Zero Hour  Tuesday, March 10, 1998, 9:14 PM


***The scene opens in Metropolis, at a charity fundraiser for the city's
Orphanage, hosted in conjunction by LexCorp and the the superheroes who
were able to attend.  The party is already in progress as some of the
heroes arrive, while others already there plan their special 'acts' for
the event.***

***The scene was open to all. Those that attended were : Night Hunter,
Supergirl (In the form of Kory Anders), Black Canary, Arsenal, Impulse,
Detective Romm, Hitman, Warrior, Nightwing and Superman.***

***POV is Superman's.***


The wind rustles gentle along the terrace, carrying the soft chirp of
crickets, and even the faint beating of a bird's wings every now and then.
The murmur of hundreds of guests can be heard from with the hall, all
anticipating the evening's festivities, and the special guests expected
for the event. Those standing out on the terrace, young couples and older
associates, manage to gain the first view of one of the arriving 'special
guests', as a familiar red and blue form slowly descends from the sky, the
breeze tousling both cape and hair about him, creating a mixed halo for a
moment. Touching down, his easy smile returns to his features, as he
pushes his hair back, so as to present a more kempt appearance. Waving his
hand, Superman begins striding towards the doors in, asking, "I hope I'm
not too late for the benefit. I'm afraid I was a bit detained with
business elsewhere."

In the hall, the Black Canary has already started her work to raise funds
for the new orphanage. A gathering of wealthy older men stand chatting
with her, as she smile easily. Her laugh tinkles across the room. "Really?
I'm a big fan of mom's too. I can see we share the same tastes. So, are
any of you bidding tonight?" This gains murmurs of assent, even as Dinah
slides a nervous gaze under her lashes to the stage, sipping her
champagne.

The roar of a motorcycle engine, low at first then increasingly growing
louder fades in from the distance. From the dull roar of the engine the
power of the bike is unmistakable. A green sportsbike, heavily modified
squeals around a corner and stops in front of the building.. The youngest
of the masked archers dismounts the bike and tosses the keys to a valet..
"I know the Millage.." he says to the guy with a wink.. "But I may forget
by the end of the night." He enters into the lobby looking amongst all the
people.

A long, sleek black Lincoln superstretch limousine pulls up to the
entrance as several flash bulbs go off before the door even opens, in
anticipation of who it may be . . perhaps a big media star or one of the
wealthy. One of the waiting attendants opens the door and takes a black
gloved hand, as Kory Anders steps out smiling to a crowd of media. She
waves a moment before heading inside, escorted by another attendant that
takes her to the door.

Night Hunter watches Kory enter the building, and adjusts the mask on his
face just slightly..He looks away quickly..anywhere but her...and eyes
Dinah... "Canary!.. o O (thank god) How are you?!"

Stepping back from the fat grubbing paw of one of the prospective
middleaged bidders, Canary laughs softly. "Why if it isn't the only man I
love more than his father? Have you met the second Green Arrow,
gentlemen?" A gloved hand rests on Nighthunter's shoulder as she tries
desperately to include him, and distance herself.

Night Hunter nods.. "Hello Gentleman.. I hope my...Canary hasn't been
distracting you from all the other dashing young women of the ball?"

Taking cape in hand, so as not to get it entangled as he enters the packed
hall, KalEl strides slowly in, looking up at the impressive gathering and
decor put into this benefit. His face almost gives away his smalltown
heritage. o O (I bet Ma and Pa would've loved to see this. I wish Lois
would have come as well. Of course, it would be kind of hard for Lois and
Clark to be here, arminarm, with Superman expected as a guest. And there's
not even any indication now that she'd care to be on my arm.) He turns a
full circle, taking in the sights, without quite realizing that a very
large clearing has formed around him, as most of the guests are staring at
him. Small whispers can be heard about, with an occasional 'Its really
him!', or a 'He's not as big as he looks on tv', followed generally by a
titter of laughter from a female, and an annoyed 'hrmph' from her
accompanying gentleman. Returning his attention to the here and now, Clark
releases his cape, then waves to the guests, offering his greetings and
hopes that they're enjoying the party. "Has anyone seen the rest of the
League?" Not surprisingly, his head swivels about at the clarion voice of
a certain fishnet attired superheroine.

Night Hunter perks up to the familiar blue and red that is walking through
the lobby.. "Canary.. Look who's here..."

Perhaps she's too busy or preoccupied, but Kory doesn't seem to notice
Connor at all. Instead she takes a glass of champagne from a nearby waiter
and sips it occasionally, looking up at the main stage with a bit of
apprehension and obvious nervousness. As Superman enters, she turns to
watch with a soft smile and slowly begins to approach him. Navigating
around various other blacktie guests, she occasionally says a soft,
"Excuse me. . " when forced to ask someone to move. Noticeably, a few male
heads turn to look at her as she passes.

Immediately, Canary whirls and steps close to Superman. Her chin tips up
as she provides a wide heroic smile (the kind that never seem to happen
when the media isn't present). "Superman!" She quickly stands on her toes
and brushes her soft mouth across the sculpted line of his lips. It's not
a short kiss, nor a long one...but just the type the magazines present.
Under her breath she whispers "Please save me from these disgusting men.
One of them tried to adjust my fishnets."

