THE JLA SATELLITE - THE BRIDAL SHOWER
"This was our quandry. As women not native to your civilization
and planet, repspectively, Princess Diana and I were at something
of a loss as to the proper gift one would buy for a friend about
to be married. After discussing it among ourselves, we decided
to consult other sources. So I referred to Asorbascon and Diana
consulted with oracles on Paradise Island. And in comparing our
researches, we both arrived at the same answer." Shayera
Hol is telling the group of women who are gathered in a room in
the JLA satellite for the bridal shower of Dinah Lance, their
fellow member of the JLA who is set to marry fellow leaguer Oliver
Queen, the Green Arrow.
"Both Shayera's Thangarian science and the magic of Paradise
Island have lead to the same conclusion. It is customary to purchase
intimate apparel as a gift." Wonder Woman continues.
"Which still left us with the problem of how does one choose
lingerie for someone who wears her lingerie to fight crime.?"
Shayera finishes the story and the assembled women laugh.
"Very funny." Dinah says with a bitter tone, but her
happy smile belays that tone.
ELSEWHERE - LEX LUTHOR
Luthor speaks into a speakerphone in his sumptious office.
"You are sure of this information, Fortune?" Luthor
asks aloud.
"One hundred percent, Luthor. Queen is Green Arrow and if
he's to be married, then the League will be there, gathered in
one place and unprepared for an attack." Amos Fortune, the
voice on the speakerphone replies.
"Then maybe we should invite ourselves to the wedding. I'm
sure our lack of inclusion was an oversight." Luthor responds,
smiling. "I'm sure we can find a few others wishing to attend
and give Mr. Queen and his friends a wedding present they'll never
forget."
JLA SATELLITE - THE BACHELOR PARTY
In another section of the Satellite, Firestorm watches as his
fellow Leaguers chat with one another. Ronnie Raymond, one half
of the composite being Firestorm, watches and has to surpress
a slight twinge of jealousy at the ease which the Leaguers interact.
They know and trust each other so much, he thinks, I don't even
know most of their real names.
"Then why not simply ask, Ronald?" Dr. Martin
Stein, the other half of Firestorm's personality asks him mentally.
"It isn't that easy, Professor. You just don't go up to
Superman and ask him who he really is." Ronnie responds.
"You have to...."
Just as Ronnie is forming these thoughts, his fellow member,
the Atom walks into the room. The Atom stops to shake Green Arrow's
hand and doffs his cowl to reveal his identity as Ivy Town Physics
professor Ray Palmer. Ronnie stops in mid thought as he registers
Professor Stein's reaction to Palmer.
"You know this guy, Professor?" Ronnie asks.
"Yes. His name is Ray Palmer. I've read his work."
Professor Stein replies. "I'd like to speak to him.
Would you mind splitting ourselves for a bit?"
"Sure." Ronnie replies as he walks over to where Atom
is still speaking with Green Arrow. "Hi. Hey, Atom, there's
someone who wants to speak to you."
"Call me Ray..." The Atom trails off as Firestorm concentrates
and splits his being into its component parts, Ronnie Raymond
and Professor Martin Stein.
"Now that's different." Green Arrow remarks.
"Professor Palmer, My name is Martin Stein. I've read your
work." Professor Stein remarks, extending his hand to Palmer.
Ray shakes it heartily.
"You've read my work? I can't believe you've read my work
considering your stature. Your piece last month in the Journal
for Science was extraordinary. Come with me, I have to introduce
you to someone." Palmer leads Stein off towards a corner
where the Flash and Green Lantern are talking. After a second,
Green Lantern leaves the conversation and the three scientists
being talking animatedly.
Hal Jordan, the Leaguer Green Lantern joins them. "Science
talk at a bachelor party. How boring does it get? So you're Firestorm,
huh?" Hal extends his hand. "I'm Hal Jordan, when I'm
not GL."
"Ronnie Raymond."
"Hey, Hal I've got a question. This is a bachelor party
right?" Ollie asks.
"Yeah. So?"
Ollie smiles. "So where are my strippers?"
"You're marrying the most deadly female martial artist on
the planet and you want me to get you strippers? Not to mention
that the all of the female Leaguers are here. Are you insane?
They'd kill me." Hal replies.
As if struck by inspiration, Hal smiles and concentrates for
a moment. A second later, a three foot tall green version of League
member Wonder Woman, dressed in a star spangled bikini comes from
his power ring and seems to dance provocatively on a table next
to Ollie..
"This is all you get, Ollie." Ronnie and Ollie both
laugh.
