Hold onto Me
By: Jade O'Neal
Disclaimer: I don't own all these cool characters. They belong to other people. Spoilers: "Wild Card" Rating: PG-13 Notes: None really. Enjoy.
~*~
Prologue:
Selina Kyle opened the balcony doors and tightened the belt on her Japanese silk robe. She could feel the warm breeze against her skin as the wonderful aroma of the Italian vineyards filled her nose. Italy was so beautiful, especially in the areas not visited by tourists.
For the last week, Selina had been staying in a villa in the gorgeous countryside. Besides Pairs, Italy's vineyards were one of her favorite places to visit.
A knock sounded at her door, surprising Selina. No one had been expected that morning, and no one knew where she was.
"Who is it?" she called to the door, being careful. She never knew whom she could trust; she was in that type of business.
"Señora, you have a package," Antonio, the boy who lived a mile away, told from the opposite side. "Señora?"
All of Selina's worries subsided, and she let out a sigh of relief. When she opened the door, the boy gave her the box he held.
"Thank you, Antonio. Do you know who sent it?"
He shook his head and laughed as Isis waked in through the open door. "No. I just know it come from Gotham City in America."
"Gotham?"
"Sí."
"Thank you," she repeated, and the ten-year-old left.
Selina had no idea who knew she was in Italy. Maybe Bruce? Batman could easily track her down, but she doubted that he'd even care. He, unlike Bruce, was nearly immune to her charms.
She placed the package on her kitchen table and opened it. A head popped out, like a jack-in-the-box would, but it wasn't a clown head. The face was a replica of Batman's. When Selina looked closer, the mouth opened, and a green gas spewed out. Selina inhaled and instantly felt herself get dizzy.
Her vision blurred as the room began to spin. She couldn't focus. Her body hit the floor and landed next to her Catwoman suit. She glanced away from it and tried to identify whoever it was that had walked into her room.
She could only make out the color of his pants.
They were purple.
~*~
CH 1: TEAMWORK
Hawkgirl watched Earth from her seat in the Watchtower. It was a slow night, and she and Green Lantern were supposed to stay in their headquarters that evening. They didn't mind much.
GL came up from behind her and gently touched her bare shoulder. "Hey girl. Tired yet?"
"No. Why? Are you?"
He laughed and sat down on the arm of her chair. "No. I just thought you needed some rest."
"Thanks anyway." Hawkgirl looked away from his glowing eyes and stared out at space again. Even though she and John had admitted their feeling for one another, it hadn't made it any easier for her. She still found herself holding back and avoiding him. It was almost as if she was afraid of something.
"So, what do you want to do?" GL asked her. "Just sit here?"
"Do you have a better idea?"
A smirk spread on his dark face, and he stood from the chair. GL turned her seat so she would face him. "I can think of a million things." His lips crept closer, and she closed her green eyes in anticipation.
Hawkgirl relaxed and felt her heart rate quicken. Just before his mouth could cover hers, a small alarm sounded. They stopped in their tracks.
"No rest for the wicked," she said and waited for him to step away from her. When he did, she turned to the controls and learned where the disturbance had occurred: Gotham City. The Thanagarian flew to the first floor of the Watchtower and made her way to the computer. GL followed close behind.
"What's going down?"
She pulled up a news report and listened. There had been a robbery, and the thief had taken hostages.
"Who the hell is Croc? I've never heard of him," she told.
Lantern shrugged. "Batman probably knows." He pressed a button on the computer to contact the Gotham hero. "Green Lantern to Batman. Over."
There was no answer.
"Lantern to Batman. Over." He huffed and shook his head in anger. "Damn him."
"Something's wrong," she observed and looked at John. Referring to his ring, she asked, "Is that baby charged?"
"Fully."
"Good. Let's go."
About twenty minutes later, the duo found themselves in the heart of the city. The SWAT team was stationed outside the Gotham National Bank. Both Hawkgirl and The Green Lantern walked up to the commissioner.
"How many people are inside?" GL questioned.
The older commissioner had a startled look on his face when he realized who had spoken to him. "Well," he said, "you surprised me. I half expected to see Batman standing beside me."
Hawkgirl made a confused face. "You mean he's not here?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"And his crew?" Lantern asked.
The commissioner shrugged. "None of them have showed." He took a quick glance at the bank and shook his head. "The situation is very bleak. Croc threatened to kill them all if we head on inside. I've got snipers stationed around the place, but none of them have had a clean shot. He's extremely dangerous."
"Is there a back way we could use to get inside without his knowing?" Shayera asked. "Or have your men already used it?"
"No," he answered. "I was just about to send a man inside."
"Don't. Not until we need backup." Hawkgirl took hold of her energy mace and waited for the commissioner to say the word.
"Fine. I'll tell my boys that we've got two inside. Go to the rear of the building, and there's a door –"
"Thanks." Hawkgirl flew off the ground and to the backside of the bank. When she found the door, she tried to open it.
Locked.
