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 3: THE UTILITY BELT
"Robin, come in. Robin? Do you copy?" Batman was truly concerned now. He pulled out his tracking device and noted that Robin's signal was coming from the lake.
Almost instinctively, Batman contacted Superman.
"Superman here."
"It's me. Something's wrong."
"On my way."
Ten minutes later, Batman was standing beside Superman, holding a wet utility belt. His gut feeling had been unfortunately accurate.
"They've got him, Barbara, and probably Dick as well."
"Who has them?" Superman questioned, obviously not following.
"My guess is as good as yours. Whoever did this is playing it low key. They didn't want me to suspect anything until now."
The Man of Steel crossed his arms over the "S" on his chest and shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you. You're the 'World's Greatest Detective;' if anyone can find them, it's you."
"There are no clues. No ransom notes. No threats."
"What do you mean no clues?"
Batman explained. "I have no idea where they were kidnapped and by what means. There's nothing to go on."
"But you know Joker and Quinn escaped from Arkham."
"Thanks, Clark. That's two out of a hundred." The Dark Knight stared down at the yellow belt in his hands and thought out loud. "To add to the chaos, Poison Ivy's in town."
"Well, now there are three suspects."
Batman sent his teammate a glare but did not respond to the comment. "They don't want attention, and that doesn't match any of the personalities that loathe me."
Superman nodded again. "I'll make a sweep of the city and meet you back at your place in a couple of hours. All right?"
Without answering, he turned away from Superman and jumped into his Batmoblie. He needed to be alone for a while to think. Batman couldn't allow someone to take away his family.
Not again.
~*~
John placed the candles in the center of the table and put the wine glasses in their places. He stared at the table and took time to analyze it; he wanted everything to be perfect. After walking back to the stove, he mixed the spaghetti sauce one last time. The breadsticks were staying warm in the oven as the wine chilled in the fridge.
Nervous as hell, John ran to a mirror and checked himself. His hunter green, button-up dress shirt was tucked into his black slacks, and he couldn't help but notice that his palms were sweaty.
To distract himself, he decided to take a glance at his apartment to make sure it was tidy and that the blinds were drawn.
A knock sounded at the door, and John let out an anxious breath. He walked to the door and slowly opened it. Hawkgirl stood on the opposite side.
He was speechless. She wore a simple black, strapless dress with elegant heels and smiled at him with sparkling eyes.
"Hi."
"Hi," he managed. John couldn't take his eyes off of her.
With a hint of a smirk tugging at her luscious lips, she asked, "Can I come in?"
"Oh, of course." He stepped aside and closed the door behind her. "Can I get you anything to drink?"
"A gin and tonic, if you've got it." She then remembered the bottle of tequila she had brought with her. "Oh, here," she said and handed it to him. "That's for the one you bought last night."
"Thank you, but you didn't have to." He threw a smile at her and motioned toward the red couch. "Take a seat, and I'll be with you in a minute."
After mixing the drink she wanted and pouring himself a shot of old bourbon, he returned to the couch and sat down next to her. She had taken off her mask and had placed it onto the coffee table. John was glad; he preferred her without her mask.
"Food smells good," she told after taking a sip of her drink. "I can't wait to try some. I didn't know you could cook."
"Well, you eventually need to learn a few tricks when you're living alone."
"Point taken."
It was then when he felt the uneasiness sink in. He didn't know what to say or what to ask. Shayera was the only woman who left him astonished.
"John? Did you hear me?"
He quickly blinked and realized that she had been talking to him. John wanted to kick himself; that was no way to start a date. Instead, he apologized.
"That's okay. I was just asking bout the Corps thing. The other Lanterns did call you, right?"
He nodded. "In fact, they asked about you and your right hook."
She laughed to herself and sipped some more of her drink. "Figures they wouldn't remember me for my beautiful eyes."
"Beautiful green eyes," John corrected quickly, without thinking.
That remark caught her off guard, and the uneasiness returned.
He decided a change of scenery would help. "You know, the food is going to get cold. I hope you're hungry."
"I'm starving."
Dinner passed without tension. They talked about the other members of the Justice League and some of the messes they had gotten caught in. John ended up telling embarrassing stories about Flash to get Shayera to giggle. He adored her smile and wished he could see it every day...
