The Birthday Present
Written by Unoaranya30
Chapter 19
Sometimes, Punching Things Or Certain People Is A Good Way To Work Off Anger And Frustrations. Sometimes It's Not. If You're Feeling Horny, Hitting Doesn't Help At All.
======W======
Michael entered the holding room to find Green Arrow slumped in his chair and apparently, unconscious. Michael wasn't sure of all that was going on but he knew that Ollie had done something to warrant being taken off the active member list even if it was only temporary.
Michael sat down next to him and spoke his name.
There was no response. He seemed to be more asleep than unconscious.
Michael poked him gently and had to leap back to avoid Ollie's sudden flying fists. Being seated made leaping back almost impossible, however Michael managed to push back and away from the suddenly animated Ollie so hard that he flipped his chair over backwards.
A less athletic man may have hurt himself, or, at the very least, gotten, "stuck". Michael, as startled as he was at Ollie's reaction and at his sudden predicament, still had the presence of mind to allow his legs to continue going over his head. He rolled away from the chair as it hit the floor and stood up looking warily at Ollie. He was a more skilled hand-to-hand fighter than Ollie, but Ollie was no slouch. He was a big and muscular man and while not in the top five hand-to-hand fighters in the League, he was definitely in the top ten and not to be underestimated.
Michael never underestimated anybody and he knew that all Ollie had to do was land a solid punch and he would be out for the count. As he studied Ollie he realized that he was definitely not himself. He wasn't acting as if he wanted to fight either. It seemed he had just woken him from a very bad dream.
"Ollie. It's me, Michael."
Ollie seemed to zoom in a little at the sound of Mr. Terrific's voice. His eyes seemed to focus and when he noticed Michael standing warily and the flipped over chair, he smiled.
"Yeah, I've told you before that you don't want to mess with me. Looks like I kicked your butt in my sleep. Well, that's what you get for trying to take advantage of me. That's not cool at all. You know I don't go for thistles and berries. I'll let it go this time. Just because I realize how irresistible I am, but if it happens again you're gonna get an arrow where the sun don't shine and you won't be going by the name Mr. Terrific anymore."
Michael sighed and relaxed. "Well, you sound just fine for a man who resembled a babbling idiot just seconds ago. Come on. I gotta escort you home. And don't worry. I'll control myself and not make any passes at you."
Ollie grinned. "Hey! You are smart! Okay, I'm ready. Um, why are we going to my house and why are you escorting me?"
"I have no idea what you've been doing. I can imagine quite a bit, but I'd rather not. All I know is that whatever happened, it was big enough or bad enough for Diana to bring you up here, interrogate you and tell me to escort you home. Apparently you aren't to be on the roster for the foreseeable future," Michael explained.
Ollie sat down heavily as the memories of the previous night and the morning came rushing back. He was surprised that he was still alive but then it was Superman and if there was anyone in the world that had self control, it was Superman. He knew that Diana had saved him from possible injury but he had been at Superman's mercy for a few minutes before she arrived and Ollie knew that Superman needed no time at all to destroy an opponent.
Green Arrow felt an overwhelming sense of regret wash over him. He had always teased Superman for not using his natural gifts to enjoy life. Ollie had just found it laughable that a man could ignore the offers and advances of beautiful women and Superman had never lacked for offers. Now, with all of his being, he respected and was grateful for the self-control and integrity of Superman.
Ollie found it ironic that now that he realized exactly what kind of man Superman was, he would probably never get the chance to be his friend. He knew that his sleeping with Lois had destroyed that possibility completely.
Ollie looked up at Michael and stood up with a heavy sigh. "Yeah. I won't be on the roster for the foreseeable future. Don't tell anyone anything. Let Diana handle this."
Michael nodded his head. "As you wish."
"I'm ready to go," Ollie whispered quietly.
The two left the room and headed for monitoring station and the teleport pads.
