Justice League Watchtower, Medical Bay
"In other news, Star City billionaire, and owner of Queen Industries, was found dead on monday morning. He had apparently been stabbed by a long bladed weapon, most likely a sword. Police have remained surprisingly…." he hears, pushing the power button on the remote control and silencing Lois Lane in the middle of her newscast. Vic smiles sadly to himself, turning slowly in the bed as to not hurt himself or open his wounds which had only just started to seal of their own accord. 'Damn you Queen' he thinks, ruminating on the death of his former colleague.
"I guess the League hasn't informed the police yet" he says aloud to himself, his heart going out for Black Canary who would undoubtedly be mourning her lover's loss without knowing the full story of his betrayal. He grimaced at the thought of countless statues and memorials already being planned as it had come out through some posthumous snooping that he was the Green Arrow.
"Vic, you're up" Mari says excitedly, bustling into the room with a large bag tucked in her arms. She moves toward the opposite end of the room and deposits the bag on the chair, shuffling over to the side of the bed and kissing him on the cheek. He reaches up and rubs her face while he begins brushing his thumb over her lips, not being able to fully reciprocate the act of affection as leaning upwards at that angle caused him a great deal of pain.
"Hello to you too" she teases, placing her hand over his and rubbing the skin in soft circular movements before leaning in even more and nuzzling his nose. "It's good to see you" he says, being rather short on words and not knowing what to say to the woman.
She just smiles, knowing that he was trying to say so much more than he was able to and nods, wanting to take the pressure off of him. "I know. I brought you some stuff!" she says excitedly, moving over towards the bag and beginning to pull out a few items. He looks at the brown paper bag with interest, taking stock of the newspapers and books being brought out, as well as a cd player. He can't help but laugh at his girlfriend's enthusiasm, wanting to tell her that a week was not too long a stay for him to weather without bringing their home to him.
"Sweetie" he begins before being cut off by her pulling out one of his sweaters and handing it to him. "J'onn said you were complaining about being cold, and being a pest all around. He also said you could have this over your bandages as long as he was able to change them so here, let me help you put it on" she says, gesturing for him to lift his arms. He had only mentioned once that he was cold to the martian, knowing that the woman had blown it out of proportion once his message had been relayed.
"Alright" he says, deciding that humoring the woman was the best course of action. He slowly lifts his arms up, careful not to hurt himself in doing so as she brings the fabric over his head and cautiously brings it downward, careful to not touch any of his wounds.
"I brought the baggy one you like to wear when we cuddle" she teases, bringing it fully down and smoothing it out with her hand before pushing him back onto the bed by his shoulders."You mean the one YOU like me to wear when we cuddle" he teases, causing her to smile before her facial expression once more becomes severe. "I want you to lay down and stay down" she warns causing Vic to smile even wider. "I only got up because you told me to nurse. I'm a good boy".
"Make sure you stay that way and keep listening then" she teases back, looking around to make sure J'onn wasn't going to come in. "I've got fifteen minutes" she says, moving onto the open side of the bed and moving close to Vic. He quirks an eyebrow and smiles at her. "What are you doing?"
"Shhh" she intones, putting a finger against her lip and giggling. It's only a few seconds later that Vic isn't asking anymore questions, simply enjoying being with his girlfriend and finding where they were making love, rather gently and with Vixen in charge, more than a little naughty.
He was breathing a little heavier when it was done, Vixen herself enjoying her continued teasing of him by slowly getting out of the bed and drawing out the motions necessary for fixing her costume. "Wow" he says simply, causing her to turn around and realign the blanket, bringing it back over his midsection. "How did we do that without me getting hurt all over?" he asks laughing as he reaches up to rub her back. "Flexibility of a snake and the assistance of a few other animal abilities" she teases.
She suddenly seems contrite, upset, and he hopes he didn't say anything to cause that. "I, well I hope you don't think less of me for that you know? Good girls don't normally seduce their boyfriends in the hospital but...I needed you and…"
"Hey, I wasn't complaining at all and I certainly don't think any less of you. You're my girl" he says simply with a light shrug. The words "my girl" send an explosion of joy throughout her body and she quickly moves back over to the bed and kisses him, melding her lips to his and wrapping her arm about his shoulder. The kiss goes on for many minutes, only occasionally stopping for the two lover's to breath.
"Vixen, while my knowledge of Earth's medical traditions is not complete, I am quite sure that that is not average treatment for a wounded man" J'onn J'onzz teases, entering the room with a slight smirk before moving over towards the monitors once more. The woman blushes profusely at having been caught, but she is grateful that J'onn didn't walk in even earlier. Question just looks at the Martian, smiling under his mask. "Ohh don't worry J'onn, this is the best treatment for a wounded man. Especially this one" he says, reaching out and grabbing her hand to hold. The martian makes a sound of light approval before he moves back toward the monitor.
"Your readings are all in the green Question. Do you feel any pain? If so, I can can give you some morphine" the Martian says. Vic just shakes his head in the negative. He turns towards Vixen. "I'm feeling great J'onn. On top of the world" he says, causing the woman's blush to deepen. 'How does he so easily make me feel this way?' she asks herself.
