A Hawk in Metropolis [Kara, Open]

[Deleted]

Although Shayera has decided that it's best to keep her attention on Gotham for now, she can't be so close to Metropolis after having been gone for so long without making the very short flight to see Clark. Trouble is, she's now left without a good way to get in touch with him, so she can't tell him that she's coming or find out if he's around. He could easily be off on Justice League business instead, for all she knows, but since she has few options besides just coming by unannounced it would hardly hurt to just do that.

It's afternoon when she reaches the city, and the sun is shining brightly as if to delay the upcoming winter one more day. Choosing one of the larger skyscrapers, she lands on the roof and settles in to wait - perching on one of the corners so that she can survey the city below her. Though she knows where he works for his 'day job', she'd hardly draw attention by interrupting him there. And if he's not there, he could literally be almost anywhere at this hour. Her eyes scan the city, looking for anything moving fast enough to blur - that would either be him or someone who could tell her where he is.

But even if she sees nothing, though there's no real way for her to summon him to her location she was doubtless spotted by many people when she flew in and where she's standing now is in full view of the public. And even though seeing superheroes out in the open isn't exactly a novel thing in Metropolis, it would cause comment and, from what she knows of Superman's hearing, a collection of people saying "Hey, is that Hawkgirl?" to each other to cause him to know that she's there. Especially since she isn't in her old costume and most people aren't used to seeing her without her helmet on so that sort of conversation would take longer than normal. And if he knows that she's there, she's sure that he'll come join her as soon as he's able to.

In the meantime, she waits, telling herself not to be nervous. That's a feeling that's almost foreign to her, but given what happened last time she saw him... He's one of her best friends, after all. Or at least he was - she's not exactly sure how they stand now. She wouldn't blame him if he was angry - very angry. Perhaps he'll even kick her out of the city. Not that she's expecting that - if anything she expects him to be more simply hurt than actually angry. That's bad too, but it means that they can at least talk. And she could use someone to talk to.

[Kara Zor-El - Supergirl]

While Kal was away with the League on a mission in space, Kara had promised him she would keep an eye over Metropolis. Though he did not go into detail over the matters of the trip, Kara agreed to it. It was a lost battle trying to get the information out of him that day.

Maybe it was something more personal to him or someone within the League.

Kara had just finished with her school work. And she always managed to find time to sneak out of class to do a quick patrol. She had a few friends in classes that would help her out. She was Supergirl after all, and she felt she had the right to cut class in a case like this.

Even from a distance she was observing the city, and it didn't take her long to spot something out of place. Or rather someone.

She could see right away it was Hawkgirl. What was she doing there? Last she had heard of her was that she left the League. And all conversations of the subject had been dropped among the League.

Supergirl sped up her flight a bit and within a millisecond, she was within yards of Hawkgirl.

"Hawkgirl? What are you doing here? Where have you been," the teen asked.

The questions came out without her thinking about anything else. Even manner to say the least.

Her concerned questions came more from the last conversation her and Kal had had over Hawkgirl.

[Deleted]

Shayera doesn't have the slightest idea what's happened in her absence. She didn't even wait to say goodbye to the League - she simply disappeared the moment they were back on Earth. She has no idea what, if anything, they told the rest of the League about her decision to leave it. For all she knows they told them everything - she'll be very grateful when she finds out that they instead decided to keep it quiet. But she'd needed to go - to find herself, and to think. Only she did a lot of thinking and not a lot of finding. If she had, perhaps this would be a lot less difficult.

It doesn't seem like very long before the sudden sound of rushing air that she's come to associate with Clark alerts her to someone's presence. Her eyebrows raise slightly in surprise to see Supergirl instead. But other than that, she seems relatively unmoved by the teen's sudden arrival and instant questions. Instead she simply straightens and calmly says, "It's 'Shayera' now. And I'm here looking for Clark. And I've been many places. Massachusetts, mostly." So not very far, really. Then again, if she's been that close and nobody's seen her then she must have been hiding intentionally.

"So is he here? Or are you holding the fort?" she asks, her expression hinting at slight amusement. Clark is very young in her eyes, let alone Supergirl. Fortunately, though not having her mask means that all her little expressions are occurring in full view, that doesn't mean that anyone can read her mind and determine what they actually mean.

