A/N: I don't own any members of the Justice League. They belong to Cartoon Network, Marvel, and DC Comics. I do, however, own Taipana.
Chapter 2: Getting to Know You
The ride to Kyrgyzstan was long and quiet. Every time either one of them thought to say something – anything – they restrained themselves. Batman had only talked to Taipana long enough to tell her that there was a dispute of some kind involving the government, the citizens and a mysterious third group. That group had been anonymous throughout the beginning of the demonstrations, but they resurfaced recently and began to help the citizens vandalize and destroy buildings; they even started to kill policemen.
"They call themselves "The Liberators." They'll be easy to identify in a crowd," he explained, and pressed a few buttons. An image then appeared on the miniature screen in front of Taipana, on the back of Batman's seat.
"Imagine that," she mused, looking at them with an amused smile. These so-called "Liberators" wore black robes like Druids with symbols all over in a blood red color. They looks weird, to say the least, but who was she to talk?
"Huh," he asked suddenly, hearing her voice break him out of his thoughts. "What?" Her comment puzzled him, but he wasn't really paying attention to her to begin with.
"Someone dressed up in a frightening costume, running around scaring people," she elaborated. "What will they think of next," she added sarcastically before they returned to silence. It wasn't long before Taipana spoke again. "So…you're sure about this league of demonstrators?"
"Uh-huh," he replied dryly.
"We gonna get there anytime soon? It's nearly been four hours!"
"Uh-huh," he repeated, just as dry as before.
"You still think they'll be there when we arrive," she joked, hoping to get him to say something different.
"Uh-huh."
Taipana sighed heavily, frustrated at his casualness.
"Lucky for me you're still such a good conversationalist," she muttered with a roll of her eyes.
About a half-hour later, they did arrive and the protests were still going on. Crowds of people were shouting at Flash and Green Arrow as they tired to put out the fire behind them. Some of them got through the police and threw bottles and such at the duos, who were hard at work.
Flash was creating a raging whirlwind with his arms to put out the fire. Meanwhile, Green Arrow was holding off as many of the protestors as he could with nets from his arrows, half of which were gone. Batman quickly landed the jet and the people backed away, completely instilled with fear. He and his "sidekick" jumped out and ran over to help Green Arrow. Only a few of the people remained, and those that stayed had more than bottle in their hands.
"What are you doing here? We don't need 'ya, Bats! Go back the Tower," Flash shouted unconvincingly, almost as if he was trying to make the situation seem funny. "There's nothing to panic about!"
"After you say that something panic-worthy always happens," Green Arrow stated as he readied another arrow.
All of the protesters, about five or six, pushed past the police easily and charged at them with bats and guns in hand. Green Arrow let off an arrow, which contained a bomb of sleeping gas. The big oafs ran right through it and fell asleep. Unfortunately, it knocked out the policemen, too. Batman glared at him and Green Arrow just shrugged.
"This was a waste of time," Taipana sighed as she regained her composure and put her hands on her waist, leaning to one side. "And here I thought I was going to have some fun."
"Whose she," Green Arrow asked as he walked over to Batman. "New recruit?"
"No," he said shortly as he turned to go help Flash put out the fire.
"What are you looking at," Green Arrow asked uncomfortably, as Taipana seemed to be in some sort of trance.
"Your hair," she said aimlessly. "It looked better on TV," she told him, and he started to rub his head for a moment, rather confused, before being hit upside his head. Without warning, the so-called Liberators appeared and began to attack. Green Arrow was down for the count and Batman was blocking them from getting to Flash who was still working on that whirlwind until firemen arrived.
"Magnificent," one of the Liberators said, trailed eyeing Taipana up and down.
"I suggest you save the flattery for the judge," she quipped with venom in her voice. The two began to fight as Batman held off three at Flash's corner.