J'onn nods, feeling the wave of happiness and even the post coital bliss that emanates off of the two. They seem to have either forgotten or not known that human mating rituals left quite an emotional residue that he could easily pick up on. Normally he'd scold two Leaguers who took the time to do such a thing in his medical bay, but he let it slide for the Question. It was true that being an original member gave you perks the other and newer members of the League did not.
"Are we interrupting something?" Superman asks, entering with Batman and Wonder Woman beside him. Vixen looks down, hating that she had to leave him so early, but also knowing that her watch at monitor duty was coming up. She quickly kisses Vic on the cheek and begins to move out of the room. "I'll be back after monitor duty Q. Love you" she says, giving a respectful nod to the older members. "Love you too" Question calls out, not realizing that he had said it aloud in front of his friends.
He coughs lightly into his hand, hoping to avoid the issue all together. "No Superman, please come in" he says, watching as the smile spreads across Wonder Woman's face. "Have a nice session of monitor duty Vixen" she says, waving to the suddenly shy woman who exits quickly enough, throwing a small wave of her own back. Most leaguers were still in awe of the big three as they had been called, and Mari was no exception.
The door closes behind her, leaving them alone with Question and J'onn. "It is good that you finally told her how you feel" Diana says, coming over to the Question and setting something down on the table next to him. He looks and is shocked to see a cheese basket. "We wanted to get you a gift. To encourage you to get better" she says, a wide smile on her face. She was enjoying the relationship between the two way too much. Superman clears his throat and steps forward. "Yeah. Hope you like swiss" he says causing Vic to look closer and see that there was indeed an entire wheel of swiss cheese in miniature. "Thank you" he says evenly, indeed being thankful for the cheese, but finding it strange nonetheless.
"We're glad you like it, but we need to talk" Batman says, stepping forward and irritating Diana. "Let's first ask Question if he feels well enough to speak to us first" she says, returning the man's patented glare before Superman intervenes. "Just a few simple questions. And updates. We know most of what happened already" he says, remembering that Shayera had given the League a full report on what she had heard.
Question just raises his hands and calms Diana. "It's alright. I can talk" he says, not wanting the two to use him as an excuse to argue, though if he wasn't the excuse they'd easily find something else to argue about.
"Good. We need to know about Ras and what he's planning. We know that he confronted you and we know that he had turned Green Arrow. Is there anything else you can tell us?" Batman asks, causing Wonder Woman to cross her arms and huff. "Very polite" she says, not approving of how Batman was "interrogating" one of their friends.
"Not much. All I know is that Ras seems to view me as a possible successor. Ollie thought he was his chosen, but..well, we see how that ended. May I ask, does Dinah know?"
Wonder Woman nods, having been the one to approach the blonde with the news. "She does". Diana expands no more on the subject, and no matter how much Vic wants to know how she took it he won't push the subject. He doubted that the answer was going to be "she took it well" in any case.
"There has to be more. Why is Ras interested in you?" Batman asks, moving closer, obviously intending to intimidate the man like he was a common criminal. Something had the normally imperturbable vigilante rattled, and undoubtedly it was because of Ras' involvement. The Question looks away, knowing that he'd ultimately have to reveal his secret. He couldn't hide it, not with so many lives hanging in the balance.
"After we had our encounter with the Justice Lords, I...took a step that I am not proud of" he begins, watching as Batman's eyes narrow. "I did it to prevent the same course of events from happening that led to what happened there" he adds.
"Question we don't…" Superman starts, stepping forward to prevent him from exposing the secret that he had grudgingly helped him keep. "Superman, they need to know" Vic says, interrupting him and cutting off his attempt at silencing him. The man of steel opens his mouth, wanting to disagree and convince the other man to keep his silence, if only for his own good, but closes it upon coming to the conclusion that it was the Question's call to make. "Alright" he says, backing off and crossing his arms over his chest. 'This is going to come down on me too' he thinks, looking towards Bruce who he knew wouldn't approve of him keeping this a secret.
The Question is silent for a second before he begins again. "I knew that if Luthor killed the Flash, there was a possibility of the same thing happening here. I wouldn't let that happen. I attempted to kill Luthor" he says, causing the assembled group to look on in astonishment. Diana looks shocked while Bruce is obviously disappointed and angered. Superman just looks guilty, feeling somewhat responsible for the course of action the Question had felt forced to make.
"You what?" Batman asks, glaring at the bedridden man. "I don't need to repeat myself" he responds, refusing to back down. "Ras knew about it and he said that it was why I would make a more suitable successor. He sees me as willing to take life to preserve it" he says, causing Batman to practically growl. "And is he wrong?"
The calming hand placed on his shoulder by Wonder Woman doesn't help, and he shrugs it off, continuing to grill the conspiracy theorist. "And is he wrong?" he accuses again, reiterating his point. Question couldn't believe how he was being treated. He had tried to, not succeded in, killing Luthor, being prevented from doing so by the man himself and the timely arrival of Superman. He would remain mum on that subject however, not wanting to implicate the Kyrptonian in what had happened.
