Road Trip Switch

[x__cheshire__x]

The shifting of reality is a strange thing to get used to, at least in Cheshire's opinion. From being in the company of a goddess in a separate universe one moment, to sitting on a warm leather seat and feeling surrounded by arid air. The heavy box is still in her hands and remembering Dark Angel's warning, her first instinct is to shield it behind

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[middle_amazon]

She sounds exhausted.

"Yeah..so what did she promise you to do whatever she's doing?"

[x__cheshire__x]

Cheshire almost frowns. It would hardly be any fun to torment the Titan when she seemed distressed already. Nevertheless, she did have a penchant for riling heroes on occasion, this time would simply take more of an effort. Which is only a small portion of what she is willing to spend.

For once, this is a personal matter, something neither money nor orders can truly match.

"The life that I could have had and the one you are currently leading." Cheshire raises her hand to inspect the wedding band upon her finger. "With a few certain...rewards, of course."

[middle_amazon]

Cheshire feels that...the cold that settles into Donna at the sight of the ring.

"My dear Gods..."

She recognized that wedding ring. She used to wear it. She tries to fights down the panic.

Lian...oh dear Gaia...where is Lian?

[x__cheshire__x]

She feels the cold and is somewhat exhilirated by it. That Donna used to be the one to wear is also another tidbit of information she mentally files away for later use. Hearing her nearly panicked thoughts would have been another pleasure, were it not for their nature.

"My daughter, is no longer your concern and she never was to begin with."

The anger that Cheshire usually does well at masking is present, though Donna is only getting a small taste of the resentment that has long been stewing within her.

"You had no right to interfere with my plans that night."

[arsenal_arrow]

Pants. During an emergency, it's always good to have pants. Roy returns to the bus with a feeling that something ain't right. He forgets it as soon as he enters the bus.

[middle_amazon]

"Oh my dear Goddess Hera, no."

Whatever happens here. It's not going to end well. She senses that Cheshire is going to try to leave Lian alive. But Roy? There's a cold dark feeling in her stomach. Feral jealousy, the need to look away, but not being able to.

At least she knew Roy. If she could keep her focused on Roy, she wouldn't pry for the others. Wouldn't endange them. She hoped he'd at least found the scroll. Fates only knew what Dark Angel could do with access to Hawkman's soul.

It wasn't helping much. The price of Lian's and the rest of her family's safety was letting Cheshire stay focused on her presence here and Roy's in the real world. This was going to hurt like a thousand hells.

Her thoughts are more like a prayer. I love you, Roy...I trust you. This isn't me and I know you love me. Hold on. Protect Lian for us, Sunshine...

[x__cheshire__x]

Roy's entry into the bus rouses her from her mental conversation and Cheshire smiles at Donna's response. Although the nature of her response can be taken at face value and lead him to asusme that she is just happy to see him.

It seems your gods have abandoned you, otherwise we wouldn't be in this delightful situation, now would we?

Perusing Donna's mind once more, she learns of where he had been before the early transfer had taken place. The box behind her keeps her from rising and for the moment, Cheshire considers that to be something positive. She intends to get as much enjoyment from this farce as possible and having him come to her in mindless love is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

"Did everything go well, darling?"

Having to pretend that killing him isn't on the top of her list of things to do may be somewhat trying, but duplicity is almost second nature to her. She wouldn't have been able to fool Black Canary or Lady Shiva otherwise.

Donna's thoughts nearly give her good reason to laugh again. How incredibly

[middle_amazon]

There's a hit of revulsion...then...almost a smile.

"Everyone in the world gets a friendly Roy. The equivalent of half the East Coast has had his body. Heck, we both have made love to this man," The fact she has no recall of this doesn't escape Cheshire's notice, but it's the truth nonetheless. "Very few get his friendship, or his trust."

A pause. "You actually love him, or loved him at some point, didn't you?"

[connor_hawke]

Connor rounds the corner, sighing in relief, and flipping the cellular phone shut.

"Good news, guys. JSA has a bead on Dinah - three cheers for Oracle. Rescue mission's going down in a matter of hours. Hopefully, whoever's responsible gets what they have earned."

[x__cheshire__x]

Ah, yes. Now this little gathering is complete. Though the mention of the JSA and of Oracle do strike Cheshire's particular interest more so than the locating of the missing Canary. It distracts her from her current task and she is certain that Donna is aware that her mind is a fountainhead when it comes to information regarding the superhero community.

Even if she did fail in this mission, the knowledge she could gain as a result would be nothing short of priceless for the proper bidder.

Cheshire pushes the memory of her skirmish with Nightwing before the plague was released and the rage she had felt when he had broken her nose onto Donna.

Perhaps when this little trip has ended, I shall pay him a personal visit...

The threat is there, buy she doesn't attempt to pull his true identity from her mind. Not yet, at least. But it is possible and she wants Donna to know exactly how helpless she is and how she can truly make those she cares about suffer in the long run.

[middle_amazon]

Seeing even an image of her brother perks her up immensely. The knowledge she had a hand in the Plague angers her. As for attempts to make her feel helpless, she is an Amazon. An Amazon is never helpless. She throws out a deliberate taunt.

"You know better. You came here because you want Lian and Roy and can't stand the idea someone else might have a more legitimate claim to both."

[x__cheshire__x]

Cheshire all but shrugs at the anger that comes from her affiliation with the plague.

It isn't as though I knew why I was sent to collect DNA samples. Shiva does have penchant for being remarkably tight-lipped when she wants to be. You can thus imagine my shock when she took my DNA as well.

Her response to the taunt is a smirk.

Do I? Even if Dark Angel fails to keep you contained, I can still walk away from this with a wonderful amount of personal knowledge about the rest of the Titans and everyone else you know. It isn't as though you can stop me.

As for wanting Lian and Roy for myself, you're one to talk of having a legitimate claim. Using memories of the past and banking on my daughter's fear of me to worm your way into their lives, it is manipulation that seems unbecoming of a
superhero."