"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?
Thanks for all the reviews!!
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Chapter 10:
"Are they fake?"
John blinked, removing his stare from the abyss, and glanced at Flash. "Excuse me?"
"Her wings. Are they fake? I mean, I figured you'd know 'cause of your relationship with her." The kid then bit his lower lip. "Unless you two weren't on that level yet..."
"They're real," GL interrupted and scratched his hairy chin. "Batman must have discovered a way to conceal them."
Flash nodded. "Where do you think she's been all this time?"
His teammate shrugged. "I have no idea."
After a few moments of silence, Flash added, "Is it just me, or are we even more depressed than we were just thirty minutes ago?"
"How do you mean?"
"It's like we're being teased. She's there, with one of our teammates, but she's still so far away."
John moistened his lips and stared at his right hand, the one Hro had broken. "It's not just you." GL stood and pressed the comm-link in his ear. "Lantern to Diana."
"I read you, Lantern."
"Dispatch another combatant to take my place in Rome."
Flash's eyes widened. "What? I don't think that's such a –"
"Shut up, Wally." John then returned to his conversation with the Amazon. "Can it be done?"
"I got specific orders not to –"
"Can it be done, Princess?"
There was a pause before Diana answered. "Yes. I'll send Caption Atom. Wait for him to arrive, and then you are free to go to Metropolis."
"Good."
Diana gave a heavy sigh. "I don't agree with your request, Lantern, but I know I wouldn't be able to stop you. I don't want Flash all alone in Italy either; that's an catastrophe waiting to happen."
John smiled to himself and glanced in his partner's direction.
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"I know her."
Clark finished his rum and coke and raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Sara Hall. I think I've met her before." Lois leaned back in her chair and rubbed her chin. "She looks so familiar."
"Funny. I don't recognize her."
"Of course not, Smallville. I'm good with faces, and your memory is not as good as mine."
Kent had to stop himself from laughing out loud. If she only knew how blind she could be sometimes...
Suddenly, Sara Hall tossed her drink in Bruce's face and stomped off in the direction of the bar. Both Lois and Clark's mouths dropped, and the billionaire gracefully picked up a napkin and wiped his face as he made his way to the reporters' table.
"What was that about?" the fiery brunette questioned her ex-boyfriend when he got within hearing range. "What did you say to her?"
Bruce didn't answer. It was if he had turned into Batman before their eyes.
"Maybe you should get yourself cleaned up?" Clark suggested and motioned toward the stairs. "The restrooms are that way."
Without a single word, Bruce Wayne walked away, but Clark knew he wouldn't be by the sink for long.
He'd be somewhere else in the house.
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"So, you came alone to your own party?" Sara asked and sipped a little more of her wine. "I'm sorry to say that I find that a little odd."
He laughed, and she somehow knew it was practiced. "Well, we aren't all Bruce Wayne."
"Thank God." She then took hold of his left wrist to check the time on his watch. "It's two."
"So? Where have you got to be?"
The green-eyed wonder raised an eyebrow. "In bed. It's late."
"Whose bed? Wayne's?"
Sara narrowed her eyes, instinctively, and had to force herself not to scowl.
All men were scoundrels... or at least most of them.
"Why does it matter to you?" she countered, anger burning in her veins. How dare he act as if she were some common whore...
"Because I was contemplating over taking you to a late lunch/early dinner tomorrow. What do you say?"
"Actually –"
He interrupted. "Five o'clock it is. My place. You already know how to get here, right?"
"Sure," she agreed and strained a grin.
"Great."
"Sara," Bruce called and took hold of her elbow. "We've got to go."
"She may not be ready to go, Bruce."
"Don't be so sure."
"Actually, I am. Lex, it was nice meeting you. I'll see you soon. Come on, Bruce."
Together, the couple left Luthor's mansion without glancing back. Sara didn't want to see any of the Leaguers, Lois, or Lex as she breezed passed them. After getting in the black automobile, both parties dropped their acts.
"Find anything?"
While she had distracted the host, Bruce had gone to the bathroom to clean himself off. What the guests didn't know was that he had searched the house during those twenty-seven minutes.
"No. He has an elaborate security system, intended to keep Superman out."
"But Batman could surely slip through, correct?" She sighed and gently tousled her auburn strands.
"There was nothing."
"So –"
He interrupted, "You have to do your job tomorrow. I'm sure you've been prepared to go beyond the call of duty."
Shayera's green eyes widened. "What is that supposed to mean?" When Bruce didn't answer her, she repeated the question, in a lower tone. Again, he did not answer.
She turned her head from him and sifted her gaze to the trees they were passing, not knowing how to react to his scrutiny. If one didn't know her story, maybe the conjecture was plausible.
