Big A/N: Yeah, I'm so happy, oh yeah I'm so happy! Dances around shaking what my mama gave me Why am I happy? Well so much has happened lately, I'm moving, Tenchi Muyo the OVA has finally continued, and because DC has done something great! First they've released vol. 5 the final vol. of The Maxx (yes I'm a Maxx freak, sue me) and I get all misty each time I read it. And they're also releasing Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy. A four maybe six part bi-monthly comic that I will have to join my Harley Quinn comic collection!

Oh and a note to Averroes. I thank you for your review and pointing all of that out to me and I had thought long on it before starting a rather long responds. But then as I began to reread what I had written to you I realized by answering I would be ruining everything for you (not to mention I forgot to save it before my computer froze) and the other readers. SO let me just sum it up to this: for what little I know I know what I'm doing.

Chapter 9

It was aggravating, turning over possibility after possibility only to end with the results of nothing but a minor headache. John hated it; it was like they were all drifting apart as they each tried to help as best they could with the current crisis. Flash was always at the computer looking, researching, and conversing with every magic user that they knew and had contact with. Shayera seemed the most distant eating her strange meals quickly and often times alone before heading back to the training room to take out her frustrations on the battered punching bag.

Walking through the dire looking halls, John Steward, dressed as the Green Lantern, wondered if either of his remaining teammates heard him when he announced his departure to the prison. He recalled The Flash raising his hand from the keyboard to acknowledge the fact that he had been spoken to before returning to his video conference with Zatanna, and Shayera did incline her head slightly during a brief pause from striving to gut the punching bag.

The loud clang of metal sliding and crashing into metal alerted him to his present company, the man he had came to see.

"A second visit?" Travis questioned looking into the hard green eyes of the hero as he took his appointed seat in the orange hard plastic chair.

Wasting no time Green Lantern leaned forwards against the table looking down onto the psychic prisoner in a show of intimidation, "I get the feeling that you know a hell of a lot more than you let on last time. So listen here, I want you to tell me everything and I mean everything that you know."

Not liking the man's harsh tone of voice and utter accusations thrown at him Travis found himself leaning forwards challenging the hero's body language, "Hey, I did tell you everything I knew, you ask the question I dealt the cards and answered them as best I could. You want straight answers go to my sister."

"What about your mother?" Green Lantern questioned crossing his arms across his chest. "She's in the city, maybe she can help us where you can't."

The rational sense of calmness that usually resided upon Travis' physique vanished into a harsh scowl as his innate nature to protect his family came into play, "Don't get our mom in this anymore than she is from the press!" He stated his voice low and warning, holding a frightening similarity to that of his sister's moments before she attacked. "Besides she can't help you, she doesn't even know what's going on with Angel. But if you're sick go on, she's the brewing type, she'll cure whatever ails you. We never had a sick day from school thanks to her." He chuckled darkly in the back of his throat, "Why don't you ask me for another tarot reading?"

"So if I ask you again, you'll give me another reading?" He questioned his voice heavily tainted with his utter disbelieve. "I don't see what good another one of your riddles will do us."

"It does if you ask the right question." Travis commented pulling out a small wooden box. Upon seeing Green Lantern's arched brow raised in question he smirked, "A new deck that Angel sent me. A belated birthday present."

The hard orange plastic chair scrapped loudly against the floor as Green Lantern took a seat before the so-called fortune teller. His question, what could he ask that would help them? What could he ask that wasn't asked before. He sighed deeply letting the first coherent question slip from his lips. "What is Medea's future with Klarion?"

"Page of Pentacles, this represents my sister." Travis stated picking the card from the deck and placing it face up on the table. Unlike before Travis's face became solemn as he somberly shuffled and dealt the cards spreading them out for him to see. "Queen of Swords. Two of Swords. Judgment. The tower. Death -Odd, I usually don't pick those two together twice for a person. And the Fool."