Every morning...
Once they were done with the spaghetti dinner, John poured more wine in Shayera's glass and then some into his own. He hadn't prepared any sort of dessert and wondered if she cared. Then he remembered that he was her first human date ever. He doubted that men from Thanagar were as polite as he had been.
She drank her wine and stood from her seat. Unexpectedly, she took the plates and put them in the sink.
John stood to protest. "Don't. I'll take care of that."
"You made dinner. The least I could do is help clean up. Where's your Windex?"
John shook his head and took hold of her arms. "Just sit."
She narrowed her eyes in return and assured, "I don't mind."
Eventually, they ended up washing the dishes together. He washed, she dried, and it was one of the weirdest but most wonderful dates he had ever been on. John was enjoying every second of it.
He handed her the last plate and rinsed his hands. After drying himself off, he handed her the rag.
"Thanks for dinner," she said as she wiped her hands.
Alert entered his happy eyes. "Are you leaving so soon?"
She chuckled. "Why? Do you want me to?"
"Of course not." He watched her fold the towel and place it on the sink.
John wanted her so badly but didn't know how to tell her. He was considering just sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her to his bedroom where he'd make sweet, zealous love to her. He grabbed his wine glass and swallowed the rest of the liquid.
"You okay, John? You look a little flushed."
"Listen, Shy. I hope I haven't been too forward or anything."
"What do you mean? We've been everything but forward for months now." The winged redhead stepped closer to him and gently placed her hands on his chest. "Maybe someone should start." She then leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth.
Unconsciously, he returned the kiss. Only his was much harder. John pulled her hips closer to his own and spun her around to push her against the cabinets. Shayera wrapped her arms around his neck and touched her tongue to his lips, indicating him to deepen the kiss. He did.
He could already feel his lips bruising from her intense kisses but didn't care. John took her hands and forced them over her head and against the cabinet as well. A sly grin spread across her face, and she waited for him to do as he wished.
John's mouth traveled to her neck, and when his firm hold loosened, she guided his hands to her thighs and up her dress.
Before he could say anything, she told, "Don't think. Just go with your feelings." Together, they pulled off her panties. As she unbuckled his belt, he nibbled at her earlobe and pressed his body against hers.
Unexpectedly, she shoved him away, and he fell against the kitchen table. He had forgotten how strong she was. When she reached him, he brought her close again and covered her mouth with his own. John then tried to guide her to the table, but she resisted.
"No," she whispered.
His forehead wrinkled, and rejection hit him like a brick. John had given into her; he had opened up. Now she wanted to leave him cold?
Softly, she touched her lips to his and caressed his cheek.
"I want top," she stated with an even quieter voice. Her sharp green eyes held his as he scrambled onto his table. She climbed on next and straddled him once he lied down on the ridged wood.
"Shy?"
"Yeah?" Shayera gazed down on him with her fiery locks falling over her face.
"Show this marine what a Thanagarian can really do."
"You got it."
~*~
"Find anything?" Batman asked when he heard Superman enter the Batcave.
"No."
Batman took a seat at the batcomputer and hacked into the GCPD's computer files without effort. He began to search for reported disturbances within the last forty-eight hours.
"Listen, I know how you're feeling at the –"
"You don't, Clark. You have no idea. You couldn't fathom what it feels like to loose your family." As he skimmed through the pages, he continued. "Barbara's the commissioner's daughter, Tim's only a teen, and Dick..." He let out a quiet sigh and looked at Superman out of the corner of his eye. "If they hurt any one of them, I'll break the bastards' necks myself."
~*~
Catwoman watched as the youngest member of Batman's clan gained consciousness. Now the four of them awaited their fates from the chairs they had been confined to.
After explaining everything that had happened to Robin, Nightwing asked Catwoman, "Did they tell you anything?"
"I just know that they're planning on killing your boss, and we're being used as bait." She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She exhaled and said, "We need to get the hell out of here."
"You could've gotten away to warn Batman," Batgirl reminded.
"And you'd have a hole in your head if I did."
Robin huffed. "I don't understand. You said that Joker was behind this. I was taken by Two-Face's men."
"There's a whole lot of them working together," Batgirl told. "It's a real team effort."
