"Only you would become more boring after joining a League of superheroes."
I was lying on my bed only barely listening to Sadira talking to me through the open door to her room. It was late evening meaning I'd just gotten through yet another two of Nightwing's training sessions and another ice bath. Today we'd been doing our first day of sparring. Translation: being slammed repeatedly into the ground on my ass and a huge number of bruises over my ribs and lower abdomen.
"What do you mean?" My question was muffled by my arm which I'd thrown over my face in attempt to keep the light from piercing my eyelids.
"Look at you! All you've done since arriving here is eat, train and sleep. It's only eight o'clock now, you should be downstairs in the common room getting to know the others."
"Why? I see them at consults."
"Because they're your teammates, at least temporarily. It's a known fact that teams work better together when they've gotten to know each other. You're gonna need all the help you can get when trying to dig up – "
"If I go and chat for an hour will you shut up and let me sleep?"
"Of course."
"Lead on."
The 'common room' to which Sadira had referred to was the only understated room I'd come across in H.Q. A simple marble fireplace sat against the end wall with a plasma T.V. hung above it. It was surrounded by brown leather recliner couches and a woollen rug. There was a large audio set and racks of CDs against the left wall and shelves full of magazines and books on the right. A door in the far corner seemed to lead into the kitchen from the opposite side I was used to. The walls were covered in band posters and pictures of the group in all parts of the world.
For some reason being there gave me a stomach cramp.
The team were all sitting in the sofas, Superboy and Kid Flash were playing a cards while Nightwing sat in the corner reading the same novel he was when watching me sprint laps last week. Card Queen was channel surfing and Wonder Girl was flicking idly through a magazine not appearing to be looking at the pages. She was the first to jump up when Sadira announced our entrance.
"Guess who I coaxed out of her shell?" She called. Everyone glanced up.
"Hey Fraya, so great that you could join us!" Cassie said grinning. I got a feeling she'd been quite bored up until I arrived. "Come sit down with us." Uneasily I sat beside her, I felt like a jig-saw piece being forced into the wrong part of the puzzle.
"How's the training going?" Kid Flash asked without looking up from his hand.
I glanced at Nightwing who met my gaze with a raised brow. I glowered at him as I answered.
"Great. I just love feeling like I've been massaged by a cheese-grater."
Everyone chuckled, even my bastard of a mentor who looked back down at his book.
"Don't worry," K.F. continued. "You'll soon be kicking all our asses."
"We'll see…" I repeated what Nightwing said, making him smirk at the pages.
"So," Cassie perked up again. "What are your plans for tonight, Fraya?"
"What's tonight?"
She laughed, a light, bubbly sound. It was nice to hear. I was beginning to find that most super ex-side-kicks take things far too seriously for their age.
"It's Friday night silly! Don't you ever go out on the town?"
"Oh, please," Sadira snorted before I could retort. "Fraya hasn't gone out in ages. Not since she's worked for Slade and the only reason she went then I recently found out was because of J – "
"Sadira!" I spoke a little frantically. Why was it this girl had no mute button when it came to private information. She simply giggled and shrugged off the other's questioning looks.
"Well if you want to come out with us your more than welcome!" Cassie said with such a kind smile that I only barely noticed the others sending her looks much like I'd send Sadira seconds before. "We go out once every-so-often to clubs in each of our home cities! You, know to release the tension."
"Thanks Cassie," I said trying to keep any sarcasm out of my voice. She was one of the only people that tried to include me in the group. "But I doubt your friends here want to attract that much attention with going out with their masks still on."
She glanced back to her friends who have still kept their secret identities from us and blushed.
"Oh yeah… sorry I totally forgot!"
"Don't worry about it. I have to be up at an ungodly hour in the morning anyway." I lowered my voice and leaned over to her. "I think Nightwing's time with Batman has made him nocturnal."
"Six am is well into the morning," Nightwing called as if he'd easily heard us.
"Not for a normal person it's not."
"But you can't stay in tonight!" Cassie looked appalled at the thought. "I mean, not with us all out! You're still part of our team even if it's only for a few months…"
"Honestly Cassie, it's fine – I'm fine. I don't mind sitting this thing out." I was seconds away from attempting to pat her on the back.
