Categories > Cartoons > Justice League Unlimited > Alien
Chapter 18
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"Are you sure you should be drinking that stuff?" John asked.
"I'm thirsty," Shayera stated as she twisted the cap off of the soda bottle.
"But it's full of caffeine and high fructose corn syrup. In your condition..."
Shayera sighed in exasperation as she tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "Oh yom shigureth! Will you stop fussing already? I'm pregnant not dying John." She rolled her eyes as she frowned into the depths of the soda bottle as if it too were warning her not to drink it. "It's only a little bit of soda. I haven't had anything to eat or drink since last night."
"Are you still feeling nauseous? Because that'll make you feel worse...what?"
"You're fussing again. It's annoying so stop it!" She sighed a few seconds later. "Look, I appreciate the concern but you're going a little overboard with this. In a mere 24 hours you did a complete 360-"
"You mean 180," He corrected her. "Doing a complete 360 means I started and ended at the same point."
Shayera gave him a light glare, "You know what I meant. Anyway, it was really sweet at first but now it's just down right annoying."
"I didn't mean for it to be annoying." John said sounding rather dejected. "I just wanted to make you comfortable."
"John, like I said before, it was sweet and well intentioned at first. I get that and appreciate it. You just have to learn how to uh...how do I put this in human terms? Um I guess learn some self control while doting on me."
"You mean cut it out with being a bit too overbearing?" He asked.
"Yes that's the word I couldn't think of. Overbearing, that's it." She gave him a sympathetic smile. "In a couple of months I promise you can be as overbearing as you like."
"John, Shayera come to the main hall conference room."
"What could Clark possibly want now?" She rhetorically asked.
"Let's just get it over with," John said to her. "It's probably nothing serious."
______________________________________________________________________________________________
"You decided to do what!?" Shayera shouted as the other founders looked amongst themselves. "Who gave you the right to decide what to do with me? Shouldn't I have a say in this?"
"Shay it's not unreasonable if you think about it." John said to her. "You're going to be out of the line of fire at least. You'll be safe from danger."
"So you all think I can't defend myself?" She asked indignantly.
"We didn't say anything like that." Clark held up his hands in defense. "We're just saying that it might be safer this way."
"No, it's insulting!" She stated as she glared around the room at the other founders. "Being pregnant doesn't make me an invalid!"
"We never said that either." Clark said, trying to calm the angered Thanagarian before him. "We're just looking out for your safety."
"More like sidelining me. I should be out there doing my job!" She argued. "I should be protecting people and making the world a safer place. I can't do that while twiddling my thumbs up in the Watchtower all day."
"Told you she wasn't going to take it well." Wally stated in a 'I-told-you-so' tone. Diana, Clark, and J'onn glared at him. "What? I'm just saying. By the way, Wings, Bats was the one to bring up the idea. If you want to blame someone, blame him."
"Where is Bruce?" Shayera hissed. "Shouldn't he be here?"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Vicki Vale laughed as she held up Gotham Gazette's paper from the other day. This was her best work yet. Screw Gotham Daily, the Gazette rehired her the second she presented them with the headline. And she still had one more to go. It would make her a billionaire. Who would have thought, a pregnant Hawkgirl. It was just too good to be true. Two perfect stories fell right in her lap.
Vicki continued to laugh as she hugged the paper tight. She laid back on her bed as she smiled brightly. She had to let the first paper sink in before she unveiled the next bombshell. She squealed in delight, "Vicki you have hit it big this time!"
The balcony windows whipped open and the early morning, summer wind blew through her condo. Vicki rolled her eyes. She stood and lazily made her way to the balcony and closed the windows. She sighed as she didn't even bother to turn. "What do you need Batman? What to finally do that private one-on-one interview? The offer is still on the table."
Batman's frown deepened. "Why did you do it?"
"Did what?" She asked in a innocent voice as she began to saunter towards him.
"You know what," He countered. "I'm not in the mood Vale. What did Hawkgirl or Bruce Wayne ever do to you?"
"Other than Bruce Wayne being an arrogant, rich jerk that dumped me for some lawyer floozy...he did nothing to me." She offered as she laid on her bed. "Though Hawkgirl on the other hand, well now." She slightly laughed and Bruce didn't like the sound of that laugh. "Anything with her name on it is big bucks since the Invasion. It's business Batman, though you wouldn't understand any of that. Aren't you going to ask me who or where I got the information from?"
