"Fallen Angels"
Disclaimer: I own no one.
Rating: PG-13 for the usual stuff. (coughs)
Spoilers: Through "Initiation"
Pairings: Wouldn't you like to know?
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Chapter 8:
"I don't want to have the Lantern on monitor duty tonight, J'onn. Find someone else." Bruce's blue eyes stared straight into J'onn's orange ones and narrowed. "It isn't necessary to make this alliance any tougher than it already is."
The Martian's plain expression had not changed as he questioned, "Has she been difficult?"
"No, of course not. I believe that John may react without thinking and show up at the banquet unannounced, blowing all our covers."
J'onn disagreed. "Lantern isn't one to immediately act on impulse. Yes, he cares for her. Yes, he aches for her, but he would not jeopardize an operation to apprehend her. That much, I do know." Surprisingly, the Martian's face fell. "But I did send John and Flash to Rome on a mission early this morning."
Beside the image of J'onn on his laptop, Bruce opened another window and searched for The Green Lantern's signal. Sure enough, he found it. After sending a message, the billionaire waited for GL to reply.
Within minutes, John's cold expression appeared on the computer screen. The Detroit-born marine's radiant eyes stared directly ahead and into Bruce's.
"Lantern here."
"Report your findings," Bruce demanded more than requested, but the order hadn't bothered his teammate.
"There was a terrorist attack near the Coliseum, and several American tourists were killed. Unfortunately, it has something to do with the elections occurring in the fall."
"How do you know?"
John's shoulders actually slumped. "The police found a little girl's body, wrapped in an American flag. A letter was found in her mouth..."
Successfully avoiding showing sympathy for the child's untimely demise, Bruce motioned GL to continue.
"It said something along the lines of supporting Luthor if he entered office. The Italian government has refused releasing the information to the press but has already contacted the White House."
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Shayera stretched her wings as she yawned. While checking the alarm clock and dressing at the same time, she noted that it was nearly eleven. She had slept for almost five hours.
That had to be a new record for her.
That, or Bruce had slipped something into her mocha during the flight.
Wearing gray drawstring sweatpants and a white tank, the Thanagarian quietly strode down the hallway of the Wayne penthouse but stopped just outside her host's bedroom. She heard him speaking.
"I'm pleased that they contacted The United States, but I want you and Flash to take part in the investigation. I want to know which terrorist group planted the bomb in the car. I don't think we can automatically assume that they are of Middle-Eastern origin, but it's still a likelihood."
"Understood. Didn't Luthor have a lot of influence in England at one time?" another very familiar voice said.
Shayera's breath got stuck in her throat, and she closed her eyes to focus on his voice alone.
"Perhaps we can trace every group donating to his campaign? I'm sure one of them is bound to have criminal records or terrorist connections of some sort."
Bruce concurred. "I'll have Batgirl cross reference backers and terrorist groups."
"Good. Anyway, keep your eyes peeled tonight. Lantern out."
As Bruce exchanged a few words with J'onn, Shayera started to breathe again. Hearing his voice had caused all her memories to flood back into her mind.
She couldn't help analyzing his tone, noticing the change in it. He sounded so much older and really bitter. Had she done that to him? Had she forced him to change? Had she hurt John that badly?
Shy couldn't help but imagine him sitting in the darkness, alone and pondering over everything she had done to him. He probably couldn't laugh or smile anymore.
Shayera was to blame. Or Hawkgirl was. Or his girlfriend. Or Hro's fiancé.
She didn't know anymore.
"You can come in now." The billionaire's voice interrupted her thoughts. Pretending as if she hadn't been preoccupied with the sound of John's voice, she flashed a false smile as she entered his room.
Shayera didn't even give him the chance to question what she had been doing outside his bedroom.
"I'm hungry. Let's go out to breakfast, unless you know how to cook."
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"I will have Diana take monitor duty this evening, so you should not fret about it."
The Lantern nodded. "Thanks J'onn."
"You are quite welcome. Be safe."
"You too." With that, the connection was cut.
John suspended the laptop and yawned. The sun was still hanging pretty high because it was only ten after one in Italy, but he was exhausted. He hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, or any night for the past year.
But he didn't really want to reflect on that again.
The Green Lantern glanced around the modest hotel room and sighed. He didn't want to be in Rome, but he didn't really want to be on Earth either. It seemed that the entire planet reminded him of her.
