"Undercover and Underneath it All"
By: The Angelic Temptress
Disclaimer: The usual. They're not mine, although I'd take them if they let me.
Spoilers: "Wildcard" and some for "Starcrossed" (Timeframe: Between those 2 Eps.)
Rating: PG-13 for language, drugs, and adult content.
Pairings: GL/HG (Of course!) BM/WW (Who knew I had it in me?)
)(
Prologue:
He looked down on his darkened city from his perch on one of its many buildings, watching for anything or anybody that could cause trouble. This time, he knew where the trouble was. He just needed to find out where it was headed. To do so, he had to get up close and personal.
Two men were loading an inconspicuous delivery truck with crates, barrels, and bottles of some kind. He knew that there weren't any late night deliveries scheduled for that evening. Barbara had informed him of that. These men were up to no good, and he could almost taste the illegality of it.
After he shot out a line, he swooped into the alley unannounced and unnoticed. Clinging to the shadows, he observed the two men packing their vehicle. They were nervous. Their perspiration had seeped through their jackets and drizzled down their foreheads.
"Dude," one man whispered to the other and wiped his hot forehead with the back of his sleeve. "We've gotta hurry the hell outta here. He'll see us for sure."
The other groaned and closed the back door. "Not if we don't give 'im a reason to," he said and climbed into the driver's seat of the truck. "We're just doing our job, Buddy. We're delivering."
"Delivering what?" the hidden form asked from the shadows of the alley.
The younger of the two, "Buddy," froze, and his jaw dropped. With wide eyes, he stuttered, "The – the – the Bat!"
Batman narrowed his eyes and threw his bola at the paralyzed man, tying him up instantly. When the truck started, he darted to the bumper and climbed onto it. The truck sped away, reaching a speed of fifty within seconds, but it didn't shake the Dark Knight. He climbed up on top of the truck and crawled to the driver's door. In a quick and fluid motion, he hung over the side of the vehicle, punched through the window, and grabbed "Dude" by his collar.
"Stop the truck!" he ordered.
Instead of listening, the driver sped up and turned the wheel, causing the truck to fishtail. Batman lost his grip on the man and flung off of the truck. Before his body could smash into the ground, he clutched the door. Next, he opened the door and threw the man out and onto the street. Batman then slipped inside and stopped the truck without breaking a sweat.
The Caped Crusader cut the engine and climbed back out of the truck, only to be the target of poorly aimed gunshots. He rolled to the opposite side of the alley and behind a dumpster; as if it were a reflex, he pulled a smoke bomb from his utility belt and tossed it to where the man sat on the cement. It instantly released its smoke, making the man cough uncontrollably and drop his gun.
When the smoke cleared, Batman began to make his way toward the "delivery man." He kicked the pistol aside and once again took hold of the man's collar, lifting him to make eye contact.
"Now," Batman coldly told, "you are going to tell me everything I want to know."
"Go on an' screw yourself. I ain't tellin' nothin'."
Quickly, he tore the man from the ground and shoved him against the alley's brick wall. Now clearly irritated, he tightened his grip on the man's shirt and narrowed his eyes.
"You were saying?"
The man had begun to tremble and couldn't keep himself together. His eyes darted from side to side as if he knew someone was watching him.
"Who are you working for?"
"I... I dunno, man. They just left the stuff in the warehouse, an' we had to pick it up."
Knowing the criminal was telling the truth, he moved on with his interrogation. "Where were you taking the shipment?"
"That new club downtown, the... Dark Nites. That's it. Dark Nites." He nodded to himself. "We were going to drop it off in the back."
"Who's paying you?"
"Man, I don't know. We were going to get it after we dropped off the stuff."
Batman then cuffed the guy and dragged him back to where the truck was parked. He ripped open the back door and threw the man inside. With a crowbar located beside a barrel, he tore open a crate and found tons of packets inside. Batman lifted one to examine it.
If he hadn't known any better, he would have believed they were transporting blood packets.
)(
Chapter 1: Euphoria
"They call it 'Euphoria,'" Jim Gordon told the Caped Crusader from his seat. "It's the city's newest and most expensive drug."
After leaving the two men for the police, Batman hand come to see the commissioner, hoping he had information.
"Euphoria? I've never heard of it."
"Well, that's really shouldn't be of any surprise. My men had only started busting dealers with it last week." Gordon sipped his coffee and tapped a couple of keys on his computer. "Apparently, it's popular amongst the upper- class. I've even caught thugs selling it at the Penguin's nightclub.
"The drug is taken in liquid form; I guess you drink it. Here." Jim came to a file that described what the drug was composed of. "The boys down at the lab couldn't figure out what it was. I'm afraid to say that it's not of this world." When Batman quickly skimmed over Jim's screen without a word, the commissioner added, "That doesn't really startle you, does it?"
"No. Not really."
"And I'm sure you've taken the liberty of removing evidence from the scene."
The Dark Knight didn't respond.
"Batman, I'm surprised that The Justice League hadn't noticed this. If there is a galactic smuggling ring, I thought that you would've discovered it long before now."