Lantern joined her at the emergency exit. "Now what?"
She didn't hesitate to bash it open with her mace.
He raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were going for discreet."
Hawkgirl walked inside. "That's not my style." She scanned the darkness and noted that nothing seemed too strange. She motioned for him to follow, and they quickly made their way to the front of the bank.
GL stepped in front of her and glanced inside the next room through the already open door. She did the same. It was empty.
"Stay here," he ordered and put a shield around his body with his ring. He cautiously walked through the door. A few moments later, he called her name and stated that Croc was gone.
She narrowed her eyes with fury and joined him. "Then where the hell is he?"
"Don't know." GL began to help the unconscious hostages sit up. "It looks as if he had knocked them all out."
"And then he snuck out himself," she concluded and searched the floor for clues. Soon enough, she found one: a wet footprint. "The sewers!"
Hawkgirl ran in the direction they had come from and found a manhole a few feet away from the bank. Quickly, she ripped it open and started to climb down.
"Tell the police about the people. I'll get Croc," she told her partner. He didn't listen. Instead, he stayed with her. Together, they walked through the sewer, keeping an eye out for the thief.
Rats crawled around the edges of the water, and she could detect an incredibly foul smell. Hawkgirl resisted the urge to vomit and continued on her path. A few minutes later, they reached the end and found themselves near the docks.
Suddenly, something took hold of the detective and pulled her into the filthy water. She lost her grasp on the mace, allowing it to sink to the bottom of the lake. Hawkgirl opened her eyes to see who held her down, but the water was too murky; she couldn't make anything of the darkness. Shayera couldn't breath, and the fact that her lungs felt like exploding didn't help. All she could do was try to kick and punch her captor.
When it lost its grip, she swam to the surface. The second her head was above the water, she gulped down some air and coughed. She moved her eyes to GL and saw him battling the thing that had attacked her. It was shaped like a man but possessed the skin of a crocodile.
Hawkgirl couldn't see her mace in the water, so she flew out of it instead. Lantern needed help. As she raced toward the two, she heard jet skis in the distance.
Croc then unexpectedly jumped from the water and pulled Lantern in with him.
"John!" she screamed and dove in after him. Hawkgirl grabbed Croc's shoulders and lifted him out of the lake and into the air. That didn't last long. He gripped her wrist and flung her over his shoulder. Croc fell back into the water, but Hawkgirl didn't. Lantern had stopped her fall with the power of his ring.
He brought her closer to him, and they watched the three jet skis stop next to Croc. It was Batman's crew: Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin.
Nightwing swerved suddenly to hit Croc with the backend of his powerful, black ski-doo. Next, Batgirl shot something at the thief; a cable wrapped around his neck. Croc took hold of the black cable and tugged on it, forcing Batgirl into the water.
"Batgirl!" The kid, Robin, extended his hand and pulled her onto his jet ski. Without a second's notice, she flipped a switch on the gun and an electric current went through the cable and to Croc. When he was too weak to cause any more trouble, she shut if off.
Green Lantern and Hawkgirl swooped in toward the skis to talk to the trio.
"Where were you all?" Lantern scolded the kids. "Those hostages could've died."
Robin rolled his eyes. "Sorry if we can't fly everywhere we need to. Anyway, we only heard about the robbery twenty minutes ago."
"Right. Where the hell is your boss?"
Batgirl answered, "Undercover. Joker broke out of Arkham, and he's out looking for him."
"We tried contacting him," Hawkgirl explained. "He didn't respond."
"Of course not." Nightwing pulled Croc onto the back of his jet ski and cuffed him. "He can't wear a wire. They'd shoot him for sure." He then glanced at Batgirl and then back at Croc. "Take Hawkgirl and Green Lantern to the Batcave so they can dry off a bit and get something to eat. Maybe they'd like a shower? I'm sure Batman wouldn't mind."
Hawkgirl noticed Batgirl narrow her eyes. "Sure." She climbed onto her jet ski and patted the seat behind her. "You guys want to?"
"Once I've found my mace."
"I'll get it," GL offered. He started to search the water from the surface. His ring's light tore through the cloudy water and allowed him to find it in minutes. He tossed it to its owner.
"All right. Do you just want us to follow?" Hawkgirl asked the kids.
"Nah. Just hop on," Robin said.
~*~
Bruce swallowed another shot of scotch and rubbed his unshaven chin. He sat in a notorious, underground, gangster bar that lied in the depths of Gotham's criminal underworld. With his disguise, no thief would recognize him. The ones he knew didn't read "GQ."
He wore mismatched pieces of clothing and an old hat, which he didn't regularly wear to the office...or anywhere at all.
So far, the whole undercover bit had been entirely wasteful. Not one person had any information on the Joker, but Bruce wasn't surprised. He figured that Joker would lay low for a little while. The police were still searching for him.
Bruce decided to call it a night. He wasn't worried, though; the Joker had never been good at keeping a low profile. He'd attract attention, and Batman would catch him sooner or later.
