Chapter 6
All was quiet; a certain stillness lingered about that screamed with uncertainty and tension. Spirits were low and stress high; it seemed as if the first person to destroy it would have his or her head snapped from its perch on the base of the neck by some wrathful entity.
The usual hum of the Watchtower's machinery droned softly with the sharp click of computer keys tapping away randomly, stopping and starting again like some odd Morse code.
Sitting before the large computer screen with a cup of iced mochaccino resting almost forgotten at his side, Flash speedily typed M-e-d-e-a. His fingers tapping away at the side of keys with impatience as the corner icon rotate showing its attempts of searching. "Fast access networking my red behind." He grumbled.
"Have you found anything?" A voice wary with the tension questioned from behind him as the three approached.
"I've found the file on Klarion. Right now I'm checking on everything I can on our mystery woman and that book of hers." Flashy reported rather dully. Dragging the cursor across the screen he clicked on the first site.
"Medea, daughter of Hecate the Witch Goddess. She was said to be the dark link between the underworld and Earth. Um Hecate not Medea.
Although Medea was mortally born as the Princess of Colchis, she was the niece of Circe, and therefore a powerful sorceress. She had serious power, but ended up turning evil when she was scorned by her lover, Jason. She ended up becoming a Goddess and ascending Olympus in a cloud of smoke in a chariot drawn by dragon."
"Jason of the Argonauts?"
"One and the same."
"What did he do to her?"
"It says here that after she had forsaken family and country for her love of him and had his kids he forsook her by getting engaged to Glauce and complied to have Medea banished. She was royally ticked and begged for a delay in her banishment. In that day she planned and took her revenge."
"How?" Shayera questioned scanning the web page for herself.
"She gave Glauce an expensive robe and gold crown laced with poison that ate away her flesh when she put them on. When her father went to take it off the poison got on him killing them both."
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." John stated dryly.
"That's not all. Soon after she killed her own children so that no one else would try to get vengeance at her through them. She wasn't cold hearted when she killed them; it says here that she was rather hesitant in doing so."
"So what does this play have to do with the Medea we're dealing with now?"
"It might have been useful to us. But I did find her file." He clicked on a minimized window bringing forth a photo and bio. "Azure, Medea S. Born in a mountain town of Virginia, but her family kept moving around before settling down just out side of Metropolis. It says her mother, Lorraine Azure still lives there. And she has a brother, Travis Azure."
"Where's he?"
"In the Metro Prison for possessions of an illegal weapon and assault and battery charges. He did have a possession of narcotics charge but that was dropped a half year ago."
"Do you think we should pay him a visit?"
"Sure, shot gun!" Wally shouted jumping onto his feet and running out of the room.
J'onn took the vacated seat before the computer, "You go, I shall remain here in case of an emergency."
J'onn sat still in the oddly comforting silence, a meditative type of calm passed over him, something not too uncommon for the Martian. Though he found console with his new found family there was always that lingering feeling of grief the loss of his true family.
The simple moment of peace was short lived, the screen before the computer changed flashing the signs of an alert. Something was happening on Earth that the regular police force could not handle.
The tall structure of Metropolis Prison was a cold looking building with concrete gray walls looming from behind three barbwire fences, the rows upon rows of barred windows peered out into the world like tired eyes, long turned soulless and cold. The entire air about it screamed the famed line of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, 'Abandon All Hope; ye who enter here.' It all defined the absents of high hopes, a feeling the Justice League had experienced before.
Walking confidently through the grimy halls they stopped before the visitor's booth, where a thin man blessed with orange wiry hair and cursed with adult acne sat back with the day's newspaper in his hand.
A form appeared from behind a second desk, upon seeing the world's famous heroes standing before him, the bald man moved quickly to their assistance. "How can we help you?"
Green Lantern was the first to speak, "We need to talk to Travis Azure."
Looking down on the computer the bald man shouted back to his co-worker. "Hey Mickey, you know a Travis Azure?"
The man pulled down his paper to peer at the trio before them, "Oh, you want the fortune teller? Just wait in the room down the hall to your right. He'll be there in a few minutes."
It was raining again, in warm large drops of water that pelted down onto the earth below casting the night into a humid calm. The very colors about them seem to melt with a lovely sheen of nickel. It was odd; the purifying elements of the rain, it made the grungy sector of the advanced city appear clean.