Green Arrow shook his head, finally regaining consciousness, and saw one of the bastards sneaking up on Taipana. He quickly shot him with a boxing glove covered arrow. Taipana kneed her admirer in his groin and turned in time to see her sneak attacker fall. Looking in front of her, she saw Green Arrow running towards her, another arrow cocked and ready to go. He fired at her head without warning, but she ducked and the arrow moved to hit a man trying to get the upper hand Batman.
Sirens from the nearing fire trucks soon came to the Liberators ears. One by one, they took off and left the heroes to the clean up. One remained though; he was in the car and put the pedal to the metal as he charged at Batman. He saw this of course and jumped out of the way at the last second. The car swerved, trying to steer away from the burnt building. It managed just in time and turned back to Batman who, in turn, jumped into one of the police cars. They charged at one another, playing chicken, and the Liberator swerved out of the way again. He was so panicked that he lost control of the wheel, and ended up driving right the edge of a nearby shipyard dock.
A huge splash echoed to everyone's ears from the water as Flash put his arms down as he put the fire out at last and sat down to rest, rubbing his sore muscles. Sure, he'd created whirlwinds before, but never for such a long amount of time. The incompetent firemen came and hosed down the building just in case.
"Ugly and slippery. Irritating combination," Taipana commented, idly dusting herself off as she and Batman join Flash and Green Arrow.
"Where did you learn to drive like that," Flash asked Batman, shocked at what he'd done to the Liberator in the car.
"I've been donating for Paris Grand Prix for years," he stated with a stiff tone. "One of these days I think I'll enter it," he joked but his face was as stone cold as ever.
"Now, back to what we were saying before we were so rudely interrupted," Green Arrow pointed out, making a hitchhikers thumb behind his back as the Liberator fishing himself out of the water. "You are?"
"Taipana," she told him simply, not even holding her hand out for a respectful handshake. But that was her way; it always was and always would be.
"You were pretty good," Flash complimented, patting her back heartily and annoying her. "You should come to the Tower with us. Meet everyone; maybe join up."
"She's not coming," Batman stated causing Flash to frown. "If she comes, she'll know everything," he warned thinly, eyeing his former lover cautiously.
"If there's anything I know, it's how to keep a secret," she said coyly. "You know me."
"That's exactly it," he threatened, moving to be face-to-face with her. "I DO know you."
"And I know you," she threatened back, just as cold as he did. "Don't you forget that," she warned through clenched teeth.
"Why can't working with you be simple," he asked rhetorically, not expecting her to answer, but she did. She always did. Much like Flash, she always had to put in her two cents.
"There's nothing simple about," she began, trying to think of an appropriate way to describe them, "whatever it is we're doing." He didn't look impressed, so she began to think that maybe that wasn't the best thing to say.
"Anyway," Flash interjected, breaking them up. "You coming or not?" Taipana turned away from Batman to face Flash and Green Arrow. She had to think for a minute: should she go with her ex and his friends to their little clubhouse? Or go about her business as if never seeing any of them?
This was too good an opportunity to pass up.
"Sure. Why not? I don't have any pressing matters to deal with back in Gotham." Flash and Green Arrow smiled widely and cheered slightly.
"All right, let's get going. Batman…Batman?" Green Arrow looked around for the capped crusader, but he was nowhere to be found. "Batman?" They suddenly heard the roar of jet engines and looked up to see him taking off without a second thought.
"He always knew how to make an exit," she trailed off watching him leave with the other two.
"One of these days I'm gonna wrap a little bell around that guy," Flash exclaimed, hating how Batman could just sneak off without making a sound.
"Can you believe he thought having a sidekick made things easier," Taipana posed to him, referring to his former partners – Dick, Barbara, and Tim – as Green Arrow contacted J'ohn.
"He thought having a sidekick made things EASIER," Flash asked incredulously, jerking his thumb towards the trail the jet left behind. Taipana chuckled and shook her head at how shocked Flash sounded. Her smile faded though as she suddenly appeared in a high-tech skylab, which she could only assume, was the Tower.
P.S.: Four pages total.