Footwork Chapter Two
My original file of this chapter is corupt apparently...wonderful.
So I copied this from my post at Fanfiction.Net.
Bruce hadn’t been bluffing. Four days later when Vic was finally able to escape he began putting his plan into motion. He began with cleaning everything League related from his apartment. He stood in the center of the living area of his home and wondered what to get rid of first. Finally settling on his books and papers on the conspiracy he quickly starting packing them into one of the many boxes that he had liberated from a local packaging company. Stacking those boxes by the door he set to work replacing his current bulletin board with a different board covered in his newspaper articles and crime scene photos as well as post-it notes with possible connections scribbled down.
Next he hunted down every blue suit, trench coat, and fedora he owned and tossed then into a box which was quickly followed by replacement masks and aerosol cans. Picking up the first two boxes he fumbled around trying to hold them both while calling up to the Watchtower. “Martian, I need to be picked up.” He got no response from J’onn as he felt his molecules dissipate and be reconstructed on the transporter pad. He shivered involuntarily. He did not like that particular mode of transportation at all, no matter how convenient.
He couldn’t see over the top of the boxes, he almost ran over Courtney AKA Stargirl once, she followed him down the hallway screaming at him for a long time. Eventually she was distracted by one of the younger men of the League and he continued unhindered towards his room. Until he walked straight into someone exiting the cafeteria. He dropped the boxes but thankfully they didn’t open and he didn’t fall. As he bent down to pick up the boxed he looked up into the face of Batman. He was scowling.
He could see a raven-haired beauty in a black and purple costume in the cafeteria. He stared for a moment before the doors closed and he turned back to his boxes, setting them back up and preparing them to lift when the tell tale gust of wind brushed his face signaling the arrival of Flash. “Dude, when you run into someone like that it’s customary to say you’re sorry.” He didn’t have to look up to know that Flash was talking to him. Instead he stood and looked at Batman.
“Well, as far as I am concerned we ran into each other. If he was paying any attention he wouldn’t have walked out right in front of me. Thus it is his fault and he should apologize.” With that he adjusted the boxes again and walked away.
He heard the telltale fluttering of a cape as Batman followed him and the leaguers left behind began to gossip. As they walked side by side down the hall Batman waited until they were out of earshot before speaking. “Did you make sure to get everything? We don’t know what will happen if they find out who you are. Even the storage space in the basement has to be clear.” Question glared at his as the finally stopped outside of his door. Batman didn’t need to see his face to know though, Batman was good at reading body language. After fumbling with his boxes and almost dropping them again Question finally simply decided to stare at Batman. When he got a response he purposely turned his face towards the keypad.
Batman smirked as he punched in the code and the doors slid open. Question answered him as he dropped the boxes beside his bed. “I’ve finished packing everything in my apartment. I’ve almost packed everything from storage into my car and I still need to find a way to get it to your garage in Gotham without wasting hundred of dollars on gas and time.” Batman directed a glare in his direction from where he was investigating the conspiracy board, like everyone else that came into his room. “The car has to be moved. To many people have seen Question and the car together. Even though Tot’s invention changes the plate numbers periodically the car is still recognizable. I don’t have anywhere else that I can store it in Hub without it being traced back to me. Your garage is the safest place. It’s not like you don’t have room.”
Batman’s glare persisted but he gave up and changed the subject. “Clark has been badgering me for your name again. He can’t trust you not without knowing who you are. And since he promised me he wouldn’t peek at anyone anymore he can’t find out for himself, it’s driving him crazy. You should really tell him soon. Everyone else in the League has their real name listed in their profile. You are our only exception.” Question sighed, this argument again.
“I am aware of that. But I made it clear when I agreed to join that I wasn’t going to give up my secrecy. I told you that Bruce and you agreed. So Clark is just going to have to deal with the fact that there is one person on this tower who’s real face is still a mystery to him.” They stared each other down for a moment before Question left the room. Successfully ending the conversation. Although he was sure that it would be brought up again soon.
They walked back to the transporter in silence, they had almost made it before J’onn’s voice blared over the intercom. “Batman, please report to the bridge as soon as possible, your assistance is needed.” Before leaving Batman turned to his and asked, “Do you want someone to help you? The moving will get done quicker.”
Question shook his head and started to reply before an idea crossed his mind. “As a matter of fact there is someone who I might ask. However I will ask, I won’t have you making this a mission. Forced labor is half-assed labor.” Batman nodded and headed for the bridge, he didn’t say goodbye. Question didn’t expect him to.