His eyes narrowed. "But why Catwoman? Why bring you into this?"
Before they could truly wonder about that question, a purple gas began to fill the room. Within minutes, the hostages were asleep again.
~*~
With Shayera's head on his chest, John began to play with her hair. They lied together on his old couch, with only a sheet to cover them.
He could feel her warm breath on his skin, and if felt wonderful. It seemed like such a long time since he had affectionately and passionately made love to a woman like this. Maybe it was the first time. She made him feel so different.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked him, her lips moving delicately with every word.
"How lucky I am." John smiled when she lifted her head to stare at him.
"If I wanted flattery, I'd be with Flash right now."
He laughed. "He's not your type."
"Oh? And you are?"
"Sure."
Shayera jokingly rolled her stunning eyes and unexpectedly questioned, "What was the first thing that attracted you to me?"
"What?"
"Tell me. Really."
Flabbergasted, John tried to think. "I... I don't know. Maybe your strength or your war cry. No! It was your character."
"Seriously? That's sweet. I wish mine was as nice."
He raised an eyebrow. "Come on now. It's your turn. I told you mine."
"Okay. I just liked your cute ass." Shy then pinched him and laughed when he yelped.
"Hey! I don't appreciate that kind of abuse."
This time, she raised an eyebrow. "You weren't complaining earlier." She then gently touched her lips to his, and he returned the kiss.
Still kissing her, John moved his hand to one of her soft wings and began to stroke it. He instantly noticed the pleasure on her face and moved his mouth to her cheek.
"You know the fifty dollars I owe you?" she whispered into his ear. "Maybe we could make an arrangement?"
He winced. "Shy, I have a confession to make." John slightly pulled away to look at her. "My ring prevents me from getting drunk. If I wouldn't have worn it, you would've won."
The expression of joy hadn't left her face. "I know. You forget that I'm not that stupid." Shayera stood from the couch and wrapped the sheet around her body, leaving the ex-marine with nothing. "So, in reality, you're the one who needs to pay up. I'll be in your room. If you find a way to satisfy me, I may just forget our little wager."
"If I satisfy you?" John repeated.
Her smile only grew. "You heard me," she said. "If."
~*~
Batman slipped into the commissioner's office without being detected. He stepped up to Jim's chair and spoke.
"Working late?"
The commissioner's slumped shoulders and untrimmed mustache told Batman everything. He was worried like any father would be.
"Barbara's been missing for twenty-four hours now," he stated as he filled out reports with an unsteady hand.
"Maybe she's with a friend."
"I called all her friends."
"A boyfriend?" Batman wanted to tell his comrade the truth about his daughter and her night job but knew Barbara would kill him if he did... if she were still alive to care.
Jim slightly turned to face the Caped Crusader and requested that he keep an eye out for Barbara. Batman promised.
"Now, I need you to tell your men to keep their guard up. Someone's making moves in Gotham, but I have no idea who."
"What happened?"
He took a moment to pause and then unwillingly admitted, "They've got my crew. They didn't really want me to know that they were missing until earlier tonight."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Will you be getting The Justice League involved?"
Batman's forehead wrinkled. "What makes you ask?"
"I met Hawkgirl and The Green Lantern the other day."
He just nodded and slipped out the window when Jim glanced away for a second.
~*~
Shayera sat up in John's bed, drenched in a cold sweat. She had dreamed about Thanagar, and it had frightened her.
She glanced down at her snoring lover, as she silently gasped for air. Her heart raced as perspiration dripped down her forehead. The former detective felt tears welling from her eyes as she recalled the nightmare.
They had been arguing about something unimportant on a battlefield, which created the perfect opportunity for John to get seriously injured... but the man who had attacked wasn't human.
He was like Hawkgirl.
Shy scrambled out of bed and quickly gathered her things to leave. It was three in the morning, and John was still sound asleep. He probably would be better that way. He had to forget about her.
She reached over to lightly kiss his temple and to whisper, "Goodbye John."
With that, Shayera left the bedroom to pull on her clothes and head home.
~*~
The next morning, Lantern flew into the parking deck of the Watchtower. He was still surprised that the others hadn't waited for him to join them on the Javelin.
He was surprised Shayera had left him behind.