"No." Her voice took on a scary finality tone. One I was sure was going to say something I wasn't going to like. "The others can go on to Central City. I'm taking you out on the town."
I felt like groaning, I doubted my body could take a night in stilettos. "Please Cass, don't change your plans. Maybe we can work something out another night – "
"Something you should take note of newbie," Queen of Heart's snide interjection cut across my near pleading. "When Wonder Girl gets an idea into her super strong skull, just go with it because she won't change her mind."
My gaze wearily fell on the young blonde hero, she shrugged with an innocent smile that said 'she's right'. I sighed, once again wondering why I wasn't in control of anything I did in my life anymore.
"Alright, but I have nothing to wear."
"Don't worry," Cassie grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. Sadira jumped up with us, a nearly too satisfied smile on her face. "I have more than enough for both of us."
Cassie Sandsmark's room was what I figured a stereotypical teenagers room should look like. It had once been an exact replica of mine and Sadira's, but over the time she'd lived there Cassie had covered it from roof to floor in all things Wonder Girl. From Wonder Woman posters to bed linens not to mention the red, white and blue with gold fringed everything. There were random pictures of her friends and bands like The Script and Mumford and Sons placed in between the hero worshipping her – uh – hero.
After gesturing for the two of us to sit on her bed she strode over to a chest of drawers before pulling and flinging random items of clothing from them, coloured material flew through the air and soon littered the blue carpet. Sadira picked up one of the items, a royal blue halter with a cleavage slit from throat to bellybutton. Handing it to me she waggled her eyebrows. I sighed and placed it back on the floor feeling nearly frightened of what Cassie was going to pick out for me.
"Really Cassie," I tried in my last attempt to change her mind. "I really wouldn't mind having an early night tonight. You get ready yourself, have fun with the others."
"Oh come on Fraya!" Sadira surprisingly spoke up where I thought Cassie would. "Why don't you just shut up and go and have fun for a change?"
I gaped at the young girl beside me. Her jaw had been set angrily until I turned to her in shock. "Excuse me?"
Her bravado faltered leaving a pleading expression. "Aw please Em? You haven't been out in so long and I know it's my fault."
"What? No it's not! I never said that!"
She snorted. "You didn't have to! My whole life I've always got this feeling that you live for me. That you're not worthy to have a life of your own but you live on anyway to take care of me. You're only twenty years old! You need to start having fun! Living for yourself but all you do is sit around, doing everything that's mandatory for us, any other social gathering or extra thing that you might find enjoyable you skip out on! You distance yourself from people Fay!"
Once again it astounded me how mature she suddenly sounded, even if she used her nick-name for me created when she couldn't pronounce the letter 'r'. I gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I've never regretted giving up a normal life to raise you," I said quietly though I knew Cassie could hear. She had paused in her outfit scavenging to listen. "I don't need to have fun as long as I know your safe and happy."
"But I'm not happy see?" She stared fiercely into my eyes and I wondered vaguely how long she'd wanted to say these words to me. "I can't be happy knowing that I'm standing in the way of you allowing yourself to live happily. How can I?"
I paused, unsure what to say. She didn't understand why I think all of this. The reason behind living the way I do, of course she didn't, she was too young to remember the appalling thing I'd done. If she did she'd understand everything. Understand why I didn't deserve a life of my own, why she made my life worth-while.
"Please?" She begged. "Would you please try? For me?"
And I would never remind her. I wouldn't hurt her like that, how could I ever consider telling Sadira that her guardian was a murderer. No, I couldn't say a word, just as I couldn't deny that little girl anything.
"I'll try," I said, giving in to something I promised myself I wouldn't a long time ago. Hurting myself I found I was hurting her, somewhere along the line she'd become perceptive. "I'll 'live a bit more' ok?"
"Thank you," She breathed smiling hugely.
"Well," Cassie broke through are moment by clearing her throat. "You'll be glad to know that I found the perfect outfit for you to wear tonight."
Live a bit more… live a bit more… live a bit more… I chanted to myself before turning to see what Cassie had in store for me.
"A corset?" I asked, my eyebrows raising. I wouldn't go as far as I was happy with the choice but I had pictured a much worse item.
"It'll look amazing with your curves."
I took the small piece of black velvet from her. Emphasis on the 'small' and the 'velvet'. I'd never worn anything quite like it. But I could feel Sadira's gaze like a weight on my back so with a sigh I started to shimmy into it.