It wasn’t until after he had finished transferring all of his things from his apartment and the extra stuff from storage that he began hunting down his prey. It would probably be best to catch her when she was away from her friends, but Question didn’t feel like waiting that long. Then again he remembered that something had recently happened and it was unlikely that she would be with her friends. He checked her room first and wasn’t surprised to find her actually in it.
Kara didn’t look happy when she answered the door. He could any assume that it had something to do with the fact that her cousin had grounded her after her last mission. Something about being rash and not thinking. She was surprised when she recognized him; she had clearly expected someone else, perhaps her cousin? Well if Superman was going to show up soon he should get this over with.
“Hello Kara. Are you bored with being on the tower all day? I know that Clark has taken you off the active missions list.” She looked slightly confused so he continued explaining. “I am going on a mission soon, but I am not going as Question, I am going as myself. So I have moved all Question related items from my home, but I have one thing left that I cannot take care of on my own. Would you like to help me? It will give you an excuse to get outside and fly.” She began considering. How bored was she? Did she really want to be leaving with The Question on something that wouldn’t be considered a mission? How would her friends react to that? How would Clark? She knew that Clark didn’t trust this man as far as he could throw him, and that was quite a way. “If you help me it will get you away from your cousin for awhile.” Did she really want to risk it? Sure he hadn’t bade her from leaving the tower, just from doing missions. Also, Question wasn’t a bad guy, she knew that from experience. She kind of felt like she owed him something too, after all that stuff with the clone. Eventually she agreed and the two were off. However not before he asked her to bring a spare set of normal clothes. After that she was slightly worried about what she had agreed too.
With her backpack slung over her shoulder the two were soon on the transporter. As Question punched the coordinates for his storage garage into the transporter (like hell he was going to let a techie see such classified information) Kara was approached by Superman. He was wearing his ‘stern’ face, which meant that she was in for a talking too. But right before he was about to let her have it, Question came to her rescue. “Don’t worry Superman. I’m fully aware she isn’t allowed to go on missions, this however is not a mission. Merely a friend helping a friend.” He didn’t even wait for Clark to respond before dragging her on to the transporter. As her molecules were broken down to be sent to Earth she could see him glaring daggers at the mysterious man in the blue fedora.
Their molecules were reassembled underground, in the basement of the apartment building that was the home of Vic Sage. She looked around at the empty shelves and random toolboxes that sat littered around the room. Then her eyes landed on the car. It was a blue; it matched Question’s outfit. She wondered if he had done that on purpose. He began going through the junk in the backseat and absently tossing things in and out, when she leaned on the opposite side and asked, “So Question why did you ask for my help? Or are you just planning on me carrying the car to wherever you want it to you don’t have to pay for gas?”
He looked up and smiled, not doubting that she would see it, “Because you are the only member of the League besides Batman who knows who I am behind the mask.” Startled she blushed and quickly looked away. “When you’re paranoid it’s not difficult to tell if someone is staring at you, let alone x-raying you,” he added in a happy tone.
She laughed quietly, embarrassed. “So, you could tell huh? I’m sorry, I was just curious. I didn’t tell anyone, not even Clark.” She paused, “He really doesn’t like you, you know? Neither of you. Sometimes he comes home to Smallville ranting Vic Sage this, Vic Sage that. Lois said this about Sage, Lois said that about her friend from college Victor Sage.” By the end of her tirade her hands were on her hips and her voice was low, imitating her cousin. Question was laughing, she thought it was a nice sound.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he dislikes me, Lois and I weren’t just friends in college, we dated for awhile. But apparently I’m a very difficult person to be in a relationship so she broke it off. We’re still friends though.” Kara laughed imagining Clark’s face when Lois introduced to him the fact that he might have some competition for her romantic interests.
“Well, you are a little on the eccentric side aren’t you? That’s not to hard to imagine.” He chuckled as he climbed into the front seat and started the engine. It roared much louder than Kara thought was possible for such an old car. The engine must have been rebuilt and modified she thought. He threw open the passenger door and she climbed in. She wondered how they were going to get out when he threw the car into reverse and backed up straight for the wall.
Later she would insist that she hadn’t been scared, off course since his passenger side armrest was destroyed Question knew otherwise. He was driving backward straight into the wall! She had no fear for herself; he would be the only one injured by this. But instead they sailed straight back into the alley behind the apartment complex no worse for the wear. He laughed at her as he revved the engine and took off into the dirty streets of Hub City heading for the nearest exit out of town.
“The wall itself is like a garage door, I got the idea from Batman. What you saw when we were pulling out was merely a hologram. Now, getting back to your original question, you are correct. I had hoped that you would carry the car to Gotham. After all, it’s a very long, expensive drive and a very short flight.” He glanced over at her, “Unless you don’t want to of course.” She shook her head and smiled turning the radio on, finding it already on a pop station and sat back in the seat.
