Blackbirds

PART 16

It would be good experience Batman had said. A chance to work on his interviewing skills with someone other than Alfred. An opportunity to be in on an investigation from the very beginning. Tim Drake, the current Robin, eyed his subject with little enthusiasm. Melvin Sloder, Jr.'s dull brown eyes reflected his lack of interest as well. He sneezed--wiped the residue on his shirt.

Gamely, Tim plopped into a seat across from Melvin, careful to keep his body language relaxed, open--non-confrontational. Just two kids having a friendly talk.

"Hi, I'm Robin."

"Robins eat worms."

Not the icebreaker he was looking for but he could work with it.

"Yeah, some do. You like robins?"

Melvin scrunched up his face.

"You like any birds?"

Again, the scrunched up face followed by a severe head shake "no". Melvin watched his feet as he swung them back and forth. "I ate a worm once."

Ooookay. Robin glanced at Batman. And what line of questioning would you suggest I follow here? There was the obvious follow-up "So, you like worms?" which he really did not want to know the answer to. He could try more small talk--sports, school and so on. Or, Tim decided, he could always fall back on the direct approach.

"So, Melvin, how'd you end up here in the hospital?"

"I got burneded."

"Yeah? How'd that happen?"

Melvin shrugged.

"You don't know?"

Another shrug. Melvin sighed, looked around for his dad. Spotted him still talking to Black Canary on the other side of the waiting room. "Know what?"

"What?"

"Lian's a chicken butt."

Robin slowly exhaled. This was going to take a while. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned just enough to see Nightwing, Arsenal and a red blur that had to be Flash spill into the narrow corridor outside of Troia's room. The grim looks on their faces strengthened Robin's resolve to do what he could to find out what had happened.

Flash pinned Nightwing against the wall, incredulous. "You're leaving?"

"Back off, Twinkletoes." Arsenal tried, unsuccessfully, to pull him off.

"Donna needs you."

"For what?" Nightwing asked flatly.

"Huh?"

"She's got third degree burns over ninety-two percent of her body. Her lungs are filling with fluid. She's lost one eye. Her airway's shot from smoke inhalation. She's refused medical treatment. So you tell me, Flasher, what, exactly, am I supposed to do here?"

"I just meant--" Flash's jaw tightened in anger. He glanced at Troia's room. Shook his head. He unclenched his fists from Nightwing's costume. "You should be here."

"I should be where I can do some good." Nightwing squeezed Flash's shoulder. "That isn't here."

Flash shrugged him off. "Fine. Whatever." He disappeared in a blur.

Nightwing raked a hand tiredly through his hair. Waiting around was taking its toll. Especially when he knew he there were things he could do--things that needed to be done. Arsenal watched him without comment. Nightwing wasn't sure what to make of the look on his friend's face.

"I can handle death."

"Death, yeah--it's the dying stuff you suck at." Arsenal's voice softened as he said it, to let Nightwing know that really, he was okay with his decision to leave.

Green Arrow scooted his chair closer to Lian's bed in the Pediatrics Unit. The IV and ventilator she was on looked uncomfortable. She was fussy, picking at the IV tape. A nurse checked her and too sweetly reminded her for the umpteenth time that "You need to leave that be, hon." Lian sighed unhappily.

Green Arrow glanced around to make sure it was clear. He was after all, a first rate superhero with a certain image to uphold. Satisfied it was safe, he whinneyed. Lian's eyes darted to his. Ollie looked around the room as if trying to locate the source of the sound.

Ollie stroked his mustache and, again, hand over mouth, made a soft horse neighing sound. Lian's eyes widened expectantly. Ollie checked under her bed. Checked her pillow. Gave an innocent "I don't know." shrug. Lian pointed a finger at him. Ollie, mimicking her, pointed a finger at himself as if to say, "Who, me?" Lian, eyes shining, nodded.

Green Arrow had stopped at the hospital gift store before visiting Lian. And now, he reached into his pocket for her present. He leaned in and whispered:

"By the truth of rainbow's light, Power Ponies unite!"

