Men, Women, Garters, and Chains
By: The Angelic Temptress
Disclaimer: If I owned them, things would be different.
Spoilers: Through "Starcrossed"
Rating: PG-13 for the usual features
Pairings: BM/WW BM/CW GL/HG NW/BG
##
Chapter 4: I've Got You Under My Skin
"Alfred?" Batman made a swift turn with the Batwing, heading back towards Gotham City.
"Yes, Sir?" the older man spoke, and his face appeared on the small monitor located a few buttons away from the steering wheel.
"I need you to go over to Barbara's apartment to see if she's there. I can't get a hold of her, and my trackers aren't picking up her signal."
"Should we be worried, Sir?"
Batman let out a quiet breath before replying. "I need you to contact Dick and Kara Kent if you don't find her."
"Should I try the commissioner as well?"
"No. I'll talk to him if I need to."
"Yes, Sir."
"Batman out." The Dark Knight could feel the scowl on his face and the fear pumping through his frigid veins. His gloved hands gripped the wheel as sweat drizzled down the inside of his cowl.
Both Diana and Barbara, the two most important women in his life, were missing. How could that be a coincidence?
I wasn't one. Someone was attacking Batman through the women he loved.
The women he loved.
His dead mother.
Leslie.
Barbara.
Diana.
Selina.
Catwoman. Could she be the one pulling the strings? Could she get herself to kill Wonder Woman and Batgirl? For what reason?
Maybe she was being framed. Selina Kyle wouldn't randomly kidnap, let alone kill, heroines. Bruce knew that much about her. Maybe Diana had gone to visit her mother... on an island she had been banished from.
Nothing made any sense. Nothing seemed logical. Nothing connected.
##
"Play it again, Sam."
John changed the channel, knowing he couldn't sit through a showing of "Casablanca" without recognizing the parallels with his own life.
A woman promised to another. An invaded country. A man torn between right and wrong, pain and pleasure, altruism and selfishness...
In the movie, Bogart's character gave up his love, telling her to go back to her husband. Shayera couldn't go back to her fiancé; she lost that chance when she shared information with the League. Other than that minor detail, the stories were the same. The players were left heartbroken and alone.
A knock sounded at the door, and John knew it was Wally West. He didn't get up to answer it, knowing the hotshot would let himself in.
"Hey, Greens," the redheaded kid greeted and walked into the apartment. "How ya doing?"
"Fine."
"I brought the 'Old School' DVD. Want me to pop it in?" When the Lantern didn't reply, Wally sat down beside him. "You okay?"
"Sure."
A solemn look crossed over the kid's features, signaling that he knew why the military man was brooding. "Johnny, you're not the only one who misses her. J'onn and I are right up there with you. She was like a sister to us."
"But we were so much more than that."
"I know." The kid sighed and sat back on the couch, his eyes focused on the ceiling.
"It'll be five months tomorrow," John informed without looking at his friend.
"I know," Wally repeated softly.
"Where do you think she's at?"
The speedster laughed to himself. "Probably rousting a bar, kicking some ass somewhere."
"You're probably right."
Just then, John's comm-link buzzed.
##
"Where the hell is she, Bruce?" Nightwing demanded as he stormed toward the Batcomputer. "She's not answering me. What happened to her?"
Batman didn't even glance at his adopted son.
"If she's dead, I swear to God..."
"I presume you haven't talked to her."
The younger crime fighter's jaw dropped. "What? That's all you have to say?"
"Have you contacted Kara or Wally? Perhaps she's with either of them."
Nightwing tightened his fists, clenched his teeth, and narrowed his enraged eyes. "What's going on?"
When the Bat started typing commands into his computer, Nightwing knew he had no idea. Barbara wasn't one to not check in. She wouldn't go this long without contacting them unless something had happened to her.
"I need you to watch Gotham for me."
"No way in Hell. I'm looking for Barbara."
"Dick. I need you here."
"Fuck here. She could be dead, lying in an alley somewhere, all by herself."
Batman stood from his chair to face the man he had raised with infuriated eyes. "They have Diana too," he stated firmly. "Don't you think I know how you feel right now?"
"No. You don't. You couldn't possibly feel anything for another human being, even if she were Wonder Woman."
The Bat slightly shook his head and strode past his son. "You're not coming. You're too close to this."
"And you're not?" Nightwing screamed after him, watching his former mentor walk toward the Batmobile. "You need me! You can't do this alone!"
The man didn't even provide a response. He just sped away in his dark car and into the night.
"Bastard."
##
The phone rang a few minutes after Kara had finally managed to drift off to sleep.
"You've got to be kidding me." In the pit of her stomach, the blonde Kryptonian knew that her easy day was too good to be true. She grunted as she sat up in Clark's pullout and reached over to the end table, where the cordless sat. "Hello?"