GL walked into their headquarters to see Flash being yelled at by the redhead. He didn't say word and just watched.
"Whoa. You don't have to freak out, Hawkgirl. I didn't mean –"
"I don't care, Flash!" she shrieked. "I don't want to deal with your incompetence today!" She turned away from the kid and grunted loudly.
"Where are you going?"
"To help Batman with maintenance," she answered and kept walking without looking back and without seeing John. "At least he's silent."
Flash shook his head and noticed GL observing. "Dude, where were you? I thought you said you'd be coming back with Supes. Bats, and Hawkgirl."
"They left me."
"She told them that you were still asleep when she tried to contact you."
"Speaking of the devil, what's her deal?"
Flash shrugged. "Dunno. She's been cranky all morning, and I'm talking crankier than she usually is."
"Must have had a bad night," Lantern muttered without realizing it.
"I think she didn't get much sleep. Her boyfriend probably kept her up." He smirked. "I'm guessing that she had the best sex of her life last night."
Lantern crossed his arms over his chest. "How do you figure that?"
"Johnny, you don't know women like I do. That chick isn't like normal women, and those are the ones ya gotta watch out for."
"Right."
The kid then quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, how was your date? Smoking and very steamy, I hope."
Ignoring Flash's question, Green Lantern asked, "What makes you think she has a boyfriend?"
"Well, when I asked her to stay with Diana and me, she said she had plans." Flash then narrowed his young eyes. "What's with all the questions about Hawkgirl, Greens?"
"No reason."
Flash's eyes grew wide as if a light bulb had just turned on in his head. "Oh my God."
"What?"
"You like her," Flash concluded.
"What are you talking about? We work together," John responded in a stern voice. "I'm concerned about her. That's all."
"I can't believe I didn't see it before. All the bickering. All the worrying about each other... Did you sleep with her?"
"Flash!" GL screamed and noticed the grin on his friend's face.
"Right. I'm going to make a sandwich," he said and sped away.
Once again, John wanted to kick himself.
~*~
"Could you get a laser out of my utility belt?" Batman asked Hawkgirl. His hands were full of the Javelin's wires.
She nodded and asked, "Which compartment is it in?"
"The one on my side," he answered. She handed him the small laser, and he used it on the ship.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the hopeless expression she had on her features. Batman figured that it was personal, but since when does he not pry?
"Something happen with Lantern?"
Her eyes widened with shock.
"Don't play innocent. You two have been acting like school children around each other for months. I'm surprised the others haven't caught on yet," he informed. "Hand me the screwdriver."
When she did, she bit her lower lip. "Why do you care?"
"Does it bother you that I'm aware of it?"
"A little," she confessed. "I wanted to keep it under wraps."
"Why? Because you're worried of what we'll think? I highly doubt that."
She narrowed her eyes. "What makes you say that?"
Batman turned to meet the angry glare she sent him. "Because I think you've got your own selfish little angles lurking behind those sad eyes."
"What?"
"Tell me, Hawkgirl. What do you get out of hiding the relationship? A little satisfaction that no one needs to know about?"
"How dare you..." She tightened her fists and clenched her teeth as she came toward him. He believed that he was going to punch him, but she did the opposite.
She unexpectedly grabbed his shoulders and forced her lips to his.
He immediately shoved her away. "Sorry, but I can't do that for you. You might have a better chance with Flash."
"No. John would never believe it." Tears streamed down her face, and she sat down on the floor.
"Why do you want him to hate you?"
She shook her head and pulled her knees closer to her body. "If he hates me, he'll forget about his feelings and forget about me."
Batman just stared down at the pitiful little girl she had transformed into. "For what reason? Are you frightened?"
"Maybe."
"You're afraid that you'll get your chance to return to Thanagar and leave him heartbroken in the process," Batman finished.
"Good guess."
"You know, I met the woman of my dreams once," he shared as he gathered his tools. "She was everything I had ever wanted."
"What went wrong?" she questioned, clearly interested in his personal life.
He replied honestly, "She was a criminal."
"And I thought GL and I were complicated."
He didn't say another word to Hawkgirl. Batman just walked away, knowing he had told her more than he had wanted to.
~*~
We're half way there and there's more coming...