When he didn't reply again, the commissioner sighed and began to look through the police files. Without an adieu, Batman slipped out of the window and into the night.
)(
"Good morning," Flash greeted as Hawkgirl entered the kitchen. He, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman were sitting around the table, eating breakfast.
"Hey," she said in return and took a seat between the men, stealing a quick glance at the very manly John Stewart and discretely taking his hand under the table.
Flash and Hawkgirl had been assigned to monitor duty the night before and were switching shifts with Diana and John that morning.
"I'll get the shuttle ready," Flash stated and raced out of the kitchen.
Diana stood from her seat and took a couple of the dishes to the sink. After finishing her orange juice, she said goodbye to Hawkgirl and also left the room. Finally, GL and the Thanagarian were alone.
It had only been a week since the duo had admitted their feelings for one another and had shared their very first kiss; they were still taking things slow.
"Last night was quiet," he said and slightly turned to face her. "I hope you weren't too bored."
Hawkgirl shook her head. "Flash was too loud last night. I didn't get much sleep."
"Then you should go home and rest."
She gave a slight nod. "I'll be on call today. If you need anything –"
Lantern suddenly pressed his lips to hers, and she didn't resist. When he pulled away, she smiled.
"I better get moving," she told and stood from her seat.
"Hawkgirl! Diana! Check this out!" Flash called from the monitor room, where he wasn't supposed to be. GL and Hawkgirl quickly flew to where Flash stood watching the television.
"What is it?" Wonder Woman questioned when she joined them.
Flash laughed. "It looks like Playboy wants you to pose for their next issue, Princess."
Diana narrowed her eyes with disgust as she watched the interview with Hugh Hefner and his four blondes.
"Think about it," Flash suggested. "It would be great publicity for the League."
Hawkgirl also chuckled. "Well Diana, you are the perfect woman. Why not show off your perfection in a magazine?"
"Uh-uh," the kid said. "Don't think you got off that easy, Feathers. Victoria's Secret wants you to pose for their spring collection." Flash giggled like a schoolboy. "Could you picture Hawkgirl walking down a runway? She'd pound the other models with her mace!"
This time, both men laughed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," GL answered through snorts. "We just can't see you being..."
"Being what?"
"I don't know. Girly, maybe."
"Since when is underwear proof of femininity? Anyway, I wear –"
"You don't wear that kind," Flash reminded and pointed to the television screen. Models wearing fake wings, bras, heels, and thongs were walking down a white runway.
"You're right. It's degrading." Then she took a moment to reflect on The Flash's last comment. "How the hell would you know what kind of underwear I have anyway?"
"Uh..."
She huffed, turned on her heel, and headed for the shuttle. Flash and Lantern followed.
"We didn't mean anything by it," John explained. "It's just that you don't have the attitude that a model is supposed to have. That's a good thing."
"It is?" Flash asked GL, but received a smack to the back of the head as a response. "Ow!"
Green Lantern grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around to face him. "You're not mad, are you?"
She shrugged. "Just because I'm a detective and a fighter doesn't mean that I'm not a woman."
A smile crept onto John's lips. "I already knew that."
Flash nodded. "So did I." He wore a devilish grin, so Hawkgirl smacked him upside the head as well. "OW!"
Thirty minutes later, Hawkgirl and Flash had gone their separate ways. Soon enough, someone's voice was heard over the comm-link.
"Batman to Hawkgirl."
"Go ahead," she told and gracefully landed in a tree. Hawkgirl had been flying over Midway City at the time.
"Can you go to a bar with me?" he said with a serious tone.
Her jaw dropped. "What?"
"Usually I don't need help rousting a bar, but I figured you'd like the exercise."
)(
Batman glanced to his right when Hawkgirl landed beside him on the roof of one of Gotham's many warehouses. He had been waiting for her.
"You know, I got all excited back there," she shared with a humorous tone. "I thought the Dark Knight was asking me out on a date."
He almost grinned. "Maybe next time, but what would Lantern say to that?"
Instead of being surprised by Batman's knowledge of the couple, she laughed. "I don't know his thoughts on threesomes, but maybe he'd come alone." She walked over to Gotham's protector. "So what's up?"
"I believe I have proof of an inter-planet or intergalactic smuggling ring that's found its way into Gotham. Here." He tossed her the drug packet, and she caught it. "It's called –"
"Euphoria," she finished as she studied it closely, wearing skepticism on her face.
"You know the drug?"
"Yeah. A few years ago, I busted a drug lord who had been producing this on Thanagar... The chances of this getting here are impossible."
"But yet you're here," Batman remarked. "Obviously, the chances are better than you think."
"Obviously," she mumbled. Suddenly, she raised her eyes and tossed the packet back to Batman. "Then let's go bust this dealer."
"Do you think he may be Thanagarian?"
"It doesn't matter. We just have to prevent this stuff from being sold."
He quickly glanced over her stature and noticed the edginess that hadn't been there earlier, but he didn't mention it.
"Fine. The drivers I had caught last night were headed to a nightclub called Dark Nites, and I'm willing to bet that they know the name of their suppliers."
Hawkgirl sent him a slanted smile. "I didn't know you were a gambling man."