“No, that’s fine. I figured I would be doing something like that when you asked me.” She leaned her head back on the headrest as she listened and thought. Sure she had known that, but she also knew that Clark had been meaning to scold her again today. It wasn’t a coincidence that all of her friends were sent out on missions right after she was grounded. He had considered that too when he asked her. He had also stepped in before Clark had a chance to interrogate her on the transporter. She glanced over at him as they zipped down streets swerving around cars and pedestrians. She winced once as he made a sharp turn and the back of the car swung into the opposite lane, but he gunned forward and soon they were out of the Hub.
The flight to Gotham didn’t take long at all. She made sure to fly high enough that onlookers wouldn’t be able to see them and Question sat in the car with the radio turned all the way up. She enjoyed spending time with him she eventually decided. He was crazy she wouldn’t deny that, when she was getting out of the car he had attacked her shoes with a pair of scissors that appeared from no where, his only explanation being that she would thank him, eventually. But he was fun to be around. He listened to the same music that she did and more than once they ended up singing along to the radio together.
Soon though they were approaching Gotham and she yelled up to the cab, “So how are we going to get this thing into Bruce Wayne’s garage? Do you want me to land somewhere and drive it in?” He leaned out the window to answer her and she was surprised to see that he had taken his mask off. His red hair fluttered around his face and he grinned mischievously, “You are mistaken. We aren’t parking in Bruce’s garage. We are going to park in the underground garage. When we get close enough I’ll show you where he flies the Bat Wing out and you can take us in through there. I’ve just called ahead to Alfred, he’s getting us a spot ready.”
It wasn’t long until they were approaching Wayne Manor from the Seaside. It took Vic a moment to locate the cavernous exit on the side of the cliff’s that was the garage door for the Bat Wing. As Kara flew them into the cave Vic called Alfred to let him know they were there. He was there to direct them to their ‘parking space’ when they exited the tunnels into the main cave.
“Good evening Master Victor, Miss Kara. I trust that you had no troubles on your flight? Will you be interested in dinner?”
Kara was about to nod when Vic spoke up. “Have you already fixed it? I know you weren’t really expecting us, so I figured that I would take the kid out and feed her.” Kara scowled, she was almost twenty-one years old! She was no kid. But the moment for argument passed as Vic and Alfred rushed her upstairs to change. It was decided that they would take one of Bruce’s more inconspicuous cars and after finally choosing one (that wasn’t so inconspicuous in her mind) Vic turned to her to ask where she would like to eat.
One though immediately crossed her mind, a place she always wanted to go, but since she was under Clark’s supervision almost all the time she never got too. She dismissed the thought though, the place was a walking monopoly and probably was really conspiring to make the world addicted to their food, there was no way The Question would ever willingly eat there. He stared her down and asked, “You have already decided where you would like to eat. But you don’t want to ask. I assure you, I am open to most suggestions.” Kara nodded.
“Okay, just don’t go all crazy on me for asking. Whenever Clark and I eat out it’s always stuff like Subway and other food that is supposedly healthy for you.” Vic smiled suddenly.
“I see, the Boy Scout won’t let you choose what you eat and forces health food on you. What you want is a heart attack on a bun! Alright, McDonalds it is.”
“No way in hell am I wearing these,” Kara shook her head at the offending clothing articles that Vic had shoved at her as soon as the car was parked. She was from Metropolis, wearing Gotham Knights gear was like an act of treason! There was no way. But Vic simply sat in the car, staring her down. Making it clear that they weren’t going anywhere until she put his impromptu disguise on.
Giving in she pulled her long ponytail through the back of the cap and slipped her arms into the jacket sleeves. “There,” she said, “are you happy now?” He replied, “Almost.” Before handing her a pair of non-prescription glasses. Glaring she placed them on her face. Looking in the mirror she had to admit that she looked different. The disguise was better than Clark’s was anyway. Her dark wash denim jeans and long black turtleneck (with her bright Supergirl shirt underneath) paired with the dark colors of the Gotham Knights gear and glasses was a totally different image. She also made a mental note to slouch while she walked.
“Now I am happy,” said Vic as he stepped out of the car. She followed him excitedly wondering what she should order. She knew right away she was going try the french fries first. As they stepped inside and the smell hit her it made her crinkle her nose at first. But slowly as they waited in line the smell became more appealing as she realized how hungry she was and stared in awe at the menu. It took much deliberation but by the time they made it to the counter she had decided on the McNuggets. After Vic finally decided on a Big Mac and they had gotten their order he shuffled them into a corner booth beside a window facing downtown Gotham. He sat as far back into the corner as was possible while still being able to see the entire restaurant and outside the window.