"Where do you get all these clothes?" I asked as I stripped off my own t-shirt.
She shrugged and walked over to help when I needed to lace up the back . "You tend to get whatever you want when you're a daughter of a God."
I choked, not sure whether it was due to that new information or the fact that she was using her super strength to pull this god damned thing a little too tight for comfort around my body.
"What?" I gasped.
"Oh! My father's Zeus, god of the sky." The way she said it, you swear she'd just admitted that her Dad was a carpenter.
"So… you're what a – a god?" Sadira stammered as I attempted to inhale oxygen into my lungs.
"Demi-god. Half god half mortal." On each inflection she tightened the bodice.
"Cass – " I gasped. Too tight. Far, far, far too tight.
"My Mum's an Archaeologist see and during one of her escapades landed her in Greece where she met Zeus in his human form."
"Cassie…" It felt as if my ribs were being crushed against my lungs.
"Obviously being a god he had some moves because nine months later I was born, super strength and all!" I felt the blood rushing to my face. "Not that he ever bothered to tell me who he was until a year ago, or ever bothers to visit…"
"Uh… Cassie?" Sadira had obviously noticed my face slowly changing from red to purple.
For her last few sentences she'd seemed to zone out, her voice taking a darker tone. When Sadira spoke up she seemed to wake up, hands stilled on the strings choking my abdomen.
"I doubt Fraya would be up for a night out with you if she ends up suffocating…"
"What? Oh! Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" There another pull on my back before the pressure in my chest was released. I sucked in a deep painful breath before nearly choking on it.
"S'ok," I gasped. "For the record though, I really don't care that I'm not thin."
She patted my back a few times before lacing up the of the death trap again, gently this time. With a quick glance in the mirror I realised why women back in the day wore them.
"You look great!" Sadira spoke appreciatively.
I couldn't help agreeing with her. The corset gave me the ultimate hour-glass figure consisting of a tiny waste, large pushed up cleavage and slim yet voluptuous hips. Being adorned with black lace and velvet just added to the sexiness of the outfit.
Cassie seemed to thoroughly enjoy dress up the new mutant. "You can wear your jeans," She said and bounded over to a drawer beneath her bed. "With, uh, these!" pressed a pair of black heeled boots into my arms. "Now go do your make-up while I get ready!"
I was learning pretty quickly not to argue with her so without even a defeated sigh I strolled over to her vanity table. I wasn't surprised to find every expensive brand of make-up strewn across its timber surface. By the sounds of Cassie's mumbling, I'd a feeling she would be a while so I took my time applying foundation, concealer and powder. Sadira helped my choose and apply eye shadows and liner. We opted for a blend of silvers and blacks giving me a dark, mysterious demeanour complimenting my outfit I hoped. I was about to tie my hair up with the tie on my wrist when Sadira protested.
"What now?" I demanded. Hadn't I gone through with everything she's asked?
"Leave your hair down," she ordered sternly.
With a sigh I placed the tie beside the makeup and ran my fingers to waken up the day flattened ringlets. Sadira nodded appreciatively at my appearance.
"You're a little too smug for my liking Sparks," I chastised lightly.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't think that I haven't filled in the blanks with your begging me to converse in the common room on the exact night the others planned to go out, followed by the outburst an hour ago…"
"You'll thank me later," she said shrugging absently. "I'm only doing what's best for you."
"I hate it when you quote me in my face," I muttered just as Wonder Girl emerged from her en-suite.
However, she did not look like Wonder Girl anymore. Her shining blonde hair was arranged to fall in perfect waves around her shoulders, complimented by a forest green blouse that would have been tame for a club except it was paired with a high wasted black mini-skirt. The skirt hugged very inch of her lower body in a way that made me think my right thigh couldn't have squeezed into it. Paired with black stilettoes made me a relieved that I wasn't going to be stealing any male attention next to her tonight.
"Ready to go?" She asked, her perfectly coloured lips quirked at the corners.
I took a deep breath, the insanity of what I'm about to do finally starting to sink in now that I was dressed. My whole life uprooted and thrown into a league of young supers with the entire villainous community after me and I was going clubbing.
Well, here goes nothing.
"Sure." I don't think I'd ever told a bigger lie in my life.