After placing the money on the bar, Bruce left. When he was a couple of blocks away, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed his number.
"Yes, Master Bruce?" Alfred answered. "I hope that your task had been successful."
The billionaire let out a breath. "No, it hadn't. I'd appreciate it if you could pick me up."
"Be there straight away, Sir. I'll be sure to bring the suit."
Bruce's forehead wrinkled. "Why?"
"Batgirl has visitors."
"What visitors?"
~*~
"Full house!"
The other poker players threw their cards on the table in frustration. They were losing terribly. Joker laughed and pulled all the chips toward himself. He absolutely loved gambling.
"If I find out that you're cheating, Joker, I swear that I'll –"
Joker interrupted Two-Face's threat. "Oh please, Harvey. I know better than to double-cross someone like you."
"No he doesn't," Poison Ivy muttered under her breath. When he sent a glare in her direction, she just smiled. "Deal the cards already."
Joker checked his watch. The group of criminals had about five minutes before their guest would join them in the bar.
Penguin blew out the smoke from his cigarette and adjusted the top hat on his head. "My dear Joker, we haven't exactly been keeping in touch lately. This makes me curious of your reasoning for inviting us all to this poker game."
"Especially when you had just escaped from Arkham," The Riddler added.
"Ah...because I have a proposal." The Joker began to deal the cards to the group and to an empty sixth chair.
A moment later, Lex Luther joined the criminals at the table. Joker laughed when he saw their surprised faces.
Quickly, Ivy covered her excitement with her seductive charm. "Mr. Luther, how nice of you to accompany us this evening." She propped her elbows on the table so her cleavage would be even more noticeable in that tight, green, little number she wore. When the men all gave annoyed expressions, she said, "You'll have to excuse the boys. We're not used to having a card game with rich and successful murderers."
That remark caused a soft chuckle to come from the rest of the table. Lex seemed very unimpressed and ignored the comment. He just picked up his cards.
"Good. Now the gang's all –"
"You almost forgot me, Joker," Clayface said as he made his way to join them. He shifted into the shape of his former human self and pulled a chair to the table.
Joker nodded. "Now, except for Harley, the group is all here, that is, if you're all interested."
"Interested in what?" Riddler asked.
"In bringing down Batman and his meddling kids." Joker's crooked smile spread. "I have a plan that will take care of not only the 'Bat Squad' but also the annoying Justice League."
"How do you plan to do that?" Poison Ivy questioned next.
"Well, Lexy-boy here has a little piece of green rock we can use," Joker smirked.
Penguin reminded, "That only affects one of the seven."
"Yes, but they're easier to kill when separated...and separated they'll be."
Two-Face narrowed his eyes. "Meaning what?"
The Joker cackled. "How else are they going to save four hostages simultaneously?"
Excitement gleamed in all their eyes. They seemed to repeating the word "hostages" over and over to themselves.
"And let me tell you," Joker added. "The first hostage is 'purr-fect.'"
"I want in," Ivy stated.
"As do I," Penguin said.
"Me too," Clayface told. Riddler also agreed to take part.
Joker nodded. "I know Lex is involved, but how about you, Harvey? You want to spread some mayhem?"
Two-Face's disfigured half almost snickered as his normal side stayed solemn. He pulled out his trademark, double-headed coin and flipped it into the air. When he caught it, he smiled. The coin had landed with the scratched side up.
~*~
"Wow, this place is almost depressing," John Stewart observed as he studied the Batcave.
Batgirl nodded. "Yeah, but it's kind of homey. The second shower's free now. Thanks for letting me use it first." She handed him a towel and motioned toward the bathroom. "Enjoy."
"Thanks," Green Lantern said and walked to the second bathroom door. He knew that Hawkgirl was in the first and took a moment just to stare at that door. Quickly, he caught himself and entered the room.
After turning on the light and closing the door, GL started the shower and made sure it was set at the correct temperature. Next, he pulled off his ring, took off his Lantern Corps suit, and stepped into the shower.
John closed his eyes and focused on the water beating down onto his dark skin. It was soothing and made him forget about everything.
Except Hawkgirl.
She always seemed to be on his mind. Shayera was his sudden breath of fresh air that he hadn't known he needed. That was what he absolutely loved about her.
When he had finally gotten past her tough, temperamental, violent exterior, he learned that she was really a strong, compassionate, beautiful woman. Not many knew that. He alone had only grazed upon that aspect of her personality. There was still so much more that he wanted to know about her.
GL moved his eyes to the wall of the shower, and his jaw dropped. He was surprised to see Hawkgirl's silhouette. The wall to his left was all that separated his body from hers.
She was perfect. He followed the outline of her gorgeous wings and her shapely body, and he sighed.
~*~
Shayera rinsed the conditioner from her red hair and allowed the water to roll over her delicate wings again. Before turning the shower off, she realized that the person in the next shower was no longer a female.
It was John.