"Yes, he is. Luthor wasn't killed" Question says, his ire rising at the caped crusader's attitude. "And why is that? Change of heart?" he asks, causing Superman to step forward. "No. Luthor had been merged with Brainiac. The Question had attempted to do what he did before we fought the two in Metropolis" he says, causing the Batman to turn on him. "You knew?"
"Yes. I kept it a secret as well. I judged the Question's motives in the face of what he had seen and what he was going through at the time and decided that it was best to let it drop" Superman says, standing up himself to the now fuming Gotham based vigilante. "He tried to kill a man, and you decided to keep that a secret!" he shouts, advancing on the metahuman. "Enough!" Wonder Woman says, finally getting fed up with the argument. She looks sympathetically towards Vic and nods. "While I disagree with what you attempted to do, I understand" she says, turning to the angry man once more. "Fighting isn't going to solve this and we have to look at this rationally" she says.
"Agreed. He needs to be expelled from the League" Batman says, causing the Question to almost sit up in shock, only the pain that is caused by the sudden motion sending him back down instantly. "What?" he asks, dumbfounded as to what was happening. "That's out of line" Superman intervenes, stepping forward and placing his hand on Batman's shoulder. "Is it? He tried to kill someone. Even someone like Luthor. We can't have loose cannons on this team, and especially not would be murderers" he explains.
"That's not going to happen" Diana says, also standing up for Question. "Superman handled it as he saw fit. Trust his judgement and trust mine" she says before turning to the Question. "Have you ever attempted to kill since then?" she asks. He shakes his head. "No, I haven't committed any crimes since that moment. I regret it every day and I'm sorry. Use the lasso if you don't believe me" he says, gesturing to the item that was looped around Diana's belt.
She looks at him, maintaining eye contact through the mask, her serious expression turning to a light smile as she shakes her head in a negative. "No need. I trust you" she says before looking back at Bruce, daring him to countermand her.
He turns and begins to exit the room, his cape swaying outwards as he does. He stops at the door and turns his head over his shoulder, looking at all those remaining in the room. "I'll be reporting this to the League. They deserve to know. Only then will a decision be made" he says before turning again and exiting, leaving a fuming Question behind. He and Batman had never seen eye to eye, and an intense rivalry had existed between them since the beginning. He also knew that his dirty laundry was about to be aired out to all his closest friends and loved ones.
'Mari' he thinks, going wide eyed at the thought of her knowing what he had attempted to do. 'God, please don't let her hate me' he thinks, praying that she would somehow understand. Diana seems to know what he is thinking and places her hand on his shoulder. "I shall go and speak to Vixen. Tell her before Batman does" she says with a gentle smile that calms him, but doesn't assuage his fears fully. She moves off, having his gratitude for her help. It leaves him and Superman alone in the room, being joined a second later by J'onn J'onzz who undoubtedly had either heard or sensed all of Vic's turmoil.
He moves over to the monitor and checks on Vic's vitals, nodding at the increase in his heart rate. "I'd prefer it if you don't stress my patient any further Superman" he says, not even moving as he tinkers with the machines. "It's alright J'onn. It wasn't Clark" he says, knowing that they were in safe company to use given names.
"Vic, I promise that there is no way you're getting kicked out of the League" he says, nodding at his friend. "What if I should be?" Vic asks, tired from everything that had happened and fearful of the looks that would now be aimed at him. "Don't talk like that. A lifetime spent helping people isn't wiped away by something you almost did wrong" Superman says, as usual knowing the right words to comfort people in times of stress.
"I hope you're right" Question says, feeling his eyes closing at that moment, the whole thing having been emotionally taxing. 'From heaven to hell in the matter of fifteen minutes' he thinks, remembering how he had just made soft love to Vixen in this very bed not long before. 'I just hope that wasn't our last time' he thinks to himself, hoping against hope that it wasn't.
"Vic, one more question if you don't mind. If Ras was able to turn Ollie, do you think that there might be others in the League who could be working for the League of Assassins?" he asks, wondering if the masked conspiracy theorist had any thoughts on the subject. And he did.
"It's very likely. Immortality, wealth and power and strong incentives to join him. Stronger than conviction sometimes. I think we should look out for suspicious behavior" Vic says, watching as the Kryptonian nods. "Who are you thinking?" he asks, knowing that Vic already had someone on his mind.
"You wouldn't like my answer" he says. "Tell me anyway" Clark persists. "It may be colored by bias but I would keep a watch on Batman".
Clark is momentarily taken aback by this and eventually he stares at the man. "I know, keep in mind my bias against him. But he has been acting suspicious. His desire to see me expelled from the League came suddenly, and why? I have a sinking suspicion that he wants me away from the League's protection. Somewhere that Ras could more easily access me".
The seed of doubt planted in Superman's head by the conspiracy theorist clearly doesn't sit well, and his discomfort is easily readable. "He wouldn't…" he begins, trying to defend Batman. "I know, but I never would think that Ollie would traffic weapons and let innocents die for someone like Ras either, but that is exactly what happened" he says, not being at peace with the idea of Batman being corrupted.