"Only when I know I'll win."
She raised an eyebrow. "So what's the plan?"
"We go in and interrogate. I'll do the talking and you'll –"
"Do the beating?" she offered with excited eyes.
He gave a slight nod. "Just allow me to go in first. I'll signal you when I need you."
"All right. What's the signal?"
"You'll know it when you see it." Batman jumped off of the roof and shot out his grapple. He swung over to the back of the closed nightclub and into the next alley. Once he found a second story window, he unlocked it and snuck inside.
The room was dark, but he could hear voices through the open door. The hallway was lit, so he cautiously walked to the entry. No one roamed the halls, so he left the storage room in search of the owner's office.
Batman stopped at a turn and snatched a glimpse of the two very built men standing guard in front of the office. To take care of that problem, he rolled a sleeping-gas bomb toward the two. A second after it released its contents, they passed out.
He slowly made his way to the door and then placed his hand on the knob. He quietly turned it, pushed it open, and stepped aside.
"Who said you could come in?" a man questioned angrily. When he saw his two guards lying on the ground, he sent two other men into the hallway. Batman punched them simultaneously, knocking them both out.
Batman stepped into view, knowing the man wouldn't shoot him.
"What the devil?" the slightly overweight, middle-aged man stood from his chair with wide eyes. "You're the Batman!"
The Dark Knight said nothing but continued to inch closer toward the nightclub owner.
"Listen, I run a legit –"
"Save it," he said and shoved the man back into his seat. "I know you've been purchasing Euphoria, but I want to know from who."
"I don't want any trouble; please don't hurt me," the man whimpered with his hands clenching the chair's armrests. His beady blue eyes were full with fear, and sweat ran down his greasy forehead.
"I won't if you cooperate."
"Step away from him!" another henchman with an AK-47 ordered. Batman leaped over the desk and easily knocked the weapon aside before the man could even shoot a round. He then kicked the man, sending him crashing through the second story window.
A moment later, Hawkgirl swooped through the alley and caught him. She had been paying attention just as Batman had expected her to. When she flew in to join him, five more men filed into the office. Hawkgirl didn't wait for Batman; she charged into battle, letting out her war cry.
Her mace slammed two men aside and then was knocked from her hands. It didn't affect her stride. She made an uppercut to one guy and a left hook to another. When they punched, she blocked. With a roundhouse kick, she smacked a gangster into the wall; he was unconscious.
One managed to grab her from behind, but she quickly responded with an elbow to the guy's ribcage. Hawkgirl then flung him over her shoulder and into the same wall the other had hit.
Batman avoided the fighting and moved over the where the owner still sat. He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to observe the Thanagarian.
The biggest of the final three men tackled Hawkgirl to the floor and attempted to strangle her, but she managed to slip her feet to his chest and kicked him off of herself.
Batman then noticed another man pull out a gun. He quickly threw a baterang at his head; both the gunman and the baterang landed beside Hawkgirl.
Before the last bodyguard could get away, Hawkgirl picked up the baterang and snapped it at him; he too was knocked out cold and landed in the hallway.
Hawkgirl stood and picked up her mace. She turned to face Batman and the owner with infuriated eyes.
"Now," she said, "you were going to tell us everything."
)(
Hawkgirl stared down at the flashing cop cars and watched the officers arrest the ten men. She could smell the water in the dusk's air and moved her eyes to the horizon.
"You knew, didn't you?" she asked the Caped Crusader, who and quietly joined her on the rooftop. "You knew what we'd have to do. That's why you didn't help me back there. You were testing me."
The owner had given them the name of a planet that Hawkgirl knew all too well. Torica. It was a pirate's paradise, full of drugs, liquor, and women. Most men went there for a nightcap as others hired assassins and deliverymen with a bag of gold and a simple handshake as a contract. The only way into the business world of that planet would be to start on the inside as a showgirl or prostitute.
Hawkgirl had done that kind of work on her own planet and wasn't afraid of going undercover again. She could do it alone, if she had to; she was used to working alone.
"Why test me?" she demanded. "You've seen me fight plenty of times."
"I had to see how you'd react in an out-numbered situation. There is always a possibility of us being separated," he responded calmly. "But I've decided that you should have Diana as a partner as well."
"Are you nuts? She'd blow our cover. I'm not one to keep my mouth shut, but she doesn't know how to act like a common call girl. She's a princess for heaven's sake."
"You may need the backup, especially when I can't get to you."
Hawkgirl spun around and put her hands on her hips. "And what happens if she gets into the kind of situation where she has to go beyond the call of duty? I could do it, but could she?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
"Fine, but we can't take the Javelin. We'll have to take something smaller... Maybe Lantern should come along. He could get us there with his ring."
"Agreed." After a short pause, he requested, "Tell me more about Euphoria."
She nodded and took a seat on the ledge of the building. "It's more powerful than any human drug like heroin or cocaine. You see, you simply drink the stuff, as you would a bottle of beer, and its effects occur instantly.