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 3: THE UTILITY BELT
"Robin, come in. Robin? Do you copy?" Batman was truly concerned now. He pulled out his tracking device and noted that Robin's signal was coming from the lake.
Almost instinctively, Batman contacted Superman.
"Superman here."
"It's me. Something's wrong."
"On my way."
Ten minutes later, Batman was standing beside Superman, holding a wet utility belt. His gut feeling had been unfortunately accurate.
"They've got him, Barbara, and probably Dick as well."
"Who has them?" Superman questioned, obviously not following.
"My guess is as good as yours. Whoever did this is playing it low key. They didn't want me to suspect anything until now."
The Man of Steel crossed his arms over the "S" on his chest and shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you. You're the 'World's Greatest Detective;' if anyone can find them, it's you."
"There are no clues. No ransom notes. No threats."
"What do you mean no clues?"
Batman explained. "I have no idea where they were kidnapped and by what means. There's nothing to go on."
"But you know Joker and Quinn escaped from Arkham."
"Thanks, Clark. That's two out of a hundred." The Dark Knight stared down at the yellow belt in his hands and thought out loud. "To add to the chaos, Poison Ivy's in town."
"Well, now there are three suspects."
Batman sent his teammate a glare but did not respond to the comment. "They don't want attention, and that doesn't match any of the personalities that loathe me."
Superman nodded again. "I'll make a sweep of the city and meet you back at your place in a couple of hours. All right?"
Without answering, he turned away from Superman and jumped into his Batmoblie. He needed to be alone for a while to think. Batman couldn't allow someone to take away his family.
Not again.
~*~
John placed the candles in the center of the table and put the wine glasses in their places. He stared at the table and took time to analyze it; he wanted everything to be perfect. After walking back to the stove, he mixed the spaghetti sauce one last time. The breadsticks were staying warm in the oven as the wine chilled in the fridge.
Nervous as hell, John ran to a mirror and checked himself. His hunter green, button-up dress shirt was tucked into his black slacks, and he couldn't help but notice that his palms were sweaty.
To distract himself, he decided to take a glance at his apartment to make sure it was tidy and that the blinds were drawn.
A knock sounded at the door, and John let out an anxious breath. He walked to the door and slowly opened it. Hawkgirl stood on the opposite side.
He was speechless. She wore a simple black, strapless dress with elegant heels and smiled at him with sparkling eyes.
"Hi."
"Hi," he managed. John couldn't take his eyes off of her.
With a hint of a smirk tugging at her luscious lips, she asked, "Can I come in?"
"Oh, of course." He stepped aside and closed the door behind her. "Can I get you anything to drink?"
"A gin and tonic, if you've got it." She then remembered the bottle of tequila she had brought with her. "Oh, here," she said and handed it to him. "That's for the one you bought last night."
"Thank you, but you didn't have to." He threw a smile at her and motioned toward the red couch. "Take a seat, and I'll be with you in a minute."
After mixing the drink she wanted and pouring himself a shot of old bourbon, he returned to the couch and sat down next to her. She had taken off her mask and had placed it onto the coffee table. John was glad; he preferred her without her mask.
"Food smells good," she told after taking a sip of her drink. "I can't wait to try some. I didn't know you could cook."
"Well, you eventually need to learn a few tricks when you're living alone."
"Point taken."
It was then when he felt the uneasiness sink in. He didn't know what to say or what to ask. Shayera was the only woman who left him astonished.
"John? Did you hear me?"
He quickly blinked and realized that she had been talking to him. John wanted to kick himself; that was no way to start a date. Instead, he apologized.
"That's okay. I was just asking bout the Corps thing. The other Lanterns did call you, right?"
He nodded. "In fact, they asked about you and your right hook."
She laughed to herself and sipped some more of her drink. "Figures they wouldn't remember me for my beautiful eyes."
"Beautiful green eyes," John corrected quickly, without thinking.
That remark caught her off guard, and the uneasiness returned.
He decided a change of scenery would help. "You know, the food is going to get cold. I hope you're hungry."
"I'm starving."
Dinner passed without tension. They talked about the other members of the Justice League and some of the messes they had gotten caught in. John ended up telling embarrassing stories about Flash to get Shayera to giggle. He adored her smile and wished he could see it every day...