"Kara. It's Dick."
Her blue eyes shot open when she heard his voice. Dick NEVER called her, and she could only guess why he had now.
"Hey. What's –?"
"Have you heard from Barbara?"
"Not for a few days, actually. Why? What's wrong?" she asked and climbed out of the disastrous thing Clark called a bed.
"She's missing, and Batman won't tell me anything. You're in the League, so I figured that you might know something."
"No. Clark hasn't said anything to me."
Kara heard the man sigh on his end of the line, and her worried heart went out to him. She knew that Dick and Babs were having problems and knew how they truly felt about one another. The blonde wanted to help them, but there was only so much a Supergirl could do.
Within a second, Kara was dressed in full uniform, ready to fly to Gotham City. If Batman wasn't going to help her best friend's boyfriend, then Kara would; it was the least she could do.
"Give me a minute, Dick. We could meet up. Where are you?"
"Roof of the Second National Bank."
"All right. See you in a few." Kara cut the connection and sped out Clark's balcony windows without locking them.
She had to make it to Gotham in record time... for Barbara.
##
"So, Batman has a thing for you?"
Diana lifted her bright eyes to meet Catwoman's. The four women had spent the last half hour in silence, each claiming a corner for her own. The cat burglar was the only one standing, and she had been intensely watching the Amazon.
'Probably studying me, wondering why Batman would chose a hero over a thief,' Diana figured. Although she knew she was much better than the black-clad brunette, the princess was still bothered by the fact that Catwoman cared so much.
"What of it?"
The woman smirked. "I don't know. You just don't seem like his type."
Batgirl shook her head and readjusted herself on the floor. "Lay off, Selina."
"It's all right," Diana assured and sent the crook a smile. "Let her continue."
"Thank you, Wonder Woman, for giving me permission to speak," Catwoman answered sardonically.
"My pleasure," the princess countered and widened her smile. "Now, what were you getting at?"
"Well, I'm sure it's nothing that you haven't already gotten to."
Diana narrowed her eyes.
"I mean, since you're dating Bruce Wayne instead of the Dark Knight... or is that just a cover-up?"
Shayera Hol's forehead wrinkled, but Catwoman didn't notice. Everyone in the room, excluding Selina, knew Batman's secret, and she wouldn't be learning it anytime soon, if Diana had a say in any of it.
"I think you're prying into business that isn't any of yours."
"Really? I think Batman qualifies as my business. After all, I've known him longer than you have, probably better too."
"I doubt that."
"Care to wager?"
Diana stood from her position on the floor to face the criminal. She was quite a bit taller than the burglar, but Catwoman didn't seem intimidated by the distinction. Wonder Woman actually believed the thief found it amusing.
"What makes you think you know Batman, Selina?" the Amazon questioned. "The fact that he's arrested you before?"
"Has he told you anything about himself? Does he share himself or his feelings?" When the arrogance slowly left Diana's face, Catwoman crossed her arms over her chest. "I may not know his identity, but I don't need to. I know 'him.' He's dark. He's different. His motive is vengeance; I may not know why it is, but I bet you don't either.
"What does he see in a supermodel wearing a swimsuit, anyway?" Catwoman whispered as she took a few steps closer to Diana. "You may 'know' him, but you don't know him like I do. Why should he come into the light when he can stay in the dark, where he's comfortable? If you want to be taken seriously, lose that outfit and your superior attitude."
The princess couldn't hold herself back. She backhanded Catwoman with all her might, reopening the cut on the girl's lip. To her surprise, she didn't receive a blow in return; Catwoman just chuckled.
"Diana!" Shayera scolded and stood at the same time Batgirl did.
"It's all right. I'm fine," the criminal assured and sent Diana a smirk. "I guess I should be grateful you didn't kill me with that bitch-slap."
"I guess so."
"I also figure it'd be wise to end this little 'catfight' before it gets out of hand."
"I agree."
Catwoman touched her bleeding lip and shook her head. Without warning, the woman punched Diana square in the jar, knocking her to the ground. When the Amazon lifted her gaze, she noticed that Batgirl had already taken hold of the criminal's arms and that Shayera had jumped to Diana's side, probably to restrain her as well.
"That's for calling me by my name, 'Diana,'" Catwoman explained and ripped free from Batgirl's grip. "Don't worry. I won't lash out again. It would just humiliate her."
The princess could taste the blood on her lip and gritted her teeth. "You green-eyed, little..." She allowed her words to trail off when she heard someone clapping loudly. Almost in unison, the four women turned to see who stood at the bars of their cell.
"It seems as if you four will end up killing each other before I get the chance to."
