Chapter 8: Panic

She was missing.

Nobody knew where she went, she never checked in the watch tower or metro tower. They had sent out search parties to comb out the possible cities she went to. Wally stayed at his apartment hoping she'll come back but never did. They checked fate's home, not a sight of her was seen. She was gone, just like that.

It's been 3 days since her last appearance and John was worried sick. He had been the last one to see her, but didn't follow her to keep her safe. Her whereabouts were still unknown, whether she was alive or dead, he really didn't wanted to know.

The piece of technology found in Vixen's neck was unhelpful. Specifically designed like a bug, it had crept onto her neck and crawled deep into it. Using its thread like legs, inserted itself in her nervous system. It had been manipulating its host who was unconscious all the time, skilfully emitting nerve impulses to the mind to control her body to whatever it pleases.

The technology was foreign. Even J'onn J'onn nor Batman had a clue. Mari was still comatose, so he had to wait for her to give some clues who had did this.

Wally had called in the minute Shayera's com link went offline. The last of what he heard from her was just her trying to warn Wally about Mari's issue and her scream breaking into the night sky.

It could have been anyone. A Civilian? She was weakened and damage, a mere human could have dragged her off.

Or perhaps one of those villains seeking vengeance.

To an extend it could be another stalker, this one more crazy and insane than that Hawk boy. A sudden sick thought flash through his mind. If that stalker touched her or hurt her, he would decorate the walls with his blood.

Worse, it could be a bounty hunter.

The universe is a big place and he had been on countless missions in deep space, aiding in affairs and peace conference. Certain times he had to go under espionage in the darker parts of the cities. He overheard a lot of things about her before.

There was even a poster of her once, saying in alien language that whoever brings her in. Dead or alive. Will be honoured and given a huge sum of money.

The ones who will specifically be honoured is when she is taken in by her own kind.

John imagined what will happened if they brought her in.

She'll face judgement, her wings torn off in public. The crowds will cheer at her sufferings and might even ask for a slow death to pay for her deeds. She'll be tortured and abused, eyes made blind and tongue muted. She may be mutilated. If they wanted to make her suffer even more, they'll sell what's left of her into slavery. Not just any slavery. The one Despero craved for a few years ago.

It will be the end of her.

He had accompany in every search for her. He went to her favourite place to watch the sunset. Nowhere was she to be found. She was just gone like the wind.

John even went backed to the place where he last saw her.

His apartment.

It was morning now, and the daylight stream to his windows, showing what a horror had happened in here.

He hadn't been in here right after that night when everything went wrong. The sight of it shocked him. Batman was in here with him, but he showed no sign of despair.

"Is this where you last saw her?" questioned Batman, looking around the room.

"Yea…"

Batman moved around the room, and headed towards the broken window. A piece of feather was stuck to one of the shards of glass.

John saw the stains of blood on the floor and his mind flashed back towards that night. The horrible things he said. He'll take them back in a second if he could see her again. Batman was looking out the window now, predicting the direction she flew to.

John started to head towards the kitchen until he stepped on the porcelain pieces what seemed to look like a pair of wings.

He crouched down, picking up the white pieces and assembling them. Some pieces were missing but it started to form a sculpture he knew all too familiar.

An angel. Her gift to him as a wedding present. Her thoughtfulness touched his heart and he could feel his eyeballs starting to water.

He was more determined to find her now.

"Batman here. You found the traces of her broken com link? We'll head there right now."

I couldn't believe what I saw laid out before me. She was like a slab of bloodied meat on a butcher's block. The medical examiner had placed a crisp white sheet over her body but the likeliness still lingered in my mind. I took in a couple of deep breathes. Hours before I had come here, Mari had reminded me that I didn't have to do this. Bruce came with me, after all it was his city and secretly I think he felt that I needed some form of support. Not that I wouldn't refuse.