Every morning...
Once they were done with the spaghetti dinner, John poured more wine in Shayera's glass and then some into his own. He hadn't prepared any sort of dessert and wondered if she cared. Then he remembered that he was her first human date ever. He doubted that men from Thanagar were as polite as he had been.
She drank her wine and stood from her seat. Unexpectedly, she took the plates and put them in the sink.
John stood to protest. "Don't. I'll take care of that."
"You made dinner. The least I could do is help clean up. Where's your Windex?"
John shook his head and took hold of her arms. "Just sit."
She narrowed her eyes in return and assured, "I don't mind."
Eventually, they ended up washing the dishes together. He washed, she dried, and it was one of the weirdest but most wonderful dates he had ever been on. John was enjoying every second of it.
He handed her the last plate and rinsed his hands. After drying himself off, he handed her the rag.
"Thanks for dinner," she said as she wiped her hands.
Alert entered his happy eyes. "Are you leaving so soon?"
She chuckled. "Why? Do you want me to?"
"Of course not." He watched her fold the towel and place it on the sink.
John wanted her so badly but didn't know how to tell her. He was considering just sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her to his bedroom where he'd make sweet, zealous love to her. He grabbed his wine glass and swallowed the rest of the liquid.
"You okay, John? You look a little flushed."
"Listen, Shy. I hope I haven't been too forward or anything."
"What do you mean? We've been everything but forward for months now." The winged redhead stepped closer to him and gently placed her hands on his chest. "Maybe someone should start." She then leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth.
Unconsciously, he returned the kiss. Only his was much harder. John pulled her hips closer to his own and spun her around to push her against the cabinets. Shayera wrapped her arms around his neck and touched her tongue to his lips, indicating him to deepen the kiss. He did.
He could already feel his lips bruising from her intense kisses but didn't care. John took her hands and forced them over her head and against the cabinet as well. A sly grin spread across her face, and she waited for him to do as he wished.
John's mouth traveled to her neck, and when his firm hold loosened, she guided his hands to her thighs and up her dress.
Before he could say anything, she told, "Don't think. Just go with your feelings." Together, they pulled off her panties. As she unbuckled his belt, he nibbled at her earlobe and pressed his body against hers.
Unexpectedly, she shoved him away, and he fell against the kitchen table. He had forgotten how strong she was. When she reached him, he brought her close again and covered her mouth with his own. John then tried to guide her to the table, but she resisted.
"No," she whispered.
His forehead wrinkled, and rejection hit him like a brick. John had given into her; he had opened up. Now she wanted to leave him cold?
Softly, she touched her lips to his and caressed his cheek.
"I want top," she stated with an even quieter voice. Her sharp green eyes held his as he scrambled onto his table. She climbed on next and straddled him once he lied down on the ridged wood.
"Shy?"
"Yeah?" Shayera gazed down on him with her fiery locks falling over her face.
"Show this marine what a Thanagarian can really do."
"You got it."
~*~
"Find anything?" Batman asked when he heard Superman enter the Batcave.
"No."
Batman took a seat at the batcomputer and hacked into the GCPD's computer files without effort. He began to search for reported disturbances within the last forty-eight hours.
"Listen, I know how you're feeling at the –"
"You don't, Clark. You have no idea. You couldn't fathom what it feels like to loose your family." As he skimmed through the pages, he continued. "Barbara's the commissioner's daughter, Tim's only a teen, and Dick..." He let out a quiet sigh and looked at Superman out of the corner of his eye. "If they hurt any one of them, I'll break the bastards' necks myself."
~*~
Catwoman watched as the youngest member of Batman's clan gained consciousness. Now the four of them awaited their fates from the chairs they had been confined to.
After explaining everything that had happened to Robin, Nightwing asked Catwoman, "Did they tell you anything?"
"I just know that they're planning on killing your boss, and we're being used as bait." She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She exhaled and said, "We need to get the hell out of here."
"You could've gotten away to warn Batman," Batgirl reminded.
"And you'd have a hole in your head if I did."
Robin huffed. "I don't understand. You said that Joker was behind this. I was taken by Two-Face's men."
"There's a whole lot of them working together," Batgirl told. "It's a real team effort."