But does the rain clean soiled souls?
She did not seem to mind the rain falling about her; in fact, with the distant look in her dark eyes fading of the silver ring, she did not even seem to know about it.
On the ground below her hovering feet her talon inspired boots laid in the long neglected grass. She hummed with her eyes focused on her upper legs, marred with childhood scars from falling on the concrete when she and her brother played too roughly, the warm droplets of water splashing down onto her skin. The ground below her shifting slowly forwards then back as she swayed lightly on the old swing.
The showering waters trickled down her round cheek trailing the black and blue make-up like colored tears before dripping off the curve of her chin.
Sheltered from the rain by the security of her arms the large black crow with her limp leg cawed softly as her mistress's narrow fingers began stroking against the feathers of its neck rocking slightly back and forth in the swing. And just before it was a lovely sapphire, freshly taken from its owner.
Medea's lips, painted an interesting shade of blue, parted slightly as her soft voice carried into the rain filled air.
"If you are lost in you way
Deep in an awesome story
Don't be in doubt and stray
Cling to your lonesome folly."
If the rain could cleanse, then she was in need of it for the act she had just performed under the command of her child master, and she would need it even more for the things she would do in the near future for him.
"Why are you here? And what have you done with my companions?"
The dark woman's humming voice did not cease, the only sign that she acknowledged his presents was a slight shift of her black wings.
Claustrophobic.
That was the first impression one got when they entered the small squared windowless room. Hawkgirl felt a small flutter in her chest at the close proximity of the four walls. It was so small.
It wasn't the usual room used for visiting, most of them was big and open, and given the type the prisoner and visitor was kept separate by a thick sheet of glass. No this one was different, for the sheer fact that they needed their privacy for the questioning.
The door on the opposite corner of the room clicked as a man dressed in the usual orange outfit was escorted by the red head man into the room.
He was tall, at least a good 6'3" with dull dark brown eyes drifting lazily about him before taking his seat at the provided table.
"Are you related to Medea Azure?" John asked as the man pulled a cigarette from his long mane of dreaded hair. Through near closed lids he eyed the trio of heroes while lighting the stick of tobacco.
A small cloud of smoke escaped his mouth as he began to speak, "Medea? Oh you mean Angel? Yes I know her, she's my little sister. I almost forgot her first name; she never really went by it until recently." He rambled slightly reaching into his pocket to remove a stack of cards and some photos. "To tell you the truth I was expecting you last night after you met with my sister."
"So you spoke with her recently?" Hawkgirl questioned all too use to the close knit workings of family.
"Yes," He nodded sitting out the pictures for them to see, "But that was after you didn't show up last night."
Flash was the next to voice his questions, "Are you like your sister?"
Travis smiled, his speech tinted with his amusement, "No. I'm nowhere close to my sister's level."
"How is it that she's a sorceress and you're-?"
"I said I wasn't at her level. I have some 'powers' in me, just not the same as Angel's." He corrected the red garbed hero.
"So she's human." Hawkgirl concluded.
"When you get down to it, yes. But in her mind she's changed so much that she finds it disgraceful to tint the human world as such by calling herself human." He stated removing the cigarette from his lips.
His eyes peered down at the last glossy photo in his hands before tossing it onto the table towards them. In the photo a much younger Travis stood near the parasol of a vender with his small sister propped on his shoulders. Her hands clasped beneath his chin as a large happy smile spread across her round face. She looked happy, carefree, nothing like the woman they had come across recently. The Medea they had met was a dark soul with her shoulders weighed down somehow.
"You know life…isn't exactly fair to everyone. Our mom, she worked so hard to give us the best but we were latchkey kids because of it. She was hardly around, Angel and I had to rely on each other and our grandmother, Livinna. Grandma Liv, she was neo-pagan or just pagan since she's been like that before it became a Hollywood phase."
"You say that as if it's the norm."
"Well it's not so odd for my family, we come from a long line of---um 'craft users': Voodoo priests, Wiccains, sorceresses, the list goes on and on. I, myself am a 'fortune teller'."
"You're psychic."