"It makes you feel like a God, like you're walking on water or in the clouds. Your blood boils, but it tickles. The world seems brighter, like you're looking through rose-colored glasses, and it makes you smile. It's an antidepressant that lasts quite a while – twelve hours, I think. Anyway, I know that people who have used it have burglarized and murdered because of the hallucinations that develop."
"Develop?"
She nodded. "The side effects don't present themselves quickly; they builds on themselves. The drug eventually drives the user mad." Hawkgirl dropped her hands to her sides and shrugged. "Euphoria puts a whole lot of people at risk, not just the abuser."
Batman turned away from her and toward the sunset. "You sound as if you know the drug from experience."
"I tried it once. I was undercover, so I had no choice."
"I see."
"After you've used some, you hunger for it. The stuff calls to you." She also returned her gaze to the sunset. "I had trouble walking away from it."
"I want you to contact Diana and Lantern. We'll rendezvous here at sunrise."
Hawkgirl turned to look at him, but he was already gone.
"I hate it when he does that."
)(
Diana had only been on Earth for an hour when Hawkgirl had contacted her. She and The Green Lantern had left the Watchtower after Superman and J'onn had taken over monitor duty. Now it was nine o'clock, and she was waiting for the Thanagarian to meet her on the roof of The Metropolis Daily Planet.
"What is the problem?" she asked as Hawkgirl landed. "Is there something I can do?"
She then explained all that she and Batman had learned that day about the alleged smuggling between Earth and some planet called Torica.
"Whoever is producing it is stationed there. Batman wanted you and me to destroy it from the inside."
Diana crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you mean covertly?"
She nodded. "I know it's a lot to ask, but there's no other way."
"Who do we have to pose as?"
"Well, I was thinking along the lines of a performing duo. If we get a job in the mobster's nightclub, one of us could get close to him."
"Performing duo?"
"Yeah. Singers or dancers... possibly strippers."
"What?" The princess asked with shock in her voice, "Did you say strippers?"
"Maybe."
The Amazon raised an eyebrow. "What kind of a planet is this?"
"Not a good one." Hawkgirl sighed and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes moved to the floor as she thought up a way to enlighten Diana.
"Could you try to narrow your generalization?" the princess requested.
"Torica is like a get-away for bounty hunters, cutthroats, bootleggers, thieves, drug lords, and galaxy pirates. Women don't mean much there; we're only good for the entertainment."
"That's terrible. We should liberate –"
"No," Hawkgirl interrupted. "It's a lost cause. That place has been like that for centuries. If women wanted to leave, they could."
"Then why bother with the smuggling?"
"Because it's made its way to Earth, and I don't want the humans to be exposed to that kind of danger."
Diana noticed something in her co-workers eyes: fear. "You're taking this personally, aren't you?"
She ignored the comment. "Please consider it, Princess. We'll be meeting at daybreak on the roof of the Dark Nites club in Gotham."
)(
The Green Lantern walked to his apartment, and immediately noticed that his door was ajar. With his ring, he put a protection shield around his body and stepped inside. To his surprise, the television was on, and the trespasser sat on his couch, eating.
"Shayera?"
The redhead turned her head and smiled at him. "Hey. You should really get better locks. Anyone could just walk in here."
"I've noticed." John closed the door behind him and came to sit down on the couch too. "This is unexpected." When he saw a duffle bag on the floor, he added, "Very unexpected."
Shayera shut off the TV and lightly kissed his lips. "Listen, you and I are leaving tomorrow morning with Batman and Diana."
He raised an eyebrow. "I'm hoping it's to the Bahamas."
"It's all business, I'm afraid. We need to shut down a drug lord on the planet Torica, and you're in charge of transportation."
"What are you in charge of?"
"Diana and I are doing the actual dirty work. We have to go undercover and get information on all the places the guy's keeping the Euphoria."
"Undercover? Is Euphoria the drug?"
Shayera then explained who they were going to pretend to be and what the drug was capable of doing. Although the thought of other men staring at Shayera bothered John, he set his feelings aside knowing he had to be professional. After all, both he and Shy were experienced in the field of espionage. She had been a detective; he had been a marine.
It was all relative.
"Why did you bring a bag?" he asked casually.
The Thanagarian beauty gave her best innocent face and confessed, "Well, Gotham is closer to your city than mine. I figured that I could get more sleep if I stayed with you. I wouldn't have to wake as early." Shayera bit her lower lip and snuggled closer to John. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"
She then buried her gorgeous face in the crook of his neck, and he could feel her warm breath on his dark skin. Not a single bone in his body wanted to resist her.
Not a single bone...
"No," he whispered into her hair and sat back on the couch. "I wouldn't mind at all."
"Good!" She pulled away and gave him a peck on the cheek. "So you wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch tonight."
Astonished, his radiant eyes widened as he stammered for something to say. She had tricked him, played him.
"Goodnight, John. Don't oversleep. We have to be in Gotham at daybreak."
The Green Lantern watched his winged girlfriend leave the room with her duffle bag in hand. Although he was a little disappointed with the idea of crashing on the couch instead of his bed and next to her, he smiled. That girl still managed to surprise him everyday.
He loved that about her.
)(
Chapter 2 coming soon...