***Night Hunter's Desc*** The young man standing before you is roughly 6'
in height, with an athletic build. Green eyes watch you calmly as you look
at him, with an almost contemplative expression in their jade depths. A
forestgreen mask conceals the bridge of his nose, and arch of his
eyebrows. His high welldefined cheekbones, strong jawline, and mouth are
left open to your scrutiny. His legs and the powerful muscles of his arms
are encased in dark brown spandex. Over his torso is a black hooded jerkin
made of a soft suede, cinched in at the waist by a brown web belt with a
green buckle. The hood is currently down, showing off his golden blonde
hair. His hands are encased in black suede gloves, with a huntergreen
trim. Black softsoled boots hush the sound of his footsteps as he moves.
Slung across his back is an ebony quiver with two dozen arrows fletched in
black, brown and green...an accessory to the lethal solid oak bow he
carries.

Night Hunter chuckles and nudges a guy next to him.. "I should get a big
red cape like my buddy Superman's.. Look at how they fawn all over him.."

***Night Hunter settles into the background, as his player had to
leave.***

Startled by the sudden, yet quiet pleasant sensation of Dinah's greeting,
then the jibe from the upstart bowsman, Superman nods faintly, his arm
protectively circling Dinah's waist, as he waves to the gentleman, "I'm
afraid I have to steal the Canary away from you gentleman for a moment or
three. We have some heroic business to attend to, I'm afraid." He smiles
to each, nodding his head, then slowly angles her away from the crowd, in
the general direction from which 'Kory' is approaching. Shaking his head
ruefully, he chuckles and leans down to whisper in Dinah's ear, "I wish I
could be as cool as you, Dinah. The way you handled those gentleman. And
the kiss was a brilliant subterfuge. Truly the mark of your razorsharp
ability to handle any situation. Calm, cool and collected. And beautiful
to wit. Although I must admit, this outfit is a bit ..." He searches for
the right words, "... well, definitely eyecatching." Obviously, he
couldn't bring himself to say anything else. "Oliver around to bid on his
dreamdate, or are you truly up for auction tonight?"

Black Canary whispers quickly "Are you kidding me? He'd be firing arrows
faster than speeding bullets. I just said 'charity function', and
thankfully he sped off so fast I didn't have time to say anything else.
Heyisn't that Starfire?"

Superman's head turns, looking about for the anointed target of his
attention, and quickly finds her. Of course, how difficult is it to not
notice an amazonianlike alien woman, statuesque and pigmented unlike any
other, approaching you. Something about her catches his eye for a moment,
but he simply shakes it off, then nods, "It seems to be. I take it that
she's to be part of the special event tonight as well?"

Theo has arrived.

Kory Anders smiles as she finally arrivals, "Hi Superman. Black Canary.
It's nice to see a few familiar faces here . . I was beginning to get
nervous that no one else was here." She nervously holds up her glass a
moment and peers into the liquid, wondering how good of an idea this was.

Black Canary nods and smiles. "It's good to see you again, Starfire. Will
the other Titans be making an appearance?"

***Kory Anders (Supergirl Morphed) Desc***

        This unhumanly exotic woman would stand out in a crowd. She stands
around 6'4, with a build showing both her strength and her femininity.
Rich auburn hair tumbles in a massive curly mane to her calves,
accentuating the almost glowing gold of her skin. Large pupilless eyes of
brilliant green dominate her beautiful face, neither wearing nor needing
any makeup.         She wears a tight fitting strapless black dress that
leaves her shoulders and neck bare, with long black gloves that reach just
past her elbows. The dress reaches down to her ankles, with a slit up the
side that occasionally reveals her legs as she walks. The outfit is
completed by a set of matching black heels and a black choker.

Theo halts for a moment in the doorway, awestruck at the heroes that stand
before him. As his eyes fall on the Black Canary, he smiles, pulls his
tuxedo tight to his frame, and makes his way cautiously and nervously into
the room...looking for the comfortable anonymity of the bar.

Taking one of Kory's hands in his, Superman smiles, giving it a quick peck
on the back, and then a gentle squeeze, "You should be commended on
managing through the nervousness, Starfire. And this is all for a good
cause. Don't worry, everything will be just fine." He turns to Dinah, then
mock whispers for both to hear, "And if anything gets out of hand, I'm
sure we could always find some emergency for me to spirit both you ladies
off to in a rush." He gives a wink, then looks about the room for anymore
renowned guests.

Black Canary smiles widely. "Oh no. I have a surprise for the men of our
League who refused to participate in the cattle sale."

***Black Canary's Desc***

        The woman standing before you is a curious mixture of many a
blonde bombshell: Jayne Mansfield, Jean Harlowe, and Bridget Bardot all
wrapped up into one scantilyclad curvaceous package. Though her 5'9 inch
frame is lean and taut, there's no denying the sensuous curve of hips and
dramatic indent of her tiny waist outlined by the black leather corset
with a builtin bustier.          There's a lot to take in at oncequite
literally. The bustier pushes up her cleavage to epic proportions,
screaming 'take me now': but that impression is restrained by the dark
blue bolero jacket she wears, and the velvet choker around her neck. It's
a frustrating combination of innocence and sluttiness, which isn't
confirmed either way by the look in her wide blue eyes. It's when your
gaze drift down to the long sweet length of her legs encased in sinful
black fishnet stockings...that's when you know this lady is no meek
wallflower. Those gams, finished neatly by a pair of cuffed highheel
boots, could turn a woman's eyes green with envyand start a man's pulse
pounding. And if you chance to look back up at her face? The smirk present
indicates that this dame knows it.