She smiled to herself because he was trying to hide the fact that he was watching her. John wasn't very good at that. With her eyes still on his shadow, she shut off the water.
He possessed beautiful broad shoulders and wonderfully muscular arms. And a chest that...
When Shayera noticed her body temperature rise, she turned away from the wall and grabbed a towel. Once she was dry, she pulled on the tank and jeans Batgirl had allowed her to borrow. Hawkgirl's suit was just plain disgusting and needed to be washed.
Before leaving the bathroom, she pulled on her mask.
Batman sat at his Batcomputer typing away, and Batgirl was placing soup bowls on a small table. Hawkgirl walked to Batman and looked over his shoulder and onto the large screen.
"Who has monitor duty?" he asked.
"Crap. We were in a hurry –"
"You could have radioed in."
"We did," she snapped. "But you didn't pick up."
Still typing and not looking at her, he added, "There are four other members you could have contacted." Before she could say another word, he continued. "Don't worry. I called J'onn."
She crossed her arms over her chest with aggravation and asked, "Did you find Joker?"
"No."
"Is he even in Gotham?"
"Maybe," he answered dryly.
John, now dressed in his Green Lantern uniform, came to join the other two. Nonchalantly, he ran his fingers against Hawkgirl's arm as he passed her. It sent warm chills up her spine, and she couldn't help but glance at Batman to see if he had noticed.
When she looked back at Lantern, she saw the surprise in his glowing eyes. He had seen her nervousness, and guilt immediately flooded her thoughts. She wanted to explain her feelings to him, but the words wouldn't come.
Not that she would let them come anyway. There were too many people in the room for anything like that to happen.
With a touch of hurt on his face, John looked away from Shayera and spoke to Batman. "So, do you need us to stick around?"
He slightly shook his head. "You two take the night off, and I'll see you in the morning."
"Sounds good."
Batgirl interrupted. "Soup's done. You could stay for that."
"Thanks." Hawkgirl sent a smile in the young woman's direction. "You know Batman, you have a very sweet person working with you."
"Batgirl," Batman called and swung around in his chair. "Could you patrol tonight?"
"I'm going." Batgirl then said her goodbyes and left the cave on her batcycle.
Fifteen minutes later, Hawkgirl and The Green Lantern were also out of Batman's cave and on their way home. They were silent, which was very rare. They usually argued, and it made her feel uncomfortable. She grabbed his arm to get his attention.
"We need to talk."
"Really? Aren't you afraid someone might hear?" he snapped.
Remorse fell upon her face. "That's not fair."
John didn't say a word. He still would not make eye contact with her.
"Okay. Fine. You be your regular, stubborn Lantern self, and I'll just fly away in the opposite direction."
"Stubborn? Maybe you should look in the mirror the next time you use the word."
Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
He nodded. "Yeah. You're the one who's embarrassed by us."
She narrowed her green eyes. "Is that what you think? You think I'm embarrassed of you?"
GL crossed his arms over his strong chest. "Then what was that little stunt back there?"
She sighed and took a step closer to him. "I didn't mean it. It's just that..."
"What?"
"We work together, John. I don't want the others to get weird around us," Hawkgirl admitted.
"Since when do you care about people's opinions?"
"They aren't just people. They're –"
"The Justice League?" he finished.
She shrugged. "Sure, but they're our friends too. Do you mind that I'd rather keep this relationship between the two of us?"
A small smile danced on his lips. "It's a little sexy to sneak around." Green Lantern wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "If you feel we should hide our relationship from them, I'll support your wish for now."
"Let me buy you a drink," she offered. "I want to make things right."
John's eyes widened. "You and I aren't making another trip to a wild planet again, are we?"
She laughed. "No. There's a bar that I like."
"All right. I'm game."
"Nine o'clock, and don't wear your uniform."
~*~
"It's dangerous for a young lady to be walking the streets of Gotham all by her lonesome," Joker said from the darkness of the alleyway. He watched Batgirl whirl around to face him and had to admit that she was very attractive in that tight, black getup. Joker had a feeling that Batgirl wasn't just needed by Batman to repair the Batmobile. She probably had many other skills that Batman enjoyed after hours.
"Well, if it isn't the homicidal, psychotic clown himself. I thought Batman had a nice padded cell for you back at Arkham."
"It didn't suit."
She pulled out a baterang. "What trick are you planning to pull this time?"
"Trick?" Joker gave his best innocent face. "No tricks, Batgirl. No wires, no bombs, no laughs, no cards up my sleeve," he told and spread his purple coat to prove that fact. "I'm just talking a walk –"
"Back to the asylum. You're under arrest."
"Not tonight," Harley stated, and she came up from behind Batgirl with a club in hand.
All it took was a quick hit, and the caped annoyance was out. As Harl tied her up, she giggled.
"You know Mr. J, I just talked to Ivy. They've got Nightwing. Apparently, he was walking away from the police station at the time."
He cackled. "Oh, it is going to be a very good week!"
~*~
More coming soon...
