S: Excellent! Reviews are a lovely thing…. (dances around) I love you all!!!!
Onyx: (stares) Psycho.
S: Aren't I just???
Onyx: Yet she seems happy about that.
S: I am, I am…. Oy, disclaimer-peoples!!
(A Kuriboh goes flying past carrying a sign that reads 'Disclaimer See Chapter 1' and being chased by Yami Bakura)
S: You're still in the wrong story! Get back to Lives to Live!!! (chases them back to the other story)
Onyx: (rolls her eyes) Rolling the story now….
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HAWK'S NIGHT, LANTERN'S LIGHT
CHAPTER FOUR
'Unica, J'Onn. Contact the others. I want a meeting, now.' Superman's telepathic 'voice' slid easily into the minds of the two telepaths, transferred from there to the minds of the others. Flash, close to falling asleep from just getting off the graveyard shift, was the only one to protest.
'Superman said NOW, Flash!' both of the telepaths informed him, instantly stifling his complaints.
It took less than five minutes for the members of the Justice League to file into the meeting room. Superman was standing at the head of the table, his face drawn tight by exhaustion and overwork. The faint motion of air from the opening and closing of the doors made his red cape billow slightly, making a mockery of old images of his glory. Green Lantern was the first one in, followed almost immediately by Diana. Flash dragged in a moment behind them, looking pale. Batman, being unable to join in person, flickered into view on the wall monitor. Once everyone was seated, an uncomfortable silence settled over the room.
"This can't go on."
All eyes, surprise showing, turned towards J'Onn. It was plenty rare enough for the Martian to have the first word, but rarer still for him to express any emotion – such as the combined irritation and pain that showed now.
Onyx growled softly, her frustration showing clearly. "For the umpteenth time, J'Onn, we don't know what she's capable of! She could wake up five minutes from now!"
"If she was going to do that, don't you think she would have done it already?" Rubbing his eyes, Flash tried, unsuccessfully, to hide the fact that he was near tears.
"We cannot abandon our teammate in her time of need." Diana, resolute, folded her arms across her chest.
"In need of what?" Flash's voice rang out in irritation. "She's in a goddamned coma!"
"I'm with Diana. We don't abandon her."
"Unica, you have been here only six months. You cannot know how we do things." Superman, beyond weary, slumped in his chair and stared at her out of hollowed eyes.
"I know you don't give up!" Leaping to her feet, the slammed her fists down on the table, only to be dragged back down into her seat by J'Onn, although John and Diana had followed her example in standing and had begun to shout.
"Control yourselves. All of you." J'Onn's deep voice rang unusually strong, cutting through the din in the room. Almost immediately, all within the room silenced, and Diana slid silently back into her seat. John, however, remained on his feet, radiating fury.
"I cannot believe that so many of you would turn on her! Hawkgirl has saved all of your lives more times than I can count," this addressed to Superman, Batman and Flash, "and now you're just going to let her die?!"
"It's not like that, GL!" Flash, looking horrified, spoke up. "It's just… well, we've tried everything we can and nothing seems to be helping. Hope fades, buddy."
"Every day Hawkgirl spends in a coma reduces her possibility of survival." This, naturally, came from Batman, who seemed to be checking something off the monitor screen.
"Anyone who watches soap operas can tell you that," Onyx shot back, her contempt obvious. "There is still a reasonable chance that she might pull through."
"Is it worth leaving her as good as dead for a 'reasonable chance'?" Batman retorted, returning to the center of the screen and glaring fiercely at the young woman.
" "She is not dead!" " Onyx and Green Lantern spoke together, their voices ringing in a bizarre and mismatched chorus. They exchanged a brief glance before Onyx quickly sat down, deferring to the older hero.
"You guys have given this some thought," John began, every word chosen with obvious care. "I can't blame you for your thoughts. If I were in your position, I would probably consider it, too. But while I'm considering your position, I'd like you to consider mine."
"John, listen to us for a moment." Batman's interruption was clearly unwanted, but tolerated nonetheless. "We are trying to consider everyone's positions and opinions in this matter. That includes Hawkgirl's. We must take into consideration what quality of life she would have if no action is taken."
"You knew her better than any of us, John. You definitely know that she would never have allowed things to progress this far had it been her choice." Superman's voice, already carrying a biting edge, did nothing to lessen the harshness of his words.
"She wanted to go out fighting." The words, barely above a whisper, turned every eye in the room back to Green Lantern. Staring intently at his ring, he slumped back into his seat, bowing his head to hide his face. It was not enough, though, to stop the others from seeing the glittering tracks on his cheeks, or hearing the pain in his voice.
"She wanted to go out fighting, die a heroic death in some great battle. That's what she told me. Never to live until she was too old or too inefficient to fight. All I'm trying to do is to give her a chance at that, dying in a battle. Because if she goes like this - " one hand waved vaguely towards the medical bay – "she has no chance to die how she wants to die. She deserves better than this, some death under bleached sheets and hard lights. Let her die how she wants, with blood and pain and power. That was all she ever wanted."
Silence reigned around the table for a long moment until it was broken by J'Onn's again-quiet voice. "We cannot leave her in a coma indefinitely, Lantern. She deserves better than that as well." The words seemed to echo softly in the otherwise silent room, broken only by the faint whisper of breathing.
"Give her two more weeks." All eyes turned towards the monitor where Batman's face was displayed. He gazed back at them, seeming supremely unconcerned. "Give her two more weeks. If she has made no sign of improvement by the end of that time period, than we disconnect life support and allow her a peaceful death. I know it's not what she wanted," he added, seeing Lantern make to rise from his seat again, "but under the circumstances, I think it's the best thing we can offer her."
What little color had been in Superman's face drained from it, and Onyx blinked rapidly before pressing the heels of her hands forcefully into her eyes. Flash and Diana bowed their heads, seemingly between relief and exhaustion. Slowly, as though the single movement was the hardest of his entire life, John Stewart nodded.
"Two weeks it is."
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S: Yes, I know, I am evil. Actually, Onyx is the evil one…
Onyx: (waves)
S: And she's the Muse. However, I'm the Author, so I do have some control over what goes into my work… (grins slightly) Review, peoples! The faster you review, the faster I type!
Hawkgirl: And the faster I get out of that damnable hospital wing.
GL: (mumbles something under his breath about chains of disasters)
Onyx: That's the superhero business, John. Deal with it. Look at the bright side, neither of you are dead.
S: PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!