I was about to go to bed with Mari until he called me yesterday and repeat the story to me and what I had been requested to do. There had been a brutal murder in Gotham, but it was the victim that had gotten me involved. A female Thanagarian was found in a warehouse in Gotham city. She was found with a stake rammed through her heart and multiple stab wounds to various parts of her body. And spray painted on the wall in red where she was found were the words "Filthy Hawk"

Her wings had also been cut off, the jagged scars of her back was so visible. There were also signs of torture; fingernails caked in blood, cuts and bruises on her body .She had died a slow and painful death. The unthinkable had probably happened. I almost drop the phone when he said she had red hair. But no one had clearly seen Shayera beneath the mask except for me.

And I had been called to come and identify the body. My mind refused to believe it was her, and I hope it proved true enough.

There had been rumours of someone capturing her and other Thanagarians. I'd spent countless nights on the computer searching for recent news about her. Many claimed they had succeeded. But these had been dismissed as untrue, until now.

But the thought of seeing her having endured so much horror almost made me feel a pang of fear. There's much I haven't said to her yet. As I stood outside that room looking at the covered body I couldn't help but freeze. I had thought that the hatred of her kind had subsided a little in the recent year. But I had been proven wrong and the idea of the very people I protect still harbouring this much hatred to perform such a deed scared me.

"John, you ready?" Batman asked softly snapping me from my thoughts.

"Yes" my brain said but my heart disagreed.

Despite the growing feeling of dread I found myself standing beside the table. I nodded to the examiner and the sheet was pulled down enough to reveal the face of a Thanagarian woman. I looked at her face; she had soft features and luscious lips. She was beautiful, long flowing dark red hair and large kind shaped green eyes. Though she was pretty I could picture a soldier's glare on her face. This wasn't just a stowaway one of the men had smuggled on to the ship out of loneliness. I breathed a small sigh of relief. Thank heavens it wasn't her. If it was, I honestly wouldn't know what I will do or even how to react.

But still, this woman looked somewhat alike with my angel. My mind urges me to double-check to make sure it wasn't her, to make peace with my inner doubts

Cautiously, I asked if I could see her arm. I felt the strange sense to need to ask permission of the examiner. I didn't want to touch her; it had been so long since I had seen a person dead or alive. The simple action struck me as disrespect if I had done so without asking. And though she was dead I, didn't wish to offend her. Respect for her still living soul made me respect her unliving shell.

Sensing my hesitation and discomfort, the examiner removed the girl's arm from beneath the sheet. When I caught sight of the Thanagarian military sign, Shayera never had one but she could have gotten it during the invasion. My eyes travelled back to her face, and I leaned forward to smell her hair.

Both Bruce and the examiner looked to me for an answer; I shook my head in reply. The examiner gave me a sympathetic smile and started to pull the sheet back over her face. I asked softly if, she could leave her face uncovered for a few more minutes. She nodded and both she and Bruce left me to my thoughts.

My eyes were drawn to the absence of her wings. Nothing but dried bloody stumps protruded from her back. It angered me, one of the worst things that could be done to her kind. Depriving her of something that was a cause of great pride, power and strength was truly cruel. I had a feeling that her attacker de winged her before finishing her off. They had broken her before her death. It pained myself to know what my own kind are capable of.

It was then that a feeling passed over me, I needed to prevent this from ever happening again. I needed to protect her from the ones that are out lurking to harm her. Because if this ever happened to her, I don't think I can live with the truth.

They arrived at the crime scene. Wally and Dr. Fate was there.

"We found her com link somewhere on the ground. Her attacker must have crushed it and kicked it aside." Announced Wally "we also found traces of blood, feathers and torn clothing on Solomon's grave.

John was already surveying the area and found the new pit. Clusters of feathers lay caked in the mud below, and a faint footprint outlines the edges of the new grave.

"She must have fallen in here during the struggle and got taken away…" he whispered.

"I'll take the footprints and other traceable evidence back to the cave" offered `Batman.

"The attacker is no ordinary human" says Fate, causing the others to look at him.

"I sense dark omens in this being. It's as if he brought death whenever he goes… We can only hope she's still alive when faced with this creature."