Disclaimer: I don't own all these cool characters. They belong to other people. Spoilers: "Wild Card" Rating: PG-13 Notes: None really. Enjoy.
~*~
Prologue:
Selina Kyle opened the balcony doors and tightened the belt on her Japanese silk robe. She could feel the warm breeze against her skin as the wonderful aroma of the Italian vineyards filled her nose. Italy was so beautiful, especially in the areas not visited by tourists.
For the last week, Selina had been staying in a villa in the gorgeous countryside. Besides Pairs, Italy's vineyards were one of her favorite places to visit.
A knock sounded at her door, surprising Selina. No one had been expected that morning, and no one knew where she was.
"Who is it?" she called to the door, being careful. She never knew whom she could trust; she was in that type of business.
"Señora, you have a package," Antonio, the boy who lived a mile away, told from the opposite side. "Señora?"
All of Selina's worries subsided, and she let out a sigh of relief. When she opened the door, the boy gave her the box he held.
"Thank you, Antonio. Do you know who sent it?"
He shook his head and laughed as Isis waked in through the open door. "No. I just know it come from Gotham City in America."
"Gotham?"
"Sí."
"Thank you," she repeated, and the ten-year-old left.
Selina had no idea who knew she was in Italy. Maybe Bruce? Batman could easily track her down, but she doubted that he'd even care. He, unlike Bruce, was nearly immune to her charms.
She placed the package on her kitchen table and opened it. A head popped out, like a jack-in-the-box would, but it wasn't a clown head. The face was a replica of Batman's. When Selina looked closer, the mouth opened, and a green gas spewed out. Selina inhaled and instantly felt herself get dizzy.
Her vision blurred as the room began to spin. She couldn't focus. Her body hit the floor and landed next to her Catwoman suit. She glanced away from it and tried to identify whoever it was that had walked into her room.
She could only make out the color of his pants.
They were purple.
~*~
CH 1: TEAMWORK
Hawkgirl watched Earth from her seat in the Watchtower. It was a slow night, and she and Green Lantern were supposed to stay in their headquarters that evening. They didn't mind much.
GL came up from behind her and gently touched her bare shoulder. "Hey girl. Tired yet?"
"No. Why? Are you?"
He laughed and sat down on the arm of her chair. "No. I just thought you needed some rest."
"Thanks anyway." Hawkgirl looked away from his glowing eyes and stared out at space again. Even though she and John had admitted their feeling for one another, it hadn't made it any easier for her. She still found herself holding back and avoiding him. It was almost as if she was afraid of something.
"So, what do you want to do?" GL asked her. "Just sit here?"
"Do you have a better idea?"
A smirk spread on his dark face, and he stood from the chair. GL turned her seat so she would face him. "I can think of a million things." His lips crept closer, and she closed her green eyes in anticipation.
Hawkgirl relaxed and felt her heart rate quicken. Just before his mouth could cover hers, a small alarm sounded. They stopped in their tracks.
"No rest for the wicked," she said and waited for him to step away from her. When he did, she turned to the controls and learned where the disturbance had occurred: Gotham City. The Thanagarian flew to the first floor of the Watchtower and made her way to the computer. GL followed close behind.
"What's going down?"
She pulled up a news report and listened. There had been a robbery, and the thief had taken hostages.
"Who the hell is Croc? I've never heard of him," she told.
Lantern shrugged. "Batman probably knows." He pressed a button on the computer to contact the Gotham hero. "Green Lantern to Batman. Over."
There was no answer.
"Lantern to Batman. Over." He huffed and shook his head in anger. "Damn him."
"Something's wrong," she observed and looked at John. Referring to his ring, she asked, "Is that baby charged?"
"Fully."
"Good. Let's go."
About twenty minutes later, the duo found themselves in the heart of the city. The SWAT team was stationed outside the Gotham National Bank. Both Hawkgirl and The Green Lantern walked up to the commissioner.
"How many people are inside?" GL questioned.
The older commissioner had a startled look on his face when he realized who had spoken to him. "Well," he said, "you surprised me. I half expected to see Batman standing beside me."
Hawkgirl made a confused face. "You mean he's not here?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"And his crew?" Lantern asked.
The commissioner shrugged. "None of them have showed." He took a quick glance at the bank and shook his head. "The situation is very bleak. Croc threatened to kill them all if we head on inside. I've got snipers stationed around the place, but none of them have had a clean shot. He's extremely dangerous."
"Is there a back way we could use to get inside without his knowing?" Shayera asked. "Or have your men already used it?"
"No," he answered. "I was just about to send a man inside."
"Don't. Not until we need backup." Hawkgirl took hold of her energy mace and waited for the commissioner to say the word.
"Fine. I'll tell my boys that we've got two inside. Go to the rear of the building, and there's a door –"
"Thanks." Hawkgirl flew off the ground and to the backside of the bank. When she found the door, she tried to open it.
Locked.
Lantern joined her at the emergency exit. "Now what?"