She sat for a moment simply staring at the meal in front of her. If Clark ever found out how much trouble would she be in? Vic was already digging into his fries looking upon her sudden hesitation with an amused face. “No matter what he tells you I doubt that french fries and McNuggets are going to have the same effect on your body that they would on a humans. Don’t worry, I mean. It wasn’t like you asked to come here anyway. I dragged you here didn’t I? You didn’t have a choice.” He gave her another mischievous grin before biting into his sandwich.
Vic was watching her devour the last of her fries when the first screams were heard. They were soon followed by tremors ripping through the ground. They didn’t bother to spare each other a glance as they took off towards the car. Kara jumped into the backseat, ripping out her hair-tie, tossing off the glasses and hat, and quickly slipping out of the jacket and turtleneck. As she flew out of the car she saw Questions trench coat disappearing around the corner. She rushed ahead of him to try and scout out exactly what they were up against as he screamed into the comlink, “Martian, we need Batman. Someone is causing trouble in his city and he won’t be happy with us taking care of it.” There was a pause while J’onn spoke then he replied, “Just get him here as soon as possible. Whatever this is it’s big.” With that he closed the channel and sprinted to catch up with Supergirl.
When the monster turned the corner it was impossible not to know who was behind the attack. The robotic clown was giant, it looked like it was being piloted from the inside, and it was driving fear into all the citizens of Gotham. Supergirl personally thought it was kind of cute. But she hadn’t grown up in Gotham, where there were no cute or funny clowns, just psychopathic murderers.
She was about to fly straight into battle when Question caught her attention. He was giving her orders, even though he was merely a human with no powers at all he was trying to tell her how to best beat the robot! But somehow she managed to stop her pride from rising as she listened to him. He was older, more experienced than her, she was starting to consider him a friend even. He was her superior on this new mission. So she shut up and listened to his plan.
Supergirl had approved of his plan. He was glad of that, so long as she didn’t loose her temper and start knocking the thing around too much, he would be fine. He simply didn’t know how long he could count on her for that. The entry hatch into the machine had been easy to find. From the minute he entered he knew it was a trap. Not for him though, this was a trap for a bat. He would have to be extra careful, Joker was tricky.
When he slipped into the cockpit he noticed the pilot was clearly not Joker. He also had clearly not been expecting Supergirl to show up. He was cursing up a storm while he tried to smack her out of the sky. She was providing a magnificent distraction. The man was too busy trying to hit her to notice as Question crept up behind him and knocked him into unconsciousness.
He noticed the chair immediately, a pilots chair. Complete with eject function. He was strapping himself and the unconscious man in before the clock and Jokers face appeared on the screen in front of him. “Well Batman it looks like-“ however Joker didn’t finish as he saw that the man in the cockpit was clearly not Batman. He screamed in rage as Question waved and punched the eject button. As they shot up into the air he screamed into his comm. link, trying to be louder than the rushing sound of air. “Supergirl! Get everyone out of the area now! The robot is going to explode!”
She didn’t reply, she didn’t need too. He could almost see the three blurs racing around getting the public to safety as he shot away. The parachute was released just as the robot exploded. The pilot woke up and began screaming as Question attempted to steer them clear of the fiery debris. He was sure he had never been so happy to see Superman in his life he decided as the Man of Steel flew up and carried them both back to solid earth.
Kara couldn’t decide which glare was more intense, the parental glare of Clark or the dark glare of Batman. He had been ranting for awhile now. How reckless she had been, why didn’t she wait for backup. When she had tried to explain that she was following Question’s plan his glare had only intensified. “And what is that smell! You stink what have you been eating? You smell like Wally after he’s been on a fast food binge-” he paused. “Kara, have you been eating fast food?” She was glad when Question came to her rescue again.
“Sorry Superman. She told me that she wasn’t allowed, but Subway is in fact an evil organization that implants control chips into their sandwich bread and cookies. I couldn’t let her be to exposed to their control again. I should advise you that eating there is not a wise decision.” Superman rounded on Question, ready to really give him a piece of his mind when Batman’s voice broke through the silence and froze Questions blood cold.
“That really wasn’t a good idea Vic.”
Superman’s face was turning a funny purple color. “Vic! Vic Sage? Is that who you are?” Question stared at Batman. An accident? From ‘The Batman’? Not possible, he had done it on purpose. His fists clenched, he was shaking. So a promise meant nothing to ‘The Batman’? He said nothing to either of them. Batman standing calmly believing what he had done was right. Or Clark angrily still speaking to him. Kara was standing off to the side looking surprised and apologetic. He turned and left pressing a button on his comm. link, calling for pickup. Bruce could find his own damn Mercedes.
