts of Metropolis, in the "Hillbilly" part of town, and she loved it there. Customers played pool, couples laughed, and the air was full of cigarette smoke. It reminded her of her home planet. A bar fight would just make her day.
"That beer's on the house, Angel."
She smiled at the bartender and laughed. "Thanks, Phil."
The not-so-obvious homosexual, thirty-year-old nodded as he cleaned a martini glass. "I saw what you and your friends did in Vegas last month. I bet that was tough." When she lowered her eyes to stare at her bottle of Sam Adams, he continued. "How's that Lantern doing?"
Hawkgirl looked at Phil with surprise in her eyes. "He's good. Actually, I'm supposed to meet him tonight."
"Yum."
"Uh-uh. He's not your type, Phil."
"I figured that." Phil chuckled and winked at her. "You are sizzling tonight. I like your look. I mean, if I wasn't into –"
"Thanks," she interrupted, knowing what he was going to say. Hawkgirl took a glance at her clothes. Along with her mask, she wore a long-sleeved, white top, which was nearly backless to accommodate her wings. She also had on a pair of vintage blue jeans and black boots.
"If I had to choose between you and Wonder Woman, you'd be my number one. But don't get me wrong, Angel. I'm more of a Batman kind of guy."
She slightly shook her head. "It's the car, isn't it? That car is definitely hot." Before he could answer, someone touched her arm. It was John.
"This seat taken?"
"What took you?" she asked with a smile.
"I know I'm late. I couldn't figure out what to wear," he responded in a serious tone. It only made her laugh even more. "Really, my landlord was having a fit. Supposedly, my rent was late."
"I'm sensing a trend."
This time, he smiled. "You got me." John pointed to her beer. "How far behind am I?"
"Phil," Hawkgirl ordered, "get my partner a Sam Adams." As the bartender went to get the beer, she checked lantern out. He wore a pair of gray pants with a thick, black turtleneck; he was unbelievably desirable.
"I'm sorry."
"For being late?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
GL thanked Phil when the bottle was placed before him. "Yeah. I made you wait."
"Oh please. You forget who you're talking to." Hawkgirl acted as if she didn't need an explanation, although she wanted one.
"Okay." John raised his bottle for a toast. "To 'remembering who we're talking to.'"
"I'll drink to that." She tapped her bottle to his, and they both took a swig of their beers.
"So..."
"So...?"
"You do realize that this our first real date," he told.
Hawkgirl disagreed. "It's got to be at least our third or forth."
"You countin' the snowball fight?"
"Why not?"
He laughed and took a glance around the bar. "You like it here?"
"It reminds me of home, if you subtract the Dixie Chicks coming from the jukebox and all the humans hanging around here."
Almost with a sad tone, he questioned, "You really do miss Thanagar, don't you?"
She slightly shrugged. "Some moments are worse than others."
"How about right now? What about this moment?"
Even though she wanted to be honest, she was still afraid. Hawkgirl bit her bottom lip, considering what she could say. "At this particular moment, I really feel at home here."
"Here? In the bar? On Earth?"
Just before she could tell him that he made her feel at home, Phil asked them whether they needed anything else. They declined, and she changed the subject.
"Can you hold your liquor, John Stewart?"
"Why?"
"Fifty bucks says I can drink you under the table," she challenged.
"What?" He stared at her with surprise in his warm eyes.
"You're not afraid of a losing to a woman, are you?"
"Oh no. I'm afraid that you may lose. I am a former marine."
She finished her beer and chuckled. "You like rubbing that in, don't you?"
He laughed as well. "Okay, I accept your dare."
"Pick your poison. Tequila? Scotch? Rum?"
~*~
Selina slowly opened her eyes, only to see a white ceiling. Quickly, she sat up and noted that she was on a bed in an empty room. When she reached to scratch the back of her calf, she realized that she had been chained to the queen size bed. To her bewilderment, Selina wore her Catwoman suit. Whoever had kidnapped her wanted Selina in costume.
She studied the cuffs that bound her arms and legs to chains. If she wanted to, she could stand on the bed without resistance from the restraints.
Catwoman looked at her gloved hand and smirked. Without hesitation, she shot out her claws and laughed.
Obviously, her captives weren't very bright.
~*~
"Got any fives?"
"Go fish."
Batman lifted his eyes from his black coffee and raised an eyebrow. Superman, Flash, and Wonder Woman were playing cards at the kitchen table. Batman found it a bit unusual but, at the same time, very normal.
"Hey Bats, you want me to deal you in?" The Flash asked.