Moments of silence pass before Clark looks up and nods. "Alright. I'll keep an eye on him. But what makes you so sure I'm not a traitor?" he asks, causing Vic to laugh, already half asleep. "Please. If you wanted power you'd just take it. You're Superman" he says, falling into the land of sleep as soon as the words are out of his mouth. Superman frowns uncomfortably at that sentiment, not wanting to think over how true it was.
He sees that Question has fallen asleep, his light snores echoing about the room. Superman turns to J'onn and leans in close, not wanting his words to the Martian to be overheard. "Make sure he's safe. Limit his visitors. I don't want anyone coming in here that isn't on the up and up" he says, the green man nodding in approval. "Shayera and Vixen have both been to see him. Do I allow them access?" he asks, momentarily stumping the Kryptonian. Eventually he sighs and nods. "Yes. I don't like it but we can't cut Shayera out. We need to let them handle this themselves" he says, again obtaining the martian's agreement. Superman makes to leave before remembering the last thing he needed to say, and by far the most difficult.
"And J'onn? Make sure Batman doesn't get in"
Later that Night, Vic's Room, Medical Bay
"He's sleeping Shayera" J'onn says, knowing that the woman standing in front of him wouldn't care. "I know J'onn. I just...I need to see him. Please?" she asks, having come completely unarmed to put her fellow League member at ease. "He needs to wake for a little while anyway" he says, looking at the Thanagarian warningly. "I will allow you some time with him" he says, turning away to move back into the main monitoring station. He now had other patients to tend to as Ice and Vigilante had been injured during a mission that afternoon.
Shayera smiles, thanking the man quietly before moving into her ex's room. The lights were off and the only illumination came from the monitors which cast a green hue over the room. She saw him, laying on the bed with his face turned towards the door. For a moment she thinks he is awake and that he knows she's there before his snoring makes its way to her ears. She can't help the smile that comes to her face, remembering the many nights she had been kept up by that sound and how she'd elbow him in the side to knock it off.
Eventually she found out that the best way for him to avoid that was to lay on his side and cuddle her back into his chest. He never snored when they were in that position, so that was how they slept most nights.
She walks toward the bed, gently reaching out and rubbing his leg before she takes a seat in the chair next to the bed. She reaches out and begins to run her fingers along his forehead and through his hair, wanting to wake him up but in a more gentle fashion. "Vic" she whispers, leaning down towards him and speaking into his ear. She can't help but be overjoyed at having this alone time with him, even if it was secretive. "Vic, wake up please" she adds, the man slowly coming out of his slumber. "Wha" he asks groggily, the medicine being given to him for his wounds having an obvious effect on him.
His sight slowly comes into focus, seeing that there was someone in his room. He blinks a few times, shaking his head and trying to turn the blurry image into a more concrete sight. "Shayera?" he asks curiously, seeing the red hair and the wings poking up from behind her back. "Yeah it's me" she says, having quickly moved her hand away, attempting to hide the fact that she had been caressing him only moments before.
"What are you doing here?" he asks, making to move up to rest his back against the wall before a stinging pain shoots up the entirety of his side. He lets out a growl of pain and Shayera is instantly up on her feet, pushing him gently down once more. He couldn't help but think of when Mari did the same thing to him only hours before and he was suddenly uncomfortable with her being there.
"I just wanted to see you. Talk a bit" she says simply. He didn't like this. Being stuck, alone and wounded with an ex girlfriend really didn't sound like a good idea. What choice did he really have though? First and foremost, she'd saved his life. He felt that he at least had to hear her out. He owed her that much. Still, he had some questions of his own that needed answering. "Why were you at the warehouse that night?" he asks suddenly, his voice not carrying the usual tone of defiance it did when he was wanted answers from someone. He was too tired, and he didn't want to threaten Shayera, even if he could. His usual interrogation tactics were out, so he could only hope that this would be an honest conversation.
She wants to avoid that line of questioning, willing to do anything to avoid being seen as the stalker ex girlfriend. She answers anyway, having abandoned the idea of slowly trying to win him back through friendship. Lying had gotten her into this, and she'd be damned if it dug her in deeper.
"I wanted to make sure you were safe. You shouldn't have been out there alone. Especially being distracted by her" she says, feeling her until then latent anger at Vixen bubble up once more. "You...you listened in on my call" he says, letting the question drop as he knew that she did already. He can see it in her eyes. "Yes" she says, averting her eyes. "Why"
"Do you really need to ask?" she says, looking at him seriously. "I guess not, it's just….why? Why all of the sudden? Why did you come back and decide to make my life hell as soon as I moved on from you?" he asks angrily, feeling the need to at least clear the air. "Have you moved on?" she asks, sadness tinting her voice. "Yes" he responds with firmly, though even he feels the slight tremor in his voice that gives away the fact that he wasn't being entirely truthful.
She smiles again, a sad little smile that doesn't reach her eyes, and reaches out to place her hand on his cheek. "Shayera, please don't" he says, watching as she leans in and presses her lips against his mask. He resists, he really does. Her scent though, her scent brings back all those memories and he can't help but press his lips back against hers through the mask. It was like heaven, feeling her there again, and she obliges him more by moving in closer, half leaning on him, but ensuring that her weight doesn't hurt him.