So I copied this from my post at Fanfiction.Net.
Bruce hadn’t been bluffing. Four days later when Vic was finally able to escape he began putting his plan into motion. He began with cleaning everything League related from his apartment. He stood in the center of the living area of his home and wondered what to get rid of first. Finally settling on his books and papers on the conspiracy he quickly starting packing them into one of the many boxes that he had liberated from a local packaging company. Stacking those boxes by the door he set to work replacing his current bulletin board with a different board covered in his newspaper articles and crime scene photos as well as post-it notes with possible connections scribbled down.
Next he hunted down every blue suit, trench coat, and fedora he owned and tossed then into a box which was quickly followed by replacement masks and aerosol cans. Picking up the first two boxes he fumbled around trying to hold them both while calling up to the Watchtower. “Martian, I need to be picked up.” He got no response from J’onn as he felt his molecules dissipate and be reconstructed on the transporter pad. He shivered involuntarily. He did not like that particular mode of transportation at all, no matter how convenient.
He couldn’t see over the top of the boxes, he almost ran over Courtney AKA Stargirl once, she followed him down the hallway screaming at him for a long time. Eventually she was distracted by one of the younger men of the League and he continued unhindered towards his room. Until he walked straight into someone exiting the cafeteria. He dropped the boxes but thankfully they didn’t open and he didn’t fall. As he bent down to pick up the boxed he looked up into the face of Batman. He was scowling.
He could see a raven-haired beauty in a black and purple costume in the cafeteria. He stared for a moment before the doors closed and he turned back to his boxes, setting them back up and preparing them to lift when the tell tale gust of wind brushed his face signaling the arrival of Flash. “Dude, when you run into someone like that it’s customary to say you’re sorry.” He didn’t have to look up to know that Flash was talking to him. Instead he stood and looked at Batman.
“Well, as far as I am concerned we ran into each other. If he was paying any attention he wouldn’t have walked out right in front of me. Thus it is his fault and he should apologize.” With that he adjusted the boxes again and walked away.
He heard the telltale fluttering of a cape as Batman followed him and the leaguers left behind began to gossip. As they walked side by side down the hall Batman waited until they were out of earshot before speaking. “Did you make sure to get everything? We don’t know what will happen if they find out who you are. Even the storage space in the basement has to be clear.” Question glared at his as the finally stopped outside of his door. Batman didn’t need to see his face to know though, Batman was good at reading body language. After fumbling with his boxes and almost dropping them again Question finally simply decided to stare at Batman. When he got a response he purposely turned his face towards the keypad.
Batman smirked as he punched in the code and the doors slid open. Question answered him as he dropped the boxes beside his bed. “I’ve finished packing everything in my apartment. I’ve almost packed everything from storage into my car and I still need to find a way to get it to your garage in Gotham without wasting hundred of dollars on gas and time.” Batman directed a glare in his direction from where he was investigating the conspiracy board, like everyone else that came into his room. “The car has to be moved. To many people have seen Question and the car together. Even though Tot’s invention changes the plate numbers periodically the car is still recognizable. I don’t have anywhere else that I can store it in Hub without it being traced back to me. Your garage is the safest place. It’s not like you don’t have room.”
Batman’s glare persisted but he gave up and changed the subject. “Clark has been badgering me for your name again. He can’t trust you not without knowing who you are. And since he promised me he wouldn’t peek at anyone anymore he can’t find out for himself, it’s driving him crazy. You should really tell him soon. Everyone else in the League has their real name listed in their profile. You are our only exception.” Question sighed, this argument again.
“I am aware of that. But I made it clear when I agreed to join that I wasn’t going to give up my secrecy. I told you that Bruce and you agreed. So Clark is just going to have to deal with the fact that there is one person on this tower who’s real face is still a mystery to him.” They stared each other down for a moment before Question left the room. Successfully ending the conversation. Although he was sure that it would be brought up again soon.
They walked back to the transporter in silence, they had almost made it before J’onn’s voice blared over the intercom. “Batman, please report to the bridge as soon as possible, your assistance is needed.” Before leaving Batman turned to his and asked, “Do you want someone to help you? The moving will get done quicker.”
Question shook his head and started to reply before an idea crossed his mind. “As a matter of fact there is someone who I might ask. However I will ask, I won’t have you making this a mission. Forced labor is half-assed labor.” Batman nodded and headed for the bridge, he didn’t say goodbye. Question didn’t expect him to.
It wasn’t until after he had finished transferring all of his things from his apartment and the extra stuff from storage that he began hunting down his prey. It would probably be best to catch her when she was away from her friends, but Question didn’t feel like waiting that long. Then again he remembered that something had recently happened and it was unlikely that she would be with her friends. He checked her room first and wasn’t surprised to find her actually in it.