John frowned looking down at the blue and gold cards laid across the table in what looked to be a huge cross, he hated it that he could not see or understand what Travis was, it angered him that a small part inside of him felt that if he had the insight he would be able to see a clue that the foolish convict did not. "What does all of this mean?" He questioned striving not to lose his patients.

"In limens terms the queen represents a perceptive and sad woman. Two of swords, something's amiss, someone's lying, plotting, but the funny thing is the card itself keeps catching my attention." He said looking down upon the blind figure holding two crossed swords. "I don't know. The fortune I told you before ties in with my sister as well; it's funny, but I see you and your friends in her cards."

"Of course you do, we're the ones trying to stop her."

"No, not that, that's not what I see now. Some of the things I couldn't see before, I can see small glimpses of them." Travis frowned his eyes never moving from there place upon the cards.

"In the cards?" Green Lantern did nothing to hide the skepticism in his voice, he didn't believe him and he felt he was wasting his time, unfortunately he was their only lead. "How can you see that?"

"Hell I can stare at the damn wall and see something," Travis snapped feeding off the negative ambiance radiating from John's pores, "The cards are nothing but cards, they're merely my focal point and they help me keep everything I see in order. I only use them because people are used to seeing the Tarot as a sign of fortune telling, not some guy staring off into space."

For a moment neither man spoke, but merely sat in the silence of the small room staring hatefully at one another, one angered that the other's lack of cooperation deterred his mission to save his companions while the other was angered at him for desiring to cause harm to his sister.

The deep sigh filled the tense air between them as John ran his hand over his head, "So what can you tell us?"

Looking down upon the Two of Swords once again Travis spoke in an eerily calm voice, "I see her returning something she has taken. Pain, darkness, a moment of lost. She keeps by the side of a relative, a man but no one I know, he protects her. A calm before a storm, then ashes falling like snow from the clouds…and that's it." He mumbled pinching the bridge of his nose slowly shaking away the dizzying aftereffects.

Riddles! More useless riddles, he had no time to deal with such foolishness. He was about to voice his opinion when Flash's voice rung from the communicator, "GL, we've got a tip on Medea, she's heading out tonight to steal an emerald at a warehouse in Metropolis." Standing John nodded to the guard signaling that the interrogation/reading was over.

"Angel's not a bad person." Travis stated as he stood, "She's not."

"Humph, this man's a crock, he doesn't know a thing. He's just as real as those other psychics on TV." John grumbled to the guards.

"Really?" Travis questioned gathering the cards and shuffling the deck with his massive hand. "You don't believe I can see things that others don't know about hmm? Well then I guess this doesn't mean anything to you." He plucked four cards from the deck leaving them face up for him to see. "A knight of pentacles, this is you. And…a page of wands, a woman…with red hair. And the Lovers card." John froze in his retreat feeling rather than seeing the smug grin spread across Travis's face burning into his backside. "Are you sure I'm just some crock?"

Turning his face downwards in a frown hiding the surprise John scoffed before walking out of the room. Travis watched his black clad back disappear behind the door, Sighing he didn't bother to show him the fourth card hidden behind the Lovers. Three of Swords.

"Better that you don't believe me anyway."

The cooling season of autumn had brought about a significant change to the city, the once rich greens of the few trees that lined the side walks and city parks had given their remarkable display of bright fall colors. The colors of red, oranges, gold, yellow, and brown made the city seem set aflame, blazing in it's glory in the season that marked the time of dying almost like a desperate cling to be remembered to tell the world that their death was merely temporary for once spring had arrived the cycle would begin anew.

A late evening jogger ran at a steady pace down the grimy Metropolis city street, each breath of the cool crisp air he breath made his exerted lungs burn as hot met cold. It was a good time to jog, late when there weren't many people there to get in the way of his progress, and there was no fear, the .45 hidden in his sweats gave him a certain since of security that allowed him to jog bravely in the dark of the growing night.

Pausing for the moment to jog in place the middle-aged man with hair kept dark with excessive dyes pulled the cap of his water bottle to take a long leisurely chug in hopes of quenching his thirst.