He pulls back quick enough, not wanting to lead her on but being momentarily lost in the familiar sensation. She doesn't move, just closing her eyes and remaining close, her breath crashing against his mask. "Tell me you don't love me anymore. That you feel nothing for me and I'll never bother you again. Honestly tell me that and I'll step aside. But if there is even a flicker, a little remnant, then I'll keep going until you're mine again. Can you tell me you feel nothing for me?" she asks, hope filling her voice with unshed tears.
Vic wants to say no. Desperately wants her to go away and never speak to him again. But he can't. He can't lie, and even the thought of her exiting his life for good is too much to bear. He can't do it. "I can't say that" he said, closing his eyes and regretting the fact that he can't. 'I'm sorry Mari, but, I still have feelings for her' he thinks, intending to be honest with Vixen when he next saw her. He wasn't leaving her, and he wasn't going back to Shayera. "But I love Vixen. I'm staying with Vixen,Shayera. No matter how much you still mean to me, I love her with all my heart. Take that to the bank" he says, wanting to be clear with the winged woman that he had no intention of leaving his girlfriend for her.
She continues to rub his cheek, smiling down at him, the tears finally breaking over her eyelids. "I know. It's one of the things I love about you. Loyalty. I...I came back to watch you after a year. Through the window. You were still waiting for me, weren't you?"
"Yes" he answers immediately, not at all shocked by the revelation that she had been spying on him. He'd heard her then, and didn't say anything. He still wanted it to be her decision, and he didn't want to influence her choice no matter how much he wanted her to come back to him. Instead she flew away, back into the night. He'd laid his face in his hands instantly after that and fought to control his emotions. He threw out her things the next morning, except the mask she'd left behind. He kept that and hid it in a box of other early Justice League relics he'd collected.
"I knew you were there"
She seems genuinely shocked by his confession and it slowly turns to anger. "Why didn't you say anything?" she practically hisses. "I wanted you to make your own decision. You told me you needed to be alone, without me. So I let you. Don't get mad at me for what you wanted Shayera" he says, forcing her to back down from her anger. He was right. "I would've stayed if I knew you knew that I was there. I would've waited until you went to bed and crawled in next to you. Picking up where we left off. I should've" she says, her voice catching before she stops herself. "I'm going to win you back Vic. If it takes me ten, twenty or thirty years I will. I was going to lie to you. Say that I just wanted your friendship and work from behind the scenes. I can't do that though. I can't hide what's obvious. I'm your lover Vic, and I always will be" she says, leaning in and kissing his cheek again.
"I love Vixen" he repeats himself, exasperated by the whole thing. She just smiles, hiding how hurt that sentence made her feel. "I know, and that's my fault too" she says, stroking his chest. "But think of a few things. You're a paranoid conspiracy theorist. Think on this. Who really is better for you? Who would protect you no matter what, and stand by you no matter what choice you made? If I was with you while you tried to kill Luthor, I would've helped you. Can you say the same about Vixen?" she asks accusingly, not realizing that Vic had zeroed in on another aspect of what she said.
"You know about Luthor?" he asks, feeling a weight settle in the pit of his stomach. "Uhh hmm" she says, her voice even and her face schooled to give nothing away. "Batman told everyone. I'm sorry Vic. He shouldn't have done that".
'Mari. Mari knows' he thinks, his mind scrambling for something to calm himself with. He was horrified of what she would think. What she would say? His rage at his colleague bubbles up inside of him at how Batman's judgemental and vindictive action may have ruined things between them. "He shouldn't do a lot of things" he says morosely, realizing that many in the League may very well have turned their back on him. "Is it...is it bad?" he asks, hating the childlike fear that was reflected in his voice.
She looks away before turning back. "Yes. Many….many of them don't trust you anymore. But they don't understand why you did what you did, or tried to do what you did. Black Canary, Huntress and Fire were all very vocal defenders, as was I" she says, adding the last as an afterthought, no doubt to advance her own position with him. He hated that it was working. "Flash, Fire and Mr. Terrific seem to be the leaders of an unsure faction while a good number want you out of the League. The Lantern, Stewart I think his name is? He seems to be the most dedicated to your expulsion".
That didn't surprise him. No doubt he thought that as soon as Vic was out of the picture that he'd be able to have Vixen. He was shocked by Wally though, and couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by his friend. He felt that all too familiar feeling bubbling up again, and he can't help how he grinds his teeth. "After all the work I'd done, all I've helped build, they just wanna push me to the side?" he asks, mostly for his own benefit. Shayera nods however, seeing the outburst as directed at her to respond to.
"Vic, I'm so sorry. I know what it's like to be the outcast" she says, gently taking his hand in her own. "What I did was far worse than anything you ever tried to do and if they want to expel you from the League then I'll say so. And if they want me gone too I'll go with you" she says, taking his hand and rubbing it against her cheek. Her wings seem to expand ever so slightly, an obvious sign of affection on Thanagar.
He leaves his hand on her cheek for a few seconds, enjoying the closeness more than he should have and also wanting to glean further information from the woman, which could only be done through buttering her up. He allows it to go on before gently pulling his hand away, making up an excuse about how tired he was. "Does...does Vixen know?" he asks, giving up on hiding his anxiety about that subject.
