The Medic: Chapter Four
Title: The Medic
Author: Asase
Rating: PG 13(just to be safe)
Genre: Action, frendship, fluff
Characters: OC, Amanda Waller
Summary: The D.E.O. sends an old enemy to visit and Cira is forced to make her decision.
Word Count: 1,610
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or organizations from the Young Justice cartoon, comics, or expanded DC universe.
The Medic
Chapter Four
Cira’s House
February 4, 11:45 EDT
Cale returned from the hospital, his arm in a sling. It made him even grumpier than usual. He demanded his share of the fajitas for breakfast and polished them off in record time. King suggested they sit out the next gig, so that Mio could stay home and keep Cale company, but as manager Cale wasn’t having it. They were going to perform tonight, no exceptions. And since a mysterious team of cleaners, contractors and window repair men showed up at their door step bright and early, the music room was in perfect shape for a pre-performance practice run. Cira was happier for it. A performance edged her closer to normalcy.
He behaved like a man concerned for his son, Cira thought, a man who had asked her to take care of his son in his stead. But she couldn’t say yes, not without thinking it over she told him. The intimacy of the request…It was too much responsibility, too much weight. She wasn’t even certified yet, how could she be something like a combat medic? And suddenly visiting Gotham at such short notice would be too suspicious. The Department would know that something was up, besides working for a superhero would violate her agreement with the Department! The communicator Batman gave her lay on her desk, taunting her. She resisted the urge to throw it across the room. Excuses, insufficient ones at that, since when had she become such a coward?
The doorbell rang and Cira bolted from her room. Of course he’d show up, she thought bitterly. She yelled to Rita from the stairs, halting her housemate before she reached the door.
“I’ll get it!”
“You don’t have to be so protective,” Rita noted the urgency in her housemate’s voice. “Do you think that they would attack again so soon?”
“It’s not them.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Just government stuff,” Cira stated hurrying to the door.
Rita pulled Cira away from the door. “You don’t have to talk to those people. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“But running won’t help either,“ Cira smiled warmly at her friend. “Don’t worry they will just put me under a closer watch.” She didn’t think that she could live with outright lying to her housemates. She gave them the basics of her situation and they didn’t ask for more or try to take advantage. However, him being on the other side of the door signaled that the situation was now too serious to involve them. Something as benign as keeping a “closer watch” was wishful thinking on Cira’s part. She gently removed Rita’s hand and turned to open the door. She steeped onto her front porch, forcing the visitor to back up a few steps.
“You kept me waiting!” the man’s light brown eyes lit up. He smiled, creasing his tanned face. She noticed that the highlights in his hair had lightened. She stopped her self from asking where he had been to get so much sun. His missions were no longer her concern. He peaked around her and into her home. Cira quickly closed the door.
“Not going to let me in?” The blonde pouted a bit.
Cira ignored him. “Why are you here Spitt?”
His broad shoulders slumped. “Do we have to be confrontational? Can’t I just come to see you?”
“Do we have to play these games? Why can’t you just tell me why you were sent?”
“Come on. I’ll treat you to dinner. I’ll explain everything over candlelight. ”
“Can’t, I’ve got plans. So you tell me now or be on your way.”
“Plans?” his eyebrow’s rose, “Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Spitt!” She clenched her hands. He always brought out strong emotions from her, always poked, prodded and teased. She wanted to deck him, but couldn’t, becoming aggressive with an agent of his rank would only make matters worse.
Spitt however knew his limitations. Just because it wasn’t advisable for her to hit him didn’t mean she wouldn’t. He had less than fond memories of being punched by her, and wasn’t visiting to start a fight, but to deliver a warning. “You said that your involvement was over. You said that no one else saw but the one you took down.”
“So why was Joker’s girlfriend and Batman’s brat at my house?” Cira asked in his stead. “Apparently I was wrong about no one else seeing. Joker wanted revenge. ”
“And Robin?”
“Tracking Harley Quinn if I had to guess.”
“So you performed no heroics this time?”