As the cooling waters slid across his parched tongue the rustling of leaves brought his curious eyes open and towards the surrounding trees.

Birds, it looked as if a hundred black birds sat in every branch each and every one of them watching in with their beady little eyes. The sight wasn't abnormal, the city was home to perhaps millions of birds but regardless he felt highly uncomfortable under their unwavering gaze.

From the tree directly to his left a crow fluttered down to stand some feet away from his person. The crow cawed almost threateningly towards him, his black feathers puffing about his collar making him appear larger and far fiercer.

Moving quickly from the trees infiltrated with black bodies he could not withhold the fear in his heart.

"Damn birds." He uttered jogging a bit faster then before as if departed. A loud screeching caw ripped from the beak of one of the larger crows with the lame foot, seemingly to answer his curse with biting displeasure.

"Cagney." The wind seemed to whisper a soft chide.

Upon hearing the call of their mistress the crows took flight flying away from their rest towards the antiquated styled library built of sturdy bricks and stone columns, and crowed with a collection of gargoyles, each varying from heavenly to demonic.

It seemed normal until one of the gargoyle's flexed its wings with a great yawn, shuddering slightly before drawing back to rest against its backside.

Sitting on the shoulders of the stone statue, the black skirt riding up to reveal strong thighs, scarred knees, and a peek of the leotard beneath, Medea sighed inwardly mentally laughing at the antics of her friends. She could not blame them for doing as they had done; after all they had been sitting in wait for well over three hours.

Pushing the mirthful thoughts aside she returned to her vigil of staring down upon the doors of the warehouse building. Taking a slow drag of her cigarette she breathed out from her nose the swirl of smoke drifted upwards into the stagnant air heavy with fog.

Her eyes looked down upon the bottle of whiskey entrapped by her unnaturally long fingers. If Klarion knew that she was drinking before a mission he'd throw quite a fit.

The thought of liquor left a bitter taste in the back of her mouth, the memory of a suicide attempt…another failed attempt always became fresh in her mind when liquor became involved.

If only she had the same control her grandmother did. She would have been able to handle it had she the same joy as she did with her 'talents'. Oh how she missed experiencing her grandmother's mirthful moods when she performed curses and charms for people (always at a price of course). She loved doing good just as she had enjoyed being mischievous.

Oh how her heart was broken when her grandmother died of natural causes.

"You're smiling." J'onn pointed out in his usual straightforward manner from his containment within the small cage.

Drawing herself out of her thoughts she had nearly forgotten that she had brought company along with her for this theft. "I'm thinking of someone that I lost."

Accepting her answer J'onn continued to stare out between the bars of his cage somewhat curious as to why she did nothing to ensure better security against his escape. But then there were a number of things about her he found contradicting.

She was, despite her ever changing manner, quiet compassionate rather than laced with apathy as her appearance may suggest. Her emotions changed drastically with the person she found herself around. J'onn recalled her hospitable mannerism when she kept him in her room, he remembered watching her instinctively pull Klarion into her arms whenever he crawled into bed with her in the dead of night, and even tuck the blankets about him when she departed before dawn. But when it came to the one eyed man he had heard called Theodore her attitude changed making her rather rude and blunt with him.

She did not do much to hide her thoughts from him, in fact if he dared to ask she answered him without hesitation, save when it came to what she was doing on the behalf of her beloved 'Master Klarion…bum bum bum the witch boy'.

She looked odd with the cigarette puckered between her lips and her wings spread out behind her in an involuntary stretch, like one of those angles he had seen paintings of.

In her boredom her body went lax allowing the bottle to slip from her long and narrow fingertips, falling atop the crown of the gargoyle shattering upon impact and splattering the pair with small droplets of the strong liquor.

Instead of cursing her absentmindedness and the course of her luck as J'onn had often seen humans do before Medea remained rather unresponsive throughout the incident, only acting when the last shard had fallen. She lifted a fragment of the broken bottle, her eyes impassive as the sharp edges nicked into her fingertips. She looked bored and trance-like even as she brought the shard to her forearm drawing it slowly over a present scar reopening the long healed wound. Her eyes focused intensely, or as intensely as her languid look could manage, upon the crimson liquid swelling from the incision.