Ralph Dibny, the Leaguer known as Elongated Man, stretches his
head into the conversation. "That's a pretty detailed picture
of Diana, Hal. I'm going to remember that you conjured that up
next time I need something from you"
"Hey it's the ring, not me." Hal replies.
"Yeah. OK. I'm sure Diana will buy that one. I wish I had
a camera." Ralph quips.
"Do not worry, Ralph Dibny, my sensors have recorded the
entire incident." The Red Tornado, who has joined them, tells
Dibny.
"Way to go, Reddy." Ollie tells the android, laughing.
"Nice knowing you, Jordan."
"It's the ring, not me" Hal pleads to no avail.
ELSEWHERE - THE RIDDLER
"Riddle me this, Fortune. What do you call villains who
choose to attack the gathered Justice League?" The criminal
known as the Riddler asks Amos Fortune.
Fortune is not amused. "What do you call them, Nigma?"
"Future prison inmates. I'll pass on your offer thank you."
JLA SATELLITE - THE BRIDAL SHOWER
"Dinah, this is my friend Batgirl." Supergirl has walked
over to where Dinah is sitting, with a somewhat reluctant Batgirl
in tow. Dinah smiles winningly and Batgirl seems to loosen a bit.
"Call me Barbara." Batgirl tells her, extending her
hand, which Dinah shakes.
"Barbara's going to be doing security for the wedding."
"Security? I didn't know that we'd need it. The whole League
is going to be there, after all." Dinah replies.
"Just in case. The League will be there as civilians and
won't be able to act if something happens. You don't want a disaster
like that one wedding in New York a few years back. You know,
the one where that scientist married his teammate. I heard that
something like a hundred villains tried to attack the wedding.
Bruce asked me to coordinate the non League heroes, just in case,
so the League could enjoy the wedding." Barbara tells her.
"Bruce asked someone to do something?" Dinah asks,
a bit incredulous.
Barbara laughs. "OK, so he ordered me, but asks sounds so
much better."
ELSEWHERE - THE ROGUE'S GALLERY
Mirror Master, Captain Cold, Heatwave, Weather Wizard and Captain
Boomerang sit, out of costume, around a table at a dingy diner.
They are alone except for a sole cook at the counter.
"Fortune wants us to what?" Mirror Master says, clearly
amused by the offer the Rogues have recieved from Amos Fortune.
"Join in an attack on the League. They'll be at Green Arrow's
wedding. It might not be so bad, Fortune said that even Lex Luthor
is involved." Captain Cold tells him.
"It's bloody insane is what it is. The whole League will
be there, plus all of their other hero buddies. Count me out,
mate." Captain Boomerang adds.
"Me, too." Mirror Master adds. "Too many capes
for me. How about you, Mark?"
"I'm not sure. I'd like to hear what Fortune has to say.
See who else is involved." Mark Milton, the Rogue named Weather
Wizard replies.
"Me, too. I've never worked with Luthor before. It might
just work out." Heatwave pipes in.
"OK, so who's picking up the check" Captain Cold asks.
"I've got it, Mate." Captian Boomerang replies, calmly
pulling a boomerang from his jacket and throwing it at the cook,
knocking him out.
"Dammit, Digger, I meant to pay for it. I like this place."
Captain Cold tells him.
"We're Rogues. We never pay. It's against the rules."
Boomerang responds.
The other Rogues shrug, then get up and file out of the diner.
METROPOLIS
Batman and Superman finsh mopping up a series of thugs in matching
owl masks with Batman knocking out the last one and Superman tying
the gang up with a large steel girder. Just then police officers
arrive to take the criminals into custody.
"How odd is it that our earth has a version of the Horned
Owl Gang*" Superman says as
he flies Batman up to a nearby roof top where the heroes watch
the police load the crooks into a police van.
* The JLA fought the Earth 2 version
of the Horned Owl Gang (alongside the JSA) in JLA (1st series)
113 - DT
'It's to be expected, I suppose, Clark, with so many counterparts
between the Earths."
"I suppose." Superman replies. "By the way, thanks
for the help. I'm glad you decided to come teleport down with
me to Metropolis."
"I had to come get the Batmobile anyway. I left it in Metroplis
when we went to Ollie's bahcelor party." Batman studies him
for a moment. "What's really the matter, Clark?"
"You ever think about getting married, Bruce?"
"Not really. I couldn't burden someone with the risks of
being my wife. There are certain people who know my identity that
would pose a very real threat to Bruce Wayne's wife."
"I feel the same. I'm not in all that much danger of dying,
but my wife would always be in danger." Suddenly, Superman
laughs. "Heck, look at how much danger Lois seems to find
just as 'Superman's girlfriend.'"