By: The Angelic Temptress
Disclaimer: The usual. They're not mine, although I'd take them if they let me.
Spoilers: "Wildcard" and some for "Starcrossed" (Timeframe: Between those 2 Eps.)
Rating: PG-13 for language, drugs, and adult content.
Pairings: GL/HG (Of course!) BM/WW (Who knew I had it in me?)
)(
Prologue:
He looked down on his darkened city from his perch on one of its many buildings, watching for anything or anybody that could cause trouble. This time, he knew where the trouble was. He just needed to find out where it was headed. To do so, he had to get up close and personal.
Two men were loading an inconspicuous delivery truck with crates, barrels, and bottles of some kind. He knew that there weren't any late night deliveries scheduled for that evening. Barbara had informed him of that. These men were up to no good, and he could almost taste the illegality of it.
After he shot out a line, he swooped into the alley unannounced and unnoticed. Clinging to the shadows, he observed the two men packing their vehicle. They were nervous. Their perspiration had seeped through their jackets and drizzled down their foreheads.
"Dude," one man whispered to the other and wiped his hot forehead with the back of his sleeve. "We've gotta hurry the hell outta here. He'll see us for sure."
The other groaned and closed the back door. "Not if we don't give 'im a reason to," he said and climbed into the driver's seat of the truck. "We're just doing our job, Buddy. We're delivering."
"Delivering what?" the hidden form asked from the shadows of the alley.
The younger of the two, "Buddy," froze, and his jaw dropped. With wide eyes, he stuttered, "The – the – the Bat!"
Batman narrowed his eyes and threw his bola at the paralyzed man, tying him up instantly. When the truck started, he darted to the bumper and climbed onto it. The truck sped away, reaching a speed of fifty within seconds, but it didn't shake the Dark Knight. He climbed up on top of the truck and crawled to the driver's door. In a quick and fluid motion, he hung over the side of the vehicle, punched through the window, and grabbed "Dude" by his collar.
"Stop the truck!" he ordered.
Instead of listening, the driver sped up and turned the wheel, causing the truck to fishtail. Batman lost his grip on the man and flung off of the truck. Before his body could smash into the ground, he clutched the door. Next, he opened the door and threw the man out and onto the street. Batman then slipped inside and stopped the truck without breaking a sweat.
The Caped Crusader cut the engine and climbed back out of the truck, only to be the target of poorly aimed gunshots. He rolled to the opposite side of the alley and behind a dumpster; as if it were a reflex, he pulled a smoke bomb from his utility belt and tossed it to where the man sat on the cement. It instantly released its smoke, making the man cough uncontrollably and drop his gun.
When the smoke cleared, Batman began to make his way toward the "delivery man." He kicked the pistol aside and once again took hold of the man's collar, lifting him to make eye contact.
"Now," Batman coldly told, "you are going to tell me everything I want to know."
"Go on an' screw yourself. I ain't tellin' nothin'."
Quickly, he tore the man from the ground and shoved him against the alley's brick wall. Now clearly irritated, he tightened his grip on the man's shirt and narrowed his eyes.
"You were saying?"
The man had begun to tremble and couldn't keep himself together. His eyes darted from side to side as if he knew someone was watching him.
"Who are you working for?"
"I... I dunno, man. They just left the stuff in the warehouse, an' we had to pick it up."
Knowing the criminal was telling the truth, he moved on with his interrogation. "Where were you taking the shipment?"
"That new club downtown, the... Dark Nites. That's it. Dark Nites." He nodded to himself. "We were going to drop it off in the back."
"Who's paying you?"
"Man, I don't know. We were going to get it after we dropped off the stuff."
Batman then cuffed the guy and dragged him back to where the truck was parked. He ripped open the back door and threw the man inside. With a crowbar located beside a barrel, he tore open a crate and found tons of packets inside. Batman lifted one to examine it.
If he hadn't known any better, he would have believed they were transporting blood packets.
)(
Chapter 1: Euphoria
"They call it 'Euphoria,'" Jim Gordon told the Caped Crusader from his seat. "It's the city's newest and most expensive drug."
After leaving the two men for the police, Batman hand come to see the commissioner, hoping he had information.
"Euphoria? I've never heard of it."
"Well, that's really shouldn't be of any surprise. My men had only started busting dealers with it last week." Gordon sipped his coffee and tapped a couple of keys on his computer. "Apparently, it's popular amongst the upper- class. I've even caught thugs selling it at the Penguin's nightclub.
"The drug is taken in liquid form; I guess you drink it. Here." Jim came to a file that described what the drug was composed of. "The boys down at the lab couldn't figure out what it was. I'm afraid to say that it's not of this world." When Batman quickly skimmed over Jim's screen without a word, the commissioner added, "That doesn't really startle you, does it?"
"No. Not really."
"And I'm sure you've taken the liberty of removing evidence from the scene."
The Dark Knight didn't respond.
"Batman, I'm surprised that The Justice League hadn't noticed this. If there is a galactic smuggling ring, I thought that you would've discovered it long before now."
When he didn't reply again, the commissioner sighed and began to look through the police files. Without an adieu, Batman slipped out of the window and into the night.