Kara didn’t look happy when she answered the door. He could any assume that it had something to do with the fact that her cousin had grounded her after her last mission. Something about being rash and not thinking. She was surprised when she recognized him; she had clearly expected someone else, perhaps her cousin? Well if Superman was going to show up soon he should get this over with.
“Hello Kara. Are you bored with being on the tower all day? I know that Clark has taken you off the active missions list.” She looked slightly confused so he continued explaining. “I am going on a mission soon, but I am not going as Question, I am going as myself. So I have moved all Question related items from my home, but I have one thing left that I cannot take care of on my own. Would you like to help me? It will give you an excuse to get outside and fly.” She began considering. How bored was she? Did she really want to be leaving with The Question on something that wouldn’t be considered a mission? How would her friends react to that? How would Clark? She knew that Clark didn’t trust this man as far as he could throw him, and that was quite a way. “If you help me it will get you away from your cousin for awhile.” Did she really want to risk it? Sure he hadn’t bade her from leaving the tower, just from doing missions. Also, Question wasn’t a bad guy, she knew that from experience. She kind of felt like she owed him something too, after all that stuff with the clone. Eventually she agreed and the two were off. However not before he asked her to bring a spare set of normal clothes. After that she was slightly worried about what she had agreed too.
With her backpack slung over her shoulder the two were soon on the transporter. As Question punched the coordinates for his storage garage into the transporter (like hell he was going to let a techie see such classified information) Kara was approached by Superman. He was wearing his ‘stern’ face, which meant that she was in for a talking too. But right before he was about to let her have it, Question came to her rescue. “Don’t worry Superman. I’m fully aware she isn’t allowed to go on missions, this however is not a mission. Merely a friend helping a friend.” He didn’t even wait for Clark to respond before dragging her on to the transporter. As her molecules were broken down to be sent to Earth she could see him glaring daggers at the mysterious man in the blue fedora.
Their molecules were reassembled underground, in the basement of the apartment building that was the home of Vic Sage. She looked around at the empty shelves and random toolboxes that sat littered around the room. Then her eyes landed on the car. It was a blue; it matched Question’s outfit. She wondered if he had done that on purpose. He began going through the junk in the backseat and absently tossing things in and out, when she leaned on the opposite side and asked, “So Question why did you ask for my help? Or are you just planning on me carrying the car to wherever you want it to you don’t have to pay for gas?”
He looked up and smiled, not doubting that she would see it, “Because you are the only member of the League besides Batman who knows who I am behind the mask.” Startled she blushed and quickly looked away. “When you’re paranoid it’s not difficult to tell if someone is staring at you, let alone x-raying you,” he added in a happy tone.
She laughed quietly, embarrassed. “So, you could tell huh? I’m sorry, I was just curious. I didn’t tell anyone, not even Clark.” She paused, “He really doesn’t like you, you know? Neither of you. Sometimes he comes home to Smallville ranting Vic Sage this, Vic Sage that. Lois said this about Sage, Lois said that about her friend from college Victor Sage.” By the end of her tirade her hands were on her hips and her voice was low, imitating her cousin. Question was laughing, she thought it was a nice sound.
“It doesn’t surprise me that he dislikes me, Lois and I weren’t just friends in college, we dated for awhile. But apparently I’m a very difficult person to be in a relationship so she broke it off. We’re still friends though.” Kara laughed imagining Clark’s face when Lois introduced to him the fact that he might have some competition for her romantic interests.
“Well, you are a little on the eccentric side aren’t you? That’s not to hard to imagine.” He chuckled as he climbed into the front seat and started the engine. It roared much louder than Kara thought was possible for such an old car. The engine must have been rebuilt and modified she thought. He threw open the passenger door and she climbed in. She wondered how they were going to get out when he threw the car into reverse and backed up straight for the wall.
Later she would insist that she hadn’t been scared, off course since his passenger side armrest was destroyed Question knew otherwise. He was driving backward straight into the wall! She had no fear for herself; he would be the only one injured by this. But instead they sailed straight back into the alley behind the apartment complex no worse for the wear. He laughed at her as he revved the engine and took off into the dirty streets of Hub City heading for the nearest exit out of town.
“The wall itself is like a garage door, I got the idea from Batman. What you saw when we were pulling out was merely a hologram. Now, getting back to your original question, you are correct. I had hoped that you would carry the car to Gotham. After all, it’s a very long, expensive drive and a very short flight.” He glanced over at her, “Unless you don’t want to of course.” She shook her head and smiled turning the radio on, finding it already on a pop station and sat back in the seat.