His eyes narrowed. "But why Catwoman? Why bring you into this?"
Before they could truly wonder about that question, a purple gas began to fill the room. Within minutes, the hostages were asleep again.
~*~
With Shayera's head on his chest, John began to play with her hair. They lied together on his old couch, with only a sheet to cover them.
He could feel her warm breath on his skin, and if felt wonderful. It seemed like such a long time since he had affectionately and passionately made love to a woman like this. Maybe it was the first time. She made him feel so different.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked him, her lips moving delicately with every word.
"How lucky I am." John smiled when she lifted her head to stare at him.
"If I wanted flattery, I'd be with Flash right now."
He laughed. "He's not your type."
"Oh? And you are?"
"Sure."
Shayera jokingly rolled her stunning eyes and unexpectedly questioned, "What was the first thing that attracted you to me?"
"What?"
"Tell me. Really."
Flabbergasted, John tried to think. "I... I don't know. Maybe your strength or your war cry. No! It was your character."
"Seriously? That's sweet. I wish mine was as nice."
He raised an eyebrow. "Come on now. It's your turn. I told you mine."
"Okay. I just liked your cute ass." Shy then pinched him and laughed when he yelped.
"Hey! I don't appreciate that kind of abuse."
This time, she raised an eyebrow. "You weren't complaining earlier." She then gently touched her lips to his, and he returned the kiss.
Still kissing her, John moved his hand to one of her soft wings and began to stroke it. He instantly noticed the pleasure on her face and moved his mouth to her cheek.
"You know the fifty dollars I owe you?" she whispered into his ear. "Maybe we could make an arrangement?"
He winced. "Shy, I have a confession to make." John slightly pulled away to look at her. "My ring prevents me from getting drunk. If I wouldn't have worn it, you would've won."
The expression of joy hadn't left her face. "I know. You forget that I'm not that stupid." Shayera stood from the couch and wrapped the sheet around her body, leaving the ex-marine with nothing. "So, in reality, you're the one who needs to pay up. I'll be in your room. If you find a way to satisfy me, I may just forget our little wager."
"If I satisfy you?" John repeated.
Her smile only grew. "You heard me," she said. "If."
~*~
Batman slipped into the commissioner's office without being detected. He stepped up to Jim's chair and spoke.
"Working late?"
The commissioner's slumped shoulders and untrimmed mustache told Batman everything. He was worried like any father would be.
"Barbara's been missing for twenty-four hours now," he stated as he filled out reports with an unsteady hand.
"Maybe she's with a friend."
"I called all her friends."
"A boyfriend?" Batman wanted to tell his comrade the truth about his daughter and her night job but knew Barbara would kill him if he did... if she were still alive to care.
Jim slightly turned to face the Caped Crusader and requested that he keep an eye out for Barbara. Batman promised.
"Now, I need you to tell your men to keep their guard up. Someone's making moves in Gotham, but I have no idea who."
"What happened?"
He took a moment to pause and then unwillingly admitted, "They've got my crew. They didn't really want me to know that they were missing until earlier tonight."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Will you be getting The Justice League involved?"
Batman's forehead wrinkled. "What makes you ask?"
"I met Hawkgirl and The Green Lantern the other day."
He just nodded and slipped out the window when Jim glanced away for a second.
~*~
Shayera sat up in John's bed, drenched in a cold sweat. She had dreamed about Thanagar, and it had frightened her.
She glanced down at her snoring lover, as she silently gasped for air. Her heart raced as perspiration dripped down her forehead. The former detective felt tears welling from her eyes as she recalled the nightmare.
They had been arguing about something unimportant on a battlefield, which created the perfect opportunity for John to get seriously injured... but the man who had attacked wasn't human.
He was like Hawkgirl.
Shy scrambled out of bed and quickly gathered her things to leave. It was three in the morning, and John was still sound asleep. He probably would be better that way. He had to forget about her.
She reached over to lightly kiss his temple and to whisper, "Goodbye John."
With that, Shayera left the bedroom to pull on her clothes and head home.
~*~
The next morning, Lantern flew into the parking deck of the Watchtower. He was still surprised that the others hadn't waited for him to join them on the Javelin.
He was surprised Shayera had left him behind.