Theo circles the room, pretendingsolely for his own benefit, it seemsto be
looking for a reserved seat. Knowing perfectly well that there is none
awaiting him, he attempts to sidle nonchalantly over to the bar, where he
orders a brandy.

***Theo's Desc*** The gentleman before you has obviously gone all out for
this occasion. The crisp, elegant lines of his black, fourbutton tuxedo
are extremely striking, but somehow not quite enough to make the gentleman
seem at ease. While his broad frame and slick black hair ought to complete
a portrait of male selfassuredness, he seems unsure what to do with his
hands, and is constantly readjusting his posture. He seems to inspire an
initial moment of admiration that quickly fades into some strange mixture
of uncertainty and pity.

Blushing a moment, Kory smiles, "Thanks, Superman. I wasn't sure about it
for a while . . I hope I do well. But it's good to know it's going to a
worthy cause." She takes a small sip of her champagne and moves her free
hand across her chest to rest her elbow on her hand.

The Blonde Bombshell turns her head and catches sighs of a familiar face
over at the bar. She sends him a wide smile and a wink.

Superman nods in agreement with Kory, then turns a curious gaze on Dinah.
Unfortunately, he has to quickly divert it again elsewhere, as he realizes
that her very visible charms quickly become a distraction. o O (She makes
Simone seem tame ... Ollie's a better man than I, to be able to keep his
wits about this lady.) He spots a few of Metropolis' more prominent
citizens waving in their direction, and manages to get out, although very
faintly, as if he's afraid his tongue might betray him and become twisted
between the two vivacious vixens he stands between, "A surprise? Ummm,
exactly what kind of surprise are you referring to, Dinah?"

The corners of Dinah's lips twitch in suppressed laughter. "Relax,
Boyscout. It's not Kryptonite. I just think it's fitting. After all, since
the girls have to do a performance...I thought I'd make mine stand out."

Theo receives his brandy from the bartender, and, after looking around the
room, begins to slide into his comfortable posture upon a barstool.
Halfway into his slouch, he sees Black Canary throw a smiling wink his
direction, and he instantly snaps to attention, trying to not seem too
awkward or obvious.

What's the first thing a gentleman learns to do when a woman, let alone a
beautiful one, tells him not to worry? Worry. And the Last Son of Krypton
isn't so clueless that he doesn't catch the amusement in Canary's comment,
or the twitch to her lips. Grasping the edge of his cape, perhaps in a
slight gesture of how nervous he suddenly has become, he looks Dinah over
once, getting a feeling. A pulsepounding feeling, but a feeling
nonetheless. Somehow, he gets the distinct impression that Kryptonite
would be the least of his worries in regards to this femme fatale. His
gaze travels over to Kory, as if beseeching her for support, as he gets
out a halfhearted, "Please be careful, Dinah." o O (Perhaps its better
that Lois didn't come tonight.)

With a laugh that would do Maxima justice, Canary pivots on her heel and
starts threading through the crowd...intent on the bar. A curiously
satisfied expression settles on her features. o O (I can't wait to see the
reaction on their faces. Chauvinist macho spandexers. Too bad Ollie can't
see it. If I didn't think he'd kill me, he just might die laughing.)

Kory Anders takes another sip of her drink and just listens to the
conversation, her mind is evidently elsewhere at the moment. Her eyes
drift back to the stage again as she listens, suddenly turning her head
back as Superman replies, adding her own comment, "Good luck." She says
with a soft smile, before turning her attention back to other things.

Theo tries to contain his smile as Dinah heads toward the bar...then, as
he gets his first real glimpse of her, he tries to hide his amazement by
feigning and hamming up the exact emotions he's feeling. He places his
hand over his heart and simulates a heart attack or fainting spell, then,
realizing that he's not quite sure if Dinah's looking, or if anyone else
is for that matter, he anxiously looks around to make sure he's not making
a complete idiot of himself.

Black Canary indeed has eyes only for Detective Romm as she ambles
straight up to him and rests her hand on the bad. "It's nice to see one of
Gotham's Finest here. Can I but you a drink, or are you on duty?" Again
that slow wink.

Theo sighs, almost audibly, and relaxes noticeably. "I'm afraid I'm here
entirely for personal reasons. Not a jobthought in my head. However, my
understanding is that the testosteroneladen of the species are the ones
who are supposed to be buying tonight, so drinks are one me. Besides, I
already have one." Theo lifts his drink slightly from the bar. "Can I get
you anything?"

With a nervous glance at the stage, Black Canary smiles ruefully. "Well,
since I'm not technically on duty either, I'll settle for a glass of wine.
I don't think I could ever go back to this wig and heels after active duty
in spandex and sensible shoes."

