As promised, here is a brand new chapter in the Trials of Anna. I would like to thank everyone who read and reviewed this fic, and most of all, everyone who have been so patient as I worked to get this fic edited and re-posted. I wish that I could have gotten caught up sooner, but my schedule just didn't allow for it. Thank you again, and now on to the new chapter.
Disclaimer: If you think that I own any of these Marvel characters, then you're screwier than a Squirrel trying to eat a lug nut!
James returns to the office from his lunch break. He hadn't heard anything from Anna or Ororo since they left. He assumes that everything is going well since he hasn't gotten a call from, what would be his estranged wife demanding a divorce. The thought of how much she would take from him in alimony alone was enough to scare him straight for the rest of his life. Hooking up with Ororo the first time was a mistake. Doing it again was just plain stupid.
James decides not to let the "Ororo Situation" Interfere with his work. He had his own problems to deal with at the moment. He had a meeting with all the Kids who made up the "New Mutants" on the show. Because they were mostly supporting players on the show, it was decided that James would meet with all of them at once in one of the offices conference rooms.
Because Most of them were under aged, James had the added pleasure of having to deal with "Stage Parents". Meeting with all of them at once was mostly James's idea. His main reasoning was that since he was meeting with them all at once, he didn't have to deal with their parents complaining that one child was getting preferential treatment over the others. A lesson that he learned very well while having to deal with the kids of Xiaolin Showdown. Trying to convince parents that he was not showing preferential treatment towards one kid just because he met with them first was not something that he wanted to deal with. Especially when dealing with as many kids as there was on the show.
James gathers everything that he is going to need for his meeting with the New Mutants. Contracts, files (On both the actors and their parents), as well as a detailed list of things that he wanted to go over with for each actor. James even set the alarm on his cell to ring in 43 minutes to give him an excuse to leave the room for a few minutes to give him a break from what will undoubtable be a very long and trying meeting.
With a stack of files in his hand, James gives the office a once over, then lethargically trudges off to the conference room.
Elsewhere on the WB lot, Anna wakes up in one of the abandoned buildings. As she groggily looks around, she appears to be in one of the prop warehouses filled with various Batman
paraphernalia. Anna hangs her head which is still throbbing. She is not sure if it it from all that she has had to drink, or being hit over the back of the head. Whatever the reason, the pounding in her head is almost blinding.
Anna finally brings herself to lift up her head to get a better look around. The first thing that she can make out is a cot in the corner. It appears to have been recently slept in. As Anna looks around more, she is shocked to see hundreds of pictures of her in various parts of town, hung on the walls. Some of them appear to have been taken months, even a year earlier. Anna begins to panic. She tries to get up, but is tied to the chair that she is sitting in. She feels something move behind her, and she realizes that there is someone tied to a chair behind her. She tries to look over her shoulder, and realizes that she is bound to Tim Drake.
"Tim! Tim Wake up!"
Tim is still very much out of it. He slowly regains conscienceness. "W-Whoa. Oh my head."
"Tim, we have to get out of here." Anna says as she tries to struggle free.
"Whoa stop that! My head is killing me."
"Tim, wake up, you have to get us out of here!"
"What do want me to do!" Tim gripes.
"I don't know, do whatever it is that you do when Batman is in a situation like this."
"What are you talking about!" Tim says annoyingly, "I'm an ACTOR! I can't really do those things"
"What are you talking about?" Anna quips remembering hoe Dick was able to break into her apartment countless times using skills that he learned while playing Robin. "You must have learned something. Didn't you do anything to prepare for the roll?"
"I'm an actor babe." Tim says condescendingly, "There are stunt people to do that stuff."
"Well, a lot of good that does us now!" Anna huffs.
Back in the WB offices, James is totally unaware of Anna's current predicament. He has just arrived at the conference room where he is meeting with the New Mutants. He has been standing in front of the door for almost five minutes now trying to gather the nerve to go in. With no other choice, he finally decides to go in. James steps through the door, into the conference room to find almost everyone there. It appears that "X" as she has come to calling herself has decided to show up fashionably late again. As one of the break out New Mutants, "X" has decided to take full advantage of the fame that her X23 character has brought her. However insignificant it may be.
No one in the conference room noticed that James entered the room. They are all to busy with whatever it is that they are doing. For a split second, James contemplates leaving, but that is quickly replaced with the knowledge that he is going to have to meet with them eventually. Better sooner than later.