“You can’t tell now but Robin broke through my window.” She gestured to her home. “He took care of the problem. Although, I did get Harley good once amidst the chaos.”
“Of course.” He grinned.
“Protecting my home doesn’t count as heroics by the way.”
“You wanted me to be straight with you but you won’t return the favor?”
“Favor? I don’t owe you anything.”
“You owe the Department. The life you lead. The life your friends and family lead. It is all at the whim of the Department.”
“I told you all I know. Any other questions?”
“Are you sure about dinner?”
Cira turned to go, containing the urge to lash out at Spitt as he grabbed her arm. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “We were a good team. Do you know how much work it was to find a partner that lived up to you?” The stubble from his chin tickled her neck. Sandlewood, his personal smell, overwhelmed her. It used to comfort her; she now fought not to gag. “A.P.E. S. hasn’t been the same.” Spitt continued, “Fite and Madd miss you too.”
“Don’t put them in this.” Cira’s voice trembled a little. She removed his hand, and walked into her house, closing the door behind her. She stood near the door, and waited an antagonizing minute until he walked away, grateful that no one was in the hall. She repressed the urge to scream, her body trembled with the effort. After meeting with Batman, Bones must have had his suspicions, and those suspicions were confirmed once he heard about Robin. Cira took a deep breath attempting, in vain, to calm down. She spoke bravely to Rita before about running away, but she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and curl into a ball.
***
The phone number and special code given to Cira by Ms. Waller was etched into her memory. The four number code had to be texted to the phone number. Cira would then be contacted by a caller with an unknown number. She sent the text and waited.
In need of a distraction she pulled a picture from the bottom of her top dresser drawer, and sat on her bed to gaze upon it. It was taken during Fite’s daughter’s second birthday, back when Cira was still new to the operation. Several A.P.E.S. operatives crowded around Anita, watching the girl blow out the candles. Spitt had been cut out of the picture. Cira was jolted from bittersweet thoughts by her cell phone’s ringing.
“Miss Mendes,” a deep and commanding female voice resounded over the line.
“Ms Amanda I need-“
“Don’t panic.” The older woman cut her off.
Cira clenched her jaw.
“If this is about Batman Cira, yes, I did send him your way.”
“Ma’am. He doesn’t seem like the type that you’d want to work with.”
Cira could almost see Waller’s smirk over the line. “It’s not always direct, but I get what I want, and that includes you working for me.” The older woman paused and continued when she didn’t get a response. “It came to my attention years ago that certain unpatriotic elements resided within the D.E.O. I still intend to ferret them out. But after the incident at Belle Rêve my hands are tied. What’s worse that fool Strange was put in charge.”
“Set up?” Cira asked.
“Always. It will be dealt with.” Waller answered
“Spitt visited today.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“I hoped that they would be drawn to you.”
“Is it all of them? All of A.P.E.S.?” Cira asked. She had old friends within the organization’s ranks. She couldn’t believe that all of them were traitors. Fite and Madd were what Waller called true patriots. Their methods could be extreme on occasion but they would never betray their nation. Spitt was a different matter. The man betrayed her, leaving false evidence that she was a double agent, and that marked him as eternally unfaithful in her eyes. Whatever Waller suspected, Cira would bet that Spitt was elbow deep in it.
“I can’t promise that there won’t be any casualties,” Waller answered, understanding Cira’s plight.
Cira sighed. “I can’t do this anymore. I-”
“Girl, the autonomy you desire comes at a high price. It must be earned. I would like to give you the chance to earn it.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“I have made arrangements for your loved ones. We want the Department’s focus to be entirely on you.”
“Thank you.”
“Take the Bat’s offer. And guard yourself. You are on loan Cira, and I do not intend to loose any assets in this venture.” Waller hung up.
Cira stared at her cell phone for a few seconds, turning it over in her hands as she collected her thoughts. Right now her Uncle Elio would be quoting proverbs about the negatives of owing favors. She ignored his would be ramblings; it was good advice offered too late. The current situation was simply out of her hands. She replaced her cell phone with Batman’s communicator; tucking it in her back pocket as she left her room.