======MS======
Hal stood staring at the teleport pad that Diana had left on for a moment then turned to Dinah and grinned. "I think that went rather well. I do have a natural way with people."
Dinah couldn't stop grinning, "Yes. Yes you do! You should be a teacher or a public speaker. Flying around the universe and the earth and saving the day just seems like a waste of you natural talents." She moved up to Hal and the two stood staring at each other with happy grins on their faces.
As Hal stared down at Dinah he told himself that he would not mess this up. He wasn't going to break Dinah's heart. So he would not pursue a romantic relationship at the moment, not until he was sure that he could control his passions and his eyes.
Dinah stared up happily into Hal's warm brown eyes. She didn't think she would feel so strongly about a man. She had just finished with Ollie and her head told her it was way too early to be jumping into another relationship, especially with Hal. He was Ollie's best friend and he was just as much a ladies' man as Ollie was.
Dinah started to speak, "I think it's too soon for me, Hal, but I would like one more kiss."
Hal started to speak, "I don't think I'm right for you, Dinah. I need to prove to you and to me that I can control myself, but I would love to kiss you one more time."
The two of them stood staring at each other as their words registered. Their grins grew bigger and then slowly slipped as they drew closer together and their lips touched.
Ollie and Michael walked into the monitoring station to find Dinah and Hal coming together for very provocative kiss.
Michael was shocked by the sight.
Ollie went berserk.
Closing the distance on the unsuspecting pair, he tackled Hal to the floor.
Dinah gave out a yelp as she felt the attack. She opened her eyes to find Ollie strangling Hal at her feet. "Stop it!" she shouted.
It seemed that Ollie was too angry to hear her. Hal was trying vainly to push Ollie off of himself. He realized who it was instantly and refused to use his ring at first. He could only imagine what was going on in his mind and he knew that Ollie probably wouldn't talk to him again for a very long time.
Dinah was indignant. "Stop and get off of him now or I'm going to scream in your ear!" she shouted in Ollie's face. She was ready to act when Ollie suddenly noticed her and stopped. He slowly got up off of Hal.
Hal got up even slower, rubbing his neck. As he stood up he said, "It's not what it seems, Oll…Umph!"
Ollie punched Hal in the gut doubling him over. "Don't talk to me, friend," Ollie snarled sarcastically.
Dinah pushed Ollie away. "What do you think you're doing? Don't tell me you don't want anybody touching me? You don't get to act jealous, you pig! Go away! We're through! We're through! Done! And don't you ever lay a finger on Hal again!" Dinah seethed with indignant rage.
Ollie suddenly realized what he was doing. Looking at Dinah's lovely features all he saw there was anger and contempt. If there was hurt present it was buried deep. He realized in that instant that he had lost her. At the same time he remembered how Kal had reacted after catching him in a far more serious situation and he was instantly ashamed. He looked into Dinah's lovely blue eyes and said, "I'm sorry. Sorry for everything."
Without waiting for a reply he turned to Michael and said, "Okay, I'm ready to go."
Michael nodded and walked with an extremely quiet Ollie onto the teleporter pads. He was very confused about what was going on. He knew that Ollie and Dinah were an item and that Ollie had his occasional excursion but now it seemed that Dinah and Ollie were no more and now Dinah and Hal were together. It was too much for him to dwell on. With one last look at Dinah and the beaten Hal, Michael and Ollie disappeared.
Dinah stood fuming and staring angrily at the teleporter pads long after the two men had disappeared. A small groan brought her attention back to Hal. He was standing up and rubbing his stomach tenderly. "Remind me not to challenge him to sparring match anytime soon," he joked.
Dinah was not in the mood to appreciate humor. "He had no right to do that! Who does he think he is? Are you okay? Why didn't you defend yourself? Use your ring?"