J'onn watched her self-destructive actions taking note of everything. "Why are you doing this?"

"Sometimes it makes me feel better." She breathed softly letting the glass drop from her bleeding fingers.

"That is not what I was referring to."

"I know." She sighed taking one final puff of her cigarette before tossing the butt carelessly into the open air before them. "Given what I know and what I'm going to do what other choice do I have? I want to stop, but I owe so much to Klarion, I can't just quit." Looking at the warehouse doors she sighed somewhat relieved as the workers finally locked the doors and waved to one another in good partings.

Her vision shifted momentarily as she saw through the eyes of the black birds watching the going-ons about them intensely. No one on the outside, that was good.

"Then what will you do?" J'onn questioned once more bracing himself as she lifted the cage and attracted the ring to the belt on her waist.

"Perhaps," She breathed spreading her wings open preparing to leap into the air, "Sabotage myself."

Even though there really wasn't that many people out and about in that particular area of the city no one really would have noticed the large angelic silhouette gliding from one rooftop cutting gracefully through the still air to land with great ease near the moon roofs of the dark warehouse looming in the darkness.

Bending down on one knee, ignoring the slight sting as the small bits of fiberglass dug into the cresses of her skin she swiped the blade of her kusari-gama swiftly against the edge of the glass. Pushing onto the glass ever so carefully her sharp nails slid beneath the elevated edge lifting it away nearly soundlessly.

"Cagney, my love." She whispered softly holding out her arm for the crow to land. Cooing lovingly to the bird she ran the crooked of her finger along her soft neck. "What a lovely girl you are. Be my eyes, share your sight with me, and let me see what you see." She whispered her eyes turning the fascinating color of silver moments before she closed them eliminating the sudden double visions.

"In you go, love." She directed motioning towards the open window.

It did not take long for the large crow to make her flight in and out of the large storehouse to land once again at her mistress's side.

"Good everyone's gone, perhaps this one will be easier." She whispered to herself before slipping through the opened window and gliding down smoothly onto the floor.

Peering through his cage J'onn took notice that even with all of the statues, cars, and crates upon crates of perfectly stored 'relics' the facility looked amazingly spacious and somewhat bigger than what the outer appearances made it seem. It was of no surprise that she couldn't find the exact location of the emerald she was seeking.

The sharp tips of her taloned boots clicked against the hard cement floors as she moved with the confidence of a woman who knew where she was heading. Her eyes scanned across a cluster of suits of armor, ancient weapons neatly mounted or packaged away securely. She thought nothing of a large sword held in the iron mitts of a suit until the very tip of her wing brushed against the blade, the very tip falling severed in half and shedding of its bristles.

Whoever owned those items was quiet the weapons collector. Her eyes focused on the pointed blade, a fall on that thing would prove quiet painful if not fatal. Had anyone been watching they would have thought her indifferent to the simple primitive weapon, but the thought of the thing piercing into her heart as it must have done in its time disturbed her enough to cause her wings to quiver.

Moving though the maze of antiques and other valued possessions oh so carefully stored away they came upon a small crate sitting on one of the many shelves stored within the building.

A dark smile tugged at the corners of her dark painted lips before she moved with speed and grace drawing the kusari-gama and cutting away the lid of the crate revealing within it a small steel box.

Opening the box her eyes focused on her prize, a simple green uncut emerald that winked under the dim lights of the storehouse. "An emerald horded in storage under a pseudo name for Lex Luthur himself; I guess he mistook it for something more valuable to him." She sighed turning the emerald about in her fingers. Discipline

J'onn silently winced at her presumption. Indeed if it were true than Luthur must have believed that he had himself a fine bit of kryptonite rather than a useless gem. If they were fortunate then Klarion would never know of this or take interest in truly killing the man of steel the world so loves.