She didn't hesitate to bash it open with her mace.
He raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were going for discreet."
Hawkgirl walked inside. "That's not my style." She scanned the darkness and noted that nothing seemed too strange. She motioned for him to follow, and they quickly made their way to the front of the bank.
GL stepped in front of her and glanced inside the next room through the already open door. She did the same. It was empty.
"Stay here," he ordered and put a shield around his body with his ring. He cautiously walked through the door. A few moments later, he called her name and stated that Croc was gone.
She narrowed her eyes with fury and joined him. "Then where the hell is he?"
"Don't know." GL began to help the unconscious hostages sit up. "It looks as if he had knocked them all out."
"And then he snuck out himself," she concluded and searched the floor for clues. Soon enough, she found one: a wet footprint. "The sewers!"
Hawkgirl ran in the direction they had come from and found a manhole a few feet away from the bank. Quickly, she ripped it open and started to climb down.
"Tell the police about the people. I'll get Croc," she told her partner. He didn't listen. Instead, he stayed with her. Together, they walked through the sewer, keeping an eye out for the thief.
Rats crawled around the edges of the water, and she could detect an incredibly foul smell. Hawkgirl resisted the urge to vomit and continued on her path. A few minutes later, they reached the end and found themselves near the docks.
Suddenly, something took hold of the detective and pulled her into the filthy water. She lost her grasp on the mace, allowing it to sink to the bottom of the lake. Hawkgirl opened her eyes to see who held her down, but the water was too murky; she couldn't make anything of the darkness. Shayera couldn't breath, and the fact that her lungs felt like exploding didn't help. All she could do was try to kick and punch her captor.
When it lost its grip, she swam to the surface. The second her head was above the water, she gulped down some air and coughed. She moved her eyes to GL and saw him battling the thing that had attacked her. It was shaped like a man but possessed the skin of a crocodile.
Hawkgirl couldn't see her mace in the water, so she flew out of it instead. Lantern needed help. As she raced toward the two, she heard jet skis in the distance.
Croc then unexpectedly jumped from the water and pulled Lantern in with him.
"John!" she screamed and dove in after him. Hawkgirl grabbed Croc's shoulders and lifted him out of the lake and into the air. That didn't last long. He gripped her wrist and flung her over his shoulder. Croc fell back into the water, but Hawkgirl didn't. Lantern had stopped her fall with the power of his ring.
He brought her closer to him, and they watched the three jet skis stop next to Croc. It was Batman's crew: Nightwing, Batgirl, and Robin.
Nightwing swerved suddenly to hit Croc with the backend of his powerful, black ski-doo. Next, Batgirl shot something at the thief; a cable wrapped around his neck. Croc took hold of the black cable and tugged on it, forcing Batgirl into the water.
"Batgirl!" The kid, Robin, extended his hand and pulled her onto his jet ski. Without a second's notice, she flipped a switch on the gun and an electric current went through the cable and to Croc. When he was too weak to cause any more trouble, she shut if off.
Green Lantern and Hawkgirl swooped in toward the skis to talk to the trio.
"Where were you all?" Lantern scolded the kids. "Those hostages could've died."
Robin rolled his eyes. "Sorry if we can't fly everywhere we need to. Anyway, we only heard about the robbery twenty minutes ago."
"Right. Where the hell is your boss?"
Batgirl answered, "Undercover. Joker broke out of Arkham, and he's out looking for him."
"We tried contacting him," Hawkgirl explained. "He didn't respond."
"Of course not." Nightwing pulled Croc onto the back of his jet ski and cuffed him. "He can't wear a wire. They'd shoot him for sure." He then glanced at Batgirl and then back at Croc. "Take Hawkgirl and Green Lantern to the Batcave so they can dry off a bit and get something to eat. Maybe they'd like a shower? I'm sure Batman wouldn't mind."
Hawkgirl noticed Batgirl narrow her eyes. "Sure." She climbed onto her jet ski and patted the seat behind her. "You guys want to?"
"Once I've found my mace."
"I'll get it," GL offered. He started to search the water from the surface. His ring's light tore through the cloudy water and allowed him to find it in minutes. He tossed it to its owner.
"All right. Do you just want us to follow?" Hawkgirl asked the kids.
"Nah. Just hop on," Robin said.
~*~
Bruce swallowed another shot of scotch and rubbed his unshaven chin. He sat in a notorious, underground, gangster bar that lied in the depths of Gotham's criminal underworld. With his disguise, no thief would recognize him. The ones he knew didn't read "GQ."
He wore mismatched pieces of clothing and an old hat, which he didn't regularly wear to the office...or anywhere at all.
So far, the whole undercover bit had been entirely wasteful. Not one person had any information on the Joker, but Bruce wasn't surprised. He figured that Joker would lay low for a little while. The police were still searching for him.
Bruce decided to call it a night. He wasn't worried, though; the Joker had never been good at keeping a low profile. He'd attract attention, and Batman would catch him sooner or later.