The Dark Knight only shook his head and took another sip of his coffee.
"If you'd rather us play poker or something, we –"
"Maybe later." Batman stood from his seat at the breakfast bar and left the room. That specific group was a little too happy for his taste. He would much rather be with someone who was just as quiet as he was, and J'onn was pretty quiet. Batman found him in the monitor room, watching one of the many televisions they had in the Watchtower.
They exchanged greetings, and Batman took a seat beside the Martian. Together they sat in silence as J'onn changed news stations and as Batman finished his coffee. There wasn't much to say.
"You don't mind if I take a nap, do you Batman?" J'onn questioned with that monotone voice of his.
"Not at all." After the Martian went into his trance, Batman switched the channel to Gotham's news report.
"In other news, the dangerous Killer Croc was apprehended by Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin with the help from The Green Lantern and Hawkgirl. Croc had taken five hostages earlier this evening in the Gotham National Bank but was caught –"
He muted the television and slightly grinned as he watched Dick hand Croc over to Jim Gordon's men. Batman couldn't be prouder. It was then that he noticed something...someone.
Poison Ivy, wearing a brown overcoat, stood on the street corner with her eyes on Nightwing.
~*~
Green Lantern put his shot glass down and watched Hawkgirl do the same. They were nearly finished with their bottle of tequila, but still neither of them had given up. Although his ring helped John stay focused, he was beginning to feel the affects of the alcohol. Hawkgirl, on the other hand, was a completely different story.
"You know, you look so good in that sweater," she said with little clarity. Her words had begun to slur together. "I just thought you should know that...that... That's an important thing on Earth."
"Thanks." GL poured some more of the amber liquid into their glasses. "I meant to tell you that you look great."
A smile spread across her face. "It's been such a long time since a man has said that to me."
"Not true," the bartender corrected as he wiped up the bar. "I told her so before you arrived."
Hawkgirl giggled. "Oh Phil. Dearest, gay Phil. You know that you're a special case."
John raised an eyebrow, and Phil shrugged. He turned back to his beautiful date. She was now hovering over her empty shot glass and twisting a strand of her fiery locks around her finger. That girl was so drunk that she couldn't tell the difference between her left and her right. He swallowed his shot.
"You know John, I' am a complicated woman." She turned to face him with her tired eyes and yawned. "I can't even begin to explain... Are there supposed to be two of you?" Hawkgirl rubbed the back of her head and slightly closed her eyes. "If you were a smart man, you'd run in the other direction... or directions."
"Then I guess my ring is brighter than I am."
She laughed again and leaned in toward him. "Maybe you're crazy like me. For instance, I've wanted to tell you..."
"Tell me what?" he asked with a voice barely above a whisper. He could feel her warm breath against his skin; her lips were a centimeter from his own.
"I need to tell you that –" She passed out in his arms without finishing the sentence.
John paid their dues, lifted the girl from her seat, and carried her outside. With the protection of his ring, GL flew the two of them to the Watchtower base. He didn't know where she lived and figured the Watchtower would be the next best place.
When he got inside, alert flared in the others' eyes.
"What happened to Hawkgirl?" Both Superman and Flash asked.
"Nothing. She just had a little too much to drink."
Flash chuckled. "You got her drunk? Right on, GL."
In anger, Hawkgirl opened her eyes. "You're voice is ringing in my ears, Flash. Shut up before I make you the slowest man alive."
"All right. I'll take her to bed, and I'll keep an eye on her." Lantern walked to their wing of the base and entered Hawkgirl's personal quarters. Conveniently, their rooms were the only two on that side of the Watchtower. He liked that little detail a lot.
"Put me down," she requested, and he complied. Hawkgirl ripped off her mask to reveal her beautiful face and pulled off her boots. Next, she came to him and pressed her lips to his. He didn't resist.
Her kisses traced his jaw line and continued down his neck. She then slightly pulled away to look at him from under long eyelashes. When she kissed him again, she unbuckled his belt. John's jaw dropped in surprise.
"Whoa. Shayera, we're both way too drunk to do anything rash," he reminded and took a step backward.
"You want this as much as I do."
"Probably more, but I can't." He ran a hand through her beautiful red hair. "You'd hate me in the morning."
"Fine, but you're staying with me tonight." She kissed him again and dropped her pants. Wearing only her shirt and a pair of black panties, Shayera climbed into her bed and waited for him. "Hurry up. I promise I'll be good."