"She does. Batman told her personally" she says, her lips turning into a frown at knowing just how hurt Vic would be by this. She wanted to kill Batman, but she also wanted to thank him. Realistically she knew that this may very well have been the only way she'd ever get Vic back.
"Well? What did she say?" he asks, sitting up and ignoring the pain this time, his heart thumping in his chest. Shayera bites her lip and looks away, already having second thoughts about telling him. 'He's going to get hurt' her mind whispers, not wanting to see how his body would sag at her words. Thankfully his face was covered, so she would miss the look of pain that he'd undoubtedly have etched onto his face but knowing it would be there is just as bad. 'He'll be hurt but you'll be there to fix it' she thinks, steadying herself with a deep breath.
"She didn't say anything. She just nodded and went back to monitor duty. She didn't even look upset. She didn't ask for more information, and she didn't defend you. She just went right back to work" she says, reaching out to take his hands in her own once again. Vic seemingly deflates and falls back against the bed, looking up at the ceiling. "I need to talk with her. Explain it all. I….I need to be alone" he says, causing the redhead to frown. She didn't want him to ask for her to leave. She wanted to comfort him, move into the bed with him and hold him close. 'Give it some time wont you? Give it some time. He still needs to talk to her and see where things stand before you can get back to how it was' her mind says, reminding her to be cautious in how she moved forward. 'He's Vixen's to loose' she thinks happily, feeling that she would indeed lose him, and was now convinced that he would be back in her arms in no time at all.
She smiles and leans in, gently running her fingers through his hair before she pecks his cheek. "I understand but...call me if you need me okay? I'll be there for you" she says, slowly getting up and walking towards the door, letting his hands slowly fall from her own as she watches him over her shoulder. "Goodnight Vic" she says simply, just being able to hold back the "I love you" she desperately wants to add.
She doesn't and instead keeps walking, nodding to J'onn who had just finished checking up on Ice who was sleeping in her room. "You've stressed him more than I would like Shayera" he says, shaking his head in light disapproval. "I'm sorry J'onn but….can you tell me something? Does he love me?" she asks, causing the Martian to sigh and place his hand over his face. "I wont break his trust by informing you of what was going through his mind" he says. "Please J'onn. I….I just need a little bit of an edge her. Just tell me, yes or no. Does he still love me? Or is it just nostalgia?" she asks, wanting to know the answer but also terrified of it being the one she didn't want.
The Martian is silent before he turns his head, not wanting to continue looking into the pleading eyes of the woman he'd come to see as a younger sister in many respects. "He does. He buries it, trying to convince himself that he doesn't, but he does" he says before turning and warning her of what else he'd found. "But he also loves Vixen. The pool of affection he feels for her would be surprising. I am not sure which is greater. Do not ask me about this again" he says causing her to nod and place a hand on his shoulder.
"No need for me to. Thanks J'onn" she says before standing on her toes and kissing his cheek. She walks toward the door, exiting the medical bay and heading down towards her personal quarters. J'onn can't help but smile lightly, ignoring the feeling of apprehension he felt at providing even this minimal assistance. At the heart of it,he really just wanted things back to the way they were. He sighs and looks down at the floor, shaking his head. With Ollie's betrayal, Batman's hostility towards the Question and his own wavering view of what it meant to be in the Justice League he doubted that things would ever be "normal" again.
Outside the Medical Bay
She was shocked. More than that, she was lost on what she should do next. 'Vic was willing to kill' her mind says, images of a merciless Vic attempting to kill Lex Luthor entering her mind and refusing to exit. Batman had been scarce on details, but he had still communicated the fact that Vic had attempted to commit murder, only being stopped by the intervention of Superman, she had been told.
'What am I going to do?' she asks herself, having been pacing up and down the hallway for a good fifteen minutes as she tried to think of how to approach this. She had went back to monitor duty after Batman told her, and everyone else. She couldn't help but feel that that was a little unprofessional. To air such a big issue so openly and leave it to mob mentality to decide. Then again, the caped crusader never really saw the League as a "family" like she did, so she had to doubt if he really called about factionalism or the like. 'Maybe it helps him' she thinks, beginning to doubt how the dark knight had framed the story. She didn't think he lied, but manipulated the series of events? Possibly.
"A divided League is a good thing for a paranoid jerk who's been preparing for us to go dark since the minute the League was formed" she thinks, knowing that it was a distinct possibility.
"Damn him" she thinks, hating the doubts that the man was so easily able to place in her mind regarding her boyfriend. "I need to see him. Enough waiting" she says aloud, making to enter the bay and have a talk with her lover. She's stopped by the opening of the door, and comes face to face with Shayera instead of J'onn, whom she expected.
The shock at seeing her must be easily visible on her face and she works quickly to wipe it away. Shayera still looked rather triumphant, a smirk twisting her lip upward on one side. "Vixen" she says, nodding before turning and walking down the hallway.