His gaze moved to the patio doors where three birds had gathered to sing.
Birds. He needed to go someplace where birds didn't exist. He didn't want to see them flying. He didn't want to see their feathers or hear their happiness.
While he was at it, he hated women with red hair... He didn't want to see a redhead walking down the street. Even though they never possessed a pair of angelic wings, something inside of John always managed to stir with anticipation. Did he really expect her to be walking around as a civilian on a planet where most people wanted to have her head on a silver platter?
Then again, he has to admit that stranger things have happened.
But she needed to be away from Earth as well.
There was only one good thing about being in Rome. There were no Chinese restaurants in Italy.
That was nice.
With a gush of wind, a red streak whirled into the room through the terrace doors and stopped before the Lantern.
"I just had the most amazing pizza. It was incredible. And the McDonald's I had for lunch... the meat actually tasted fresh. Weird, huh? You'd think ours would be better."
GL decided to interrupt the hotshot. "I talked to J'onn, and he wants us to stick around here for a few more days."
"Sweet. We should go to a club tonight. I'm sure I could persuade a few Romans into having dinner with us. What do ya say?"
"Sorry to burst your bubble, kid, but we happen to be here on business. That means no clubbing."
Flash rolled his eyes and sat down on his unmade bed. "And I thought Bats was uptight," he mumbled and crossed his arms over the lightening bolt on his chest. "What are we doing here anyway? There isn't anything we can do; the police have got it covered. Plus, only the U.S. appreciates us and lets us to help out."
GL permitted his glowing eyes to wander and noted the twin beds. His had already been made. Flash, on the other hand, had taken a quick nap earlier that day, and his wrinkled sheets were proof of it.
It almost made GL laugh. John remembered when Shy complained about making the bed in the morning. He would always do it, leaving her with the task of watching. She'd wait for him to finish before jumping back onto the bed.
She said his face turned a beautiful shade of crimson.
The funny thing is that he never got frustrated with her.
Not until he learned she had lied to him.
"What are you thinking about?"
John snapped out of his thoughts and stood. "Nothing."
"Liar. You've got a 'Something' face."
"I'm going to scout the city. See you in a bit."
"Avoiding the subject again, huh?"
Without answering, The Green Lantern flew out the room and didn't look back.
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Bruce pulled on his tux coat and straitened his bowtie before calling Shayera's name. Had they wanted to be at the banquet fashionably late, they should have left ten minutes ago.
Now they'd just be late.
The billionaire touched his hair again, making sure it was to his liking and grabbed his date's shawl from the couch. When he turned toward the hallway, he was surprised to see the wingless Thanagarian staring straight back at him.
Loose curls had somehow found their way into her short auburn hair, and she was wearing a little makeup to bring out her emerald eyes. Her white, satin, Valentino dress fit her body perfectly. Because it was strapless, her strong, slender shoulders were accented, as was a hint of cleavage. The dress ended just below the knee, with a tiny slit on her left side, and she had finished the ensemble with white stiletto heels.
Bruce silently thanked that the banquet hadn't been after Labor Day. He couldn't picture her wearing anything else.
"Well Bruce, how do I look?"
"Like my date should."
She smiled slowly walked to him. "I'm going to guess that the remark was a compliment." Shayera took the white shawl from his hands and wrapped her shoulders in it.
"One of the highest."
"Well, I always knew you were arrogant. I just didn't think you looked at your women in the same manner."
Bruce was speechless. She had said, 'Your women?' Shayera wasn't his.
She stepped to the side and offered her elbow. "Shall we go, Mr. Wayne? We wouldn't want to keep Lex and his power hungry friends waiting."
The billionaire linked his arm with hers. "Miss Hall, nothing would give me greater pleasure."
"Other than taking down that bald bastard and revealing his dirty tricks to the rest of the world, of course."
Sometimes she could be so blunt.
"Of course."
And, surprisingly, she knew him rather well.
He had always known that she had been an essential member of the team.
That is why he was one of the four who had voted to keep her after the invasion.
Unlike Diana.
And Clark.
Now it was time to face the toughest critic of all: Lois Lane.
Nothing like a reporter to blow your cover...
Together, the duo walked to the penthouse's elevator and headed for the limousine. Bruce had tried to study her actions.
Her green eyes were discreetly darting from side to side, and she was rubbing her hands.
Obviously, she was nervous.
But he knew she was ready.
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