Shayera and Chey-Ara attacking each other had not surprised Batman. Green Lantern and Flash, however, were prepared to rush to Shayera's aid, but J'ohnn immediately held them both back with his powers. "No," he said, "this needs to happen." Batman watched the two fight while his teammates made quips here and there. Chey-Ara had solid form, good footwork, hard punches, but she was nowhere near as good as Shayera, who was going easy on the smaller hawk. Shayera had yet to throw a single punch. Clearly, she didn't want to hurt the smaller hawk. "Ooh," Flash flinched as Shayera's fist made contact with Chey-Ara's ribs.

Batman warched as Shayera allowed the young hawk to recover and attack. She could have easily ended the fight just now, he thought. A moment later, the fight ended when Shayera placed her opponent in a chokehold. "You go Shay," Flash cheered loudly. Shayera then slowly released Chey-Ara instead of delivering a final blow. "That's it? That's all we get?" Flash asked.

"You are so immature," Green Lantern murmured.

"What are they doing now?" Flash asked incredulously. "Are they seriously having a conversation? They do know we're 20 feet away, right?"

"Let them talk, Barry," J'ohnn said.

A few moments later, Flash asked Green Lantern, "Do you know what they're saying?"

"No," Green Lantern answered back.

"Can't you use your ring to translate?"

"I can. But I won't."

"Why?"

"Flash," Wonder Woman said in annoyance, "if they wanted us to know what they were saying, they would speak English."

"You guys do know that us standing here while they debate… or whatever is very, very weird."

"Shut up, Flash," Wonder Woman and Green Lantern growled at the same time.

Batman continued to watch the two hawks. He saw Shayera motion their away a couple of times. Then she started sneaking glances at them…or him? Interesting. A moment later, the two were shaking hands and walking to rejoin the group.

"You guys stood here and just stared at us the entire time?" Shayera asked with a raised brow.

"What else were we supposed to do?" Flash asked with a grin.

"I trust everything has been sorted," Batman said in a monotone voice, looking between the two Thanagarians. Chey-Ara glanced at Batman before covering a smile with her hand. "Yes, everything is okay," Shayera said, "Chey-Ara will help us."

"Just like that?" Wonder Woman folded her arms with a scowl. "Do all Thanagarians change their allegiance so easily?"

"Excuse me?" Chey-Ara glared at the Amazon. Shayera placed a hand on Chey-Ara's arm.

"It's fine, Diana," Superman gave Wonder Woman a harsh look before saying, "We'll bring the other league members up to speed later. Right now, we need to prepare for the attack."

"I already have a plan," Batman said.

"Of course, you do," Flash muttered.

Batman glared at the speedster. "I'll bring you guys up to speed later. Right now, Shayera and I need to get back," he said glancing at he comm in his hand. "Something has come up. I'm needed in Gotham ASAP."

"Anything we can help with?" Superman asked.

"No," Batman answered before turning on his heel and walking out the door. Shayera gave a small wave before following him.

"I can provide more information," Shayera heard Chey-Ara say as she and Batman walked out. Shayera only hoped Wonder Woman wouldn't attack their newest recruit.


"What's wrong?" Shayera asked Batman as they appeared in the batcave, teleporting from the Watchtower.

"Ah, Master Bruce," Alfred greeted them on the teleportation pad. "Miss Shayera."

"He is here," Batman said stiffly.

"In the gym, sir."

Batman gave a nod before saying, "Let's go, Shayera."

"What?" Shayera followed not understanding what was going on. "What is going on? Who are we meeting?"

"You'll see," Batman responded, his voice not giving anything away.

Shayera entered the training gym behind Batman and saw a male hawk standing in the gym, inspecting it closely. "This is the hawkman you were telling me about?" Shayera asked.

Carter turned. "Hey, Bats," he greeted.

"Do you have them?" Batman said.

"I do," Carter said. He placed a wide, thick briefcase on the bench and opened it. Shayera's brain didn't register what she was seeing until Carter held them up. "Here they are," he stated proudly. Something white was draped over his forearms. "For you," Carter said to Shayera, holding his arms out towards her.