Just as she prepared to pocket the gem and turn about to depart the jewel was plucked from her fingers, incased in a transparent green orb before shooting away from her grasp. Silver encircled eyes ablaze with anger she whipped around to see the three heroes she would have rather like to avoid.

Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawk Girl stared back at the little robber, their bodies poised and ready to take on the defense.

"I don't know how it is that you found me but do know that I am busy and don't have the time to play with the likes of you. So please give me that emerald, or else I'll have to take it." Medea hissed moving forwards a few steps before softly drawing her blade upwards into the offensive.

"I'd like to see you try."

How one who seems so listless suddenly flare to life as if a fire burned in her belly was a mystery, but that same flame seems to spark to life in all of them as they readied for combat. The kusari-gama's blade slashed mercilessly towards Green Lantern while the weight of the end flew a few feet outwards towards Flash.

Standing back, ready for any surprise attacks Hawk Girl frowned upon the situation. She half wondered if the others took in the knowledge that the close proximity of the storage shelves make any sort of combat difficult in the narrow aisle in which they were. Taking a quick look upwards she noticed just how high the shelves and stacked crates reached, flight would be impossible until they got at least twenty feet off the ground. No one would be able gain any true advantage here.

Throughout the beginnings of their fight Medea's focus was aimed at the one holding the object of her desires; this was not missed by Flash who quickly took on the job of acting decoy to the magic woman's deadly rage by grabbing her by her wrist from behind.

"Now what have I told you about playing with sharp objects?" He questioned smiling down at her in the cocky manner that was purely the Flash.

With a cry Medea spun around slashing her kusari-gama at the dodging Flash striving to at least nick the smug speedster stepping from side to side before her eyes.

His quick movements and her wasted energy was becoming irksome, growling low in her throat a silver ring encircled her eyes as the power within her swelled, "Be still you insect!" With a swing the glowing kusari-gama came down upon the ground infecting it with its radiance.

Looking downwards Flash's eyes grew wide with surprise, although he didn't know much about magick he knew that he didn't want whatever it was the sorceress dispelled cast upon him. Turning he ran from the mysterious light chasing after him; but regardless of how quickly Flash ran and dodged it stayed at his speeding heels.

Left to right, to right to left to right to right to left again it followed. Like an attacking dog it sprung upon him encasing his body in its eerie glow, the spell seeping into his skin taking effect. He felt slow and heavy, as if he had been heavily drugged with some sort of sedative.

"What did you-" His words were cut short as the weight of the kusari tangled around his arm a strained grunt from behind him was his only warning as Medea tugged and with a spin swung him into the nearest crate.

Giving her no time to regain herself after the mighty swing Green Lantern and Hawk Girl silently acknowledged one another before moving into the offense, rushing in together with a battle cry Hawk Girl attacked first bringing her mace in from above while Green Lantern moved in for the attack aiming for her side.

Medea's eyes narrowed down upon the pair as she acted on instinct bringing the staff of her kusari-gama up to deflect the intended blow of the mace while simultaneously bringing up her leg to kick the sharp talons of her boot across his abdomen.

But her actions did little for with a heavy push she had managed only to get a little distances between Hawk Girl and herself but not from Green Lantern, who quickly recovered from her assault grabbing her by her wrists in hopes of disarming her. The struggle was brief for with a simple swing he shoved her backwards wrenching the shaft from her grasp. She winced as her back collided with the crate the pain combined with the metal edges of the cage at her side scraping roughly into her thigh; but dared not dwell long on the pain for she had found her escape from the claustrophobic maze, turning she kicked her leg backwards knocking the advancing Hawk Girl away and into Green Lantern before briskly climbing upwards.

Climbing onto the very top of the leveled shelves everyone quickly took in her mistake, although she was higher up and away from the confining aisles she was now in the open, if she tried to escape by air Green Lantern would be able to shoot her down before she could get a foot into the air.

