Shayera joins him quietly, barefoot and probably more anxious than she'd care to admit. The problem with having superhero friends is that they always tend to be in some sort of mortal peril, and it's not always possible to help them out. She knows that. She knows she needs to choose her battles. She knows that getting involved in a war of this nature would only make things worse - that Diana herself has requested that the JLA stay out of it. She knows that running off to war would be the worst thing for the reconnecting that she and Katar have been doing, and are still doing. As much as she might wish it was that simple, it's not like they can just pick up where they left off after five years and so much heartache. She knows that she can't do everything
( ... )
He lets a plume of smoke out of the side of his mouth.
"I know," he concurs, knowing what's on her mind. There's some reconnection accomplished already. Although it helps that he'd just gotten frustrated and declared he could watch no more television coverage.
"Yeah," she says. Diana's been through worse... er, well, she's been through stuff that's as bad as this.
Katar missed Diana losing and regaining her sight. Another story she'll have to tell him - or, better yet, let Diana tell him when (not if) they see her again. She has a hard time just figuring out where to start telling him about all the things that have happened since he's been gone. She wants to, but there's so much.
"It doesn't seem - it's not right. Luthor's a bastard."
Then she shakes her head. "I'm sorry. This is just... really bad timing."
"It's a situation we can't help or affect in any positive way. Much like the millions of dire situations we never even hear about, in the day to day lives of all of these humans."
He taps off a bit of ash into a plastic cup.
"So, we should live as we would. On call if we can be of use, but otherwise... to the business of us."
She opens her mouth to speak, hesitates, and closes it again. Maybe she's thinking, or maybe she's just tongue-tied. She really wishes she could just say it all at once so he can just know, like he should.
"There was a plague," she says finally. "A pandemic, actually. Millions of people died."
She makes a face.
"I should have started with something less depressing, huh?"
"It's been cured," she says. "It was partially mystical in origin - some plan of Ra's Al Ghul to make some sort of master race. Altered the genetics of humans to either evolve or devolve them. Or kill them in the process."
She smiles ruefully. "Aliens didn't fare so well, either. Probably a good thing that you missed it."
"Honestly, I don't remember it very well. Eventually I passed out, and when I woke up it was over and there was a Coluan snarking at me."
She's studying her hands, unsure of what to do with the sudden urge to tell him every single little thing that's hurt her over the past five years. She wants all the comfort she didn't get when she needed it. She's not sure why, really - it's not like he's had it easy the past five years himself. Trapped in limbo with the vengeful Hawk.
It's been so long since she was able to give up her defensiveness completely. It's something she's been needing to do for five years, and it hits her now with such force that for a while all she can do is hold on to him and sob.
When she's finally able to regail some control, she's surprised by how much clearer things seem. Like she's reorganizing her entire brain.
"I... this might take a minute," she says thickly. "I don't think I'm very good at this sort of thing."
Five years of pain and sorrow, isolation and anger. Acutely realizing that it was that way for her as well as for him. Realizing how self-absorbed he has been since returning, part by necessity, true but... she's been focusing on him as well, at the expense of herself.
When the love of your life is in tears, it's hard to hold back your own.
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"I know," he concurs, knowing what's on her mind. There's some reconnection accomplished already. Although it helps that he'd just gotten frustrated and declared he could watch no more television coverage.
"She'll get through it."
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Katar missed Diana losing and regaining her sight. Another story she'll have to tell him - or, better yet, let Diana tell him when (not if) they see her again. She has a hard time just figuring out where to start telling him about all the things that have happened since he's been gone. She wants to, but there's so much.
"It doesn't seem - it's not right. Luthor's a bastard."
Then she shakes her head. "I'm sorry. This is just... really bad timing."
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"It's a situation we can't help or affect in any positive way. Much like the millions of dire situations we never even hear about, in the day to day lives of all of these humans."
He taps off a bit of ash into a plastic cup.
"So, we should live as we would. On call if we can be of use, but otherwise... to the business of us."
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"There's a lot of that," she says.
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He taps a bit more ash out. "Tell me something I've missed. Anything."
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"There was a plague," she says finally. "A pandemic, actually. Millions of people died."
She makes a face.
"I should have started with something less depressing, huh?"
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"No. We're depressed already. We might as well wallow in that as much as we need to."
Millions of people dying. "What sort of disease was this? It's been cured now?"
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She smiles ruefully. "Aliens didn't fare so well, either. Probably a good thing that you missed it."
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"How badly did it hurt you?"
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"Honestly, I don't remember it very well. Eventually I passed out, and when I woke up it was over and there was a Coluan snarking at me."
She's studying her hands, unsure of what to do with the sudden urge to tell him every single little thing that's hurt her over the past five years. She wants all the comfort she didn't get when she needed it. She's not sure why, really - it's not like he's had it easy the past five years himself. Trapped in limbo with the vengeful Hawk.
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He knows guilt over his absence right now is utterly pointless, but there it is.
His instinct is to apologize, but they've done enough of that with each other.
"A Coluan. Were they involved somehow?"
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The only way he can try to make amends for the ache of failing her. She's had to be the strong one for five years... let her lose some of the burden.
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When she's finally able to regail some control, she's surprised by how much clearer things seem. Like she's reorganizing her entire brain.
"I... this might take a minute," she says thickly. "I don't think I'm very good at this sort of thing."
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When the love of your life is in tears, it's hard to hold back your own.
"No one is, Shayera. No one is."
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