Mari is momentarily stunned but recovers due to the anger boiling up inside of her. She quickly catches up to the woman, her quick strides overtaking the redhead. "Wait a minute" she practically growls, grasping the woman's arm. She is shrugged off violently and pushed back, a fuming Shayera having automatically assumed a combat position with her wings splayed out on either side of her. Mari can't help the slight fear that rises up within her. Thanagar was not known for being a nice place, and she doubted that one of the best soldiers that planet had produced would be easy to beat in a one on one fight.
"What were you doing in Vic's room?" she asked accusingly, getting over her fear quick enough. "What you should've been doing. Comforting him. Trusting him. I do that alot you know? Picking up your slack. Especially when it comes to protecting him and keeping him safe" she says, causing Mari to feel a stabbing of guilt. Her lip curls at seeing the woman and she feels her nails lengthen into claws, a by product of the talisman she wore. "I had to work" she says weakly, feeling the fact of her confused feelings about Vic's action undermining her excuse.
Shayera seizes on this instantly, smirking at the woman before moving into a more relaxed position."Ohh, so sharing monitor duty with the other b listers is more important than making sure Vic was okay? You know how private he is, and how Batman sharing what he did would hurt him. I came running. I pawned my duty off on Terrific. I don't care if it gets me in trouble. Vic comes first to me and that should tell you something" she teases, causing the black woman to want to scream in anger.
"You're a bitter old crow who betrayed her friends and her planet immediately after. That's all I see" she says, enjoying how Shayera's smirk is replaced by a frown and then a scowl. "You don't know a god damn thing about me" she says causing Mari to smile at how the shoe so quickly went to the other foot.
"Ohh I know a lot. I know a lot about the damage you did to Vic. How he shut himself up until he met me. How he kept all your crap for a year thinking you'd come back. How he gave up after so long. Do you know how much it hurt me to be with him and think about how he might be thinking of you?" she asks, showing a surprising level of honesty with her nemesis.
She laughs to herself, continuing to speak and not giving Shayera a chance to respond to her previous statement. "I'm glad I ran into you out here actually. I was going to tell Vic we needed a break. For me to find out how I feel about him after hearing about what happened. I don't need that anymore. I know that nothing's changed. You know why? Because I remember the first night I felt like he loved me, and not you" she goes on, herself calming as she stands up straight once more.
"It was the first night we made love if you have to know, and I want you to know. We do it allll the time" Mari says, enjoying the look of pain on the other woman's face. 'Paybacks a bitch huh?' she thinks before moving on. "It helps to have the power of the animal kingdom at your disposal you know? And Vic's irish, so needless to say we go at it like rabbits but, while entertaining, that's not the point. The point is, that first night I looked into his eyes and he looked into mine and guess what? I saw how much he loved me. He wasn't imagining me with wings or your hair. No. He was with me, and I was stupid for fearing you. You're nothing but a ghost to him Shayera. I'd feel bad for you if you weren't such a bitch" Mari says, finishing her speech with a contented smile.
Shayera is fuming, angrier than she had ever been before. She wanted to cry as she imagined his hands over Vixen's body, touching and caressing her the way they used to do to her. She hated herself, screaming mentally at how stupid she had been for leaving. 'You have to collect yourself' she thinks, seeing the woman still smirking. 'You can't let her win this. You can't' she thinks.
"Do you know what Vic's favorite song is?" she aks out of nowhere, causing Mari to open her mouth before closing it, genuinely stumped. She hadn't expected that question to come her way, and she was disappointed that she had no answer ready. "Or his favorite movie? Ice cream? Where he grew up? His dreams? His fears? Do you know any of these things?" Shayera asks, feeling like she had a leg to stand on once more.
With each question Mari feels more and more guilt at how much of her boyfriend's life was a blank to her and how little she knew about him. It wasn't a pill that she could easily swallow. Shayera smiles, finishing off her line of questioning. "Exactly. How could you know someone, claim to love them like you do, and not know any of these things?" she asks. "I let him have his space most likely" Mari says, crossing both of her arms under her chest and looking away, not enjoying how Shayera seemed so nonplussed about it all. "He didn't talk much about you, but I'm getting the impression that you were a clingy girlfriend if you think that knowing everything about another person proves a damn thing about loving them" she says.
"It doesn't. I gave Vic all the private time he needed, as long as I was allowed inside that bubble he sets up around himself. He could segregate himself from the League all he wanted when he was with me, but not me. Never. You see Vixen, I was selfish in a way. I wanted him all to myself so I made sure that I was always right there when he needed me and even when he didn't. I didn't force him out of his comfort zone like you. I forced myself into his comfort zone and met him where he was. I didn't want to change him and I didn't try to make him want to change for me. We shared our lives together Vixen. It sounds like you just share an apartment" she teases before turning and walking away once more.
"We're not finished!" Mari calls, being lost for words. 'What if she's right?' her mind asks, going back to all the times she had forced him out into different work related gatherings. He always hated the suit and tie gatherings, but he had always gone for her. 'Dammit Vic!' she thinks, wanting to cry at the thought of her boyfriend making constant his comfort a constant sacrifice for her. She looks up again and see's that Shayera is gone, obviously disagreeing with her about the point of their conversation not being "finished".