John stripped down to his underwear as well and slipped under the covers beside her. She laid her head on his chest, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
~*~
"Well, well. It's about time you two woke," The Joker told Nightwing and Batgirl. He laughed and sat down across from them. They each had been tied to a wooden chair and had their weapons taken.
The boy glared at him. "What are you up to, Joker? What are you planning?"
He chuckled. "The usual. Destruction. Havoc. Homicide. Your boss's head on a silver platter, and the rest of the Justice League dead."
The girl slightly laughed. "Oh my God. You really are nuts. How the hell do you expect to get away with it?"
"I don't expect anything. I just know that it pays to be a team player once in a while."
~*~
She wouldn't allow herself to fall asleep although the dream world called to her. It tugged at her subconscious and at her weary green eyes.
Startling her, one of Catwoman's kidnappers waltzed in, carrying a tray of food. The idiotic Harley Quinn smiled as she set the tray on a table beside the chained Selina.
"Figures it would be you," Catwoman mumbled.
"I'm sure. Eat up, Honey. You must be starvin'."
"Food?"
"Compliments of Mr. J."
Selina narrowed her eyes. "Take it away. I won't touch it; it's most likely poisoned."
"Have it your way." Harley turned her back to Catwoman, and that was the second Selina needed.
Catwoman slipped out of her broken cuffs and quickly grabbed Harley from behind. With one hand on the girl's throat and her claws against her face, Catwoman began for the next room.
"Be quiet, Harley. If you misbehave, you'll be missing an esophagus," she threatened.
"Very intimidating, Miss Kyle," the Joker said from his seat on an old couch. "You're well on your way to being dangerous."
"Don't do anything stupid, Joker. I'll kill her if I have to," she warned.
He laughed. "Oh please. Like that's going to happen."
He snapped his gloved fingers, and Two-Face came into the room, pulling a bound and gagged Batgirl with him. Selina's jaw dropped in horror.
"The tables have turned," Joker snickered and pulled out a revolver. He placed its barrel at the girl's temple and cocked the gun. "I wouldn't hesitate to blow her brains out, Selina. We've got another in the back."
Catwoman swallowed hard and pondered over her choices. She'd love nothing more than to escape, but Batgirl had helped her once before...
She let go of Harley, and Joker put away the gun. Something then grabbed her arms and legs, pulling her to the wall. Vines had taken her captive, and Poison Ivy was controlling them.
Selina couldn't believe her eyes. All of the villains had joined together.
"What the hell is going on? You all hate each other."
Ivy smirked and ran a hand over Catwoman's cheek. "Maybe, but Joker made an offer none of us could refuse. We bag the bat, the kids, the League, and we plug you all at the same time."
"Batman will –"
"Batman?" The Riddler repeated when he came into the room as well. "He's not here, but when he does come to save you...BOOM."
~*~
Shayera groaned as she opened her eyes. Her head ached, and she felt unbelievably sick to her stomach. After sitting up and waiting for the room to stop spinning, she noticed that her mask, along with a note, had been placed on her nightstand.
She read the note out loud. "You owe me fifty bucks. Love, John."
The redhead couldn't help but smile. Eventually, Shayera Hol took a shower, pulled on her Hawkgirl gear, and got out of her room. It was about one o'clock when she took a seat at the kitchen table. GL and Flash were having lunch.
"Wow. You look like Hell," Flash said with a hint of laughter in his voice.
"I feel even worse," she confirmed and put her throbbing head in her hands. Her surroundings had started to spin again.
"You hungry?" the kid asked.
Without thinking, Hawkgirl snapped. "If you mention food again, I'll knock your tonsils into your stomach."
Flash smiled. "Nice try, but I had my tonsils removed when I was a kid." He stood from his seat and grabbed his plate. "You want coffee, Hung-Over Hawkgirl?" When she glared at him, he raced off in the other direction.
Lantern chuckled. "Oh, he just likes to push your buttons."
"One of these days, he's going to accidentally push 'self-destruct.'" She gave a small smile and was a little surprised when he took her hand. She didn't pull away either. "John, we didn't do anything last night. Right? I mean, I remember the bar and then bits and pieces of you and me in my room, but..." Her voice trailed off, but she didn't show any sign of worry. Truthfully, Shayera wouldn't mind if they had done anything. She just would've liked remembering it.
GL shrugged. "Not much happened. We just kinda fell asleep after you did that exotic dance for me." A second later, he grinned.
With a laugh, she rolled her eyes. "Shut up, John." Hawkgirl then stood to get herself a cup of java and something to make her head stop aching.
"When do you want to go on a second date?"