[Kara Zor-El - Supergirl]

"Oh, sorry Shayera," Kara replied.

She held her tongue for a moment to let Shayera have the chance to speak. Kara was always one to get straight to the point.

Floating there, Kara was glad Shayera was not mad with her forwardness. Kara could be quite bold. But her words were more than her own concern. The last she had seen Shayera was probably at the party at the Queens' home.

Now it was Shayera's turn to ask the questions.

"Well he's kind of out of town....more like out of this planet as the humans say," she replied. "And yes, I am watching over his town for now."

Her tone on 'his' was more of away to show she was partially responsible over Metropolis. She was just being bold. What teen wouldn't with the expression of amusement on Shayera's face. Ok, not every teen. But this was Supergirl. She wasn't exactly like her cousin the Boy Scout.

Kara could have bit of a temper. More of take care of the problem and ask questions later.

Though her tone and actions did not exceed more than that. Shayera was a friend of her's and Kal's.

[Deleted]

Fortunately for Kara, Shayera is also one to get straight to the point. It's in keeping with her tendency to charge straight into battle, after all. And she's not about to get upset at someone else for doing the same. If anything, it reminds her of her people - those who didn't boldly say exactly what they think were seen as weak rather than polite. Of course, she has mixed feelings about reminders of her people.

Hearing that Clark isn't here prompts an immediate, disappointed frown. "I see," she says, sighing softly before she asks, "Do you happen to know when he'll be back?" And here she'd been all geared up to talk to him now. She may have started on the path to changing parts of herself that she's now unhappy with several months ago, but she's still Shayera and she still hates having to wait for things.

Though perhaps that's more tolerable if she at least knows the timeframe - yet if Clark is off in space it's likely that his schedule is difficult to pinpoint. She's spent a large portion of her life there herself, after all, and it's always less predictable than being planetside. Probably because the list of things that can go wrong is much longer.

Of course, as she ponders that she misses the intended extra meaning that Supergirl gives to her last statement. Which is just as well - if she had, she'd have found that even more amusing.

[Kara Zor-El - Supergirl]

Kara floated there for a while longer between their works. Shayera seemed a bit distance and distracted by something else on her mind.

What Kara was wondering was why Kal-El? She was glad she had reappeared. But to want to talk with Kal. She knew Kal was more forgiving than most of the other Leaguers. Though Batman seemed like someone Shayera would talk with.

That would be a laugh. She'd be surprise if anyone could get the grumpy gargoyle to say more than he didn't have time for personal issues. Kara had seen the relationships between him and his teammates. He was ices and cold to them when they offered their help to him.

Then again, she and Batman hadn't hit it off from the start. He had retreated her like she was the enemy or the use of some large plot against her cousin. Not to mention she had destroyed some pretty expensive equipment in the Batcave the time she was found.

Kara lost eye contact with Shayera for a moment. Looking down at the city. "He didn't really say. He just said he'd be back as soon as he could," Kara replied.

She looked back to Shayera. "I tried to get more detail on the mission, but he ended it with the 'case closed' stance," she replied.

[Deleted]

On the surface, the senior members of the Justice League probably all seem like good friends. But the reality of the situation is much more complex - almost all are very stubborn people, each with their own principles. Pretty much any issue that comes up between them is only resolved by a carefully worked out compromise of some sort. Fortunately, they're all also really good at discussing their differing opinions in a reasonable manner until a solution is found, because if they ever came to blows about anything it's likely none of their surroundings would remain intact. In the end, they're a team, each willing to risk their lives for the others. That doesn't mean that they're all friends and get along though.

Especially not after that last mission. Still, though she'd tried hard to keep them all at arm's length at first, she'd developed a relationship with each of them. And each relationship is very different. The one she'd had with Batman was based on mutual respect, but the vast majority of that is now down the drain. With Clark, on the other hand, it was based on mutual understanding - which means that it was a much deeper relationship. A true friendship, in fact, rather than simply being teammates. So of course she wants to see him!

Though she can't help but sigh again when Supergirl says that she doesn't know when he'll be back. Expected, but still undesirable! Though she can't help but smirk slightly at the mention of the 'case closed' stance. "You mean this one?" she asks as she squares her shoulders, crosses her arms across her chest, feet shoulder-width apart, and stares at Supergirl with a firm expression. It should be a pretty faithful imitation.