Mari wipes her eyes and looks down at the ground, knowing that things had to change between her and Vic. 'I can't lose him' she thinks, hating how melodramatic this all was. She turns and presses the button on the door panel, triggering the mechanism and opening the bay to her.
She walks in, not saying anything to J'onn as she passes him, just nodding instead and moving into Vic's room. He's awake, but she knew he would be. After all, he had to know that she would want to speak with him after hearing what she did. "Hey" she says simply, trying to smile but finding herself suddenly on shaky legs. "Hello" he responds, gesturing for her to sit down in the chair. She does and moves it closer to his bed, though not too close. She really did need to speak with him and she wouldn't be able to fully get it out if he touched her. She lost all sense of purpose when he did.
Silence falls on the room with only the rhythmic beating of the machines around them breaking it. "Batman told you" he says simply, causing her to nod. "Batman told me" she confirms. "Hmm. Diana said that she'd try and get to you first. Explain things but…" he starts before she cuts him off. "I don't want Diana to tell me Vic. I want you to. What the hell happened? You were going to kill a man? Yes it was Luthor but still" she says shocked and angered once more. Of course her conversation with Hawkgirl lingered in her mind, but she still needed to confront Vic about attempted murder before getting to if he still had feelings for the other woman.
"Yes. To save the world" he says quietly, looking down. "That's not how we do things baby" she gently corrects, making him look up by gently touching his chin. She hated his mask and hated that he had to wear it while he was in the hospital, but she understood why. He didn't want to be exposed, none of them really did, well she was an open superhero from the start but she never minded. She enjoyed the extra fame, though it made her feel guilty at times for using her superhero status to get ahead.
"It's how others did it. And they were more successful at saving the world" he says, not understanding why he suddenly felt this way. Gone was the guilt and regret, being replaced by a desire to make it understood as to why he did such a thing. He was tired of feeling guilty for what he did when Luthor had gone on to do so much damage. He hadn't killed anyone personally, but he'd certainly injured many and assisted those who most definitely had killed. "How many soldiers have died throughout the centuries for good or evil? How many killed for it? I was going to kill one man to save the world and then throw myself on the mercy of the Justice System. Everyone looks at me like I'm a damn monster and I'm tired of pretending that what I wanted to do was wrong. The only thing I regret is that I failed" he says, breathing heavy with how much he had said so quickly.
She frowns, feeling herself frightened by how Vic seemed to have reacted to this whole reaches out and takes her hand. "I'm sorry. I...I don't really mean that. I guess, I'm just tired of nobody seeing why and just looking at the what" he says, sounding very contrite. "I...I don't know what to say Mari. I was wrong to do what I did. I...I wish I could take it back but I was scared. So much was wrong in that other world, so many hurt and injured. I didn't have anything to brighten my life when it happened. I wanted to make a sacrifice and be done with it. But then… well, you came into my life and stepped right into my path. I'm not good at this Mari but, you gave me something to be happy about. Something to aspire to. I love you, and I'll do anything to make this right" he finishes, caressing her hands as he does.
She can't help the tears that begin to leak out of her eyes while her mouth twists into a smile. "I'm going to tell our kids one day about how much of romantic sap you are" she teases, leaning in and kissing him on the lips, wishing that the mask didn't need to be there. She would've grabbed the can of aerosol and pulled it off, but with others who weren't aware of Vic's identity being in the medical bay it didn't seem like a good idea. Instead she moves her chair closer and caresses his arm.
"Next time, I'll be with you baby. I promise, you're not getting out of my sight" she teases. She can tell that he rolls his eyes by how his head moves and she hugs him about the shoulders, carefully avoiding his wounds. "So, you'll be staying with me for at least as long as it takes for us to have kids huh?" he asks teasingly, causing her to blush at the statement she'd made. "Well, that was an out there comment…" she begins while watching shyly, a blush coloring her cheeks. "That I completely meant. For the future of course. But...I do have to ask a question Vic, and I want you to answer it truthfully" she says, pausing for a second before she asks.
"Do you still have feelings for Hawkgirl?" she asks, sending Vic's head instantly down. "Yes" he admits quietly, wanting to strangle himself for feeling the way he did about his ex lover. Mari smiles sadly, and moves in closer. "I kind of knew you did. I'm not upset though I probably should be. I mean, I am mad but not at you. Just angry that you still care for her" she says, feeling herself a little lost in her emotions.
He makes to say something, being stopped by her finger on his lips. "Tell me this truthfully as well. Do you love me?" she asks, smiling as the man gently leans up and presses his forehead to hers. "More than you'd ever know". She smiles and closes her eyes, running her hands up and down the side of her man's face. "That's all I need to know. Give me a pillow" she says before scooching herself into the small hospital bed alongside of him, once more being careful to avoid further injuring him. "J'onn's not going to like this" he teases, motioning for her to lay her cheek on his chest. She does it instantly and coos out enjoyably. "He'll get over it" she says, yawning, and promising herself to deal with the issue of Hawkgirl at a later date. Mari, as it turned out, was very territorial.
If Vic hadn't been so tired and comfortable he would've thought about the danger he was in more closely. Love makes on complacent, but what a joy it is to be in love.