"A second date?"
"That's what I said." Green Lantern stood from his seat and walked over to where Hawkgirl was. "How about tonight?"
She didn't mind the fact that he stepped into her personal space; she wanted him to stay close. "But you're working tonight. You and Diana have monitor duty."
"I switched nights with Flash. Now he gets to spend time with the princess instead of Batman."
Hawkgirl raised an eyebrow, knowing that Flash wouldn't settle for just that. "The princess and what else?"
"Dinner at an 'All-you-can-eat' buffet." When she laughed, he did too. "How about my place around eight?"
"Okay," she said softly with a small nod.
John then leaned in to kiss her but stopped when Diana came into the kitchen. He sent a smile instead.
~*~
Bruce knew that something wasn't right. He had known that since seeing that news report.
The billionaire sat at his desk with his eyes staring at paperwork. He couldn't focus on it; his mind was still on Poison Ivy. And Joker. Now, Batman had two criminals to deal with.
That was nothing new.
He had a feeling. Something else was seriously wrong, so he called Alfred.
"Yes Sir?"
"Did Barbara check in last night?" he asked, not really knowing why.
"Does she usually check in, Sir?"
"No. I was just hoping..." His voice trailed off as his thoughts drifted.
Alfred then questioned, "Is there something wrong?"
"I'm not quite sure, Alfred. I think I'm going to come home early."
"Yes, Sir."
~*~
"So, did you ladies hear about GL's hot date?" Flash asked the women of The Justice League as he washed the dishes.
"No," Hawkgirl answered with a hidden smirk behind her curious expression. "Are you going to enlighten us?"
Diana shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "You really shouldn't gossip about Lantern, Flash."
"Oh please." Hawkgirl laughed. "You going to tattle, Diana?" She redirected her next question to the kid. "What did he say?"
Flash grinned wolfishly. "Apparently, this redheaded she-devil is a real dish. He's having her meet him at his place, and you know what that means."
The Thanagarian nodded. "He thinks he's getting some."
Wonder Woman rolled her blue eyes. "Hawkgirl, you are just as bad as he is."
"Or maybe you're too uptight, Princess." The redhead refilled her coffee mug and smiled. "Maybe you need a boyfriend."
The brunette narrowed her eyes. "Keep your nose and your wings out of my personal life."
Flash interrupted the tiny quarrel. "Hey Hawkgirl, you could join Diana and me here tonight. I could rent a movie, and there's popcorn."
"No thanks. I have plans."
"Plans?" the other two asked in unison with shock in their wide eyes.
"What? You thought I sat alone in a birdcage when I wasn't here?"
Flash shook his head. "No. I actually thought that you went around and killed small animals with your mace."
After she sent him a disgusted glance, Hawkgirl left the kitchen in search of Green Lantern, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, she ran into J'onn.
"Have you seen GL?" she casually asked the Martian.
"He left for a mission with some other Lanterns. He said that he'd be back as soon as possible."
~*~
Batman huffed and rubbed his chin. Batgirl's utility belt possessed a tracking device, but it had been turned off or destroyed somehow. The fact that he couldn't contact her or track her down worried him. He needed to have control over everything, including Barbara's safety.
He dialed Dick's number but got no answer.
"Find her yet?" Tim asked as he put on his mask.
"No."
The teenager shrugged. "Are you sure she and Dick didn't leave Gotham together? Maybe they hooked up last night."
"I tried calling them."
"Did you try their cell phones?"
"Yes," Batman responded. "They didn't answer their home phones or communicators either." He stood from his seat at his batcomputer and began to walk toward the Batmoblie. "We're going to look for them tonight. We'll split up and patrol the city, but I want us to stay in contact."
~*~
Joker watched as the little Robin battled three of Harvey's henchmen. Finally, one hit him on the back of the head to silence him. When they knew he wouldn't stir, they tied him up, removed his utility belt, and handed it over to Joker.
"You going to destroy that one too?" Two-Face asked.
"No. Tell one of your boys to throw it in the lake. We'll scare Batsy a bit before we reach the punch line."
"Did the boy contact him?"
Joker shook his head. "Don't think he had the time. He had other things on his mind."
~*~
More coming soon...
Disclaimer: I don't own all these cool characters. They belong to other people. The lyric isn't mine. It's for the scene. Spoilers: "Wild Card" Rating: PG-13 Notes: I know I should move this over to the cartoon section, but I've decided to divide my work amongst the two sections to get more exposure. I seem to get more reviews on the DC Characters pages than @ the cartoon pages.