The man was rather muscular with a leer that could only be outmatched by the Joker and eyes that could burn straight through a person's soul. His wings were much larger than Shayera's, and his axe looked deadlier than her mace.
Diana tore her stare from him and moved her eyes to her former teammate. The redhead's jaw had dropped, and Diana could see the trepidation in her emerald eyes when she spoke his name.
"Hai?"
##
"So, what do you want?"
Batman had requested The Green Lantern's presence in a secluded area, away from the rest of the League and Nightwing. They were in a forest, about thirty minutes from Gotham City, alone. The Batman had left the 'Mobile twenty feet from where they stood, prepared to leave as soon as their meeting concluded.
"Both Batgirl and Wonder Woman are missing."
Lantern narrowed his radiant eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, obviously questioning the Bat's motives for telling him. John Stewart was a military man who second-guessed everything, just like Bruce did.
"I don't believe it's an accident."
"Who do you think might have taken them? Who is capable of taking an Amazon with super powers?"
"Anyone who truly wants to; after all, she's not invincible."
"None of us are," he muttered, taking a quick glance at the replacement power ring he wore. Batman knew that the Lantern was still upset over Hawkgirl's departure and probably would never completely get beyond it. The man had experienced heartbreak, and Batman knew those were the worst wounds to recover from.
"I want you to check your surveillance contacts in Metropolis and in Gotham. Perhaps they had noticed something strange."
"I doubt it. I have a feeling that it's a Gotham-based job. Wasn't Diana on a date with Bruce Wayne –?"
"The night she disappeared?" he finished for his teammate and rubbed his chin as he thought. "You're correct, but I can't think of anyone who would take them both."
"Why not have Superman do a quick x-ray vision sweep of the city?"
"Because Supergirl is doing that as we speak."
##
Nightwing lowered his binoculars when Supergirl landed beside him. By the way the teenager carried herself, he knew she hadn't found Barbara, so he shrugged his shoulders and took a deep breath. There were so many people who would want to kill Batgirl, and narrowing that long list would be near impossible.
"I didn't find her, but I did find this." The blonde Kryptonian handed him a light purple shawl. "It was in the street, just a few yards from the manor's gates."
"Wonder Woman."
"My thoughts exactly. I also found these on an apartment building in the city." Kara revealed a set of handcuffs and a bola. "Something tells me that Diana's disappearance wasn't a fluke; somebody planned on kidnapping them both."
"Batman said they had to be connected."
"But where are they being held?"
"That's for us to find out."
##
Ten months before she'd be assigned to a mission which would involve studying a planet called Earth and seven months before she'd be promised to Hro Talak, Lieutenant Shayera Hol sat in a quiet bar just a few minutes from her home. The Thanagarian officer had claimed the corner of the bar table with a half empty bottle and a small glass sitting before her. Just that day, she had gotten into a fierce argument with her lover and commander, Hro, over her latest recon mission.
He had ordered her to have backup, and she hadn't used any. Backup would have just made her even more conspicuous. He knew that she was his best soldier but had been worried of losing her in battle. She didn't want their personal relationship to interfere with her career, and it already had.
That really pissed her off.
Now she was infuriated and couldn't just hunt him down and beat his ass because of her emotions, so she had ended up drowning the anger with alcohol.
Nothing was better than Thanagarian alcohol.
Except maybe sex... Yes. Sex definitely outmatched alcohol, hands down.
She didn't want to deal with Hro's comments, orders, worrying, jealousy, ultimatums, and bitching anymore. She was sick of being treated as a... woman. She was a soldier, his "right hand man," and deserved to be treated as so. Hro treated Shayera as one would treat a wife, and she knew he was doing it for appearance reasons alone. Everyone expected him to propose to her soon, and she was expected to accept without hesitation. That thought didn't settle nicely with Shayera, but she'd end up marrying him because it was her duty.
She was a patriot, and she'd allow her sanity to suffer if it meant aiding the planet in one way or another. In this case, it meant providing children for the future, and they were two of the strongest of their kind. It was only logical for Shayera and Hro to have children together.
"Are you all right?" a deep voice asked as a body sat down beside her. "You seemed a little irritated on the ship earlier."
Shayera forced her green eyes from her empty glass and immediately recognized her commander's younger brother, Hai. Somehow, she managed a smile.
"Did you miss me, Shayera?"
"Like an ulcer," she answered and balled her fists.
##
Yeah, so how 'bout that new JL Unlimited series...? rolls eyes and shakes head I really hope it gets better. Those last 2 eps really didn't have the same magic as the old show did...
Well, I guess we'll have to keep it alive through fanfic... Yippee!
I want to apologize for not updating quickly; a whole lot of things came up at once, so you all had to suffer. Sorry. I'll try to hurry the next chapter along...