[Kara Zor-El - Supergirl]

Kara looked to Shayera. Her stance was almost spot on to how Kal would do it. "Yeah, that's the one," Kara replied.

A slight smile came to her face seeing as Shayera had a smirk on her face before she struck the pose. That stance Kal used usually would cause her more trouble if she argued back.

And to fight her own cousin on it, they'd probably level out a city before they got tired. That and Kara didn't feel like she could do that to her cousin. He was the only family she had left.

"I take it, you've seen that look before," Kara asked.

The conversation turning on to more familiar groups possibly between the two of them. Kara had never really spent much time with Shayera. Heck usually she spent time with the newer members of the League. And anytime she got to see the higher ups, it was usually just busy work for her or to run some errands.

[Deleted]

When Supergirl confirms that her stance is the right one, Shayera relaxes out of it and the smirk returns in a bigger size. "Oh yes - though usually not directed at me. Usually..." she replies. Because usually she and Clark were on the same side of whatever issue he was finished discussing. That's why they've gotten along so well, actually - they may have very different personalities, but they tend to think similarly about this. Mostly she got that look when he was insisting on a conservative strategy in a situation that clearly would be better handled more directly - that look meant it was time to agree with him for the sake of the team instead. ...Even though it would usually turn out that she'd been right.

Pursing her lips in thought for a moment, she considers her options. If Clark is gone for some undetermined length of time, she can't very well wait around for him. It would be easier if she still had her Justice League communicator, but it didn't seem right to hang onto it since she's no longer a part of the League. Perhaps... someday she'll join them again? She doesn't know - a lot of things would have to happen first. In fact she's not even sure if she'll even want to at that point. "Hmm, I'm guessing that you wouldn't mind passing along a message to him for me?" she asks, figuring that the girl could handle that task quite easily. Especially seeing as it's neither long nor complicated.

[Kara Zor-El - Supergirl]

"Lucky for you, you haven't been on the short end of the leash," Kara replied.

Others in the League might not understand Kara all that well. Some though Kal showed her better treatment for her being his cousin. Though in all honesty, he treated her like she was a part of the team when in work and missions.

They knew the actions to stand by each other. To not let their anger get the best of them. Though that could be a whole different ball game when working with Kara.

Kara knew Kal cared for her very much. So much so, that in battle and missions, she felt like he was holding her back sometimes. Hence the reason she often went off on her own.

At this point, Kara wasn't trying to start anything. The people who knew her best could usually see the ties between Kal and her. It wasn't that hard to notice when you knew the two.

"No, I wouldn't mind. You can be sure it will be one of the first things he will hear about when he gets back," Kara replied.

She was a speeding thing. And if she heard him coming, it wouldn't take her long to find him. Who could out best Superman better than Supergirl?

[Deleted]

Supergirl's first comment only causes a half-smile from Shayera, sympathetic but only mildly so. She was young and impatient to grow up herself once - a very, very long time ago. But she agrees with the short leash: a girl that young needs supervision. Especially one who also happens to be among the strongest beings on the planet. You don't just let such a person do whatever they want and hope they make good choices! Still, she remembers when she was that young that she didn't feel like she was that young so any restrictions seems very grating. Even though she's sure they were all perfectly justified.

"Good! Then you can tell him that I was here looking for him, and that I'm planning on moving to Gotham for the time being. And I'd welcome a visit. And if he doesn't take me up on that offer soon, I'll be hunting him down," she says, a slight smile indicating that she means that good-naturedly, though she's being completely serious.

For all she knows, Clark is furious at her and doesn't want to see her, but that message will indicate that he's going to have to sooner or later because she'll force the issue if she has to. On the other hand, if he's not, he'll know that he's officially welcome to visit and need not worry that it would be intruding. Either way, the talk of hunting him down is very... her - an indication that in spite of everything that's happened and her months away, some things never change.

[Kara Zor-El - Supergirl]

"I'm sure you're good to your threat," Kara said, holding back the slightest hint of a laugh.

She may have heard a thing or two from the times Superman had worked with Shayera. And Kara believed every word. She wasn't mocking Shayera at all. She just knew Kal would be in trouble if he tried to avoid her. Which she knew would not be the case.

"Funny you say Gotham. Seems a lot of people are going there now a days," Kara replied.