After placing the money on the bar, Bruce left. When he was a couple of blocks away, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed his number.
"Yes, Master Bruce?" Alfred answered. "I hope that your task had been successful."
The billionaire let out a breath. "No, it hadn't. I'd appreciate it if you could pick me up."
"Be there straight away, Sir. I'll be sure to bring the suit."
Bruce's forehead wrinkled. "Why?"
"Batgirl has visitors."
"What visitors?"
~*~
"Full house!"
The other poker players threw their cards on the table in frustration. They were losing terribly. Joker laughed and pulled all the chips toward himself. He absolutely loved gambling.
"If I find out that you're cheating, Joker, I swear that I'll –"
Joker interrupted Two-Face's threat. "Oh please, Harvey. I know better than to double-cross someone like you."
"No he doesn't," Poison Ivy muttered under her breath. When he sent a glare in her direction, she just smiled. "Deal the cards already."
Joker checked his watch. The group of criminals had about five minutes before their guest would join them in the bar.
Penguin blew out the smoke from his cigarette and adjusted the top hat on his head. "My dear Joker, we haven't exactly been keeping in touch lately. This makes me curious of your reasoning for inviting us all to this poker game."
"Especially when you had just escaped from Arkham," The Riddler added.
"Ah...because I have a proposal." The Joker began to deal the cards to the group and to an empty sixth chair.
A moment later, Lex Luther joined the criminals at the table. Joker laughed when he saw their surprised faces.
Quickly, Ivy covered her excitement with her seductive charm. "Mr. Luther, how nice of you to accompany us this evening." She propped her elbows on the table so her cleavage would be even more noticeable in that tight, green, little number she wore. When the men all gave annoyed expressions, she said, "You'll have to excuse the boys. We're not used to having a card game with rich and successful murderers."
That remark caused a soft chuckle to come from the rest of the table. Lex seemed very unimpressed and ignored the comment. He just picked up his cards.
"Good. Now the gang's all –"
"You almost forgot me, Joker," Clayface said as he made his way to join them. He shifted into the shape of his former human self and pulled a chair to the table.
Joker nodded. "Now, except for Harley, the group is all here, that is, if you're all interested."
"Interested in what?" Riddler asked.
"In bringing down Batman and his meddling kids." Joker's crooked smile spread. "I have a plan that will take care of not only the 'Bat Squad' but also the annoying Justice League."
"How do you plan to do that?" Poison Ivy questioned next.
"Well, Lexy-boy here has a little piece of green rock we can use," Joker smirked.
Penguin reminded, "That only affects one of the seven."
"Yes, but they're easier to kill when separated...and separated they'll be."
Two-Face narrowed his eyes. "Meaning what?"
The Joker cackled. "How else are they going to save four hostages simultaneously?"
Excitement gleamed in all their eyes. They seemed to repeating the word "hostages" over and over to themselves.
"And let me tell you," Joker added. "The first hostage is 'purr-fect.'"
"I want in," Ivy stated.
"As do I," Penguin said.
"Me too," Clayface told. Riddler also agreed to take part.
Joker nodded. "I know Lex is involved, but how about you, Harvey? You want to spread some mayhem?"
Two-Face's disfigured half almost snickered as his normal side stayed solemn. He pulled out his trademark, double-headed coin and flipped it into the air. When he caught it, he smiled. The coin had landed with the scratched side up.
~*~
"Wow, this place is almost depressing," John Stewart observed as he studied the Batcave.
Batgirl nodded. "Yeah, but it's kind of homey. The second shower's free now. Thanks for letting me use it first." She handed him a towel and motioned toward the bathroom. "Enjoy."
"Thanks," Green Lantern said and walked to the second bathroom door. He knew that Hawkgirl was in the first and took a moment just to stare at that door. Quickly, he caught himself and entered the room.
After turning on the light and closing the door, GL started the shower and made sure it was set at the correct temperature. Next, he pulled off his ring, took off his Lantern Corps suit, and stepped into the shower.
John closed his eyes and focused on the water beating down onto his dark skin. It was soothing and made him forget about everything.
Except Hawkgirl.
She always seemed to be on his mind. Shayera was his sudden breath of fresh air that he hadn't known he needed. That was what he absolutely loved about her.
When he had finally gotten past her tough, temperamental, violent exterior, he learned that she was really a strong, compassionate, beautiful woman. Not many knew that. He alone had only grazed upon that aspect of her personality. There was still so much more that he wanted to know about her.
GL moved his eyes to the wall of the shower, and his jaw dropped. He was surprised to see Hawkgirl's silhouette. The wall to his left was all that separated his body from hers.
She was perfect. He followed the outline of her gorgeous wings and her shapely body, and he sighed.
~*~
Shayera rinsed the conditioner from her red hair and allowed the water to roll over her delicate wings again. Before turning the shower off, she realized that the person in the next shower was no longer a female.
It was John.