Chapter Three
Chapter Five
Author: Asase
Rating: PG 13(just to be safe)
Genre: Action, frendship, fluff
Characters: OC, Amanda Waller
Summary: The D.E.O. sends an old enemy to visit and Cira is forced to make her decision.
Word Count: 1,610
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or organizations from the Young Justice cartoon, comics, or expanded DC universe.
The Medic
Chapter Four
Cira’s House
February 4, 11:45 EDT
Cale returned from the hospital, his arm in a sling. It made him even grumpier than usual. He demanded his share of the fajitas for breakfast and polished them off in record time. King suggested they sit out the next gig, so that Mio could stay home and keep Cale company, but as manager Cale wasn’t having it. They were going to perform tonight, no exceptions. And since a mysterious team of cleaners, contractors and window repair men showed up at their door step bright and early, the music room was in perfect shape for a pre-performance practice run. Cira was happier for it. A performance edged her closer to normalcy.
He behaved like a man concerned for his son, Cira thought, a man who had asked her to take care of his son in his stead. But she couldn’t say yes, not without thinking it over she told him. The intimacy of the request…It was too much responsibility, too much weight. She wasn’t even certified yet, how could she be something like a combat medic? And suddenly visiting Gotham at such short notice would be too suspicious. The Department would know that something was up, besides working for a superhero would violate her agreement with the Department! The communicator Batman gave her lay on her desk, taunting her. She resisted the urge to throw it across the room. Excuses, insufficient ones at that, since when had she become such a coward?
The doorbell rang and Cira bolted from her room. Of course he’d show up, she thought bitterly. She yelled to Rita from the stairs, halting her housemate before she reached the door.
“I’ll get it!”
“You don’t have to be so protective,” Rita noted the urgency in her housemate’s voice. “Do you think that they would attack again so soon?”
“It’s not them.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Just government stuff,” Cira stated hurrying to the door.
Rita pulled Cira away from the door. “You don’t have to talk to those people. You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“But running won’t help either,“ Cira smiled warmly at her friend. “Don’t worry they will just put me under a closer watch.” She didn’t think that she could live with outright lying to her housemates. She gave them the basics of her situation and they didn’t ask for more or try to take advantage. However, him being on the other side of the door signaled that the situation was now too serious to involve them. Something as benign as keeping a “closer watch” was wishful thinking on Cira’s part. She gently removed Rita’s hand and turned to open the door. She steeped onto her front porch, forcing the visitor to back up a few steps.
“You kept me waiting!” the man’s light brown eyes lit up. He smiled, creasing his tanned face. She noticed that the highlights in his hair had lightened. She stopped her self from asking where he had been to get so much sun. His missions were no longer her concern. He peaked around her and into her home. Cira quickly closed the door.
“Not going to let me in?” The blonde pouted a bit.
Cira ignored him. “Why are you here Spitt?”
His broad shoulders slumped. “Do we have to be confrontational? Can’t I just come to see you?”
“Do we have to play these games? Why can’t you just tell me why you were sent?”
“Come on. I’ll treat you to dinner. I’ll explain everything over candlelight. ”
“Can’t, I’ve got plans. So you tell me now or be on your way.”
“Plans?” his eyebrow’s rose, “Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Spitt!” She clenched her hands. He always brought out strong emotions from her, always poked, prodded and teased. She wanted to deck him, but couldn’t, becoming aggressive with an agent of his rank would only make matters worse.
Spitt however knew his limitations. Just because it wasn’t advisable for her to hit him didn’t mean she wouldn’t. He had less than fond memories of being punched by her, and wasn’t visiting to start a fight, but to deliver a warning. “You said that your involvement was over. You said that no one else saw but the one you took down.”
“So why was Joker’s girlfriend and Batman’s brat at my house?” Cira asked in his stead. “Apparently I was wrong about no one else seeing. Joker wanted revenge. ”
“And Robin?”
“Tracking Harley Quinn if I had to guess.”
“So you performed no heroics this time?”
“You can’t tell now but Robin broke through my window.” She gestured to her home. “He took care of the problem. Although, I did get Harley good once amidst the chaos.”