Shayera moved closer to inspect the item in Carter's arms. It took her five seconds to realize what was being given to her. Her mouth dropped open in awe; she was speechless. Draped over Carter's arms were a pair of white, Thanagarian faux wings.


Shayera slowly, stiffly reached a hand out to touch them. "I hope they're okay," Carter continued. "Bats here wanted it to be a surprise, so I had to trust the measurements he gave me. I don't want to know how you were able to get the lieutenant's measurements, but I hope they turned out just right." Carter continued speaking, but Shayera didn't hear him as his voice faded into the background. She was…this was…and he was…Shayera turned to Batman. "You did this for me?" she asked him, interrupting Carter who was still talking.

"Carter made them," Batman answered, "I just umph." Batman was stopped midsentence by Shayera kissing him. Shayera was on her tiptoes kissing him. They were kissing. He and Shayera were kissing. And she had initiated it. Batman remained calm on the outside as he slowly wrapped his arms around Shayera's waist.

"Uhh," Carter shifted uncomfortably. "I'll just…I know my way out," he said, slowly backing out the gym.

Once he was gone, Shayera broke the kiss, removing Bruce's cowl. "Shayera," Bruce muttered softly.

"I'm sorry," Shayera said still standing on her tiptoes, breathing heavily. "I shouldn't have kissed you while you were still Batman, but I just – you just – and the wings – you," she didn't know what to say. So, she planted her lips on Bruce's once again, pressing her body into his. Bruce didn't know how to proceed. Any other female, they would have already been naked – or he would have had her up against a wall. But Shayera wasn't any female. He didn't want to scare or startle her. He wasn't sure how…experienced…she was with sex. Following her lead was the best course of action.

Bruce wasn't the only one having an inner monologue while kissing, Shayera was having one, too. This wasn't how she had planned to share her feelings with Bruce, but then she saw the wings. She didn't know what to do. She had never felt this happy about anything before. Her wings had been the most precious thing in her life, and Bruce had just given them back to her. Her heart was swelling with joy and a whole bunch of other mushy emotions. "Thank you," Shayera breathed out. "Thank you. I – I don't know what else to say," she felt tears gather in her eyes.

"You don't have to say anything, Shayera," Bruce said, resting his forehead against hers. He gazed into her large green eyes.

"Yes, I do," Shayera whispered, not shying away from his gaze. "I have so much to thank you for," she said as tears slowly rolled down her face. Bruce used his thumbs to wipe the tears away as she continued, "No one's ever…" her voice faded.

"I know," Bruce said stroking her cheek as gently as possible through this black, military grade gloves.

"I can't – I have nothing to give you – "

This time, Bruce interrupted her with his lips covering hers, all the while wishing he wasn't still wearing his stupid suit. "You owe me nothing," he said breathlessly as he continued kissing her senseless, sucking her lower lip, slipping his tongue in her mouth.

Shayera was drowning in feelings and sensations. She had never felt this with John. Then again, she never actually let it get this far with John. She was loyal to Katar when it came to…bedroom intimacies. "You should try them on," Bruce said, pulling his lips only a few millimeters away from hers.

"I don't want to," Shayera said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Not now."

"It's okay," Bruce pressed a quick kiss to her lips, "we will continue this later, I promise." He kissed her hard before releasing her. "Try them on," he demanded, falling back into his Dark Knight role. "I'm gonna change." Shayera nodded, biting her lip. She had just made out with the Batman. She wanted to scream for joy, but she wouldn't because that would be weird for her. Instead she turned to the wings resting on the bench and began studying them, looking them over. It would feel weird, but these wings would definitely come in handy…as soon as she learned how to put them on. "I should have asked Carter when he was here," she realized.


Diana sat atop the Eiffel Tower, watching the city below. The meeting had been…eventful. She needed a moment to process. "May I join you?"

Diana turned to her right. "Kal-el," she said in surprise. "Of course you can join me. You do not have to ask."

Superman sat next to her. "Paris is beautiful at night," he said.