“No, that’s fine. I figured I would be doing something like that when you asked me.” She leaned her head back on the headrest as she listened and thought. Sure she had known that, but she also knew that Clark had been meaning to scold her again today. It wasn’t a coincidence that all of her friends were sent out on missions right after she was grounded. He had considered that too when he asked her. He had also stepped in before Clark had a chance to interrogate her on the transporter. She glanced over at him as they zipped down streets swerving around cars and pedestrians. She winced once as he made a sharp turn and the back of the car swung into the opposite lane, but he gunned forward and soon they were out of the Hub.
The flight to Gotham didn’t take long at all. She made sure to fly high enough that onlookers wouldn’t be able to see them and Question sat in the car with the radio turned all the way up. She enjoyed spending time with him she eventually decided. He was crazy she wouldn’t deny that, when she was getting out of the car he had attacked her shoes with a pair of scissors that appeared from no where, his only explanation being that she would thank him, eventually. But he was fun to be around. He listened to the same music that she did and more than once they ended up singing along to the radio together.
Soon though they were approaching Gotham and she yelled up to the cab, “So how are we going to get this thing into Bruce Wayne’s garage? Do you want me to land somewhere and drive it in?” He leaned out the window to answer her and she was surprised to see that he had taken his mask off. His red hair fluttered around his face and he grinned mischievously, “You are mistaken. We aren’t parking in Bruce’s garage. We are going to park in the underground garage. When we get close enough I’ll show you where he flies the Bat Wing out and you can take us in through there. I’ve just called ahead to Alfred, he’s getting us a spot ready.”
It wasn’t long until they were approaching Wayne Manor from the Seaside. It took Vic a moment to locate the cavernous exit on the side of the cliff’s that was the garage door for the Bat Wing. As Kara flew them into the cave Vic called Alfred to let him know they were there. He was there to direct them to their ‘parking space’ when they exited the tunnels into the main cave.
“Good evening Master Victor, Miss Kara. I trust that you had no troubles on your flight? Will you be interested in dinner?”
Kara was about to nod when Vic spoke up. “Have you already fixed it? I know you weren’t really expecting us, so I figured that I would take the kid out and feed her.” Kara scowled, she was almost twenty-one years old! She was no kid. But the moment for argument passed as Vic and Alfred rushed her upstairs to change. It was decided that they would take one of Bruce’s more inconspicuous cars and after finally choosing one (that wasn’t so inconspicuous in her mind) Vic turned to her to ask where she would like to eat.
One though immediately crossed her mind, a place she always wanted to go, but since she was under Clark’s supervision almost all the time she never got too. She dismissed the thought though, the place was a walking monopoly and probably was really conspiring to make the world addicted to their food, there was no way The Question would ever willingly eat there. He stared her down and asked, “You have already decided where you would like to eat. But you don’t want to ask. I assure you, I am open to most suggestions.” Kara nodded.
“Okay, just don’t go all crazy on me for asking. Whenever Clark and I eat out it’s always stuff like Subway and other food that is supposedly healthy for you.” Vic smiled suddenly.
“I see, the Boy Scout won’t let you choose what you eat and forces health food on you. What you want is a heart attack on a bun! Alright, McDonalds it is.”
“No way in hell am I wearing these,” Kara shook her head at the offending clothing articles that Vic had shoved at her as soon as the car was parked. She was from Metropolis, wearing Gotham Knights gear was like an act of treason! There was no way. But Vic simply sat in the car, staring her down. Making it clear that they weren’t going anywhere until she put his impromptu disguise on.
Giving in she pulled her long ponytail through the back of the cap and slipped her arms into the jacket sleeves. “There,” she said, “are you happy now?” He replied, “Almost.” Before handing her a pair of non-prescription glasses. Glaring she placed them on her face. Looking in the mirror she had to admit that she looked different. The disguise was better than Clark’s was anyway. Her dark wash denim jeans and long black turtleneck (with her bright Supergirl shirt underneath) paired with the dark colors of the Gotham Knights gear and glasses was a totally different image. She also made a mental note to slouch while she walked.
“Now I am happy,” said Vic as he stepped out of the car. She followed him excitedly wondering what she should order. She knew right away she was going try the french fries first. As they stepped inside and the smell hit her it made her crinkle her nose at first. But slowly as they waited in line the smell became more appealing as she realized how hungry she was and stared in awe at the menu. It took much deliberation but by the time they made it to the counter she had decided on the McNuggets. After Vic finally decided on a Big Mac and they had gotten their order he shuffled them into a corner booth beside a window facing downtown Gotham. He sat as far back into the corner as was possible while still being able to see the entire restaurant and outside the window.