He pulled out a handful of brightly colored plastic ponies one by one has he named them.

"Ruby!" A red pony galloped down the IV line into Lian's waiting hand.

"Sapphire!" A blue horse bounced through the air before landing on her nose.

"Emerald!" Ollie winked. "Green--my favorite." He nickered as he rolled the green pony head over tail into a somersault that ended in Lian's other hand.

"Opal!" An opalescent horse disappeared in Ollie's palm only to reapper behind Lian's ear.

"Violet!" A sparkly lavender pony trotted over to Lian's applesauce and pretended to graze.

Lian snuggled her hand into his palm and squeezed. The look on her face made Oliver Queen feel like a millionnaire all over again.

Black Canary continued to smile her best "harmless ditzy blonde"smile at Melvin Sloder, Sr. She nodded sympathetically when appropriate. Added a "mm-hmm" here and there. Focused on his every word as if he were the most fascinating man she'd ever met. She knew Batman was scowling at her. Hey, he had his methods, she had hers. And if hers worked, why argue about it? She did, however, end up putting Oracle on "listen only" mode when her extraneous comments had become outrageously distracting. Funny as hell, but still distracting.

After an hour of interviewing Sloder, she was ready to wrap things up. She saw Robin meet up with Batman. After a moment, Batman glanced her way and nodded once. Black Canary thanked Sloder for his time and, with a giggle, politely refused his request for her phone number. She turned away before he could see the gagging motion she made to Batman and Robin as she joined
them.

"Report."

"Mia said Sloder started it. Sloder blames Troia."

"Robin?"

"Lian's a chicken butt and he eats worms."

"Duly noted. Try again."

Robin reluctantly walked back to resume his conversation.

"What do we do?"

"We follow the evidence."

"Tro'i'a amani reya."

Tempest spoke softly as his hands traced the air above Donna. His movements left trails of blue light in their wake. Mia sat on the other side of the gurney, legs curled up underneath her. Her bandaged hands fidgeted near Donna's left hand. She wanted to hold her. Wanted to comfort her. But the thought of touching any part of that raw, burned skin made her want to throw up. Donna's whimpers were heartbreaking. She had asked Garth what he was doing and he had given some complicated mystical explanation. She thought he was drawing the fire's heat from Donna, trying to cool her.

The doctors were in the corridor talking to Diana and Nubia. She heard their voices rise and fall in angry conversation but couldn't make out the details. Donna's breathing was painfully labored. As far as Mia knew, she hadn't been given any medications yet. She rubbed the tears from her eyes. Damn it, she didn't know what to do. Garth had explained the politics to her. Mia could, technically, by Amazon law, override Diana's decision. But Donna herself had refuse treatment. Didn't that mean something? Wasn't that her way of trying to tell Mia what she wanted?

"Tro'i'a amani reya."

Mia titled her head, curious. Garth was the only one she had ever heard say Troia's name that way. Three syllables instead of two. It sounded almost musical.

"What is that?"

"Atlantean."

"No, what's it mean?"

Garth gazed affectionately at Donna. "Beloved princess."

Donna made a noise low in her throat. Garth blushed and looked away. Mia was beginning to know him well enough to ask, "What does it really mean?"

"The literal translation is 'that which will not be moved.'" His hands rested on either side of Donna's face, not touching, but letting his magic coalesce for a moment. "The understood meaning is 'stubborn.'"

"So troia armani rye--"

"Tro'i'a amani reya." he corrected.

"--means stubborn princess?"

Garth smiled. "Stubborn but well loved princess."

Again, Donna made the noise in her throat. As Garth's hands passed down to her waist, she struggled to raise her hand to meet his. He hesitated. Donna reached her left hand to Mia. Mia flinched as the black, weeping fingers settled into her palm. With great effort, Donna drew Mia's and Garth's hands together. She turned her face to plead silently with Mia. Mia's eyes widened with realization.