Hal smiled weakly. "Because as bad as Ollie has been with you, he and I are friends. He saw his best friend kissing his girl and he lost his cool. I have no defense. I can't help myself with you but I have to. I'm not going to do this to you. I honestly don't know that I'm any better than Ollie when it comes to being exclusive and you don't need that. Let me prove to myself and to you that I can control myself and you take as much time as you want to get over Ollie. That and I have to find a way to mend things with Ollie. He's been a very good friend. I can't betray him like this."
Dinah was calming down. She had always found Hal to be handsome and charming and she knew that many women in the League did. She was impressed with his attitude towards Ollie and her and she appreciated the fact that he was trying to look out for her emotional wellbeing. "Fine. You're right. We'll wait. But I do think that we should have an occasional kiss."
Hal smiled wickedly. "Yes, we most definitely should do that. It will help us remember what we want."
They shared one more short kiss before going their separate ways.
======G======
Zatanna sat at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee and munching on a waffle. She found both to be delicious. But then she had never tasted anything that Alfred made that she disliked. She felt extremely refreshed and confident. It was hard for her not to.
She had been instrumental in defeating an immortal witch and then had convinced Bruce to cut his nightly patrol short in order for the two of them to spend the remainder of the night together. She had seen his internal struggle. It was not easy for him to give anything or anyone priority over his city. But with Robin, Red Arrow, Atom Smasher, Wildcat and Damage still patrolling the city and Nightwing and Batgirl helping Superman in Metropolis he had given in.
Zatanna had made sure that he did not regret it. She smiled as she remembered that he had also made quite sure that she did not regret having made the suggestion. She wasn't certain but she believed that it was the first time she and Bruce had made love at night. Usually he was too busy swinging or driving or flying through the city at the hour when most couples in love were looking to do other things.
"You do seem to be in rather high spirits today Miss Zatanna. I am glad. I always knew that master Bruce is a good man. I hope he will never take you for granted and that you never regret being with him," Alfred said with a twinkle in his eye.
Zatanna smiled brightly, "Yes, Alfred. He's been very nice. We both know he can't pull his grumpy routine with me for long. He pretty much doesn't even try it on me anymore. You know it's nice to know that we can take on the worst that this universe has to offer and come out on top."
Alfred turned back to washing dishes. "I must say that I was always quite concerned with Master Bruce's activities until he joined the Justice League and made friends with the likes of Superman and J'onn and the Flash and you, of course."
Zatanna grunted, "Well, I've known him for a lot longer than anyone else in the league, but I know what you mean. You'd think that the baddies would have retired by now after running into the likes of Superman and Flash and J'onn. But I guess it gives them all something to do."
The front doorbell rang.
Alfred moved to answer but Zatanna stopped him. "I'll go, Alfred. I'm done with my breakfast and anyway, it might be an evil enemy that needs to be put in his place." Zatanna grinned as she got up from the table and made her way to front door.
Alfred heard Zatanna answer the door. Her voice sounded surprised but friendly. He heard another woman's voice. It sounded like a nice voice. He imagined an attractive woman on the other end. He kept tidying in the kitchen and whistling to himself. Twenty minutes later he realized that he could no longer hear the ladies talking.
Moving out of the kitchen and towards the front door, Alfred called out to Zatanna. There was no response. He assumed that she had perhaps gone up to her room to ready herself for the day. He was shocked when he found her sitting on the floor facing out the open front door.
"Miss Zatanna, are you alright?" Alfred asked as he approached her.
There was no response.
Alfred touched her shoulder and was startled when Zatanna shrank away from him and covered her head with her arms.
"Miss Zatanna. It's me. Alfred. Whatever is the matter?" he asked alarmed and concerned.
Alfred was horrified when Zatanna put her arms down. Her eyes were both a cloudy, sightless white, her lips were moving but no sound came from her mouth and it was apparent that she could hear nothing. She was holding her arms in close to her torso. Terror was written all over her face.
Alfred gained control of himself and clasped each of her hands gently and sat down next to her. He could tell that she recognized him and he saw some of the frantic terror dissipate.