James surveys the room. Bobby is making out with Jubilee who appears not to be as interested. Jubilee, in fact, seems to bo more interested with Ray who is talking with his father and Jubilee's mother. James can see Tabitha sitting at the far end of the conference table. She seems to be keeping to herself. She stands out of the group because she is so secluded while all the other kids and parents are bunched together. James surveys the room further to find Amara being fussed over by her mother. "Sit up straight Amara. We have to make a good impression."
Roberto and his father are sitting by themselves. This is of no surprise to James since Roberto can't speak English. It is rather amazing how he learns his line phonetically. The studio offered to pay for English lessons, but Roberto and his father declined the offer.
Alex is pouting in his seat while Sam seems to be chatting his ear off. Sam appears to be happily talking away, his hands flailing about while Alex sits quietly next to his mother. Oddly enough, Sam's father sits next to Sam, equally stoic.
As James prepares to address the group, he hears a voice from behind him. "Hi James" The voice says cheerfully.
James turns around to see Rahne standing before him, pig tails bouncing. "Errrr... Hi Rahne"
"I'm so glad to see ya! I missed ya during the break" Rahne says bouncing with her hands behind her back.
"Ummmm... Thanks Rahne. I guess I missed you too." James says trying not to hurt the feelings of the cast member who has a school girl crush on him.
"Here, I made these for you" Rahne blushes as she pulls out a bag of miss-shapen cookies, carefully tied with a yellow bow.
James looks down at the innocent young girl and smiles as she graciously accepts her gift. Upon accepting her gift, Rahne gets a big smile on her face, and cheerfully runs to join the others at the table. James watches Rahne skip past Amara's mother Rose who walks with purpose towards James. Before she has the opportunity to corner him, James drops his things on the conference table grabbing everyone's attention.
"James, I want to talk to you about my other daughter June" Amara's mother shrills.
"I Assure you Madam Rose, I have taken your suggestions about your other daughter under advisement, Now if you don't mind, I'd like to start th..."
"Nonsense" Madam Rose pulls out a radio and starts playing music. Amara's sister bursts into the conference room. She is wearing a baby doll dress and her blond locks are methodically curled. A strange sight for a 16 year old girl. Amara sinks into her seat as her sister begins to sing.
"Let me...Entertain you. Let me make you smile."
James reaches over and turns off the music. "I'm sorry Madam Rose, but now is not the time. We have a lot to cover"
Amara's mother huffs as she takes her seat next to Amara, and her other daughter June exits the room.
That distraction taken care of, James begins to sort through his files to begin the meeting. After some quick organizing, James grabs one of the files. "Mr. Drake" James says as he opens the folder. "If you and your mother would please come up and sign your contract."
"Hold on, Don't we get a chance to negotiate?" Bobby demands.
"Now now Bobby dear, you are in no position to negotiate." Mrs. Drake interrupts, "You're not one of the starts like your brother."
"Mom!" Bobby quips.
"I'm sorry Bobby," James adds, "Contracts are all standard deals for supporting players. I should have mentioned that earlier."
"Calm down Bobby dear, You're always jumping the gun." Mrs. Drake says to her already pouting sone, "Why can't you
be more patient like your brother? Sign the contract dear."
"MOM!" Bobby whines.
Bobby does as he is told, then, Mrs. Drake signs the contract.
Mrs. Drake walks back to her seat with Bobby Trudging behind. Just when Bobby is almost to his seat, he hears someone say something behind him. "Pfffft Momma's Boy!"
"Hey I heard that!" Bobby scoffs, "Who said that!" Bobby demands as he spins around to face the rest of the group.
Everyone looks at Bobby quizzically while Ray slouches down in his seat trying, very badly, to hide his laughter.
"Now Bobby dear, you can't go flying off the handle at every little comment. You don't see your brother behaving this way."
"I'm never good enough am I mom?" Bobby pouts.
"Okay," James tries to get the meeting back on track, "Now if we can move on..."
"Now, Bobby, You're brother doesn't get down on himself like that."
"MOM!" Bobby erupts, "You're doing it again!"
"What's that dear?" Mrs. Drake questions naively. "You know your br..."
"MOM!" Bobby huffs, "You're doing it AGAIN! It's always Tim this, and Tim that!"
"Bobby, you know that your brother wants people to think that he is an only child."
"Wait a minute?" Jubilee, interrupts "You're brother is Tim Drake?"
"As in, the super cute Robin from Teen Titans Tim Drake?" Tabitha adds
"As in, person who's picture is plastered all over Tabitha's room Tim Drake?" Amara blurts out, prompting evil looks from Tabitha.
While the girls in the meeting, Much to Bobby's dismay, gush over his older brother, Tim and Anna are still tied up somewhere on the WB lot.
