Men, Women, Garters, and Chains

By: The Angelic Temptress

Disclaimer: If I owned them, things would be different.

Spoilers: Through "Starcrossed"

Rating: PG-13/R

WARNING: This chapter contains a few references to rape. If that offends you in any way, I recommend that you not read. Also, some of the characters drop the F-bomb a few times. Sorry if that word upsets you.

Pairings: BM/WW BM/CW GL/HG NW/BG

##

Chapter 5: Under the Bridges of Paris

"Diana and Batgirl are both missing."

"What?"

John cracked his knuckles and made eye contact with the speedster he had left a mile away from Batman's rendezvous point. The Green Lantern knew that Batman didn't want the entire League on the case, only the ones who he believed were useful at that moment. In GL's opinion, that included The Flash, whether Batman approved it or not.

"He said that she disappeared the night they went out together."

"Diana and Bruce went to a restaurant that night. I remember. The tabloids had pictures of them and that Catwoman... something Kyle."

"Selina Kyle. You need to brush up on your bad guys."

"Bad, sure. Guy, definitely not."

GL avoided rolling his brilliant eyes, but shook his head instead. "Do a sweep of Gotham for me. A quick one, though. Supergirl is already patrolling along side Nightwing, but it couldn't hurt to have you there too. Contact me if you find anything."

"Will do, Johnny. So, I guess Boys' Night Out is postponed?" When the Lantern didn't respond, Flash shrugged and gave a mock salute. "See ya later, Sir." Within a split-second, The Flash was gone, leaving only a cloud of dust behind.

John Stewart began putting the pieces together.

A fake anonymous tip, which dealt with an imaginary Metropolis bank robbery and was given to Batman through the GCPD, had been used to distract the League for some reason. The next night, Wonder Woman was kidnapped. While Batman was away, Batgirl was nabbed during patrol. Neither of the women's tracking devices could be detected, nor had they sent a distress signal.

Whoever was behind the kidnappings knew Batman very well, and they hadn't faltered once. The person who believed Batman was the center of intelligence and surveillance for the League had played his or her cards right...

Cards.

Joker.

He was one of the only Gotham based criminals who had dared to go up against the League. It would be of no surprise to GL if Joker were pulling all the strings. He had the brainpower and the lunacy to try something so malicious to women who didn't really know one another. Somehow, John knew that the entire thing would make sense in the clown's warped mind.

There was a squawk in the trees, and John snapped his head to see what had called. It was a bird, a hawk, which had found a perch in a maple tree just to GL's right. Before he would allow himself to contemplate the omen, he flew into the direction of Gotham City and away from anything that would remind him of his lost love.

##

"You sick son of a bitch," Shayera muttered and stomped toward the bars that separated her from the man she obviously recognized. Before she could reach him, Selina stepped into her path and took hold of her shoulders. This act undoubtedly amazed Batgirl, and the redhead didn't know what to make of it.

"Don't let him get to you," the cat burglar harshly whispered, her steady hands gripping the Thanagarian. "Whoever the hell he is, he's not worth losing your head over. Calm down."

The former lieutenant's eyes flickered to their captor and then back to Selina before she loosened her fists and allowed her anger to immerse. She wanted him to pay for whatever suffering he had caused her in the past; Batgirl didn't need a mind reader to tell her that. Shayera Hol despised this Hai person; she almost certainly wanted him dead as well.

"Oh, poor Shayera. I'm sorry if I've caused you any misery for reappearing unannounced in your disappointing and worthless life. I had hoped you would've been delighted to know there was a man who still thought about you, both during the day and while he slept." The Thanagarian male chortled to himself, and wrapped his strong hands around two of the bars before him. "I still dream of you, Hol. I remember the night we spent together in your bed. It was blissful."

Batgirl noticed Shayera's fists tighten again as her green eyes narrowed.

"Do you remember the moaning you made? It was like music to my ears."

"You repulsive bastard."

"Don't you remember your cries? You practically begged for more. You wanted me to hurt you again, and again... and again..."

The ex-Leaguer took a step toward the asshole, and it took Catwoman all her strength to prevent the woman from taking another step.