Seeing Kory's attention diverted, and Dinah intent on a new target, KalEl
decides to play cohost to the festivities, and slowly begins moving away
from the young alien superheroine. Walking towards the podium, he finds a
corridor quickly forming for him, and simply smiles and waves to everyone,
not quite believing the reaction to him, even after all this time. o O
(You'd think I was royalty or something, rather than a simple boy from
Kansas. Boy, I bet Pete and Lana would never believe this.) For the last
few steps, he opts to take a more dramatic approach, and floats upwards,
one arm outstretched. Even as he does so, several flashes suddenly go off,
snapping the moment. Within a heartbeat, he's taken the stage, and is
tapping at the microphone on the podium. A dull thud echoes through the
room, as he bends towards the microphone, "Hello? Is this ... oh yes, it
does appear to be on." He stands straight again, and then speaks slowly,
his deep voice enhanced by the acoustics, "Good evening, ladies and
gentlemen. On behalf of the Metropolis Orphanage and our cohosts, ..." A
pause. Slight, but there still, " ... LexCorp, I would like to thank you
all for coming tonight. I hope that you are all enjoying yourselves this
evening, and please, I avail you, be generous, for we are the only hope
for a brighter future for the poor children who've been left without
families. Even as this is a happy celebration, let us not forget our duty
to those less fortunate. And to show that even we heroes wish to help the
cause, our beautiful and dynamic superheroines, the ladies of the League
and friends, will tonight put on an event that is sure to astound."
Turning his gaze briefly towards Dinah, he adds, "And possibly invoke
quite a few amazed gasps, I believe, ..." and turns back to address the
audience, " ... so feel free to mix, enjoy the refreshments, and give
generously when thinking of the children. Thank you again." Stepping back
from the podium, he waves to the crowd and smiles.

Trying to figure out what to do with his eyes, Theo is thankful for the
opportunity to turn to the bartender and order Dinah's glass of wine. As
he turns back, he tries to keep his gaze on Dinah's eyes, but seems to be
a bit nervous even then. As he gratefully turns to listen to Superman
begin the evening's activities, he smiles at Dinah, "I believe you warned
me once about those fishnets. Guess I should know by now to take your
warnings seriously."

Black Canary tilts her head, her gaze speculative. "Is that all you take
about me seriously, Detective Romm? I'm almost hurt. After all, I go to
such great lengths to assist the GCPD. Surely I'm not as dry as the
Batman?" A black brow rises as she sips her drink and nods in
appreciation.

Theo laughs politely then seems to swallow a bit too hard. Turning to look
Dinah in the eyes he smiles, and says rather cryptically, "I imagine I
take you much more seriously than you've imagined." Theo then takes
another sips of his drink and tries to return to the more playful tone,
"Although, I think you might be selling Batman short. Anyone who is that
stale in public has got to let his hair down sooner or later."

Once again taking to the air, Superman floats down towards Kory's side,
curious about what exactly has her so engrossed and nervous. Grasping a
small decorative flower from the placements, he lands at her side, tapping
her shoulder gently with it, then handing it to her, "Something amiss,
Starfire? You seem somewhat distracted. Surely this isn't anything out of
the ordinary for you, is it?"

"You're talking about a man who wears a rubber bat suit. Are you sure he
has hair?" Canary murmurs her comment with goodnatured humor. "So what
brings you to Metropolis?" Her gaze drifts to the stage once more.

Theo chuckles, "Ya got me there." Twisting slightly to order another
drink, he continues, "Finally got some vacation time. Had two choices.
Home to the folks in NYC, or hit the road. Figured I'd check out
Metropolis and get lost for a week. When I heard about this shindig, I
went out and rented the monkey suit. Figured I might as well live a
little, being on vacation and all." Theo grasps his fresh drink, "Any you?
Just in town for the charity event, or are you here on work as well?"

Suddenly, Kory's gaze darts up at Superman and her cheeks turn a soft rose
briefly as she takes the flower, the glass that was in her hand earlier is
now gone. "Thank you, Superman . . I just volunteered to come sing here
tonight to help raise money . . it just makes me very nervous . . I've
done things in public before but this is different . . I need to go
backstage soon to prepare and warmup for it." She brings the flower to her
nose and takes in the sweet scent before lowering her hands again.`

Black Canary grins. "If I said I was just here for the charity, would you
hold it against me? I'm pretty mobile these days, but somehow I always end
back up in Gotham. It's addictive." She flicks a glance at the crowd.
"I'll still come out for a good cause, but my JLA days are long behind me.
It's not me. I stick to the streets." She laughs selfconsciously and
sweeps the long hair of her wig over her shoulder. "I can't wait to get
this thing off me, but I dread going onstage."

Superman nods, then puts a reassuring hand on Kory's shoulder, "I'm sure
that you'll stun everyone here with your talent, Starfire. We all have
faith in you. And remember, it is for a good cause, so enjoy yourself
doing this. I'll be rooting for you the whole way through." His smile
comes easily, as he leans in, whispering, "Good luck, and ... how does it
go again? Oh yeah, knock 'em dead." Turning to give Kory room to move past
him, he watches her with an appreciative gaze. o O (Talented young lady. I
only wish I had a talent to lend to this benefit. Anything for a good
cause.)

Theo laughs, "I'd never hold charity against you." . o O (In fact, I think
I'm counting on it.) "Although, am I seeing a new side of you? I have a
hard time of imagining you being nervous, even on stage."

Kory Anders smiles and gives Superman a hug, before giving him a soft kiss
on his cheek, she whispers in his ear, "Thanks, Clark. I'll try." She
gives him a wink before walking away and probably as the shock sets in,
he'll soon hopefully notice that the voice whispering in his ear was that
of Matrix, not Kory. Weaving her way through the crowd, she vanishes
backstage.