"Oh please, I prefer fortune teller, each time I hear 'psychic' I think of those scam artist on the TV with the fake accents. Ha, not so psychic were they when their businesses went bankrupt? Sadly I'm not so well trained, I get these blanks sometimes and well…" He waved about him. "Some of the results aren't so good. Anyhow as for Angel, well after I got locked up a lot of things started going wrong and it all went to her. Our mom got sick, and then Angel had a miscarriage with her baby. She got so depressed she couldn't work or finish up college, then her boyfriend dumped her for some woman he'd been seeing for half a year now. It got so bad and not to mention the extra stress was making her powers go haywire, it's no surprise she's where she is right now with that kid. He was the only one who could really help her."
The tale did nothing to really change their perspective of the black winged woman; she had committed her crimes and held their dear friends captive, no matter how hard of a life a person has they still have the power of chose their own actions.
"Can you help us out? Tell us what they are up to?" Hawkgirl asked breaking the silence that had befallen the people within the room.
Taking a final puff of the cigarette Travis ground the butt into the table's edge, "No, even I don't know. But Angel did want for me to cooperate the best I could; so would you care to have your fortune read?" He asked while scuffling the cards, they realized were actually tarot cards, before him.
Green Lantern turned his back to the useless proprietor of information, "We don't have time."
"You don't even know what you're have no time for, you don't even know if it isn't already too late. Besides it might be of some help." Travis said in a cold sly manner regaining the man's attention.
Standing still they watched as Travis laid out the cards in an odd fashion. "Sorry, I have my own style with this." He flipped the cards over reading them as he went, "Bad things are coming." He spoke looking upon the Tower. "A drastic change. Whatever that little brat is up to I can assure you that we ain't gonna like it."
"So what happens if Klarion succeeds with whatever it is that he's working on?" Flash questioned intrigued with how the 'fortune teller' worked.
With eye closed Travis reached out his hand and plucked a card from the splayed deck. With the sapphire back facing the group he showed no emotions on his squared shaped face as he flipped the card over for them to see the answer of their questions, the fate of the end, the answer to their questions.
A skeleton dressed in black armor rode upon the back of a horse, with what appeared to be people at their feet.
Death.
The shudder was quite visible to all of those present in the room. Even the so-called nonchalant guard gave an involuntary jerk of the spine.
"So this is what's going to happen?" Hawkgirl asked hiding the fear in her tone.
"No, this is a possibility of what can happen if something isn't done. The future is quite…unstable, always changing. It's the final destiny that can't be altered, just the paths taken to get there. Think of it like a pond and when you throw a rock into it ripples form, but in the end it is still a pond just with another stone in the bottom."
Flash shuddered, "Ok, can we go now? This is really giving me the creeps."
"Yeah, let's go." The Green Lantern commented making his way towards the door.
"You, with the wings." Travis called lighting another cigarette.
"My sister. She did not fight with you." It was not a question rather a statement of the facts. "I take it that you don't know why."
Hawkgirl turned from the door way, "And you do." She stated tersely.
"Angel." He breathed the word so softly releasing a stream of smoke as he closed his eyes. "In the end, when the time comes, it's going to be up to you."
"Don't you have any fears about what they are trying to do?" She demanded angered by his relaxed state.
Dark eyes opened once more to look none too kindly at the winged woman, "Yes. I have a fiancée and a son out there waiting until next year when I get out. That is if there is a next year." His eyes closed again as he relaxed into smoking his cigarette. It would seem he had said all he had to say, he could tell them nothing more since he himself did not know of much. "Another falls tonight." His impassive voice drifted to their backs.
"What? Another falls- J'onn." In hast the trio had departed moving in vain hopes of saving their teammate.
"Azure, Angel, sister. What are you doing? Why can't I see it?!" Travis demanded sending the tarot cards flying about wildly in the air.
Finding the human woman's lack of heed an annoyance he readied himself to speak again.
"If you are concerned of your friend's health I'll give you this much, they are…somewhat alive." She stated never removing her attention from her bird as she affectionately stroked its soft neck. "What a pretty bird you are, Cagney."
"How can I be sure that what you are telling me is the truth?"
"I'm not a witch like my master, though I practice both dark and light magic. I took an oath never to kill with the gifts given to me. But that doesn't mean I won't resolve to using other tactics."
He's brow met as he glared at the back of the infuriating woman. She seemed so harmless yet she was so dangerous, a mysterious enigma, his enemy. The accused woman who now held three of his friends, ones he could consider family, hostage yet demanded nothing for them.