"I already know," He simply stated as Vicki's smile disappeared in an instant.
"I don't believe you." She said, rising from her bed.
"You and Judge David G. McCillion have been having some late night rendezvous for the past five months." Batman said deadpan as Vicki gasped. "I bet his wife would love to hear about them. Especially since she's the Chief Executor of Gotham Gazette. You never know; maybe some journalist will find themselves lucky and have the story of the century."
"Are you blackmailing me?" She paused but then shakingly asked, "What do you want?"
"If you put on any newspaper cover that Hawkgirl's pregnant, I'll ruin you." He threatened. "I'm not playing around! I dare you." Vicki remained silent. Bruce felt he accomplished his mission and turned to leave.
"What of Judge McCillion?" He heard her ask.
Batman didn't turn to face her as he smirked. "He's seeing to it that the other judges are going to award Hawkgirl citizenship." Bruce quickly made his face emotionless as he turned to face her. "Remember my promise."
"You mean threat?"
"No," He countered. "It's a promise. I'll ruin your life and career all in one fell swoop. I suggest you shred your rough draft of your article."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
The conference room's door hissed open as Shayera skulked out with John closely following her.
"This is ridiculous," She grumbled. "I can't believe they sidelined me!"
"Shayera," John started. "I'll say it again; it's not unreasonable."
"I never said it was unreasonable." She then pouted. "I can't believe I'm starting to agree with this. It's just so insulting to my warrior pride. I want to fight; I need to fight. That's pretty much all I know how to do."
"So it's a Thanagarian thing?" He asked as she gave him a look. "But you do agree that you'll be safer this way?"
"Yes," She admitted in defeat. "I agree but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Shayera then sighed. "I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself for a whole year. Then of course they won't let me back onto active duty right away so that'll be at least another couple months added on."
"A year?" John asked. "Don't you mean nine months?"
Shayera gave him a confused look. "What are you talking about? Thanagarian pregnancies last a total of twelve Earth months. Are human ones different?"
"Yes! Human ones last nine months." He replied in a rather panicked voice. If the future Static was right and Shayera was 'one cranky pregnant lady' then the remaining time of the pregnancy was definitely not going to be too pleasant for him.
"So that means it can last anywhere between nine to twelve months." She groaned. "You gotta be kidding me!"
"I'm thirsty," Shayera stated as she twisted the cap off of the soda bottle.
"But it's full of caffeine and high fructose corn syrup. In your condition..."
Shayera sighed in exasperation as she tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear. "Oh yom shigureth! Will you stop fussing already? I'm pregnant not dying John." She rolled her eyes as she frowned into the depths of the soda bottle as if it too were warning her not to drink it. "It's only a little bit of soda. I haven't had anything to eat or drink since last night."
"Are you still feeling nauseous? Because that'll make you feel worse...what?"
"You're fussing again. It's annoying so stop it!" She sighed a few seconds later. "Look, I appreciate the concern but you're going a little overboard with this. In a mere 24 hours you did a complete 360-"
"You mean 180," He corrected her. "Doing a complete 360 means I started and ended at the same point."
Shayera gave him a light glare, "You know what I meant. Anyway, it was really sweet at first but now it's just down right annoying."
"I didn't mean for it to be annoying." John said sounding rather dejected. "I just wanted to make you comfortable."
"John, like I said before, it was sweet and well intentioned at first. I get that and appreciate it. You just have to learn how to uh...how do I put this in human terms? Um I guess learn some self control while doting on me."
"You mean cut it out with being a bit too overbearing?" He asked.
"Yes that's the word I couldn't think of. Overbearing, that's it." She gave him a sympathetic smile. "In a couple of months I promise you can be as overbearing as you like."
"John, Shayera come to the main hall conference room."
"What could Clark possibly want now?" She rhetorically asked.
"Let's just get it over with," John said to her. "It's probably nothing serious."
______________________________________________________________________________________________
"You decided to do what!?" Shayera shouted as the other founders looked amongst themselves. "Who gave you the right to decide what to do with me? Shouldn't I have a say in this?"
"Shay it's not unreasonable if you think about it." John said to her. "You're going to be out of the line of fire at least. You'll be safe from danger."
"So you all think I can't defend myself?" She asked indignantly.
"We didn't say anything like that." Clark held up his hands in defense. "We're just saying that it might be safer this way."
"No, it's insulting!" She stated as she glared around the room at the other founders. "Being pregnant doesn't make me an invalid!"