The look on KalEl's face is pure astonishment. In fact, for just the
briefest of moments, you'd SWEAR that his jaw was actually hanging wide
open, his eyes almost glazed. Before he even gets a chance to respond, he
begins to realize the truth of the matter, and his head darts around to
see the disappearing figure of Mae trail off. o O (MAE! What on earth is
she up to?!) He begins to stammer something out, then realizes that it
might be better to stay quiet, and quickly does so. But the bewildered
look takes several more minutes to disappear from his face.

Black Canary clears her throat delicately. "Well, it's a brave and bold
sort of...experimental approach to performing that I'll be taking." She
smiles weakly. o O (They're going to lynch me.)

Bart has arrived. Theo wrinkles his brow as the gears start turning in his
head. Mystified, he shrugs his shoulders and laughs, "Experimental charity
performance. This is really starting to feel like a vacation after all."
Theo take a long swig of his brandy, "Is the boyfriend here to cheer you
on?"

Black Canary says matter of factly. "I don't have a boyfriend. I have a
midlife crisis who happens to occupy the same space I do. And no, he's not
here."

Theo seems to stand a little straighter, then holds his drink out towards
Dinah, "Well, here's to the absence, however temporary it may or may not
be, of midlife crises...both yours and mine."

A tallish, lanky figure enters the room, clad in a most stylish suit. His
eyes are hidden by a pair of shades, and a slight smile quirks one corner
of his mouth into something a bit caustic, a bit anticipatory. A hand
reaches up and lifts the hat off his head ever so slightly, so he can run
his other hand through the soft brown locks that fall gently from beneath
the brim, tucking them back underneath. He silently makes his way over to
Dinah's locale, and takes a seat several away from her.

Superman slowly strides over to the bar, cape firmly clenched in hand to
get it out of the way of others. Draping it over one arm, he stands by the
bar and kindly requests his drink, "A fruit juice, if you don't mind.
Orange preferably." Turning his back to the bar, he begins scanning the
audience, as this new turns of events slowly percolates through his mind.
o O (Why on Earth would Mae be posing as Starfire? At a benefit, no less?
As a favor?)

Black Canary murmurs under her breath, "Please excuse me Detective
Romm...I need to go make arrangements before I go onstage." She briefly
touches a gloved hand to his sleeve with a sweet smile just for him.

***Impulse's Desc*** Ultimate style. Those are the words that can't help
but flash through your head as you look this guy over  they sum up his
look completely. His tall, lanky frame is clad in a positively gorgeous
suit, classic three piece, linen collarless buttondown shirt and all. The
trousers are just long enough to crumple slightly over the backs of his
shiny leather shoes; his suit jacket's lapels are broad and insanely
smooth; his dark grey vest is unbuttoned.          The boy's thumbs are
hooked casually in his pockets, and his eyes are covered by a truly slick
pair of shades. A porkpie hat is cocked rakishly forward on his head,
shading his grinning face...if he takes it off, you can see his amazing
hair  yes, it completely defies gravity, that unruly mop.

Tommy has arrived. Tommy's shadowy alt materializes up the back of the
room.

Arsenal has arrived.

***Arsenal's Desc***         Roy Harper's striking red hair is wavy and
parted just over his right eye. His eyes are hardened and blue, given to a
mischievous twinkle. There is a red, doublediamond shaped face mask around
his eyes. He is quite handsome, with a strong jaw and rugged lines. He is
wearing a bright red turtle neck covered by a dark red leather vest with
tie strings crisscrossing the v opening that goes halfway down his chest.
The vest has raised shoulders and a bright red trim, which matches his
bright red belt. His pants are tight fitting red leather, like his vest,
and he has bright red boots.         He not only looks like Robin Hood,
but is outfitted like him also. He is wearing dark red archer's bands
protecting the insides of both arms and finishing in full fingered gloves.
There is a bright red quiver, holding red arrows, on his back and a red
bow folded to fit on the quiver, or in the case of battle, it is most
certainly in his hands.         Roy Harper carries himself confidently,
with a powerful grace and a sure smile creasing his lips.


Theo smiles and returns the touch of Dinah's hand as she leaves to
prepare, With a nervous chuckle he says, "Good luck. I promise I'll still
speak to you after if you'll still speak to me."

Black Canary quips "Only if you'll still respect me in the morning."

The heretofore silent figure stifles a snicker.

Theo laughs, watches Dinah walk away, and takes a long drink of his third
brandy . o 0 (Took the words right out of my mouth.)

>From his place at the bar, sipping at an orange juice, Superman seems to
break from his distraction just long enough to toss another curious glance
Dinah's way, as she and Theo begin to part. Something in the back of his
head seems to scream out trouble, but as he's had that same problem
before, he seems to dismiss it when it comes to a fair face. Especially a
friendly one. o O (If that were Lois, I know I'd be worried. But Dinah has
a good head on her shoulders. I'm sure whatever she has planned will be
quite an event to behold and remember.) Shrugging, he goes back to sipping
his orange juice, and watching the room, waiting for the main festivities
to begin.

The young unknown man slides his chair closer to Theo, and tips his hat
slightly. "Quite a woman she is," he notes conversationally.

The Shade smiles enigmatically and so on. He thinks .oO( If I were Hitman,
I'd be disappointed not to have seen any _Singing_ yet.)