)(
"Good morning," Flash greeted as Hawkgirl entered the kitchen. He, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman were sitting around the table, eating breakfast.
"Hey," she said in return and took a seat between the men, stealing a quick glance at the very manly John Stewart and discretely taking his hand under the table.
Flash and Hawkgirl had been assigned to monitor duty the night before and were switching shifts with Diana and John that morning.
"I'll get the shuttle ready," Flash stated and raced out of the kitchen.
Diana stood from her seat and took a couple of the dishes to the sink. After finishing her orange juice, she said goodbye to Hawkgirl and also left the room. Finally, GL and the Thanagarian were alone.
It had only been a week since the duo had admitted their feelings for one another and had shared their very first kiss; they were still taking things slow.
"Last night was quiet," he said and slightly turned to face her. "I hope you weren't too bored."
Hawkgirl shook her head. "Flash was too loud last night. I didn't get much sleep."
"Then you should go home and rest."
She gave a slight nod. "I'll be on call today. If you need anything –"
Lantern suddenly pressed his lips to hers, and she didn't resist. When he pulled away, she smiled.
"I better get moving," she told and stood from her seat.
"Hawkgirl! Diana! Check this out!" Flash called from the monitor room, where he wasn't supposed to be. GL and Hawkgirl quickly flew to where Flash stood watching the television.
"What is it?" Wonder Woman questioned when she joined them.
Flash laughed. "It looks like Playboy wants you to pose for their next issue, Princess."
Diana narrowed her eyes with disgust as she watched the interview with Hugh Hefner and his four blondes.
"Think about it," Flash suggested. "It would be great publicity for the League."
Hawkgirl also chuckled. "Well Diana, you are the perfect woman. Why not show off your perfection in a magazine?"
"Uh-uh," the kid said. "Don't think you got off that easy, Feathers. Victoria's Secret wants you to pose for their spring collection." Flash giggled like a schoolboy. "Could you picture Hawkgirl walking down a runway? She'd pound the other models with her mace!"
This time, both men laughed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," GL answered through snorts. "We just can't see you being..."
"Being what?"
"I don't know. Girly, maybe."
"Since when is underwear proof of femininity? Anyway, I wear –"
"You don't wear that kind," Flash reminded and pointed to the television screen. Models wearing fake wings, bras, heels, and thongs were walking down a white runway.
"You're right. It's degrading." Then she took a moment to reflect on The Flash's last comment. "How the hell would you know what kind of underwear I have anyway?"
"Uh..."
She huffed, turned on her heel, and headed for the shuttle. Flash and Lantern followed.
"We didn't mean anything by it," John explained. "It's just that you don't have the attitude that a model is supposed to have. That's a good thing."
"It is?" Flash asked GL, but received a smack to the back of the head as a response. "Ow!"
Green Lantern grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around to face him. "You're not mad, are you?"
She shrugged. "Just because I'm a detective and a fighter doesn't mean that I'm not a woman."
A smile crept onto John's lips. "I already knew that."
Flash nodded. "So did I." He wore a devilish grin, so Hawkgirl smacked him upside the head as well. "OW!"
Thirty minutes later, Hawkgirl and Flash had gone their separate ways. Soon enough, someone's voice was heard over the comm-link.
"Batman to Hawkgirl."
"Go ahead," she told and gracefully landed in a tree. Hawkgirl had been flying over Midway City at the time.
"Can you go to a bar with me?" he said with a serious tone.
Her jaw dropped. "What?"
"Usually I don't need help rousting a bar, but I figured you'd like the exercise."
)(
Batman glanced to his right when Hawkgirl landed beside him on the roof of one of Gotham's many warehouses. He had been waiting for her.
"You know, I got all excited back there," she shared with a humorous tone. "I thought the Dark Knight was asking me out on a date."
He almost grinned. "Maybe next time, but what would Lantern say to that?"
Instead of being surprised by Batman's knowledge of the couple, she laughed. "I don't know his thoughts on threesomes, but maybe he'd come alone." She walked over to Gotham's protector. "So what's up?"
"I believe I have proof of an inter-planet or intergalactic smuggling ring that's found its way into Gotham. Here." He tossed her the drug packet, and she caught it. "It's called –"
"Euphoria," she finished as she studied it closely, wearing skepticism on her face.
"You know the drug?"
"Yeah. A few years ago, I busted a drug lord who had been producing this on Thanagar... The chances of this getting here are impossible."
"But yet you're here," Batman remarked. "Obviously, the chances are better than you think."
"Obviously," she mumbled. Suddenly, she raised her eyes and tossed the packet back to Batman. "Then let's go bust this dealer."
"Do you think he may be Thanagarian?"
"It doesn't matter. We just have to prevent this stuff from being sold."
He quickly glanced over her stature and noticed the edginess that hadn't been there earlier, but he didn't mention it.
"Fine. The drivers I had caught last night were headed to a nightclub called Dark Nites, and I'm willing to bet that they know the name of their suppliers."
Hawkgirl sent him a slanted smile. "I didn't know you were a gambling man."
"Only when I know I'll win."