"Miss Zatanna! Whatever has happened?" Alfred was horrified at her plight but felt helpless to do anything. He realized that she couldn't hear him and he could do nothing to remedy her situation. "I'm right here, Miss Zatanna. I will not leave you alone. I'm sure that Master Bruce or one of those wonderful people in that League of yours will be able to help and reverse this horrible curse."
Zatanna clutched his hands to her chest and just stared blindly past him as a lone tear trickled down her cheek.
======F======
The eight-foot, grey skinned, hugely muscled and horned beasts were not easily beaten. Superman was terribly bruised and battered and he wondered if he had bitten off a little more than he could chew when he selected the simulation program with three Doomsday monsters attacking him at once. He had one down but it had come between the fists of its brothers before it had fallen. Both creatures were stronger than him and moved with equal speed. His advantage was in flight, and fighting skill. His heat vision and super breath did nothing to stop the creatures.
Superman had never tried this program. He had been scared to do so. Having fought the real Doomsday and knowing the power of the creature and having met his temporary end at its hands he had not relished the idea of facing the monster again, let alone three at the same time. But he had not been thinking straight. The last several hours his mind had been clouded by little more than blind rage. He had just wanted to punch something with all of his might. He wanted to pulverize something with his bare hands.
He had figured that his rage made him invincible. Not even Doomsday would be able to withstand him. He had been wrong. At the same time his reckless choice had forced him to clear his mind of his burning rage and think tactically. There was no other way he would be able to defeat the creatures.
He had tried the 'charge and demolish' approach at the start and had been severely pummeled for his efforts. After his second berserker failure he had started thinking with cold and calculating precision and with military and underhanded strategy. Attacking again in his familiar berserker fashion he had at the last moment leaped straight into the air as the three monsters crashed into each other. Two of them pummeled the third into unconsciousness before they realized that there adversary was no longer in their grasp.
Superman swept down, grabbed one of the creatures by the head and flew up into the sky with him spinning at super speed. He spun until he felt the heat in the air around him then he let the monster go speeding into space. Locating the third monster he dropped down like a missile. The third creature was ready for him. Superman was backhanded viciously from the sky and the creature grasped his cape to yank him back for more bone wrenching punishment.
Superman felt his body shake from the bone jarring blow, but he rolled with it as best he could. As he felt himself being yanked back he twisted in midair so that he would return below the monsters arm. He hit the creature's left leg with both feet, wrapped his cape around the wrist of the hand that held it and twisted the monster into a wrist lock bringing it to its knees. He twisted until he heard the wrist snap. Then he broke one of the bony horns from the monsters shoulder and drove it through the creature's chest.
The monster threw him off as it stood. He could see it already healing but the chest wound was not closing quickly. With a disconcerting shout he skipped straight into the attacking monster spinning and kicking the monster in the chest and driving the bone further in. the creature slowed and Superman pressed his advantage.
Smashing his open palmed hands on either side of the creature's head he was satisfied to hear a howl of pain. He punched it in the throat as hard as he could and felt the soft tissues, soft for the creature, crush under his blow, grabbing a horn on either side of its head he yanked it with a vicious twist and gave a satisfied grunt when he heard it's bones snap. He let go of the dead monster as it crumbled to the ground and stood breathing heavily.
A robotic voice said, "Simulation successfully completed. Simulation over."
The desert night scene disappeared as the lights slowly came back on and the low intensity red sun energy lamps went out. The creatures were robots made with Kryptonian alloys and were indestructible so far to Superman's strength. He was glad he had picked the program. He had thought about what would happen if he had lost the fight. As he turned away to exit the room without his customary clean up, he realized that he was not alone.
He had been so focused on his rage and on the fight that he had missed them.
Two familiar and welcome heartbeats danced to his super hearing. The one belonged to his beloved cousin, Kara and the other to his best friend, Diana. He heard them just moments before he saw them. He looked up with an embarrassed smile and they both looked on in awed wonder.