Tommy thinks .oO( But I'm not, so I shall have to sit here in silence.
Curses. )

>From the side of the main stage, a spotlight appears and Lex Luthor
himself approaches the podium in the front, accompanied by a beautiful
well known screen actress. Luthor is the only one who speaks, "Ladies and
gentlemen, I'd like to thank you for coming here today to the LexCorp
sponsored Charity Ball. As promised, we have a very special guest here
today to perform for you." He steps aside to let the actress speak, and
she continues, "She's become one of New York City's most well known heroes
as a member of the Titans, please give her a warm welcome here tonite in
her singing debut, Kory Anders!" The curtains slide open to reveal a old
Big Band style setup with trombones, trumpets . . in fact an entire
instrumental section and Kory standing right front and center with an old
style microphone. A single spotlight comes up onto her.

Theo snaps out of apparent trance and give a puzzled look to the stranger,
"That she is," is all he says, as his glance moves back and forth between
the stranger and Dinah, before settling, as always, on Dinah. Apparently
at a loss, he takes another long drink.

The young man sits back in his chair, a selfsatisfied smirk gracing his
features. He looks to Dinah once more, then to the stage, watching Kory.
The music starts slowly and continuously, playing a steady melody for
about half a minute before Kory looks up and finally starts singing,
keeping her eyes looking at a point beyond the audience so that it appears
that she's looking at everyone. She takes the old style standing
microphone in her hands and she begins, o/~ "Bei mir bist du shane*,
please let me explain, bei mir bist du shane* means that you're grand, bei
mir bist du shane*, again I'll explain, it means that you're the fairest
in the land, I could say Bela Bela, even say Wundabar, each language only
help me tell you, how great you are . . " o/~ The band starts to play
alone again, with a big brassy sound at first, mellowing into a clarinet
solo for half a minute before the entire band suddenly dies down and the
music starts again, slowly and very softly at first o/~ "Bei mir bist du
shane*, please let me explain, bei mir bist du shane* means that you're
grand, bei mir bist du shane*, again I'll explain, it means that you're
the fairest in the land . ." As she progresses furthur into the verse, the
music slowly gets louder and faster with her," . . I could say Bela Bela,
even say Wundabar, each language only help me tell you, how great you
are!" o/~ The band plays fast staccato rythmes with prominent Clarinet
parts throughout, eventually ending on a single loud note. As it ends,
many of the audience in attendance start to clap and a few even cheer. <* 
German word 'shone' is purposely spelled wrong as 'shane' because it is
purposely mispronounced to rhyme correctly in the song.>

Theo puts down his empty glass and politely applauds with the rest of the
audience.

The young man claps madly.

Prominent amongst those showing their appreciation for the set is the Man
of Steel himself. By his reaction, and the look of pride on his face,
you'd think that was his own sister up there on stage.

Black Canary applauds from backstage, as she dashes her wig off and gets
ready. o O (Wow. Kory has eclectic tastes. I didn't know she could sing so
well. Impressive!)

Guy has arrived.

Blushing a soft red that's invisible under the bright stage lights, Kory
takes a bow before the curtains close again and the lights on stage dim.

Guy smiles, and walks in quietly.

Guy just leans against a wall and waits.

Theo orders a double and takes a long draw as he awaits the next
performance. He nervously cracks his knuckles, closes his eyes and begins
muttering to himself under his breath.

As the curtains close, several stage hands can be seen moving onto the
stage, quickly beginning to remove all accouterments. Stepping onto the
stage, Luthor continues to applaud softly as well, a small smirk of
satisfaction on his face, that some might even consider a smile. Stepping
to the podium, he taps it, to get the audience's attention, then throws
his arms wide in a theatrical pose, "Let's give another round of applause
for the young lady who managed to start this party off on the right note!"
His eyes travel down to his nemesis, squinting for a moment, before he
says into the microphone, "A pity your vocal talents don't match hers,
Superman. I'm sure the audience would have loved to have heard you as
well." Shrugging, he looks back at the curtains, then smiles as a small
hand pops out, giving the ok sign. Turning back to face the audience, he
clears his throat, "Now, to start the main fundraising event of the
evening, the dream date auction! All you lucky gentlemen out there will
now get a chance to bid on your dream heroine. Unfortunately, our singer
starlet seems to have gotten away before we could ask her to be part of
the process. But in her place ..." A wide smile cross Luthor's face, "Is
another superheroine that I'm sure none of you will fail to recognize. As
auctioneer for this grand event, and for such an auspicious date to begin
the evening, I'm sure you gentleman won't have any problem in starting the
bidding high. But before you bid, we of course will require a peek at our
lady of the moment. Please welcome ..... our lady of mystery ..." The last
words are hushed, even as the lights dim, and the curtains peel open,
revealing a barren stage. Not a decoration or prop in sight.

Guy pulls out his check book. Not yet, anyway.

The lights go dark as a dense fog creeps low on the stage. Against the
pale blue scrim lit with stars, a feminine silhouette emerges. Starkly
outlined, the eye can travel from the delicate profile framed by short
tousled curls to the outline of her torso and a pair of long sleek legs
perched on heels. Of one thing can be certain: this woman is utterly nude.
Yet she reveals nothing. Her voice carries clearly, deep with humor.
"Hello. I couldn't help but think that the men of our esteemed Justice
League were noticeably absent in this little 'auction'. So I thought I'd
pay tribute to them. I hope they like it." A pause fills the room.

