Rocket walked down the corridor next to Zatanna. The two newest members of the Justice League were heading towards a special meeting involving all of the league plus the senior members of the team. Though nobody had told them just what exactly they'd be discussing... Rocket imagined that it would be something to do with the recent Krolotean invasion either that or it was to do with Black Manta's recent attack on Atlantis. She hoped it was the former.
"You feeling better Rocket?" Asked Zatanna
"Yeah, just felt a little nauseous back there..."
"It's probably just using the teleporter." Reasoned the young magician
"Yeah..."
They entered the meeting room where everyone was waiting for them. They had the reputations of always being second to last to arrive but just before Nightwing. Sure enough the ex-boy wonder was just behind them. They sat down around the table. Rocket was between Icon and Zatanna. As leader of the team Nightwing sat to the right of Batman. The Dark knight was the first to talk :
"As you all know the situation with the Kroloteans is nothing short of an invasion. Fortunately the information gathered from both the Krolotean captured by Gamma Squad and the one that Miss Martian... Mind read... Have enabled us to..."
Rocket suddenly stopped listening. She felt nauseous again but worse this time. She was now struggling with the urge to vomit, she felt Zatanna's hand on her shoulder. She'd noticed that her friend had turned a rather interesting colour of green. Raquel placed her head in her hands but that failed to make her feel any better. She could almost hear her heart beating like a drum.
"Raquel... Are you alright?" Asked Icon noticing the state of his ex-sidekick
"I- I think I'm gonna puke..." She declared
With that she quickly took to the air and flew at top speed towards the woman's toilets. Just in time to empty the contents of her stomach. Brilliant. A super important Justice League meeting and she was ruining it by throwing up all over the place. She herd Zatanna come in behind her. Of all of her fellow team mates, she found it easiest to associate with the young magician.
"Oh. Some tummy bug..." Said Zatanna
"It must have been something I ate..."
"I told you that Megan's cooking was dangerous..."
"I didn't eat with them... Not after last time..."
"Oh uh... Looks like we've got a security protocol 14..." Said Nightwing who had joined them
"This is the girl's bathroom Richard!" Snapped Zatanna "What's Security protocol 14 anyway?"
"All Leaguers quarantined in case of illness just to make sure we're not carrying some kind of super plague. We're all also given a medical examination by Red Tornado."
"All this cause I ate something?" Asked Raquel
Having washed her face she headed back towards the door but being forced to rush back towards the toilets to throw up yet again. Zatanna and Nightwing looked less amused this time and more worried. They waited a few minutes, despite feeling nauseous Raquel no longer felt like throwing up. Zatanna put an arm around her friend's shoulders.
"It's infirmary time for you..." She said
"I'll tell the other leaguers..." Nightwing declared walking off
Rocket now felt completely drained it had been a while since she'd been ill and didn't miss it one bit. They reached the infirmary, Raquel lay down on one of the beds. She hoped that it wasn't anything serious... All this talk of alien super plagues had made her somewhat paranoid. Zatanna pulled up a chair.
"So... You gonna tell me what's been getting you down these past few weeks?" Asked the magician
"What? Nothing..."
"Let me guess... You're thinking about someone with silver eyes, fins and gills..." Said Zatanna with a smile
"How'd you know..."
"It's been four years, I've began to recognise your 'I miss Kaldur face'"
"I just keep on wondering if maybe we didn't get the whole story, you know... Maybe he isn't all evil..."
"Well this is new, three months ago you were convinced that he'd always been evil and was planning world domination..."
"Maybe I was wrong..."
"Whoa? Raquel Ervin admitting she might have been wrong?" Zatanna raised an eyebrow "Now I know something's up. So come on spill."
Raquel let out a deep sigh partly to try and calm her nausea it had to be said. She looked at her feet, could she share her secret with Zatanna Zatara? So far, she hadn't had any reason to doubt the young magician but this was still the biggest secret she'd ever had and the one that could possibly be so damaging.
"Just between us?" She asked
"Girl's secret." Promised Zatanna
"I met Kal..."
"What? When?" Zatarra's kind expression changed to one of astonishment
"In Venice."
"Did you kick his butt or something?"
"No... He's more powerful than he's ever been before... But he didn't want to hurt me..."
"What did you guys do then chat?" She asked almost ironically
"Yeah pretty much... He said he was lonely."
"You believed him?"
Rocket nodded in response. Zatarra's expression was one of surprise. At least she hadn't gone running to Batman or anything. Would she understand what Raquel felt? Sure she'd been in a relationship with Nightwing but he wasn't exactly a supervillain who'd almost killed a member of the Justice league...
"Well, how's he doing?"
"Fine. He's got bigger... A lot bigger. He's also a bit of a stalker." Raquel said with a faint smile "Did you know he's been following us around, making sure that we were ok?"
"I thought I detected mystic forces sometimes..." Said Zatanna "You told anyone else about this?"
"No... Who else could I tell? Bats and the rest of the league would have my head on a pole... Not that I couldn't take em'"
"Don't exagerate." Said Zatanna after a chuckle
"Seriously can you see Batman in a romantic situation?" Asked Raquel
"No... Hang on..." Zatanna's eyes widened "Romantic? How far did this reunion go?"
"Uh..."
"Jeez..."
Zatanna sat down on a chair. Rocket couldn't of sworn to it but she looked mildly annoyed at her. Probably understandable. She had just dumped something pretty major on her team mate's shoulders and asked her not to talk about it... Rocket gagged as she fought of the urge to vomit once more. Zatanna quickly grabbed a bucket and handed it to Raquel. A second later, Red Tornado walked in armed with two syringes.
"Security protocol 14 is in effect." Said the robot "I am required to take a blood sample from every member of the Justice League. You two are all that remain."
"I used to scream myself hoarse when I was a kid in the doctor's..." Said Zatanna pulling up her sleeve and wincing as Red Tornado took a blood sample "Still hurts..."
The robot did the same to Raquel, she was 99% sure that this was just something she'd eaten but respected the need to be careful. Red Tornado placed both blood samples in a little box and headed towards the door. Just before exiting however he turned to look at the sick superhero.
"How are you feeling?" He asked
"Do you need to ask?" Asked Rocket bent over the bucket
"With luck it is nothing fatal." Declared Red Tornado leaving
"Someone needs to teach that guy the basics of a pep talk..." Said Rocket
"Rocket, you and Kaldur how far did it go exactly?"
"Far enough for me to begin loving him again."
"Have you any idea how much trouble you're going to be in if the League finds out?"
"Yeah." Answered Rocket simply
That was the end of that discussion. They chatted about other things but neither dared talk about Kaldur again. Raquel was beginning to feel better by the time that Icon, Batman and Black Canary came back in. They looked serious to say the least each had a frown on their face well... It was always very difficult to tell with Batman. Rocket's heart beat a little faster. What was the matter?
"So what's the diagnosis?" She asked
"You're not sick..." Said Batman
"I sure feel sick..."
"But there is human chionic gonadrotropin in your bloodstream." Declared Batman
"Ok. That explanation come in english?" Asked Raquel raising an eyebrow
"It's a hormone that only occurs sometimes in a woman who's well..."
"Any chance we could sort this out before I puke again?"
"What we're trying to say is" Said Icon "You are pregnant Raquel..."