PS: If you like this one, check out my fic "Black Cats." You'd like that too. (I hope.)
~*~
CH 2: HUNGOVER HAWKGIRL
{Hello Mr. Heartache I've been expecting you...}
Hawkgirl sipped her beer as the jukebox played a country song. The bar sat on the outskirts of Metropolis, in the "Hillbilly" part of town, and she loved it there. Customers played pool, couples laughed, and the air was full of cigarette smoke. It reminded her of her home planet. A bar fight would just make her day.
"That beer's on the house, Angel."
She smiled at the bartender and laughed. "Thanks, Phil."
The not-so-obvious homosexual, thirty-year-old nodded as he cleaned a martini glass. "I saw what you and your friends did in Vegas last month. I bet that was tough." When she lowered her eyes to stare at her bottle of Sam Adams, he continued. "How's that Lantern doing?"
Hawkgirl looked at Phil with surprise in her eyes. "He's good. Actually, I'm supposed to meet him tonight."
"Yum."
"Uh-uh. He's not your type, Phil."
"I figured that." Phil chuckled and winked at her. "You are sizzling tonight. I like your look. I mean, if I wasn't into –"
"Thanks," she interrupted, knowing what he was going to say. Hawkgirl took a glance at her clothes. Along with her mask, she wore a long-sleeved, white top, which was nearly backless to accommodate her wings. She also had on a pair of vintage blue jeans and black boots.
"If I had to choose between you and Wonder Woman, you'd be my number one. But don't get me wrong, Angel. I'm more of a Batman kind of guy."
She slightly shook her head. "It's the car, isn't it? That car is definitely hot." Before he could answer, someone touched her arm. It was John.
"This seat taken?"
"What took you?" she asked with a smile.
"I know I'm late. I couldn't figure out what to wear," he responded in a serious tone. It only made her laugh even more. "Really, my landlord was having a fit. Supposedly, my rent was late."
"I'm sensing a trend."
This time, he smiled. "You got me." John pointed to her beer. "How far behind am I?"
"Phil," Hawkgirl ordered, "get my partner a Sam Adams." As the bartender went to get the beer, she checked lantern out. He wore a pair of gray pants with a thick, black turtleneck; he was unbelievably desirable.
"I'm sorry."
"For being late?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
GL thanked Phil when the bottle was placed before him. "Yeah. I made you wait."
"Oh please. You forget who you're talking to." Hawkgirl acted as if she didn't need an explanation, although she wanted one.
"Okay." John raised his bottle for a toast. "To 'remembering who we're talking to.'"
"I'll drink to that." She tapped her bottle to his, and they both took a swig of their beers.
"So..."
"So...?"
"You do realize that this our first real date," he told.
Hawkgirl disagreed. "It's got to be at least our third or forth."
"You countin' the snowball fight?"
"Why not?"
He laughed and took a glance around the bar. "You like it here?"
"It reminds me of home, if you subtract the Dixie Chicks coming from the jukebox and all the humans hanging around here."
Almost with a sad tone, he questioned, "You really do miss Thanagar, don't you?"
She slightly shrugged. "Some moments are worse than others."
"How about right now? What about this moment?"
Even though she wanted to be honest, she was still afraid. Hawkgirl bit her bottom lip, considering what she could say. "At this particular moment, I really feel at home here."
"Here? In the bar? On Earth?"
Just before she could tell him that he made her feel at home, Phil asked them whether they needed anything else. They declined, and she changed the subject.
"Can you hold your liquor, John Stewart?"
"Why?"
"Fifty bucks says I can drink you under the table," she challenged.
"What?" He stared at her with surprise in his warm eyes.
"You're not afraid of a losing to a woman, are you?"
"Oh no. I'm afraid that you may lose. I am a former marine."
She finished her beer and chuckled. "You like rubbing that in, don't you?"
He laughed as well. "Okay, I accept your dare."
"Pick your poison. Tequila? Scotch? Rum?"
~*~
Selina slowly opened her eyes, only to see a white ceiling. Quickly, she sat up and noted that she was on a bed in an empty room. When she reached to scratch the back of her calf, she realized that she had been chained to the queen size bed. To her bewilderment, Selina wore her Catwoman suit. Whoever had kidnapped her wanted Selina in costume.
She studied the cuffs that bound her arms and legs to chains. If she wanted to, she could stand on the bed without resistance from the restraints.
Catwoman looked at her gloved hand and smirked. Without hesitation, she shot out her claws and laughed.
Obviously, her captives weren't very bright.