She raised an eyebrow. "So what's the plan?"
"We go in and interrogate. I'll do the talking and you'll –"
"Do the beating?" she offered with excited eyes.
He gave a slight nod. "Just allow me to go in first. I'll signal you when I need you."
"All right. What's the signal?"
"You'll know it when you see it." Batman jumped off of the roof and shot out his grapple. He swung over to the back of the closed nightclub and into the next alley. Once he found a second story window, he unlocked it and snuck inside.
The room was dark, but he could hear voices through the open door. The hallway was lit, so he cautiously walked to the entry. No one roamed the halls, so he left the storage room in search of the owner's office.
Batman stopped at a turn and snatched a glimpse of the two very built men standing guard in front of the office. To take care of that problem, he rolled a sleeping-gas bomb toward the two. A second after it released its contents, they passed out.
He slowly made his way to the door and then placed his hand on the knob. He quietly turned it, pushed it open, and stepped aside.
"Who said you could come in?" a man questioned angrily. When he saw his two guards lying on the ground, he sent two other men into the hallway. Batman punched them simultaneously, knocking them both out.
Batman stepped into view, knowing the man wouldn't shoot him.
"What the devil?" the slightly overweight, middle-aged man stood from his chair with wide eyes. "You're the Batman!"
The Dark Knight said nothing but continued to inch closer toward the nightclub owner.
"Listen, I run a legit –"
"Save it," he said and shoved the man back into his seat. "I know you've been purchasing Euphoria, but I want to know from who."
"I don't want any trouble; please don't hurt me," the man whimpered with his hands clenching the chair's armrests. His beady blue eyes were full with fear, and sweat ran down his greasy forehead.
"I won't if you cooperate."
"Step away from him!" another henchman with an AK-47 ordered. Batman leaped over the desk and easily knocked the weapon aside before the man could even shoot a round. He then kicked the man, sending him crashing through the second story window.
A moment later, Hawkgirl swooped through the alley and caught him. She had been paying attention just as Batman had expected her to. When she flew in to join him, five more men filed into the office. Hawkgirl didn't wait for Batman; she charged into battle, letting out her war cry.
Her mace slammed two men aside and then was knocked from her hands. It didn't affect her stride. She made an uppercut to one guy and a left hook to another. When they punched, she blocked. With a roundhouse kick, she smacked a gangster into the wall; he was unconscious.
One managed to grab her from behind, but she quickly responded with an elbow to the guy's ribcage. Hawkgirl then flung him over her shoulder and into the same wall the other had hit.
Batman avoided the fighting and moved over the where the owner still sat. He crossed his arms over his chest and continued to observe the Thanagarian.
The biggest of the final three men tackled Hawkgirl to the floor and attempted to strangle her, but she managed to slip her feet to his chest and kicked him off of herself.
Batman then noticed another man pull out a gun. He quickly threw a baterang at his head; both the gunman and the baterang landed beside Hawkgirl.
Before the last bodyguard could get away, Hawkgirl picked up the baterang and snapped it at him; he too was knocked out cold and landed in the hallway.
Hawkgirl stood and picked up her mace. She turned to face Batman and the owner with infuriated eyes.
"Now," she said, "you were going to tell us everything."
)(
Hawkgirl stared down at the flashing cop cars and watched the officers arrest the ten men. She could smell the water in the dusk's air and moved her eyes to the horizon.
"You knew, didn't you?" she asked the Caped Crusader, who and quietly joined her on the rooftop. "You knew what we'd have to do. That's why you didn't help me back there. You were testing me."
The owner had given them the name of a planet that Hawkgirl knew all too well. Torica. It was a pirate's paradise, full of drugs, liquor, and women. Most men went there for a nightcap as others hired assassins and deliverymen with a bag of gold and a simple handshake as a contract. The only way into the business world of that planet would be to start on the inside as a showgirl or prostitute.
Hawkgirl had done that kind of work on her own planet and wasn't afraid of going undercover again. She could do it alone, if she had to; she was used to working alone.
"Why test me?" she demanded. "You've seen me fight plenty of times."
"I had to see how you'd react in an out-numbered situation. There is always a possibility of us being separated," he responded calmly. "But I've decided that you should have Diana as a partner as well."
"Are you nuts? She'd blow our cover. I'm not one to keep my mouth shut, but she doesn't know how to act like a common call girl. She's a princess for heaven's sake."
"You may need the backup, especially when I can't get to you."
Hawkgirl spun around and put her hands on her hips. "And what happens if she gets into the kind of situation where she has to go beyond the call of duty? I could do it, but could she?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
"Fine, but we can't take the Javelin. We'll have to take something smaller... Maybe Lantern should come along. He could get us there with his ring."
"Agreed." After a short pause, he requested, "Tell me more about Euphoria."
She nodded and took a seat on the ledge of the building. "It's more powerful than any human drug like heroin or cocaine. You see, you simply drink the stuff, as you would a bottle of beer, and its effects occur instantly.