"Yes, it is," Diana agreed. "I come up here every now and then to think. To clear my head."

"Well," Kal-el said, "penny for your thoughts?" he gave her a simple nudge.

Diana smiled. "I have been on this planet for a very long time, and I still do not understand that particular phrase. Do humans really believe thoughts to be worth a penny?"

Kal-el shrugged before saying, "I don't know what it means either, and I actually lived with humans. Don't feel bad about not understanding their vernacular at times. But really, Diana, is everything okay?" he asked in concern.

Diana released a heavy sigh. "I hated Shayera. I hated what she did to us. When they took her wings, I did not care. I thought she deserved it. I only fought them because you did. But I wanted her to feel how I felt when she betrayed us." Diana stared out into the distance. It was one hour before sunrise. "And then Chey-Ara said she would fight with us."

"Yeah," Superman said. "That surprised me."

"Does loyalty mean nothing to them?"

"Diana," Superman leveled her with a look, "you were there when Shayera's wings were torn from her back. You know loyaltly is everything to the Thanagarians."

"If Chey-Ara can be so easily convinced to go against her own people, who's to say she cannot be easily swayed back to their side?"

"I see," Superman frowned. They sat in silence for a few minutes. "Diana, what is Thanagar like?"

"What do you mean?" Diana furrowed her brow.

"Well, you and Shayera spoke often. Did she ever tell you about her life on Thanagar?"

"No, she didn't," Diana frowned. "I never asked."

"Hmm. Neither did I. J'ohnn has told me what he has gleaned from Chey-Ara. By the way, I do believe our resident Martian has developed a crush."

Diana's jaw fell open in surprise. "On the prisoner?" she asked.

"Chey-Ara? Yes."

"That's…it is sort of exciting," she smiled.

"It is," Superman agreed. "But from what he's told me, life on Thanagar is no paradise." Diana looked at him. "Instead of thinking in terms of loyalty and disloyalty, maybe ask – how bad was it for them on Thanagar that they were willing to walk away from their lives? It's not like she was kicked out of her country, Diana, Shayera can never return to her planet."

"I never thought of it like that."

"Your right about how fast Shayera was able to get Chey-Ara to our side. But didn't it make you wonder about Chey-Ara's life before if walking away from it all is so…easy?"

Diana frowned. "I do not know the real Shayera. I can't honestly say I made a great effort to know her before Thanagar's invasion. We were the only two females on the team. We should have been as close as sisters, but I always kept her at an arm's length. When it turned out was a spy, I was happy. I was justified in my reasons for not befriending her. Now I can't help but think…maybe if I had been a friend to her…" Diana didn't finish that thought.

"Before she flew away that day, she did say she didn't know the Thanagarians were planning an invasion."

"I didn't believe her," Diana said, tearing up. "I didn't believe her. I thought it was another lie. And so, I hated her. It was much easier to hater than it was to empathize with her."

"Diana," Superman placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"When I close my eyes, I can still hear her scream from when they tore her wings," Diana said, pulling her knees to her chest. "That horrible cry - I have never heard such a heart wrenching noise in my life.

"You can't beat yourself up over this. You were not the only one mad at her that day. We all were."

"Barry was not. Bruce once admitted that he might have done the same thing had he been in her position. And J'ohnn…" Diana thought back to that day. "Actually, I do not know what J'ohnn was thinking at all. He probably knows more about that invasion than any of us. He probably knows more than Shayera." Superman nodded in agreement. "I do not know what to do," Diana admitted.

"What do you want to do?" Superman asked.

"I want to yell at her. I want to hit her. And then I want to hug her and tell her how much I missed her." Superman stood to his feet and held a hand out to Diana. "What?" Diana asked, not sure what to do.

"Let's go. It's been a while since I've visited Bruce. No better time like the present."

Diana placed her hand in Superman's and allowed him to help her to her feet. "Wait," Diana said. "Do you know a country where it is daytime? I would like some strawberry ice cream."

Superman laughed. "I actually taught myself how to make it," he admitted shyly.

Diana's eyes widened with glee. "Really?" she gasped.