At this point she was just thinking out loud. Maybe a can of worms she should have opened. But if they were going to be in Gotham, why not.

"My guess is Batman's brooding over his town having more heroes in it then just his family," Kara said.

She held back an instinct to want to call him a gargoyle. Kara couldn't help it at times. It was just a habit at times. Especially with how others talk of him. She wasn't sure he was too fond of her either.

The main reason being she was a super powered teenage. And possibly one of the strongest beings besides Superman. Kara wasn't to sure he felt like she was there for other reasons. Still a ticking time bomb before she trying to pull something like trying to destroy Superman and then take over the world.

She didn't understand him. And she wondered if he carried around kryptonite as a security use.

[Deleted]

Naturally, Supergirl's remarks about Gotham are very quick to catch Shayera's attention. Her head tilts curiously as she ponders the comment, asking, "Even more than before?" She does know of a few heroes that have been living in Gotham for quite some time - or turn up in the city on a regular basis - and that Batman isn't completely happy to have them. But what the girl is saying makes it sound like she's talking about something different - more recent. She only knows so much about what has happened in the city since the FBI left and she returned to regular Justice League work, and that was only made worse when she left the League as well. It was like she was on a different planet for awile.

But she's not mulling that over hard enough to miss the girl's tone as she comments on Batman's brooding. "Guessing that Batman is brooding is like guessing that a cow is mooing - your chances are quite high of being right. If it's not about one thing, it's another," she says with a smile playing at her features, though her expression turns more serious when she adds, "I can't say that I blame him though - he doesn't lead an easy life." And she thinks that she understands him more than she did six months ago, even if her own recent troubles were very different, though she still thinks that he obsesses about things too much. Then again, it's the obsessiveness that makes him who he is.

[Kara Zor-El - Supergirl]

"Yes, I'm currently a member of one group. I really shouldn't be speaking of it though. But I overheard a few of the guys seeking more members," Kara responded.

Sure...maybe she wasn't suppose to talk about it. Though this seemed like a good chance for someone to hear of membership rather than who know what those guys will drag back with them.

And between the four of them, they needed a bit more variety for missions work. Well that was just her opinion, considering their were two humans and two aliens. She needed someone she could spare against who would provide a challenge.

Starfire was equally matched in ways, but she wasn't as aggressive towards friends.

"He has a hard way of trusting others. And it's interesting to see how he treats those he trust. It's almost as if he still doesn't trust them," Kara spoke up.

She wasn't trying to over step any lines. But in her years on earth she has seen him with the League. And they trusted him, yet he didn't trust them all that much.

[Deleted]

Well, now her curiosity is beyond piqued. "Oh?" she asks, "If you're not supposed to be speaking of it, why are you telling me?" But then she grins and observes, "Of course, if you're operating out of Gotham that means it will only be so long before I find out about it anyway - I'm not exactly known for missing things." Quite the contrary, in fact. While she may not have eyes like a Kryptonian, her eyesight is well beyond a human's and she has the additional talent of being able to spot that one thing she's looking for among everything she's seeing. If you ever forget where your car is in the Disneyland parking lot, she's the one to call.

But she actually ends up pairing quite well with Kryptonians, which is perhaps why she gets along with Clark so very well. Their strength lies in the physical, but their minds are easily influenced while a Thanagarian is very highly resistant to such things. And magic, which can often with seeming ease thwart even the strongest of muscles, is at the same time easily crushed by the unique properties of the Nth metal of her mace. So it can be useful for a Kryptonian to have Shayera around. And while she doesn't have nearly the same physical strength, she's remarkably good at taking a hit - even a Kryptonian could land a few punches without breaking her so long as they didn't overdo it.

Of course, where she really excels over Supergirl even more than she does Clark is in experience. She's been fighting at an elite level since even Batman was in diapers. The only ones on the planet with more experience are those of an extraordinarily old age. And it's that experience that she brings to bear as she speaks of Batman. "Hmm, if you look for reasons not to trust someone, you can always find them. And by not trusting you protect yourself from getting hurt because of misplaced trust. Yet if you don't trust anything your guard must constantly be up and that's no way to live," she remarks. Unlike Supergirl, she won't shy away from saying things that sound critical of Batman. But then again, she doesn't expect him to speak of her in completely flattering terms either.