"When I get my hands on you, I swear on my mother's grave that I'll –"

"That you'll what? Kill me? I'm the only ally you've got, Shayera. We're the same, you and I. We both were banished by Hro because we followed our instincts. We betrayed him because we loved him too much to let him destroy himself."

"No. You were lost in your twisted selfishness and your perverse fantasies. I saved a planet and sacrificed my honor and my dreams to do so. You crucified my dignity so you could pretend to be your brother for a few minutes."

He shook his head with a smirk embossed on his lips. "Don't you think 'minutes' is an understatement?"

"Fuck you."

"Come here, and I'll let you do the honors."

"Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of," Batgirl ordered, already enraged by the sickening jokes he was telling. She couldn't deal with a jerk like him at the moment and wanted to shut him up.

His deathly blue eyes left his fellow Thanagarian and moved to the youngest female in the cell. Hai's smile widened.

"Well, the little one has a spine. Maybe I should break it in two." Their captor then licked his lips and added, "Whether I want to do it the conventional way or the pleasurable way will have to be determined later."

The young vigilante had to resist her gag reflex.

"Talk to you ladies soon." On that note, he left them.

##

"What are you doing here?"

GL stopped searching the rooftop with his ring and turned to face the young man who had questioned him. Nightwing, the Bat's oldest protégé, stood with his arms crossed over the blue Kevlar of his suit and heated worry in his icy eyes. The boy wanted an explanation, and the Lantern believed he deserved one.

"I'm on the case."

"Really?"

"Kara told Flash where she had found Batgirl's cuffs and bola, and he informed me. I'm here to do a slower and more precise inspection of the premises."

After a second, the kid's features softened, and he let out a nervous breath. "Anything?"

"No. You interrupted me."

"Sorry. I'm not used to help from strangers."

'Defensive, just like his old man,' Lantern mused and continued using this ring to examine the rooftop. Just before he believed there weren't any more clues, he stumbled on a couple.

"Found something." He picked up the two pieces of evidence and handed them to Nightwing.

"A tranquilizer dart and a bird feather?"

"That feather's is too large for any normal sized bird."

The kid's eyes widened with revelation. "Hawkgirl?"

"Maybe."

"What the hell would she want with Batgirl?'

"We don't know that she did this, or if she's even involved. In the meantime, we have to start pinpointing suspects." The Green Lantern touched the communicator in his ear. "Supergirl?"

"Right here, GL."

"Go back to the Manor. Check the street again." His green eyes continued to scan the roof, and noticed two more darts; one was lodged into the concrete. "Keep your eyes open for tranq. darts."

##

"The conclusion you're making is...?"

"Batgirl and Diana weren't the only ones taken. I doubt that it took two darts to knock Batgirl unconscious. She was with someone on that roof. That person put up fight, and evaded at least one of the shots." Batman intertwined his hands and gritted his teeth. "Out of the four darts we found, one was completely full with the sleeping toxin."

"How do you explain the feather?"

"Perhaps Hawkgirl was in Gotham last night."

The Lantern shook his head. "We haven't heard from Hawkgirl in months, and out of the blue, she's in Gotham? I find that unlikely."

"Do you find the fact that she suddenly showed up or the idea that she didn't visit Detroit before Gotham unlikely, Lantern?" Batman countered and glared at his teammate.

Moments before their discussion, Nightwing, The Flash, and Supergirl and shied away from the older heroes and stood a few yards from the large computer. They knew better than to meddle with Batman while he hypothesized. He needed his space.

The Batman studied Green Lantern's composure with his skillful eyes and noted that he was flushed. The mention of Hawkgirl had gotten John Stewart's hopes up, and Batman feared that could be a weakness in the near future.

Batman didn't believe that Shayera Hol was the perpetrator, but rather one of the victims; that just seemed more logical. Hawkgirl was a wanted woman, a Thanagarian who'd be tried for treason by any of Earth's nations and/or her own bellicose planet. She wouldn't get anything out of capturing the two women, and Batman figured that there was a hefty price on her head. He knew assassins would do their best to kill or imprison her.

"What about The Joker?"

"What about him?"

The Lantern began to pace behind Batman's chair as he thought aloud. "Do you believe he could be behind this?"

"What makes you think so?"

"Well, he's the only Gotham criminal that's ever challenged us."

