Chapter Eight
Disclaimer - Justice League and all of its characters belong to their respective owners, although I wouldn't mind meeting few of them. : D so no suing me! Please? Oh and the plot and the character Liz are owned by me and me alone. Umm... and write me a review if you actually want to see more of this fanfic. (I think it sucks personally but whatever.)
Previously: Superman picked Liz up and carried her to the javelin that would take her back to earth. He strapped her in and left as soon as he saw that Batman had sat down in the pilot's seat. The javelin took off towards earth with Batman hoping he could find her a treatment in time.
Batman arrived at his mansion to Alfred saying, "Master Bruce, you have guests awaiting you're arrival in the dining room. Your tuxedo is ready and waiting over there." He said while taking his cape and vaguely pointing to a hook. "Was everything well for you this evening?"
Batman scowled, "Sadly no Alfred. Liz is sick and waiting in the javelin for treatment. Put her in a guest bedroom that she can use permanently, preferably the one that faces the woods. Oh and bandage her wounds as best as you can while I attend to our guests." Batman changed quickly into his tuxedo taking on the guise of Bruce Wayne; the billionaire bachelor playboy. And he was about to announce that he was going to be Liz's caretaker or guardian.
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Back at the tower things were calm at the moment since Superman returned to the daily planet and Wonder Woman had gone out on an assignment. Flash was doing whatever he did on earth and Green Lantern was out patrolling the galaxy. Hawkgirl and J'onn J'onzz were the only ones left. J'onn was on surveillance and Hawkgirl was sleeping as long as she could until her shift. J'onn, neglecting his duties, was searching for the bat with his mind to make sure he knew what he was up to.
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Bruce thoughtfully took the make shift stage for his announcement when J'onn entered his mind. 'What are you doing?' J'onn asked. 'Making sure Liz stays safe.' Was the annoyed response. 'By making her live with batman whom if he had any loved ones his enemies would surely use them to get to you?' J'onn replied. 'Liz can defend herself or else kipper will for her, but when she's sick like this I am the only one who can take care of her.' Bruce felt J'onn abruptly leave his mind and thought nothing of it.
"Attention everyone," Bruce called out in a booming voice, "I have an announcement to make." He continued only when the room was silent. "I have decided to be caretaker or in other words guardian for a teenager," holding up his hand to stop the questions, "but she will remain hidden from the public until I deem that you are ready to accept her. Right now though, she is sick. So if you have any questions leave you're number with Alfred and I will be sure to get back to you. Good night everyone." He waved and moved off the stage and out of the doors before the questions could reach his ears. Alfred was highly annoyed since he was now swamped with bits of paper and complaining guests and they left unsatisfied but boiling over with the news.
Bruce was soon in Liz's bedroom or the old guest bedroom and he watched as all of the guests left. Liz was murmuring softly in her sleep. She turned towards Bruce and he realized that she was completely naked and that Alfred had been careful not to reveal anything too badly. Her legs stuck out at awkward angles and were bandaged most precisely as were her arms. Bruce could see that the wounds anywhere else were not bandaged and Alfred had left them alone in order for Liz to keep her privacy. He leaned closer to her what she was saying but fell on the King sized bed right next to her and she shifted so that her arm was on top of his muscular chest. Bruce could finally her what she was murmuring though much to his interest she was saying, "never… leave… please…" And held onto him tightly and started shaking. Batman realized that she was crying and sleeping but ended up rolling over and hiccupping after a while. He was released from her grasp.
Batman stumbled out of her room and saw Alfred coming down the hall. "Alfred, I need you to get me some tea. I have a project that needs to be finished." Alfred called out as Bruce was turning around, "Master Bruce, might I ask why you have decided to care for this teenager?" Bruce walked on ignoring the question. Alfred sighed and went to make the tea.
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Back at the watchtower, Hawkgirl who was distressed out of her wits had pulled J'onn from batman's mind. "J'onn! Green Lantern has been captured!!! We have to go save him!" She said as worried as she could ever appear. J'onn's eyes widened and he immediately sent for superman. "We'll have to do this without wonder woman and flash. Batman is very preoccupied at the moment." Hawkgirl took it that batman was either sleeping or at some event. Either way he could not be interrupted apparently.