The grin on the face of the boy next to Romm widens considerably, and he
clasps his hands behind his head, raising his eyebrows high above his
shades.

Theo quickly gulps down the rest of his drink and becomes entranced on the
stage, his face growing red and his jaw clenching.

A slow throb of music sounds through the hall, ringing of early 80's
synthetics and mystique. Sheena Easton's voice croons softly "For your
eyes only..." The dark curved form moves to the center of the stage,
stirring tendrils of fog. Arms cross just as a warm spotlight shines a
bright circle...revealing Black Canary holding two arrows in strategic
brilliance. "...can see me through the night. From your eyes only, I never
need to hide. You can see so much in meso much in me that's newI never
felt until I looked at you..." Her chin turns to the side as the spotlight
reveals every sinew, the lower rim of the circle fading in murky blackness
just below her navel.

Guy thinks to himself, o O well so much for saving my profits this year.
I'm sure Buck will cover my check O o He grins, mischievously.

Superman steps away from the bar, his drink slipping from nerveless
fingers. Thankfully, his reaction time is still good, and he manages to
grab the glass before it shatters. Even so, his eyes are most definitely
bulging at the sight. o O (If Ollie put her up to this ...) His face is
blushing, quite obviously.

The boy's eyes widen, and he sits forward, leaning his elbows on his knees
and watching intently. He reaches over to the table to take a glass, but
fumbles it and blushes, and thanks Valor for the darkness.

Tommy just watches nonchalantly. He has XRay vision, he ain't seein'
nuthin' new.

Theo falls back onto his barstool...his face blank, as if any number of
various emotions are fighting for supremacy. As the singer's voice swells
to a crescendo the spotlight whirls awayand so does Dinah. The fog swirls
once again, the curve of her hip and flash of thigh peeking through as she
lifts something from it, swirling it above her head in the shadows.
"You'll see what no one else can see, so now I'm breaking freeFor Your
Eyes Only..." The spotlight returns revealing her body through a crimson
gossamer veil with a white circle and a yellow lightning bolt through it.
A slight breeze ripples the cloth, making dappled swirling patterns
against her taut skin. "The love I know you need in me; the fantasy you
free in me...Only for You...Only For You." Her arms fling wide as Dinah
lets the cloth settle against her body in a soft caress and the spotlight
fades once more as she sinks to her knees. The music continues...

Guy smiles and unlike some, has seen a shadow show before and just enjoys
it.

This time the spotlight shines down, a brilliant emerald green. Canary
rises slowly from the mist, and as the light follows her, the black
pattern etched within becomes clear: the classic Green Lantern insignia
hides her most private areas while revealing the rest. "For Your Eyes
Only...the nights are never cold. You really know methat's all I need to
know." her fisted hand reaches straight up as her legs splay slowly,
sinking down into a split. The spotlight travels faithfully then fades out
while her movements ripple the tendrils of fog. Darkness.  Still there is
music.

Theo stands suddenly and takes a couple of steps forward, then looks
around, mutters something definitive in Russian, and sits down once more,
obviously...frustrated?...angry?...???

"Maybe I'm an open book, because I know you're mine..." Canary rises
again, holding a large red X in front of her as the spotlight pours down a
softer green glow. A blue cape is loosely knotted at the hollow of her
throat as she tips her head back and exposes her long neck. "But you won't
need to read between the lines" The cutout X is cast aside in the split
second the light flickers. When it steadies, she is running to the scrim.
Darkness envelopes her once more as she turns her profile and strikes a
heroic pose while lifting a gleaming doublepronged hook, cape fluttering
in the breeze...every detail of her profile etched in black as the cloth
lifts then finally slips from her shoulders. The song begins to close...

Arsenal walks in the door, as usual having perfect timing. He takes a few
steps in and then sees the stage, blinks and takes a couple more steps
before recognizing who is on the stage... he then reaches for the nearest
chair and literally drops into it.

Finally the woman stands center stage, head bowed and lashes lowered. As
the last strains of the music flow about her, a brilliant yellow orb
floods her body: the clear outline of a black bat looming over her chest,
the points plunging to shadow her pelvis. "The passions that collide in
me, the wild abandon inside of me...Only For You. Only for You. For Your
Eyes Only." Her eyes open as she tips her head up, shining a brilliant
blue as her arms outstretch. The final fade comes, and the last note of
song echoes in the hall and Canary ends her 'tribute'.

Guy reaches into his jacket, and pulls out a fat cigar. He clips the tip
off and lights it up as he watches Dinah. His check book tucked into the
waist of his pants.

Guy grins, takes a puff off of his cigar, and applauds.

Guy doesn't wolf whistle or anything else rude, he just smiles and
applauds.

Theo's face continues to grow even redder, and a sweat breaks out on his
forehead.

The instant before Luthor starts to move over to take the microphone
again, you suddenly see a tall, extremely welldressed (although not very
well defined) young man on the stage, eyes covered by shades and head
covered by expensivelooking hat. He's holding a beautiful strat, and he
grins widely and slightly evilly. Holding up a hand to stay the angry
beneficiaries, he takes hold of the microphone and starts to speak.
        "Friends, heroes, extremely rich members of society," he begins,
voice somewhat familiar. It sounds like it's a lot deeper than it's
supposed to  and that suspicion is confirmed as his voice cracks and soars
an octave in the next bit. "You've just seen a most impressive tribute and
display by an incredible woman. An /incredible/ woman." The figure blurs
for a moment, then steadies. "But before you begin to make any bids, here,
folks...I, /personally/, want you to know exactly how inspiring I think
she is."