Superman nodded. "How about we go to the Fortress of Solitude and…chill?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye as he pulled her closer.

"Like a date?" Diana asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Exactly, like a date."

"That would make it date number 3," Diana said.

"Is the third date special?"

"Not that I know of. I was just counting." Superman rubbed his nose against hers.

"What about Bruce?" Diana asked breathlessly.

Superman shrugged. "I'll visit him later. Let's go," he motioned for her to follow him before taking off into the night sky for some homemade ice cream…and whatever else followed.


Chey-Ara sat in the cafeteria, rigid and unmoving. According to the Martian Manhunter, it was almost 6 a.m., and the newer leaguers would be coming to breakfast right about…now. The doors to the cafeteria swished open, and Chey-Ara turned to see a group of heroes walk in. They froze when they saw the dark-skinned hawk sitting in their cafeteria. "Who are you?" a guy covered in blue from head to toe with pointy, thin wings sticking out from his back asked.

"Aren't you one of those bird-people who invaded us like three years ago?" another hero Chey-Ara could not see asked.

"It was two years ago," a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl stepped forward with her hands on her waist. She wore the same outfit Superman did, except she had a skirt. "Who are you?" the blonde demanded, her eyes glowing red. "How'd you get in here?"

"Enough," the calm voice of the Martian Manhunter echoed throughout the cafeteria. He appeared right in front of the blonde, staring down at her. "Her name is Chey-Ara. She's our guest."

"Does my cousin know about this?" the girl demanded. Chey-Ara rolled her eyes. J'ohnn simply walked away from blonde much to Chey-Ara's amusement. He sat across from Chey-Ara. "That is Supergirl. She is the cousin of Superman," he stated. "You don't want to eat anything?"

"I am fine," Chey-Ara replied firmly.

"Chey-Ara," the green man said calmly, "you are safe here. You can relax."

Chey-Ara looked down. She had never relaxed a day in her life. Thanagarians were trained to always be on guard, even when sleeping. "This is my first time away from home, and now I will never be able to return there."

"Was it just you and your parents on Thanagar?"

Chey-Ara nodded. " And then when my parents were arrested and executed for speaking out against the ruling class, it was just me. My mother was beheaded. My father died in prison. I was just entering my first year of training when they were arrested. I never saw them again. I was raised in a…a…um…you guys have a lot of them in Gotham. With bunches of children."

"Orphanage."

"Yes," Chey-Ara said, "orphanage. That is where I was raised before my recruitment into the Thanagarian army."

"I am sorry for all you've been through, Chey-Ara."

Chey-Ara shrugged. "I am not. I do not even remember what my parents looked like."

"But learning how to fight from an early age is no childhood."

"I do not know what a childhood is, but I survived my first obstacle course at age 5. I was…humans say…overachiever," Chey-Ara stated proudly. Her face then fell.

"What is it?" J'ohnn asked curiously.

"If I do survive this…invasion. I will need to find a new home."

"Chey-Ara, I thought it was obvious," J'ohnn said. Chey-Ara stared at him confusion. "You are welcome to stay here, on Earth."

"Where?" she asked.

"Here. In the Watchtower."

"With them?" she pointed to group of young heroes openly gaping at her and the Martian Manhunter. "Why can't I stay with you?"

The Martian Manhunter blinked his red eyes once, then twice. For a moment, he said absolutely nothing. "You would want to live with me?" he asked.

"Yeah. You're the only one who really talks to me. I don't want to be stuck here in this building. I will feel trapped. Do you not live on Earth?"

"I do live on Earth."

"You do not have enough room in your house?"

"I have plenty of room."

"You just do not want me there."

"That is not it at all, Chey-Ara," J'ohnn said firmly. "I just was not expecting you to ask." J'ohnn paused, seemingly weighing his options. He stood up. "Come with me. I will show you where I live."

"Really?" Chey-Ara asked, not bothering to hide her excitement.

"Yes, besides, you have been locked up in here for a month. You need real air," he said as he escorted her out the cafeteria, ignoring the prying and spiteful eyes around them.