“Of course.” He grinned.
“Protecting my home doesn’t count as heroics by the way.”
“You wanted me to be straight with you but you won’t return the favor?”
“Favor? I don’t owe you anything.”
“You owe the Department. The life you lead. The life your friends and family lead. It is all at the whim of the Department.”
“I told you all I know. Any other questions?”
“Are you sure about dinner?”
Cira turned to go, containing the urge to lash out at Spitt as he grabbed her arm. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “We were a good team. Do you know how much work it was to find a partner that lived up to you?” The stubble from his chin tickled her neck. Sandlewood, his personal smell, overwhelmed her. It used to comfort her; she now fought not to gag. “A.P.E. S. hasn’t been the same.” Spitt continued, “Fite and Madd miss you too.”
“Don’t put them in this.” Cira’s voice trembled a little. She removed his hand, and walked into her house, closing the door behind her. She stood near the door, and waited an antagonizing minute until he walked away, grateful that no one was in the hall. She repressed the urge to scream, her body trembled with the effort. After meeting with Batman, Bones must have had his suspicions, and those suspicions were confirmed once he heard about Robin. Cira took a deep breath attempting, in vain, to calm down. She spoke bravely to Rita before about running away, but she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and curl into a ball.
***
The phone number and special code given to Cira by Ms. Waller was etched into her memory. The four number code had to be texted to the phone number. Cira would then be contacted by a caller with an unknown number. She sent the text and waited.
In need of a distraction she pulled a picture from the bottom of her top dresser drawer, and sat on her bed to gaze upon it. It was taken during Fite’s daughter’s second birthday, back when Cira was still new to the operation. Several A.P.E.S. operatives crowded around Anita, watching the girl blow out the candles. Spitt had been cut out of the picture. Cira was jolted from bittersweet thoughts by her cell phone’s ringing.
“Miss Mendes,” a deep and commanding female voice resounded over the line.
“Ms Amanda I need-“
“Don’t panic.” The older woman cut her off.
Cira clenched her jaw.
“If this is about Batman Cira, yes, I did send him your way.”
“Ma’am. He doesn’t seem like the type that you’d want to work with.”
Cira could almost see Waller’s smirk over the line. “It’s not always direct, but I get what I want, and that includes you working for me.” The older woman paused and continued when she didn’t get a response. “It came to my attention years ago that certain unpatriotic elements resided within the D.E.O. I still intend to ferret them out. But after the incident at Belle Rêve my hands are tied. What’s worse that fool Strange was put in charge.”
“Set up?” Cira asked.
“Always. It will be dealt with.” Waller answered
“Spitt visited today.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“I hoped that they would be drawn to you.”
“Is it all of them? All of A.P.E.S.?” Cira asked. She had old friends within the organization’s ranks. She couldn’t believe that all of them were traitors. Fite and Madd were what Waller called true patriots. Their methods could be extreme on occasion but they would never betray their nation. Spitt was a different matter. The man betrayed her, leaving false evidence that she was a double agent, and that marked him as eternally unfaithful in her eyes. Whatever Waller suspected, Cira would bet that Spitt was elbow deep in it.
“I can’t promise that there won’t be any casualties,” Waller answered, understanding Cira’s plight.
Cira sighed. “I can’t do this anymore. I-”
“Girl, the autonomy you desire comes at a high price. It must be earned. I would like to give you the chance to earn it.”
“Yes Ma’am.”
“I have made arrangements for your loved ones. We want the Department’s focus to be entirely on you.”
“Thank you.”
“Take the Bat’s offer. And guard yourself. You are on loan Cira, and I do not intend to loose any assets in this venture.” Waller hung up.
Cira stared at her cell phone for a few seconds, turning it over in her hands as she collected her thoughts. Right now her Uncle Elio would be quoting proverbs about the negatives of owing favors. She ignored his would be ramblings; it was good advice offered too late. The current situation was simply out of her hands. She replaced her cell phone with Batman’s communicator; tucking it in her back pocket as she left her room.
Chapter Three
Chapter Five