~*~
"Got any fives?"
"Go fish."
Batman lifted his eyes from his black coffee and raised an eyebrow. Superman, Flash, and Wonder Woman were playing cards at the kitchen table. Batman found it a bit unusual but, at the same time, very normal.
"Hey Bats, you want me to deal you in?" The Flash asked.
The Dark Knight only shook his head and took another sip of his coffee.
"If you'd rather us play poker or something, we –"
"Maybe later." Batman stood from his seat at the breakfast bar and left the room. That specific group was a little too happy for his taste. He would much rather be with someone who was just as quiet as he was, and J'onn was pretty quiet. Batman found him in the monitor room, watching one of the many televisions they had in the Watchtower.
They exchanged greetings, and Batman took a seat beside the Martian. Together they sat in silence as J'onn changed news stations and as Batman finished his coffee. There wasn't much to say.
"You don't mind if I take a nap, do you Batman?" J'onn questioned with that monotone voice of his.
"Not at all." After the Martian went into his trance, Batman switched the channel to Gotham's news report.
"In other news, the dangerous Killer Croc was apprehended by Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin with the help from The Green Lantern and Hawkgirl. Croc had taken five hostages earlier this evening in the Gotham National Bank but was caught –"
He muted the television and slightly grinned as he watched Dick hand Croc over to Jim Gordon's men. Batman couldn't be prouder. It was then that he noticed something...someone.
Poison Ivy, wearing a brown overcoat, stood on the street corner with her eyes on Nightwing.
~*~
Green Lantern put his shot glass down and watched Hawkgirl do the same. They were nearly finished with their bottle of tequila, but still neither of them had given up. Although his ring helped John stay focused, he was beginning to feel the affects of the alcohol. Hawkgirl, on the other hand, was a completely different story.
"You know, you look so good in that sweater," she said with little clarity. Her words had begun to slur together. "I just thought you should know that...that... That's an important thing on Earth."
"Thanks." GL poured some more of the amber liquid into their glasses. "I meant to tell you that you look great."
A smile spread across her face. "It's been such a long time since a man has said that to me."
"Not true," the bartender corrected as he wiped up the bar. "I told her so before you arrived."
Hawkgirl giggled. "Oh Phil. Dearest, gay Phil. You know that you're a special case."
John raised an eyebrow, and Phil shrugged. He turned back to his beautiful date. She was now hovering over her empty shot glass and twisting a strand of her fiery locks around her finger. That girl was so drunk that she couldn't tell the difference between her left and her right. He swallowed his shot.
"You know John, I' am a complicated woman." She turned to face him with her tired eyes and yawned. "I can't even begin to explain... Are there supposed to be two of you?" Hawkgirl rubbed the back of her head and slightly closed her eyes. "If you were a smart man, you'd run in the other direction... or directions."
"Then I guess my ring is brighter than I am."
She laughed again and leaned in toward him. "Maybe you're crazy like me. For instance, I've wanted to tell you..."
"Tell me what?" he asked with a voice barely above a whisper. He could feel her warm breath against his skin; her lips were a centimeter from his own.
"I need to tell you that –" She passed out in his arms without finishing the sentence.
John paid their dues, lifted the girl from her seat, and carried her outside. With the protection of his ring, GL flew the two of them to the Watchtower base. He didn't know where she lived and figured the Watchtower would be the next best place.
When he got inside, alert flared in the others' eyes.
"What happened to Hawkgirl?" Both Superman and Flash asked.
"Nothing. She just had a little too much to drink."
Flash chuckled. "You got her drunk? Right on, GL."
In anger, Hawkgirl opened her eyes. "You're voice is ringing in my ears, Flash. Shut up before I make you the slowest man alive."
"All right. I'll take her to bed, and I'll keep an eye on her." Lantern walked to their wing of the base and entered Hawkgirl's personal quarters. Conveniently, their rooms were the only two on that side of the Watchtower. He liked that little detail a lot.
"Put me down," she requested, and he complied. Hawkgirl ripped off her mask to reveal her beautiful face and pulled off her boots. Next, she came to him and pressed her lips to his. He didn't resist.
Her kisses traced his jaw line and continued down his neck. She then slightly pulled away to look at him from under long eyelashes. When she kissed him again, she unbuckled his belt. John's jaw dropped in surprise.
"Whoa. Shayera, we're both way too drunk to do anything rash," he reminded and took a step backward.
"You want this as much as I do."
"Probably more, but I can't." He ran a hand through her beautiful red hair. "You'd hate me in the morning."