"You mean that after all that training and preparation for your roll, you can't do anything to get us out of here?" An aggravated Anna says. "You're brother is only a supporting cast member, b ut he's still required to train for his part."
"Who told you that I had a brother? Tim demands, You better not tell anyone, it will tarnish my appeal to the 12-16 female demographic. Or at least that is what my publicist told me."
"Publicist! Publicist! We've been kidnaped by an ego maniacal sociopath with a second banana complex. Our lives may be in danger, and you're worried about your demographic?"
"Chill out babe! I don't know what the hell is going on here." Tim says defensively. I was told to meet here by J..."
Suddenly, Tim is interrupted by a voice calling out through the warehouse. "Anna! Anna! are you in here?"
Anna's head springs to attention as she look around frantically trying to figure out where the voice is coming from. "Jean! Jean is that you?"
"Anna!" Jean steps out from behind one of the props, then runs towards Anna and Tim.
Tim looks up at Jean, "Sea..."
As Jean runs up to them, she accidently knocks Tim's chair over. Tim falls over, hitting his head on one of the props, and is knocked out instantly. "Oops, Sorry Tim!"
"Jean what are you doing here?" Anna asks as she looks down at Tim's unconscious, tied up body.
"I followed Dick here, and waited for him to leave, but we have to hurry. I don't know when he'll be back."
Suddenly, the sound of a rusty door echos through the warehouse. "Shit, Dick is back already" Jean whispers to Anna.
"Is there another way out?" Anna asks desperately.
"No, just the way that I came in."
"Damn. Quick, Help Tim up and then hide." Anna directs Jean. Jean does as she is told, and then hide behind a giant Joker head in the corner.
Just as Jean makes it behind the Joker head, Dick walks out of the shadows. "Well, good morning sleepy head."
"What are you doing Dick? Why are you doing this?" Anna pleads while trying not to let on that Jean is in the warehouse with them.
"What do you mean Anna?" Dick says innocently, "I'm doing this for you."
"And why is Tim here?"
"Well, Tim and I have unfinished business, but you don't have to worry your pretty little head over it."
Anna gasps as Dick leans up against the Joker head that Jean is hiding behind. She tries to hide her outburst with a very unconvincing fit of coughing. Dick looks at her, but then continues with what he was saying. "After I finish things with Drake, you and I will be able to leave town together and start our lives together."
"Dick, please consider what you are doing." Anna says nervously has Dick gets up from his position against the Joker head, and steps to the side of it. Dangerously close to Jean's hiding place. He is literally standing right in front of her. If he were to turn around, he would surly find Jean. As Dick inches closer and closer to Jean's position, Anna decides to try and lure him away from Jean. Anna tries to use her most seductive voice, or at least as seductive as she can get in her panicked state. "Dick, why are you even bothering with Tim. Lets just get out of here, and forget about everyone here." Anna says with as sincere a smile as she can muster.
"Why are you so cooperative all of a sudden?" Dick asks suspiciously as he walks towards her. "What happened to all that hatred that was in your voice before?"
"Hatred? What ever do you mean?" Anna says as she tries to play up to Dick so that he won't find Jean. "I was just playing hard to get. You know silly we girls can be."
"Hard to get huh?" Dick says with his voice still full of suspicion. He kneels before Anna and leans forward so that he eye to eye with Anna.
"But of course. I lost you once, I'm not letting you go again." Anna says before lurching forward, meeting Dick's lips with hers. The two are locked in a passionate kiss. Unexpectedly, Anna begins to lose herself in the kiss. She closes her eyes and begins to forget about where she is. After several seconds, Dick pulls away from the Kiss causing Anna to lean forward more as her eager lips search for Dick's. She leans forward until her bindings prohibits her from going any further. She can feel Dick's breath on her face. Dick leans in so that they are cheek to cheek, and begins to whisper in her ear.
"That was good, just like I remember it..." Dick says softly, "But not good enough!"
Suddenly Anna opens her eyes just in time to see Dick spring to his feet. with in a split second, he is next to the Joker head. He reaches behind it, and pulls Jean out of the shadows by the hair. Jean screams as Dick pulls out a knife and holds it to her throat. "Well well well, what do he have here?" Dick says and he looks back at Anna. "I always thought that you would make a great actress Anna, but there is one thing that you just can't sell. Your eyes. Your eyes gave you away Anna, and now, Jean is going to pay for it!
"NO, DON"T!" Anna yells as Jean lets out a terrifying scream.
Well, I hope that you liked this new chapter. It was a long time coming. Don't worry, they will get longer as I get back into the routine of writing. Thanx for reading, and please don't forget to review.