"Questioning"

By: The Angelic Temptress

Disclaimer: DC Comics, Bruce Timm, Warner Bros. and others own all the characters, save one. No infringement is intended. The story idea is mine, and the characters are only being borrowed for practice. I'm not making any money.

Rating: PG-13 for language

Spoilers: "Starcrosssed" and parts of "The Return"

XX

Chapter 2: Quick Exchanges

The morning after the vigilante had found his way into her hotel room, the detective discovered a typed note with her morning paper, specifically ordering Alexia to meet the next Leaguer at and address outside of Gotham City.

Of course, she had to obey. She had no other choice.

At ten o'clock, she caught the train running non-stop to Central City. The ride hadn't taken too long; she arrived there at a quarter to two and was expected to meet the superhero at two thirty.

After getting directions from the advisor of the local orphanage, Alexia soon found herself standing outside a pizza parlor when she had anticipated an abandoned warehouse.

Zorica strolled inside, carefully observing everyone she passed. When she spotted an empty booth, she took a seat.

Fifteen minutes after the meeting should have started and three seconds before the detective was about to leave, the parlor's door burst open as a streak of red raced in. The figure stopped beside her, leaned on the table, and grinned.

"Hey babe," The Flash greeted, his eyes quickly "checking" her out. "Waiting for me?"

Alexia's eyes narrowed. "You're sixteen minutes late."

"What do you mean? I gave you a margin of error, just in case there was traffic." The young hero flagged down the waiter and ordered two colas before sitting down across from her.

"I don't drink soda."

"That's all right. I get a superhero's discount. So, you hungry? I'm buying."

She rested the urge to roll her dark eyes. "No. Can we get on with this? I've got a job to do."

"Hey lady, simmer down. You're the one who wanted to see me." When the waiter brought out his drinks, Flash added to his order. "Could I get two extra large pizzas? One with sausage and peppers; the other with pineapple? Thanks."

The detective's jaw dropped. "You're not planning on finishing both of those, are you?"

"Hello? I am the fastest man alive. My metabolism isn't exactly normal, you know." He gulped the first drink and wiped his mouth this the back of his gloved hand. Out of nowhere, he belched. "So, what do you want to ask me? Hopefully, it's my phone number."

"When was the last time you spoke to Hawkgirl?"

Flash mumbled, "Well, that was cold," and crossed his arms over the lightening bolt on his chest, sighing. "Why do you care?"

Alexia studied the young man. Like Batman, he wore a mask to conceal his face and his identity, but, instead of pointy ears, he had lightning bolts attached to the sides of his head. His suit was a bright red, complete with a lightening bolt in the middle of his chest.

He looked ridiculous.

"I'm a Federal agent who has been assigned to track her down, and there is a warrant for her arrest. Didn't Batman brief you before hand?"

He narrowed his eyes as well. "A little over four months ago, when the Thanagarians retreated."

"Were you with the other five Leaguers that day?"

"Yeah."

"Where?"

After a moment of thought, he answered. "Gotham City."

"Could you be more specific?"

"Uh-uh. I don't think so, Miss FBI agent. You're trying to find out where The Bat's hideout is."

"I could talk a judge into giving me legal documentation for the search of that hideout."

"Find a person who'll point it out to you, and you just might have a threat."

The Flash wasn't as dumb as she had hoped. The worst fact of the matter was that he obviously still cared for the traitor, either as a friend or a brother. Alexia could see it in his defensive posture.

"Did Hawkgirl have a relationship with any of the other Leaguers?"

The Flash started his second glass of the unhealthy liquid. "Listen up. I don't think I have to give you any information about her love life."

"I'm sorry that this troubles you, but she didn't have family on the planet. Why wouldn't I ask –?"

Flash cut her sentence short. "She didn't have a boyfriend. She lived on the Watchtower."

"The one that had been destroyed?"

"Yeah. The one Batman used to destroy the hyperspace bypass… thingy."

The woman was getting annoyed. He was changing the subject. "According to the Joker's broadcast from Las Vegas last year, the Lantern may have had feelings for the turncoat."

"Turncoat? What's a… oh. Oh! She's a traitor? Obviously, you didn't get the memo."

"Then enlighten me."

The Flash clenched his jaw, and she could imagine the smoke seeping from his ears. "She was in the no-win situation. She could have either helped Thanagar or saved Earth from annihilation. If it hadn't been for her, if she hadn't gone up against her commander, all the people of Earth, including the Green Lantern, would be dead!"

Alexia raised a perfect eyebrow. "So, you believe her betrayal to be justified?"

He grunted. "I'm not saying that she was right or wrong. I'm just explaining what she had to deal with."

The detective stood and straightened her tweed coat. "Was she a defender of Earth? Or was she a warrior for a bellicose planet?" When Flash did not reply, she added, "Her people wanted to destroy your planet to save their own. How could –?"

"She didn't know," he muttered and sighed. "They lied to her like they had lied to us."

"And what if she had known her world's plans before even setting foot on Earth?"

Flash slightly shook his head. "Then lady, we'd be talking about a whole other Hawkgirl."