"I'm sorry cuz. I didn't think you'd still be here. Diana told me what happened and that you'd come to blow off some steam but knowing you I figured you would have finished hours ago and left to be alone in the Himalaya's or something. That was freaky brutal. I'm glad you're not mad at me," Supergirl began.
"I'm sorry Kal. We both thought that you were no longer here and wanted to use the Fortress to plan you… to plan." Diana recovered quickly and somewhat shyly. "You have improved tremendously in your fighting skills and in the quickness of your executions. You seemed frightfully invincible, Kal. I would feel sorry for an enemy that dares to test you." Diana looked at him admiringly.
Kara took careful note of this and grinned. "Okay, little Cuz, you need to go now if you're all done. Us girls have important things to do and no men allowed."
"Kara, I don't want a birthday party. Diana. I told you I didn't want a birthday party," he said turning to Diana.
Diana smiled softly; it made his breath catch and his heart beat erratically. He tried to shake off the overwhelming feeling of desire he was suddenly feeling for her. It seemed that the closer he was to her the stronger the pull. It didn't help matters when she walked up to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You are going to have a special birthday this year, Kal," she whispered into his ear.
Now Superman was looking down at Diana with unhidden hunger. He saw the same hunger in her eyes. It surprised him. She was always so in control and had never given him reason to think that he could take such liberties with her. He watched as she fidgeted with her lasso. He was about to pull her into a hungry kiss when they both heard a cough.
Diana stopped fidgeting with her lasso and felt her mind clear as she stepped back from Kal.
Superman also felt his mind clear as Diana stepped away from him. His animal desire was still quite strong but not uncontrollable.
Kara looked at them somewhat confused. "What is going on here? I thought you two were all about self-control. Did you both get hit with a bottle of Green Arrow mojo?"
Kara regretted her words instantly. She watched as her cousins stiffened and Diana's eyes seemed to clear almost instantly.
"I'm going to go fly around for a while. I think I'll go into space for a bit," Superman informed them grumpily and left in a blur.
Kara looked at Diana. "Is everything alright? You didn't seem yourself there for a minute. You know, I have always been in favor of you two getting together. I'm not sure what is wrong with Clark, or why in the world he decided he had to marry Lois when he could have dated and married you, but he did and you two are always so careful. So that, "I want to eat you up," thing you two had going there was just weird. That being said, I sometimes wonder if he's just a little bit retarded. Maybe he hit his head on some kryptonite on his way to earth as a baby or something. Because, I swear, some of his choices make no sense to me whatsoever."
Diana sighed and then giggled involuntarily, "I'm fine. I don't know what it is. I do feel strange sometimes but I feel fine right now. I'm sorry for my behavior. I will get myself checked out in the infirmary tonight. Let's continue planning Kal's birthday. And for the record, Kal is not retarded! Not even a little bit."
"Yes, he is. He has to be. If not as a baby then maybe from all of the blows to the head he's taken from the likes of Darkseid and Doomsday and Mongul and, well, you get the picture. Maybe he's suffering like an old boxer." Kara shot back with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Kal's mind is just fine, Kara." Diana replied with a laugh.
"Of course you think his mind is just fine, you just about kissed him! Your mind is obviously clouded by your feelings. I, on the other hand can see it very clearly. It's the only explanation. He's a little slow." Kara teased back.
"Kara, you are horrible," Diana giggled.
"Yeah, I have a reputation to uphold. But you know it's true. I'll bet if you call him your little retard, that he'll answer you." Kara snorted.
Diana laughed. She always had enjoyed Kara's company. She reminded her a bit of her sister with her playful teasing and joking. "Let's work on the details of the party and leave my "Little Retard" alone for awhile."
"Deal. Unless he comes back before we're done. Then all bets are off." Kara smiled wickedly.
Laughing, Kara and Diana went into the dining area of the Fortress to continue their planning.