"That doesn't mean others won't try."

"I didn't say that."

"You can't just name people. If we did that, we could add every lowlife from Gotham and Metropolis to that broad list."

GL nodded in defeat and sighed silently. He was in pain; that was evident in his green eyes. Batman could tell that it wasn't physical or mental, but emotional.

He could relate.

##

"Who is that guy?" Catwoman asked Shayera as they took a seat on the floor, beside each other. Batgirl and Diana did the same, forming a small square.

"Hai Talak," Shayera managed and ran a hand through her auburn hair, trying to ignore her trembling hands and quivering lips. "Commander Hro Talak's younger brother."

Diana folded her hands in her lap and spoke next. "He said he was banished from Thanagar. Why?"

Shayera knew that the question would come up, and she knew she had to tell them the truth. She had promised herself that there'd be no more lies in her life.

She had told John that she'd leave the lies behind.

"Long before I met any of you, about a few months before I was engaged, I had a quarrel with Hro. Hai found me in a bar, not far from my place, and he was comforting. We were talking, and I was drinking... After only two-thirds of a bottle, I blacked out. You see, Hai spiked my drink without my knowing."

"What happened?" Batgirl questioned carefully.

Shayera Hol forced her heavy eyes open and groaned. Her whole body ached as she tried to sit up in her bed. For some odd reason, she hurt in places that should not have been hurting. She glanced down at herself and noticed that she was naked and wrapped in a single comforter.

Her breasts were sore, bruised from bite marks, and her lip felt plump. There were scratch marks on her stomach and on her chest. Shayera stood from her mattress, daring to view the rest of her battered body. Her inner thighs were black and blue, as was her very private area north of her thighs, but she couldn't remember how it had all happened.

The last thing she recalled was talking to Hai in the bar.

The lieutenant pulled on some clothes and staggered to her bathroom. After switching the light on, she gasped. Her lip had doubled in size, and her left cheek had been clawed at. Her eyes were red-rimmed, presumably from crying, and her hair looked ravaged.

She couldn't believe that anyone, let alone her boyfriend's only brother, could harm her like that.

Before she could allow herself to feel ashamed, before she could pity herself, Shayera Hol felt rage pump through her veins. All the pain flushed from her body as she stormed to where she kept her electric mace. She grasped the handle and headed toward her living room, where she expected him to be.

Hai was a horrible little fowl that needed to be dealt with, and she didn't care about what was right or wrong. He had manipulated her vulnerable state. He had raped her. He had abused her. He had screwed with her womanhood, and she would make him pay for that.

To her irritation, her home was empty.

"Great Hera... What did you do?"

"I considered not telling anyone, but I knew I couldn't allow him to hurt another woman. I told Hro, and he granted his brother mercy by ordering Hai to leave Thanagar for good. My rape stayed a secret, and no one knew of Hai's treachery until now.

"Hai is a sick man. He was envious of his brother and wanted everything Hro had. Unfortunately, that included me."

"I'm so sorry," Batgirl told and placed a hand on top of the Thanagarian's. "I had no idea."

"Hro didn't treat me any differently after that day, and I was grateful for that. We did love each other once, many years ago. We just grew apart.

"Maybe you can understand my obligation to him and his cause. Maybe that helps you see why I did what I did five months ago, and maybe it'll help you all forgive my actions." She lowered her emerald eyes and bit her bottom lip. "I know it doesn't help me forgive myself."

"That doesn't matter right now," Catwoman told and rested her hand on Shayera's forearm. "We need to get you out of here as soon as possible. That bastard is doing this because of you, and I know he'll want to prove it in one way or another."

Diana moved her gaze to the burglar and asked, "How do you plan on doing that?"

When Catwoman didn't answer, Wonder Woman shook her head.

##

"We need to keep looking."

Supergirl nodded and turned her body to face Gotham's waters. She, Nightwing, and The Flash were on the docks, resting after their last sweep of the city. They were all friends of Barbara's, and she knew they were all aching in different ways.

Flash had taken a seat and had allowed his legs to dangle over the edge of the pier, and she stood beside him. Nightwing, on the other hand, stood a few yards away from the duo. His eyes were on the waves as well, but his mind wasn't.