As the 3 left to go save the comrade who was in danger, Pasher was not going to give up. No one had realized that he had created the virus in Liz. It was going to kill her off unless he delivered the antidote. Soon Liz would start reacting drastically and break out in fevers up to 106 degrees! Her skin would become rough to the touch and they would visibly be able to see it dry up. Her forehead would turn a nasty shade of red and then the symptoms would get worse and worse giving her the ultimate pain before she died in 24 hours or less. He would soon broadcast it and then he would be set for the capture of Liz, and then even more, the torturing and maybe killing of her too.
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Alfred came down the steps into the Batcave about a half an hour after Bruce had visited Liz. "She is worsening and I now know why. Please switch your computer to the television. It doesn't matter what station its on all of them." He said and waited for him to switch then promptly walked off.
Batman was intently watching Pasher on his super computer, he said, "As some of you know by now there is a being that is part dragon living among you. Her name is Liz and she will die within 24 hours or less unless she is brought to crime alley. I have the antidote right here." He held up a bottle with orange liquid in it. "There is no known cure for the disease I created for her so you better hurry up justice league. You can't do a single thing to save her except to hand her over to me. Oh and Commissioner Gordon is here too so if you try anything funny well, I'll just have to shoot him. Ta-ta." He said in a taunting voice as he sidestepped to show the commissioner bound and gagged with a thug holding a gun up to his head. Maniacal laughter sounded and the transmission was abruptly cut off and the scheduled program appeared again. Only to be interrupted by the breaking news bulletin.
Batman carefully thought through what was about to occur and decided to call J'onn to see if he was available to fool Pasher again. Upon receiving no answer on the phone Batman tried calling with his mind and only received the faint words of, '…save green…now!' Apparently green lantern was in danger. 'But that's not right! I just saw him on main street about two hours ago.' Thinking, batman went to the phone and called him. He heard a sleepy voice on the other end. "Whoever you think you are you better be important or your situation better be for waking me up this early." He heard a groan and Batman guessed he looked at the clock again. 'Well he's certainly not in danger.' Batman thought as he put the phone back on the cradle.
Batman sent a message with his mind to J'onn. He then went back to puzzling out how to keep Liz out of danger. After several hours of researching and scheming Batman still couldn't figure out how to save Liz when the appointed time was coming on fast. Wonder Woman paged in. "Batman, do you know where everyone went?" she asked.
"No, but I could use your help to save Liz." He replied with an arched eyebrow. Wonder woman grinned and ended the transmission.
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Wonder Woman walked solemnly down crime alley carrying the real Liz who was deathly sick in a bathrobe. She laid her down on a perfectly white pallet. "Come out Pasher, she's here and we want the antidote." A haunting voice came from the shadows, "How do I know its not J'onn again?" Wonder Woman was frustrated, "Look at her! Do you think J'onn could even begin to imitate those symptoms?" She heard a shuffling of footsteps and immediately went on guard. "Now, now, Wonder woman, that doesn't look very trusting of you does it? So that must be the real Liz." Pasher stepped out of the shadows, "this is what you're looking for eh?" He said holding up a vial with the orange antidote in it. Wonder Woman grabbed at it and he was surprised when she knocked his chin instead of going for the vial. "Now Batman!" Thugs swarmed out of the shadows as Batman swooped down and caught the vial. "Got it Diana!" he said and dropped down beside Liz. They all seemed to hold their breath as Batman poured half of the vial down her throat and watched as she swallowed. Her skin started to return to normal and her wings unfurled killing her bathrobe. She rose in a swath of white light and was glowing as she danced in the air above them. She smiled as her body was cloaked in white and she drifted down settling in Batman's arms wearing a turtle-necked, full-sleeved, white dress that went past her knees. "Can we go home now?" she asked him sleepily and he saw silver scars appearing on her face. He whispered to her, "sure." And then he turned to Wonder Woman. "Ready?" she knocked another guard out and grabbed Pasher by the scruff and flung him against the nearest brick wall. "Ok, I'm ready." Liz smiled and took Wonder Woman's hand and they were surrounded in blue light and found themselves at the tower without Liz. 'Don't worry, I'm back home.' She said in Batman's mind. He smiled, "that girl…" and his voiced trailed off.