"Please do not feel that way towards me, your emotions are misplaced." Her soft voice in the trickles of the rain cut into his train of thoughts sparking forth a great revelation.
"You are an empathic." He avowed looking onto her back which she had yet to turn.
"Slightly. I've been like this for so long, as long as I can remember actually. It's hereditary, the marker of my sorceress powers." She scoffed lightly at the term. "It's a real pain, knowing how other's feel. But that's the way we channel our energy so that it doesn't kill us. When I was a child I was always picking up on people's feelings, figuring out what was bothering them, it's annoying really. It can tear at a person's will. It tore at mine until I got tired of it.
"Then…the devil saved my life from my own destructive hands. But, silly me, I forgot that everything comes with a catch. He didn't take it away like I had hoped, rather muted it. But now the main thing I can pick up, hear, and feel, is death. Each scream of a murdered life, each sob of a suicide, each silent sigh, each tearful cry, and death rattle echoes in my mind like the buzz of a fly. I can hear the tears and pain of broken hearts. The duty of the crow, the carrier of souls, I should have known." She turned away from him returning her attention back to her bird as her soft voice hummed soft lullabies into the rainy night.
"But then again, you can feel that as well." She said pausing in her humming.
"That and much more." He stated bluntly, his stance was still but all the more prepared for any attack she or her familiar might throw.
He tensed slightly when she stood, turning completely to look onto him. "I can feel your emotions. Your heart is so…so pained. You pine ever so much for something you have lost. But you hide it so well." His eyes widened at her words. She was reading him like some sort of open book.
"Your heart -" Her eyes encircled with the rings of liquid silver stared deeply into his, as if looking right into him. He had not known that she had moved closer to him until he felt her cold fingertips touch lightly on his cheek and her heated breath on his lips. "Your heart reflects mine." Her lips brushed tenderly across his, a simple touch of flesh to flesh, a careless kiss.
The kiss was nothing just a small peck, he could feel she had no desires to harm him at the moment, her master's bidding having being done, that reason alone he did not promote a fight with her. But what had happened next neither was prepared for.
A burning pain mingled in the pit of his stomach, a white flash of heat racing up and down his very body making him loose hold of his humanoid form.
Opening his eyes he witnessed the look of shock engraved on Medea's face. She seemed to be growing slowly moving to tower over his own body. A steady beep from his communicator made the pain worse as he moved to answer the call.
"J'onn, be careful Medea-" The frantic call of Flash's voice was lost as he could no longer keep hold. It was getting worse as he felt invisible hands curl around his neck and plunge into his chest to squeeze his heart.
"Morrum! Stop it!" Medea's frantic cry into the rain was the last sound he heard as the world about him gave way to the dark.
Flash slammed his fist atop the console; the line had crackled soon after J'onn had managed a strangled groan of pain. "She got him too."
The moist air about them suddenly felt cold as the fear seeped in.
What if they couldn't stop them?
Klarion rolled the sapphire back and forth between its entrapment of his thumb and forefinger; he listened with great interest as his minion, standing on bending knee, related the night's unexpected events. "So that makes four of them now." He grinned wickedly with the news of his growing collection of heroes.
Medea stood to walk causally around the armchair, "Let's not forget, Morrum merely shrunk him instead of turning him into a doll. He continues to refuse to use that spell again." Gently pushing Teekl aside she leaned down to embrace the thin shoulders of her master, "I found him a great person to have a conversation with. I forget not everyone is use to hearing those voices as I am."
"You kissed him." His voice was low, a hiss of accusation.
She laughed pressing her lips to his alabaster cheek, "Are you like Morrum? Is my master jealous? You shouldn't be, not for the price he paid for it."
Her mirth annoyed him slightly, had she been anyone else, or rather anyone less, he would have seen to her death for her joy. But she was different, tolerable and enjoyable enough to keep about…for the time being. "Be careful of your toy or he's Teekl's dinner."
"It is already taken care of, and once he's awaken then I shall deal with him there on. Now, do you still want to go get some ice cream?" She asked kindly.
As Klarion stood to walk along side his sorceress he recalled just why he allowed her those small forthright moments.
TBC…
Alright um here are the sites I got some of my info on Medea the original from: you know to add the w dot stuff: paleothea . com and theatrehistory . com / ancient / bates018 . html (just don't space).
Oh virtual cookies to whoever knows what and where that song Medea sings came from.