GL walked into their headquarters to see Flash being yelled at by the redhead. He didn't say word and just watched.
"Whoa. You don't have to freak out, Hawkgirl. I didn't mean –"
"I don't care, Flash!" she shrieked. "I don't want to deal with your incompetence today!" She turned away from the kid and grunted loudly.
"Where are you going?"
"To help Batman with maintenance," she answered and kept walking without looking back and without seeing John. "At least he's silent."
Flash shook his head and noticed GL observing. "Dude, where were you? I thought you said you'd be coming back with Supes. Bats, and Hawkgirl."
"They left me."
"She told them that you were still asleep when she tried to contact you."
"Speaking of the devil, what's her deal?"
Flash shrugged. "Dunno. She's been cranky all morning, and I'm talking crankier than she usually is."
"Must have had a bad night," Lantern muttered without realizing it.
"I think she didn't get much sleep. Her boyfriend probably kept her up." He smirked. "I'm guessing that she had the best sex of her life last night."
Lantern crossed his arms over his chest. "How do you figure that?"
"Johnny, you don't know women like I do. That chick isn't like normal women, and those are the ones ya gotta watch out for."
"Right."
The kid then quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, how was your date? Smoking and very steamy, I hope."
Ignoring Flash's question, Green Lantern asked, "What makes you think she has a boyfriend?"
"Well, when I asked her to stay with Diana and me, she said she had plans." Flash then narrowed his young eyes. "What's with all the questions about Hawkgirl, Greens?"
"No reason."
Flash's eyes grew wide as if a light bulb had just turned on in his head. "Oh my God."
"What?"
"You like her," Flash concluded.
"What are you talking about? We work together," John responded in a stern voice. "I'm concerned about her. That's all."
"I can't believe I didn't see it before. All the bickering. All the worrying about each other... Did you sleep with her?"
"Flash!" GL screamed and noticed the grin on his friend's face.
"Right. I'm going to make a sandwich," he said and sped away.
Once again, John wanted to kick himself.
~*~
"Could you get a laser out of my utility belt?" Batman asked Hawkgirl. His hands were full of the Javelin's wires.
She nodded and asked, "Which compartment is it in?"
"The one on my side," he answered. She handed him the small laser, and he used it on the ship.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the hopeless expression she had on her features. Batman figured that it was personal, but since when does he not pry?
"Something happen with Lantern?"
Her eyes widened with shock.
"Don't play innocent. You two have been acting like school children around each other for months. I'm surprised the others haven't caught on yet," he informed. "Hand me the screwdriver."
When she did, she bit her lower lip. "Why do you care?"
"Does it bother you that I'm aware of it?"
"A little," she confessed. "I wanted to keep it under wraps."
"Why? Because you're worried of what we'll think? I highly doubt that."
She narrowed her eyes. "What makes you say that?"
Batman turned to meet the angry glare she sent him. "Because I think you've got your own selfish little angles lurking behind those sad eyes."
"What?"
"Tell me, Hawkgirl. What do you get out of hiding the relationship? A little satisfaction that no one needs to know about?"
"How dare you..." She tightened her fists and clenched her teeth as she came toward him. He believed that he was going to punch him, but she did the opposite.
She unexpectedly grabbed his shoulders and forced her lips to his.
He immediately shoved her away. "Sorry, but I can't do that for you. You might have a better chance with Flash."
"No. John would never believe it." Tears streamed down her face, and she sat down on the floor.
"Why do you want him to hate you?"
She shook her head and pulled her knees closer to her body. "If he hates me, he'll forget about his feelings and forget about me."
Batman just stared down at the pitiful little girl she had transformed into. "For what reason? Are you frightened?"
"Maybe."
"You're afraid that you'll get your chance to return to Thanagar and leave him heartbroken in the process," Batman finished.
"Good guess."
"You know, I met the woman of my dreams once," he shared as he gathered his tools. "She was everything I had ever wanted."
"What went wrong?" she questioned, clearly interested in his personal life.
He replied honestly, "She was a criminal."
"And I thought GL and I were complicated."
He didn't say another word to Hawkgirl. Batman just walked away, knowing he had told her more than he had wanted to.
~*~
We're half way there and there's more coming...