She sat for a moment simply staring at the meal in front of her. If Clark ever found out how much trouble would she be in? Vic was already digging into his fries looking upon her sudden hesitation with an amused face. “No matter what he tells you I doubt that french fries and McNuggets are going to have the same effect on your body that they would on a humans. Don’t worry, I mean. It wasn’t like you asked to come here anyway. I dragged you here didn’t I? You didn’t have a choice.” He gave her another mischievous grin before biting into his sandwich.
Vic was watching her devour the last of her fries when the first screams were heard. They were soon followed by tremors ripping through the ground. They didn’t bother to spare each other a glance as they took off towards the car. Kara jumped into the backseat, ripping out her hair-tie, tossing off the glasses and hat, and quickly slipping out of the jacket and turtleneck. As she flew out of the car she saw Questions trench coat disappearing around the corner. She rushed ahead of him to try and scout out exactly what they were up against as he screamed into the comlink, “Martian, we need Batman. Someone is causing trouble in his city and he won’t be happy with us taking care of it.” There was a pause while J’onn spoke then he replied, “Just get him here as soon as possible. Whatever this is it’s big.” With that he closed the channel and sprinted to catch up with Supergirl.
When the monster turned the corner it was impossible not to know who was behind the attack. The robotic clown was giant, it looked like it was being piloted from the inside, and it was driving fear into all the citizens of Gotham. Supergirl personally thought it was kind of cute. But she hadn’t grown up in Gotham, where there were no cute or funny clowns, just psychopathic murderers.
She was about to fly straight into battle when Question caught her attention. He was giving her orders, even though he was merely a human with no powers at all he was trying to tell her how to best beat the robot! But somehow she managed to stop her pride from rising as she listened to him. He was older, more experienced than her, she was starting to consider him a friend even. He was her superior on this new mission. So she shut up and listened to his plan.
Supergirl had approved of his plan. He was glad of that, so long as she didn’t loose her temper and start knocking the thing around too much, he would be fine. He simply didn’t know how long he could count on her for that. The entry hatch into the machine had been easy to find. From the minute he entered he knew it was a trap. Not for him though, this was a trap for a bat. He would have to be extra careful, Joker was tricky.
When he slipped into the cockpit he noticed the pilot was clearly not Joker. He also had clearly not been expecting Supergirl to show up. He was cursing up a storm while he tried to smack her out of the sky. She was providing a magnificent distraction. The man was too busy trying to hit her to notice as Question crept up behind him and knocked him into unconsciousness.
He noticed the chair immediately, a pilots chair. Complete with eject function. He was strapping himself and the unconscious man in before the clock and Jokers face appeared on the screen in front of him. “Well Batman it looks like-“ however Joker didn’t finish as he saw that the man in the cockpit was clearly not Batman. He screamed in rage as Question waved and punched the eject button. As they shot up into the air he screamed into his comm. link, trying to be louder than the rushing sound of air. “Supergirl! Get everyone out of the area now! The robot is going to explode!”
She didn’t reply, she didn’t need too. He could almost see the three blurs racing around getting the public to safety as he shot away. The parachute was released just as the robot exploded. The pilot woke up and began screaming as Question attempted to steer them clear of the fiery debris. He was sure he had never been so happy to see Superman in his life he decided as the Man of Steel flew up and carried them both back to solid earth.
Kara couldn’t decide which glare was more intense, the parental glare of Clark or the dark glare of Batman. He had been ranting for awhile now. How reckless she had been, why didn’t she wait for backup. When she had tried to explain that she was following Question’s plan his glare had only intensified. “And what is that smell! You stink what have you been eating? You smell like Wally after he’s been on a fast food binge-” he paused. “Kara, have you been eating fast food?” She was glad when Question came to her rescue again.
“Sorry Superman. She told me that she wasn’t allowed, but Subway is in fact an evil organization that implants control chips into their sandwich bread and cookies. I couldn’t let her be to exposed to their control again. I should advise you that eating there is not a wise decision.” Superman rounded on Question, ready to really give him a piece of his mind when Batman’s voice broke through the silence and froze Questions blood cold.
“That really wasn’t a good idea Vic.”
Superman’s face was turning a funny purple color. “Vic! Vic Sage? Is that who you are?” Question stared at Batman. An accident? From ‘The Batman’? Not possible, he had done it on purpose. His fists clenched, he was shaking. So a promise meant nothing to ‘The Batman’? He said nothing to either of them. Batman standing calmly believing what he had done was right. Or Clark angrily still speaking to him. Kara was standing off to the side looking surprised and apologetic. He turned and left pressing a button on his comm. link, calling for pickup. Bruce could find his own damn Mercedes.