Hawkgirl burst through the door from the Javelin docking bay. "Green Lantern wasn't there!" Batman sighed and said, "Ever think of looking for him on earth first?" Hawkgirl thought for a moment, "I'll go check if he's there." And ran off to find the nearest phone. J'onn came right up to batman and asked, "Is Liz okay?" Before he could reply they heard the response, "Better than okay. Check me out!" Liz walked towards them out of the shadows and they realized she had changed physically. She was taller; more endowed, and had a spicier attitude on top of that. She was wearing a white tank top with well-worn blue jeans. "Well what do you think?" They all gaped at her not knowing what to say when the rest of the league arrived gaping at her too. By then she had gotten bored and sat down on the floor and then took a nap. "What do we do with you now?" Superman asked Liz.
"Release me into the world so I can have some fun!" She stood up and twirled in mid-air and then landed with her back to them. That's when they realized her wings had become more feathery and soft. Superman shook his head, "No way, you know we can't allow you to do that." Liz pouted and flew up to the second floor of the observation window and stared glumly out the window. Kipper soon appeared by her side to comfort her when she pitied herself for not being able to see her friends or try to live a normal life again. J'onn joined her when he sensed she wouldn't attack him if he did.
"It's not so bad living at the watch tower. You know that don't you?" J'onn asked half turning towards her. "I guess so…" and she kept petting Kipper. "But I wish I could live normally again, or at least with the dragons again." She gazed longingly out the window and sighed. "Yes but we can not always have what we want," turning all the way towards her now he said, "read my mind. Witness what has happened to me and all the pain and suffering I have been through." She looked at him skeptically and then gave him a questioning look with her eyebrow. He nodded his head and so she placed her hands on his temples, "You sure?" "Positive." She looked into his mind and saw all of the misfortunes he had had to deal with during his life and he started screaming and reverting back to his original form and they were surrounded in a blue globe as Liz screamed with him and felt the same pain he did after losing everything, yet he could still go on live with his choices. The other members rushed towards them to see them surrounded in a blue dome that seemed to have its own wind and Liz with her eyes glowing blue and open and J'onn back in his original form screaming and having a complete look of agony on his face. A blur of images passed before her eyes and she let go. She had read his entire mind and was faint. Her head was smoking from the effort and the dome fell away and as she fell backwards batman rushed to catch her. J'onn started to fall backwards and Wonder Woman caught him with the same speed Batman had.
Liz was murmuring in a panicked tone and Batman held her close. She said clearly enough so that they could all hear, "He has experienced so much pain, I can't believe all that has happened to him…" her voice trailed off and silent tears ran down her cheeks. She tried to stand up but Batman firmly said, "No, I'll carry you wherever you need to go." She smiled weakly at him and said, "I need to go to the edge of this level." Batman didn't hesitate and brought her to the edge but held onto her. She escaped his grasp by moving suddenly and jumping off the platform; she had to know if she could still fly after all that pain. "NO!" Batman cried as she plummeted and fell off like a rock. She tried with all her might to open her wings and Flash raced down and caught her right before she hit the ground. "Now why would you go and do a thing like that?"
She whimpered, "I needed to know if I was happy enough to fly, but I guess I'm not a dragon anymore because they're always happy with just the idea of flying and that's how they can fly." With that her wings withdrew into her back and left scorched marks on her back while she cringed in pain. Kipper stood beside her and yelped as a claw emerged from a red glow and nabbed him saying in the deepest voice anyone could ever hear, "She is not a dragon until she is happy enough to fly, that means you stay with us until she is." "Kipper! NNNOOOOO!!!!!" She screamed after the claw as it took the last of her family away from her. She desperately struggled in flash's arms. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
"Put me down, put me down!" she was sobbing at him. She struggled out of his grasp and stumbled to the floor. She tried to call upon her magic but nothing worked. She started sobbing even more hoarsely. Then she was too weak to do anything but lie there. Batman was down the stairs by now and had watched the horrible scene. Superman gathered the limp figure in his arms and realized she was deep asleep; but then realized she wasn't sleeping because she muttered, "Goodbye my Batman." And fell into a coma. Batman's horror was concealed behind his mask. He took Liz from Superman and left without another word.
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Back in the bat cave Batman set Liz up with a tank that would keep her alive until she awoke from her coma. He set it up so that no one would have to do anything to the tank and set an alarm up too so when she awoke he would know. Batman lets Kipper stay next to the cage to guard it until the day where she awakes and is his once more…