They knew it, and she knew it leaving them to stand still staring upon one another silently questioning the other, wondering what would happen next. It was like a game of chess, one move was all it took for the game to end and it could be in either side's favor.

The metal shelf top screeched when the steel tips of Medea's boots scraped against its surface as she moved to bolt.

Jumping to action Hawk Girl began to climb the shelves shouting behind her to Green Lantern and the recovered Flash, "Keep on her!"

Within moments the sorceress found herself fleeing along the narrow ledges made of storage shelves below her the decelerated Flash and Green Lantern followed after by foot while behind her Hawk Girl gave chase by wing.

The sound of the massive flapping wings behind her hinted her to the attack prompting her to leap across the not so substantial space to the neighboring shelf feeling the rush of air at her side where the mace had been meant to land.

Though she had missed Hawk Girl's advance she was not so fortunate when it came to the green shot that landed in her side singeing both clothe and flesh while sending her to tumble for balance against a large statue crated for save transportation.

"Give up now." Hawk Girl commanded landing on the shelf across from the hissing Medea. "Your chances of escape are minimum so you're only making this harder on yourself."

Smirking Medea stood to take a long leisurely look upon the masked redhead. "You impress me more and more. I'm still in no mood to fight you, and spectacularly enough I can't perform a simple parlor trick to get you off my back. So I'm trapped in between my desires and my duty." Moving with incredible speed the weight of her kusari-gama shot from its place in the hilt slamming into Hawk Girl's chest knocking the wind from her lungs.

A streak of green flew by nearly catching her in her shoulder, Green Lantern and the Flash; though they weren't leveled with her they still posed quiet a threat. What she was about to do was low, but by the time she would have managed to escape Green Lantern's ring Hawk Girl would be up and after her once more, she had no choice but to use her trump card.

Growling she held the cage up before her body at arm's length so that Green Lantern, standing below them with ring aimed at her and all the rest could see the miniature Martian within. "Do it and you'll be hurting your friend as well." She panted softly between breathes. "Now lower your weapons and you toss the emerald up here." She commanded watching quiet pleased as they did as she commanded first with Hawk Girl lowering her mace and Green Lantern putting down his hand along with the tossing the gem up onto the shelf to tumble some feet away from her feet.

"Good, very good. Here's your little friend back." With that said she hurled the cage far away from the group uncaring where it landed.

The trio's eyes turned to follow the soaring cage and the panicked alien trapped within. It seemed as if everything slowed down, with the heroes distracted Medea made a lunge for the emerald while Flash and Hawk Girl moved to catch the Manhunter.

"She's going for the gem! Stop her!"

Green Lantern wasn't sure who had shouted all he knew was that suddenly he was acting on impulse firing his ring at the black winged woman.

The shot landed in her back just as she stood to turn with the emerald in hand. The cry that ripped from her lips was loud and inhuman, her fingers releasing the gem as her body flew with the impact from the shelf's ledge to fall towards the ground had there not been the line of armor standing at attention with weapons drawn. Nothing she could do to stop her from falling towards them, nothing could stop her stunned body from descending towards the sharp sword that had made her shiver with fear.

Hawk Girl had sighed with relief when Flash caught Jonn's cage with a sudden burst of his unnatural speed just as a small surprised chirp echoed through the storage house, the sound escaping her lips barely seconds after the sharp steel of the sword tore through her left shoulder piercing through and out to the other side lower towards her spine.

The armor gave way under the dead weight of the impaled woman clattering to the floor with a loud cacophony that seemed to resonate continuously into the still air, making the unbelievable knowledge of what had just happen to repeat in their heads.

No one could do much but stand still and stare in stunned stupor the angelic woman lying among the scattered armor and her own blood with the sword stabbing her through.

"Her magic has receded." J'onn's voice stated as he approached the group out of his cage and back to his original size.

Flash frowned deeply, "Does this mean she's-?" He found he really couldn't finish the sentence, though there was no need. The still body, the pooling puddle of blood, and her vacant eyes there was no doubt about it.

She had to be dead.

TBC...