"But you're thinking about marrying her anyway?"
"Yes. I guess its just seeing Oliver finally committing
to Dinah after all this time. I've been with Lois, for lack of
a better term, for far longer than Oliver and Dinah have been
together. Sometimes, I find myself wondering if my concerns for
her safety are simply my excuses to avoid commitment."
'The concerns are real, Clark." Batman replies.
"Yes, they are. But I'm not sure they're not just excuses.
Nevertheless, its late. Can I fly you to where you left the Batmobile?"
Batman senses the air of tension evident in his friend's voice
while intentionally the changing of the subject . "No, its
not far from here. I'll manage."
With that, Batman fires a jumpline to a nearby building and swings
off. Superman watches him for a second and then flies off in the
opposite direction.
CENTRAL CITY
"It was amazing, Iris. Professor Stein was so brilliant.
I was lost most of the time and even Ray was having trouble keeping
up, but it was still amazing."
Iris West smiles at her normally unflappable husband's enthusiasm
for his scientific discussion with Ray Palmer & Martin Stein.
He can handle super villians without fear and is almost blase
about his friendship with Superman, the most famous man in the
world, but he's excited about a discussion about science. He's
almost a geek, Iris thinks with a mental laugh, but that's why
I love him.
"It sounds like fun." Iris finally responds.
"It was. How about your party?" Barry asks her while
shifting from his Flash costume to a pair of pajamas at super
speed.
"Intimidating. Some of the women are approachable, like
Dinah and Shayera, but my god, Wonder Woman is just beyond me."
"She's actually a nice person for all of her sometimes too
regal manner."
"Yes, she is and she tries so hard to be normal. But she's
still Wonder Woman." Iris replies. "She even told a
joke."
"Diana told a joke?"
"She and Shayera did. Something about Dinah's costume and
lingerie. But I still felt like a servent among goddesses. So
I'll have to admit that mostly I sat with Sue and Jean* and talked
about non superhero things."
* Sue Dibny (wife of The Elongated Man) and Jean Loring-Palmer
(wife of the Atom.)
"I'm sorry you didn't have fun, honey."
"But I did, Barry, the smile on Dinah's face alone was worth
it. You know, I never understood when people used to be able to
tell when you finally proposed to me, just by looking at me, but
now seeing Dinah, I kind of understand it. She was glowing."
Iris assures him.
"You're still glowing to me." He tells her.
"Oh, Barry." She smiles and kisses him.
STAR CITY
Ollie sits on a couch nursing a beer. Dinah walks into the room,
haivng changed from her costume to an oversized men's shirt. She
sits next to Ollie and leans her head against his chest.
"So anyway, we've all got Hal squirming. Threatening to
tell Diana that Hal's checking her out and he keeps telling us
its the ring, so finally he decides to show us and creates a power
ring image of the Bat in a pair of tight underwear with little
bat symbols on it."
Dinah laughs. "I'm sure that went over well with Bruce."
"It did. He comes over, scowls once at Hal and says 'I wear
briefs' and walks away. Hal almost crapped his pants. Bats is
my friend, but the man is scary sometimes..."
"He is."
Ollie finishes his beer. "Can you believe that this time
next week, we're going to be married?"
"I still can't believe you asked. I'll get to acceptance
of being married when we get there."
He smiles at her little shot at his lack of commitment. "I
love you Dinah. I may have waited to ask for too long, but I've
always loved you."
"I love you, too Ollie."
ELSEWHERE - LEX LUTHOR
"That is less than I expected, Fortune." Luthor speaks
again into the speakerphone.
"People are afraid of the League, Luthor. But nevertheless,
we've got a considerable group with us." Fortune replies
over the speaker.
"True enough. We've got more than enough for our plans,
so come the wedding day of Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance, the League
is ours." Both men laugh.
NEXT ISSUE: The wedding of the century as
Ollie and Dinah tie the knot. Guest Stars and Villains galore
as JLA: THE WEDDING concludes with Book 3: "Till
Death Do We Part...."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
One of my own observations as to weaknesses in my writing is
my tendency to write scenes without regards for continuity. I
realized I had done it once again with my scene where Firestorm
splits into two people and both are in the same place (in the
satellite). Then I remembered that when Firestorm splits, Professor
Stein ends up wherever he was when they merged. So instead of
tossing out the scene (which I like and leads into the scene with
Barry & Iris), I decided to blithely ignore contiuity and
just go with it, so consider this a full on Elseworlds with no
pretense of being grounded in DCU continuity.
David Tillinger
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