"Fine, but you're staying with me tonight." She kissed him again and dropped her pants. Wearing only her shirt and a pair of black panties, Shayera climbed into her bed and waited for him. "Hurry up. I promise I'll be good."
John stripped down to his underwear as well and slipped under the covers beside her. She laid her head on his chest, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
~*~
"Well, well. It's about time you two woke," The Joker told Nightwing and Batgirl. He laughed and sat down across from them. They each had been tied to a wooden chair and had their weapons taken.
The boy glared at him. "What are you up to, Joker? What are you planning?"
He chuckled. "The usual. Destruction. Havoc. Homicide. Your boss's head on a silver platter, and the rest of the Justice League dead."
The girl slightly laughed. "Oh my God. You really are nuts. How the hell do you expect to get away with it?"
"I don't expect anything. I just know that it pays to be a team player once in a while."
~*~
She wouldn't allow herself to fall asleep although the dream world called to her. It tugged at her subconscious and at her weary green eyes.
Startling her, one of Catwoman's kidnappers waltzed in, carrying a tray of food. The idiotic Harley Quinn smiled as she set the tray on a table beside the chained Selina.
"Figures it would be you," Catwoman mumbled.
"I'm sure. Eat up, Honey. You must be starvin'."
"Food?"
"Compliments of Mr. J."
Selina narrowed her eyes. "Take it away. I won't touch it; it's most likely poisoned."
"Have it your way." Harley turned her back to Catwoman, and that was the second Selina needed.
Catwoman slipped out of her broken cuffs and quickly grabbed Harley from behind. With one hand on the girl's throat and her claws against her face, Catwoman began for the next room.
"Be quiet, Harley. If you misbehave, you'll be missing an esophagus," she threatened.
"Very intimidating, Miss Kyle," the Joker said from his seat on an old couch. "You're well on your way to being dangerous."
"Don't do anything stupid, Joker. I'll kill her if I have to," she warned.
He laughed. "Oh please. Like that's going to happen."
He snapped his gloved fingers, and Two-Face came into the room, pulling a bound and gagged Batgirl with him. Selina's jaw dropped in horror.
"The tables have turned," Joker snickered and pulled out a revolver. He placed its barrel at the girl's temple and cocked the gun. "I wouldn't hesitate to blow her brains out, Selina. We've got another in the back."
Catwoman swallowed hard and pondered over her choices. She'd love nothing more than to escape, but Batgirl had helped her once before...
She let go of Harley, and Joker put away the gun. Something then grabbed her arms and legs, pulling her to the wall. Vines had taken her captive, and Poison Ivy was controlling them.
Selina couldn't believe her eyes. All of the villains had joined together.
"What the hell is going on? You all hate each other."
Ivy smirked and ran a hand over Catwoman's cheek. "Maybe, but Joker made an offer none of us could refuse. We bag the bat, the kids, the League, and we plug you all at the same time."
"Batman will –"
"Batman?" The Riddler repeated when he came into the room as well. "He's not here, but when he does come to save you...BOOM."
~*~
Shayera groaned as she opened her eyes. Her head ached, and she felt unbelievably sick to her stomach. After sitting up and waiting for the room to stop spinning, she noticed that her mask, along with a note, had been placed on her nightstand.
She read the note out loud. "You owe me fifty bucks. Love, John."
The redhead couldn't help but smile. Eventually, Shayera Hol took a shower, pulled on her Hawkgirl gear, and got out of her room. It was about one o'clock when she took a seat at the kitchen table. GL and Flash were having lunch.
"Wow. You look like Hell," Flash said with a hint of laughter in his voice.
"I feel even worse," she confirmed and put her throbbing head in her hands. Her surroundings had started to spin again.
"You hungry?" the kid asked.
Without thinking, Hawkgirl snapped. "If you mention food again, I'll knock your tonsils into your stomach."
Flash smiled. "Nice try, but I had my tonsils removed when I was a kid." He stood from his seat and grabbed his plate. "You want coffee, Hung-Over Hawkgirl?" When she glared at him, he raced off in the other direction.
Lantern chuckled. "Oh, he just likes to push your buttons."
"One of these days, he's going to accidentally push 'self-destruct.'" She gave a small smile and was a little surprised when he took her hand. She didn't pull away either. "John, we didn't do anything last night. Right? I mean, I remember the bar and then bits and pieces of you and me in my room, but..." Her voice trailed off, but she didn't show any sign of worry. Truthfully, Shayera wouldn't mind if they had done anything. She just would've liked remembering it.