She smiled to herself because he was trying to hide the fact that he was watching her. John wasn't very good at that. With her eyes still on his shadow, she shut off the water.
He possessed beautiful broad shoulders and wonderfully muscular arms. And a chest that...
When Shayera noticed her body temperature rise, she turned away from the wall and grabbed a towel. Once she was dry, she pulled on the tank and jeans Batgirl had allowed her to borrow. Hawkgirl's suit was just plain disgusting and needed to be washed.
Before leaving the bathroom, she pulled on her mask.
Batman sat at his Batcomputer typing away, and Batgirl was placing soup bowls on a small table. Hawkgirl walked to Batman and looked over his shoulder and onto the large screen.
"Who has monitor duty?" he asked.
"Crap. We were in a hurry –"
"You could have radioed in."
"We did," she snapped. "But you didn't pick up."
Still typing and not looking at her, he added, "There are four other members you could have contacted." Before she could say another word, he continued. "Don't worry. I called J'onn."
She crossed her arms over her chest with aggravation and asked, "Did you find Joker?"
"No."
"Is he even in Gotham?"
"Maybe," he answered dryly.
John, now dressed in his Green Lantern uniform, came to join the other two. Nonchalantly, he ran his fingers against Hawkgirl's arm as he passed her. It sent warm chills up her spine, and she couldn't help but glance at Batman to see if he had noticed.
When she looked back at Lantern, she saw the surprise in his glowing eyes. He had seen her nervousness, and guilt immediately flooded her thoughts. She wanted to explain her feelings to him, but the words wouldn't come.
Not that she would let them come anyway. There were too many people in the room for anything like that to happen.
With a touch of hurt on his face, John looked away from Shayera and spoke to Batman. "So, do you need us to stick around?"
He slightly shook his head. "You two take the night off, and I'll see you in the morning."
"Sounds good."
Batgirl interrupted. "Soup's done. You could stay for that."
"Thanks." Hawkgirl sent a smile in the young woman's direction. "You know Batman, you have a very sweet person working with you."
"Batgirl," Batman called and swung around in his chair. "Could you patrol tonight?"
"I'm going." Batgirl then said her goodbyes and left the cave on her batcycle.
Fifteen minutes later, Hawkgirl and The Green Lantern were also out of Batman's cave and on their way home. They were silent, which was very rare. They usually argued, and it made her feel uncomfortable. She grabbed his arm to get his attention.
"We need to talk."
"Really? Aren't you afraid someone might hear?" he snapped.
Remorse fell upon her face. "That's not fair."
John didn't say a word. He still would not make eye contact with her.
"Okay. Fine. You be your regular, stubborn Lantern self, and I'll just fly away in the opposite direction."
"Stubborn? Maybe you should look in the mirror the next time you use the word."
Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
He nodded. "Yeah. You're the one who's embarrassed by us."
She narrowed her green eyes. "Is that what you think? You think I'm embarrassed of you?"
GL crossed his arms over his strong chest. "Then what was that little stunt back there?"
She sighed and took a step closer to him. "I didn't mean it. It's just that..."
"What?"
"We work together, John. I don't want the others to get weird around us," Hawkgirl admitted.
"Since when do you care about people's opinions?"
"They aren't just people. They're –"
"The Justice League?" he finished.
She shrugged. "Sure, but they're our friends too. Do you mind that I'd rather keep this relationship between the two of us?"
A small smile danced on his lips. "It's a little sexy to sneak around." Green Lantern wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "If you feel we should hide our relationship from them, I'll support your wish for now."
"Let me buy you a drink," she offered. "I want to make things right."
John's eyes widened. "You and I aren't making another trip to a wild planet again, are we?"
She laughed. "No. There's a bar that I like."
"All right. I'm game."
"Nine o'clock, and don't wear your uniform."
~*~
"It's dangerous for a young lady to be walking the streets of Gotham all by her lonesome," Joker said from the darkness of the alleyway. He watched Batgirl whirl around to face him and had to admit that she was very attractive in that tight, black getup. Joker had a feeling that Batgirl wasn't just needed by Batman to repair the Batmobile. She probably had many other skills that Batman enjoyed after hours.
"Well, if it isn't the homicidal, psychotic clown himself. I thought Batman had a nice padded cell for you back at Arkham."
"It didn't suit."
She pulled out a baterang. "What trick are you planning to pull this time?"
"Trick?" Joker gave his best innocent face. "No tricks, Batgirl. No wires, no bombs, no laughs, no cards up my sleeve," he told and spread his purple coat to prove that fact. "I'm just talking a walk –"
"Back to the asylum. You're under arrest."
"Not tonight," Harley stated, and she came up from behind Batgirl with a club in hand.
All it took was a quick hit, and the caped annoyance was out. As Harl tied her up, she giggled.
"You know Mr. J, I just talked to Ivy. They've got Nightwing. Apparently, he was walking away from the police station at the time."
He cackled. "Oh, it is going to be a very good week!"
~*~
More coming soon...