"Is that what he's been telling you? That I used him? That all I wanted was a warm body to curl up next to? Because I was lonely? Because I hadn't fucked someone in nearly five years?"
"He hasn't said a word, and that isn't how I wanted it to sound."
"You bastard." Shayera tightened the white shawl around her shoulders and pulled herself into a fetal position. "How dare you..."
"Didn't the Thanagarians train their spies to separate love and sex? I didn't think the matter would bother you."
"Where is this coming from, Bruce? I thought that –"
"I'm trying to understand your training, Shayera. I need to know if you can handle it." He gave her a sideways glance. "I don't what you to..."
"Get hurt?" she finished. "It's too late. I hurt myself a long time ago."
He slightly nodded, and they didn't say another word until they reached his penthouse.
When they arrived, he mumbled the words "Let's go," signaling her to get out of the car. She walked ahead of him, making sure that he couldn't see the pain written in her mascara-bled eyes.
Shayera wasn't one to cry. She wasn't one to care what others thought of her.
And she kept telling herself that.
"I'm going to take a shower," she stated and headed for her room. Twenty minutes later, she stepped back out, wearing a pale-green chemise she found in a drawer; it had probably belonged to either Selina Kyle or Lois Lane before her because it was too small for Diana and her two 'friends.'
The entire penthouse apartment had been darkened, but she dared to walk to Bruce's room and give him a piece of her mind.
Without knocking, she opened the door, unafraid of the batglare that she'd most likely receive.
To her surprise, his bed was empty, but his windows were wide open, permitting the curtains to flutter in the night's cold air.
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"Find anything?" Superman asked the Dark Knight as he landed on the roof of the Daily Planet.
"No. I managed to get past most of the security before my leave would have been suspicious."
"You're lucky most people were paying attention to your date. By the way, why the hell did you bring her?"
Batman narrowed the eyes of his cowl, and Superman didn't hesitate to do the same.
"I'm not an official member of the League. My motives are not yours to question."
Superman grunted and folded his arms across his chest. "Maybe not, but she once was. That, unfortunately for you, makes her my business."
"She's resigned, and thus severed all ties with you and the others." Batman turned his back to his part-time partner and started to walk toward the ledge, but a female voice stopped him.
"What do you mean she's resigned?" Lois's voice yelled as she quickly joined the heroes. "That Sara Hall is Hawkgirl?"
"Lois –"
"Smart idea, Boy Scout. Get the press involved. That's just what she needs before her interrogation of Luthor. "
"She's meeting with him tomorrow?" Lois asked and turned to look at the man Batman knew she loved.
"Lois –" Superman started, but Batman interrupted again.
"Did you bring her?"
"No." The Man of Steel shook his head. "Batman... you better know what you're doing." With that, he flew away, leaving the ex-lovers on the rooftop.
"Are you dating her...for real?" Lois asked and stood face to face with the Bat. "Because, if you are, that's just –"
"What, Lois? Horrible?"
"I was thinking along the lines of revolting, but we'll go with yours."
Batman sized her up and turned away.
"Hold on! How the hell can you trust her? She's a traitor, for Christ's sake! I don't understand."
The Caped Crusader whirled around to face the nosy reporter again and spewed, "Of course not, Lois. There are some things that you'll never know, and Hawkgirl is one of them."
Her expression shared that she was both surprised and hurt. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Because he was Batman and because he didn't have an answer, he didn't reply. Instead he jumped off the rooftop and shot his grapple gun.
Ten minutes after meeting with BOTH Lois and Clark, Batman entered his penthouse. Ten minutes after that, he had changed and was headed for the kitchen.
The entire place was pitch black, and he figured he'd look in on Shayera after finding a bottle of water. He was really –
"Thirsty?" her voice asked from the darkness of the kitchen. She sat at the kitchen table with a shot glass in hand and a half-empty bottle of what looked like Jack Daniels on the table. Shayera poured herself a glass, swallowed it, and sighed. It was then when Bruce realized she hadn't switched off the disruptor.
"I see you found the liquor cabinet."
"No question to why you are the greatest detective on Earth. Your keen observations are so insightful." Shayera skipped the tedious pouring and drank straight out of the bottle.
"You're drunk."
She laughed. "That's good, Detective. Now what am I thinking?" When he didn't answer, she laughed harder and stood from her seat. "No. Nothing is the wrong response." Shayera stumbled to him, and he grabbed her arms to steady her.
"Shayera. You need to get to bed."
The Thanagarian chuckled. "Wow. You are the best detective." Unexpectedly, Shayera's lips covered Bruce's, and for the first time, he didn't know how to respond.
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