Kara knew that Flash couldn't hear Dick's pleading like she could. His words were barely a whisper, but she could make out every syllable.

"Please God, don't let her die. I promised that I'd take care of her, that I'd watch over her. I need her in my life; she needs to know that I love her. You know I'd give my life for her, and that statement stands now. You can take me instead, if You'd like. Just let me hold her again."

Supergirl could feel the tears stinging her blue eyes, but she fought back her sobs. Nightwing didn't need a crybaby helping him. She had to be strong, for Babsy's sake.

"All right. Break's over," she announced and helped Flash to his feet. "I'll take the West Side. Flash, you start east. We'll all meet in the middle."

##

"Would you care for another cup of coffee, Mr. Stewart?" Alfred, Bruce's butler, asked as he poured Batman another mug.

"No thanks. This one's enough for me."

The old man nodded and placed the pot back onto the burner. "If you don't mind my asking, have you kept in contact with Miss Hol?"

John raised his glowing eyes with shock and shook his head. "No. I haven't seen her since she resigned." The Green Lantern took a seat on a steel chair Batman kept in the cave for guests and finished his black coffee.

"That's a pity. She struck me as a very bright young lady."

"She was," he confirmed and traced the rim of his cup with his gloved finger.

"Without pain, there would be no compassion. A very wise man told me that once."

"Sounds reasonable."

The butler gave a small chuckle and rested a hand on John's broad shoulder. "The perfect woman would not be perfect if she did not possess a flaw, for then a man would not want her so badly." When GL made eye contact with Alfred, Batman's devoted companion grinned. "It is not our pasts but rather the choices we will make and people we love that depict who we are."

With that morsel of philosophy, Alfred left the speechless Green Lantern and walked over to his employer, carrying the fresh mug of coffee.

##

"If you could pick any city to be in, which one would you choose?" Batgirl asked the cell of women without even looking at any of them.

Diana stared at the redheaded girl with interest and answered first. "I'd be on Themyscara, although it's more of an island than a city. What about you?"

Batgirl smiled at an apparently pleasant thought and said, "Bludhaven."

Shayera spoke next, with her eyes closed. "I'd be in Detroit, munching on takeout."

When the forth party didn't add to the conversation, Diana decided to personally question her. "Where would you be, Catwoman?"

"Paris."

"What have you got in Paris?"

"Nothing. That's the beauty of it. No one can be lonely in Paris. Ever. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from. You won't be alone in that city."

The Amazon princess thought of when she had first met Bruce Wayne at a party in Paris. They had danced together. Diana couldn't help smiling as she reminisced.

A harsh Thanagarian voice interrupted her stroll down memory lane and ripped her back to reality.

"How are we all doing?"

"Just peachy," Batgirl snapped and glared at their captor. "Yourself?"

"I really like you, little one. Maybe I could play with our winged rodent while I wait for the Joker to return."

"I don't think so," Catwoman remarked and stood from the floor. "You wouldn't like her. She's too inexperienced for your taste."

"What would make you think that?"

"Well," Catwoman explained and motioned toward Shayera, "you enjoyed using that one. She's been around the block a few times, hasn't she?"

Diana's jaw dropped. "How dare you speak of Shayera in such a manner!"

Catwoman only rolled her green eyes. "Please. Keep it down, Wonder Whore. We all know the only reason you can't wait to get out is because you need to jump the bones of the Bat, A.S.A.P."

"You wretched piece of –"

"Silence, woman," Hai demanded and smiled at Selina. "Now, you were saying...?"

"I bet you've never had a human. Ask Hawkgirl. We're pretty good in the sack."

Shayera began shaking her head, clearly hurt by that last comment.

"Actually, I had no idea."

"Well, maybe someone should teach you a few things before you leave Earth." Catwoman leaned against the wall and ran her claws against the metal bars. "What do you say?"

To Diana's amazement, Hai unlocked the cell.

##

A/N: Sorry if that chapter was a bit graphic, but I needed to portray what kind of monster Hai is. He's nothing like Hro, and I had to emphasize that.

Also, did everyone notice the hints the writers are leaving us in those JLU episodes? John called out Shayera's name in episode 1, and Mongul used a Thanagarian axe against Diana. HA! (Sorry. I'm a loser...)