"We never said that either." Clark said, trying to calm the angered Thanagarian before him. "We're just looking out for your safety."
"More like sidelining me. I should be out there doing my job!" She argued. "I should be protecting people and making the world a safer place. I can't do that while twiddling my thumbs up in the Watchtower all day."
"Told you she wasn't going to take it well." Wally stated in a 'I-told-you-so' tone. Diana, Clark, and J'onn glared at him. "What? I'm just saying. By the way, Wings, Bats was the one to bring up the idea. If you want to blame someone, blame him."
"Where is Bruce?" Shayera hissed. "Shouldn't he be here?"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Vicki Vale laughed as she held up Gotham Gazette's paper from the other day. This was her best work yet. Screw Gotham Daily, the Gazette rehired her the second she presented them with the headline. And she still had one more to go. It would make her a billionaire. Who would have thought, a pregnant Hawkgirl. It was just too good to be true. Two perfect stories fell right in her lap.
Vicki continued to laugh as she hugged the paper tight. She laid back on her bed as she smiled brightly. She had to let the first paper sink in before she unveiled the next bombshell. She squealed in delight, "Vicki you have hit it big this time!"
The balcony windows whipped open and the early morning, summer wind blew through her condo. Vicki rolled her eyes. She stood and lazily made her way to the balcony and closed the windows. She sighed as she didn't even bother to turn. "What do you need Batman? What to finally do that private one-on-one interview? The offer is still on the table."
Batman's frown deepened. "Why did you do it?"
"Did what?" She asked in a innocent voice as she began to saunter towards him.
"You know what," He countered. "I'm not in the mood Vale. What did Hawkgirl or Bruce Wayne ever do to you?"
"Other than Bruce Wayne being an arrogant, rich jerk that dumped me for some lawyer floozy...he did nothing to me." She offered as she laid on her bed. "Though Hawkgirl on the other hand, well now." She slightly laughed and Bruce didn't like the sound of that laugh. "Anything with her name on it is big bucks since the Invasion. It's business Batman, though you wouldn't understand any of that. Aren't you going to ask me who or where I got the information from?"
"I already know," He simply stated as Vicki's smile disappeared in an instant.
"I don't believe you." She said, rising from her bed.
"You and Judge David G. McCillion have been having some late night rendezvous for the past five months." Batman said deadpan as Vicki gasped. "I bet his wife would love to hear about them. Especially since she's the Chief Executor of Gotham Gazette. You never know; maybe some journalist will find themselves lucky and have the story of the century."
"Are you blackmailing me?" She paused but then shakingly asked, "What do you want?"
"If you put on any newspaper cover that Hawkgirl's pregnant, I'll ruin you." He threatened. "I'm not playing around! I dare you." Vicki remained silent. Bruce felt he accomplished his mission and turned to leave.
"What of Judge McCillion?" He heard her ask.
Batman didn't turn to face her as he smirked. "He's seeing to it that the other judges are going to award Hawkgirl citizenship." Bruce quickly made his face emotionless as he turned to face her. "Remember my promise."
"You mean threat?"
"No," He countered. "It's a promise. I'll ruin your life and career all in one fell swoop. I suggest you shred your rough draft of your article."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
The conference room's door hissed open as Shayera skulked out with John closely following her.
"This is ridiculous," She grumbled. "I can't believe they sidelined me!"
"Shayera," John started. "I'll say it again; it's not unreasonable."
"I never said it was unreasonable." She then pouted. "I can't believe I'm starting to agree with this. It's just so insulting to my warrior pride. I want to fight; I need to fight. That's pretty much all I know how to do."
"So it's a Thanagarian thing?" He asked as she gave him a look. "But you do agree that you'll be safer this way?"
"Yes," She admitted in defeat. "I agree but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Shayera then sighed. "I just don't know what I'm going to do with myself for a whole year. Then of course they won't let me back onto active duty right away so that'll be at least another couple months added on."
"A year?" John asked. "Don't you mean nine months?"
Shayera gave him a confused look. "What are you talking about? Thanagarian pregnancies last a total of twelve Earth months. Are human ones different?"
"Yes! Human ones last nine months." He replied in a rather panicked voice. If the future Static was right and Shayera was 'one cranky pregnant lady' then the remaining time of the pregnancy was definitely not going to be too pleasant for him.
"So that means it can last anywhere between nine to twelve months." She groaned. "You gotta be kidding me!"
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