GL shrugged. "Not much happened. We just kinda fell asleep after you did that exotic dance for me." A second later, he grinned.
With a laugh, she rolled her eyes. "Shut up, John." Hawkgirl then stood to get herself a cup of java and something to make her head stop aching.
"When do you want to go on a second date?"
"A second date?"
"That's what I said." Green Lantern stood from his seat and walked over to where Hawkgirl was. "How about tonight?"
She didn't mind the fact that he stepped into her personal space; she wanted him to stay close. "But you're working tonight. You and Diana have monitor duty."
"I switched nights with Flash. Now he gets to spend time with the princess instead of Batman."
Hawkgirl raised an eyebrow, knowing that Flash wouldn't settle for just that. "The princess and what else?"
"Dinner at an 'All-you-can-eat' buffet." When she laughed, he did too. "How about my place around eight?"
"Okay," she said softly with a small nod.
John then leaned in to kiss her but stopped when Diana came into the kitchen. He sent a smile instead.
~*~
Bruce knew that something wasn't right. He had known that since seeing that news report.
The billionaire sat at his desk with his eyes staring at paperwork. He couldn't focus on it; his mind was still on Poison Ivy. And Joker. Now, Batman had two criminals to deal with.
That was nothing new.
He had a feeling. Something else was seriously wrong, so he called Alfred.
"Yes Sir?"
"Did Barbara check in last night?" he asked, not really knowing why.
"Does she usually check in, Sir?"
"No. I was just hoping..." His voice trailed off as his thoughts drifted.
Alfred then questioned, "Is there something wrong?"
"I'm not quite sure, Alfred. I think I'm going to come home early."
"Yes, Sir."
~*~
"So, did you ladies hear about GL's hot date?" Flash asked the women of The Justice League as he washed the dishes.
"No," Hawkgirl answered with a hidden smirk behind her curious expression. "Are you going to enlighten us?"
Diana shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "You really shouldn't gossip about Lantern, Flash."
"Oh please." Hawkgirl laughed. "You going to tattle, Diana?" She redirected her next question to the kid. "What did he say?"
Flash grinned wolfishly. "Apparently, this redheaded she-devil is a real dish. He's having her meet him at his place, and you know what that means."
The Thanagarian nodded. "He thinks he's getting some."
Wonder Woman rolled her blue eyes. "Hawkgirl, you are just as bad as he is."
"Or maybe you're too uptight, Princess." The redhead refilled her coffee mug and smiled. "Maybe you need a boyfriend."
The brunette narrowed her eyes. "Keep your nose and your wings out of my personal life."
Flash interrupted the tiny quarrel. "Hey Hawkgirl, you could join Diana and me here tonight. I could rent a movie, and there's popcorn."
"No thanks. I have plans."
"Plans?" the other two asked in unison with shock in their wide eyes.
"What? You thought I sat alone in a birdcage when I wasn't here?"
Flash shook his head. "No. I actually thought that you went around and killed small animals with your mace."
After she sent him a disgusted glance, Hawkgirl left the kitchen in search of Green Lantern, but he was nowhere to be found. Instead, she ran into J'onn.
"Have you seen GL?" she casually asked the Martian.
"He left for a mission with some other Lanterns. He said that he'd be back as soon as possible."
~*~
Batman huffed and rubbed his chin. Batgirl's utility belt possessed a tracking device, but it had been turned off or destroyed somehow. The fact that he couldn't contact her or track her down worried him. He needed to have control over everything, including Barbara's safety.
He dialed Dick's number but got no answer.
"Find her yet?" Tim asked as he put on his mask.
"No."
The teenager shrugged. "Are you sure she and Dick didn't leave Gotham together? Maybe they hooked up last night."
"I tried calling them."
"Did you try their cell phones?"
"Yes," Batman responded. "They didn't answer their home phones or communicators either." He stood from his seat at his batcomputer and began to walk toward the Batmoblie. "We're going to look for them tonight. We'll split up and patrol the city, but I want us to stay in contact."
~*~
Joker watched as the little Robin battled three of Harvey's henchmen. Finally, one hit him on the back of the head to silence him. When they knew he wouldn't stir, they tied him up, removed his utility belt, and handed it over to Joker.
"You going to destroy that one too?" Two-Face asked.
"No. Tell one of your boys to throw it in the lake. We'll scare Batsy a bit before we reach the punch line."
"Did the boy contact him?"
Joker shook his head. "Don't think he had the time. He had other things on his mind."
~*~
More coming soon...