"It makes you feel like a God, like you're walking on water or in the clouds. Your blood boils, but it tickles. The world seems brighter, like you're looking through rose-colored glasses, and it makes you smile. It's an antidepressant that lasts quite a while – twelve hours, I think. Anyway, I know that people who have used it have burglarized and murdered because of the hallucinations that develop."
"Develop?"
She nodded. "The side effects don't present themselves quickly; they builds on themselves. The drug eventually drives the user mad." Hawkgirl dropped her hands to her sides and shrugged. "Euphoria puts a whole lot of people at risk, not just the abuser."
Batman turned away from her and toward the sunset. "You sound as if you know the drug from experience."
"I tried it once. I was undercover, so I had no choice."
"I see."
"After you've used some, you hunger for it. The stuff calls to you." She also returned her gaze to the sunset. "I had trouble walking away from it."
"I want you to contact Diana and Lantern. We'll rendezvous here at sunrise."
Hawkgirl turned to look at him, but he was already gone.
"I hate it when he does that."
)(
Diana had only been on Earth for an hour when Hawkgirl had contacted her. She and The Green Lantern had left the Watchtower after Superman and J'onn had taken over monitor duty. Now it was nine o'clock, and she was waiting for the Thanagarian to meet her on the roof of The Metropolis Daily Planet.
"What is the problem?" she asked as Hawkgirl landed. "Is there something I can do?"
She then explained all that she and Batman had learned that day about the alleged smuggling between Earth and some planet called Torica.
"Whoever is producing it is stationed there. Batman wanted you and me to destroy it from the inside."
Diana crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you mean covertly?"
She nodded. "I know it's a lot to ask, but there's no other way."
"Who do we have to pose as?"
"Well, I was thinking along the lines of a performing duo. If we get a job in the mobster's nightclub, one of us could get close to him."
"Performing duo?"
"Yeah. Singers or dancers... possibly strippers."
"What?" The princess asked with shock in her voice, "Did you say strippers?"
"Maybe."
The Amazon raised an eyebrow. "What kind of a planet is this?"
"Not a good one." Hawkgirl sighed and bit her bottom lip. Her eyes moved to the floor as she thought up a way to enlighten Diana.
"Could you try to narrow your generalization?" the princess requested.
"Torica is like a get-away for bounty hunters, cutthroats, bootleggers, thieves, drug lords, and galaxy pirates. Women don't mean much there; we're only good for the entertainment."
"That's terrible. We should liberate –"
"No," Hawkgirl interrupted. "It's a lost cause. That place has been like that for centuries. If women wanted to leave, they could."
"Then why bother with the smuggling?"
"Because it's made its way to Earth, and I don't want the humans to be exposed to that kind of danger."
Diana noticed something in her co-workers eyes: fear. "You're taking this personally, aren't you?"
She ignored the comment. "Please consider it, Princess. We'll be meeting at daybreak on the roof of the Dark Nites club in Gotham."
)(
The Green Lantern walked to his apartment, and immediately noticed that his door was ajar. With his ring, he put a protection shield around his body and stepped inside. To his surprise, the television was on, and the trespasser sat on his couch, eating.
"Shayera?"
The redhead turned her head and smiled at him. "Hey. You should really get better locks. Anyone could just walk in here."
"I've noticed." John closed the door behind him and came to sit down on the couch too. "This is unexpected." When he saw a duffle bag on the floor, he added, "Very unexpected."
Shayera shut off the TV and lightly kissed his lips. "Listen, you and I are leaving tomorrow morning with Batman and Diana."
He raised an eyebrow. "I'm hoping it's to the Bahamas."
"It's all business, I'm afraid. We need to shut down a drug lord on the planet Torica, and you're in charge of transportation."
"What are you in charge of?"
"Diana and I are doing the actual dirty work. We have to go undercover and get information on all the places the guy's keeping the Euphoria."
"Undercover? Is Euphoria the drug?"
Shayera then explained who they were going to pretend to be and what the drug was capable of doing. Although the thought of other men staring at Shayera bothered John, he set his feelings aside knowing he had to be professional. After all, both he and Shy were experienced in the field of espionage. She had been a detective; he had been a marine.
It was all relative.
"Why did you bring a bag?" he asked casually.
The Thanagarian beauty gave her best innocent face and confessed, "Well, Gotham is closer to your city than mine. I figured that I could get more sleep if I stayed with you. I wouldn't have to wake as early." Shayera bit her lower lip and snuggled closer to John. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"
She then buried her gorgeous face in the crook of his neck, and he could feel her warm breath on his dark skin. Not a single bone in his body wanted to resist her.
Not a single bone...
"No," he whispered into her hair and sat back on the couch. "I wouldn't mind at all."
"Good!" She pulled away and gave him a peck on the cheek. "So you wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch tonight."
Astonished, his radiant eyes widened as he stammered for something to say. She had tricked him, played him.
"Goodnight, John. Don't oversleep. We have to be in Gotham at daybreak."
The Green Lantern watched his winged girlfriend leave the room with her duffle bag in hand. Although he was a little disappointed with the idea of crashing on the couch instead of his bed and next to her, he smiled. That girl still managed to surprise him everyday.
He loved that about her.
)(
Chapter 2 coming soon...