Kryptonite has nothing on Dinah. She has efectively, without raising a
finger, managed to totally and unequivocally incapacitate the Man of
Steel. Fallen back at a barstool, his face is locked in a look that can't
quite be described, his eyes wide.

In the stage wings, Dinah belts her robe...the turns with an inaudible
gasp. Turnabout is fair playthe smug expression on her face has to one of
shock. "What the?!"

Arsenal is too stunned by what he saw to clap, he barely manages to blink,
and when he does he sees Dinah's final pose for a moment. When he re opens
his eyes, he frowns at the richie on stage.

Guy thinks oO If I get outbid, I'm going to flatten his car.Oo

Several men rush up to Luthor, all wearing dark shades, and stand in a
circle about him, obviously his personal entourage. Luthor himself seems
very irate at this action, and begins to move towards the figure, "What's
the meaning of this?! Don't you realize how important an event this is?"
He reaches for the mic, even as his entourage attempts to keep a
protective circle about him, away from the figure.

The figure on the stage grins again, and gestures to someone in the back
to pull back the curtains. Behind him are a rather frightening group of,
um, people, with impressive looking instruments. He holds up a hand again,
then addresses Luthor. "Mr Luthor, I realize how important this is. But
please, also realise how important /this/ it. May I present Scare
Tactics...covering Van Halen." He steps back, taking the mic with him, and
the lights lower, and go all dramatic. He strikes a chord familiar,
dangerous, and godawfully embarrassing.

Guy raises an eyebrow, as he thinks oO Ok, a lame hair band?Oo

Theo's look of puzzlement continues, though his body slackens and eases
somewhat, almost as if some sort of burden has lifted due to the sudden
appearance of this band gig.

As soon as the curtain is drawn back, Luthor's entourage escort him
quickly off the stage, with him fuming all the way. The words 'security',
'incompetents', and 'useless dogooders' spring quite vocally from Lex's
lips, as he begins shaking a fist, then begins to regain his composure,
pushing his aides away from him.

Those of you aware of the music scene in the eighties will have recognised
the tune immediately...but the words are unfamiliar. "I was sitting in the
Titans' headquarters, bored all out of my mind, throwing darts at a photo
of Wally, telling Damage that he'd go blind." A sneaking suspicion forms
in your mind, or more, if you're better than the singer at putting things
together. "Suddenly I thought of her and everything grew clear, though I'm
a minor, and can't drink beer, I /say/ I'm hot for Dinah!"

Black Canary moves barefooted to backstage. It takes a few moments, but
when she emergesher head is held high in her contemporary navy and gold
uniform. Her gaze is steady, a smile quirking her lips as she pauses to
turn and regard the group onstage.

A sudden blush suffuses Canary's cheeks.

Guy nods to Dinah, as she comes out.

Theo notices Dinah step from behind the curtain, and her calm, if
blushing, demeanor manages to calm his nerves a bit further.

With a heartfelt groan, the blonde heroine leans her forearm against the
wall and rests her head on it. "Oh my god. Please kill me now."

The singer grins madly, almost ferally attacking his strat between verses.
He tears off his hat and his unmistakable hair explodes in pure
Bartishness. "Hot for Dinah!" he screams, "Hot for Dinah!" As the set goes
on, each verse more interesting than the last, Bart loses more and more
articles of clothing, revealing...his costume. Heh. As the piece ends,
Impulse stands there, easily recognisable, grinning like a madman. He
waits for the last of the music to fade, then leans into the mic and says
sweetly, "We love you, Dinahhh...."

Black Canary buries her face in her hands and bends forward, alternately
groaning and muffling curses through her fingertips.

The curtains close, there's an amazing clatter, and trust me, the stage'll
be clear by the time the next person goes up.

It might seem like Dinah's prayers have been answered, as a fiery angel
from heaven confronts her as she steps out, her face red. In actuality,
the fiery aura is fluttering cape of a very anxious Man of Steel, landing
in front of her with such rapidity that his cape whistles across his body,
almost enshrouding him, "Dinah. Do you think ... I mean, was that really
... I mean, you were amazing but still ..." He can't seem to find the
right words for her, and he realizes it. Finally, his composure cracked,
he lets out a nervous chuckle, his hand running the the hair at the back
of his head, "I guess congratulations are in order ....." He looks up at
the stage, and the songster, then smiles, "Even instant fandom."

Guy chuckles and claps.

Finally, Kory steps out to the scene on stage just in time to see Bart's
big finale. She puts her hand over her mouth to hide a giggle, having been
watching Dinah from backstage . . but quickly stifles it, at the thought
of how embarassed Dinah must be. She claps politely for Impulse with a
smile.

Guy yells out,"Ok kid. You're not banned from Warrior's anymore."

A distant "Rah!" sounds from offstage somewhere.

Guy puffs on his cigar.

Arsenal shakes his head at Bart's performance, but claps for the rocks it
took to get up there and do it, and mumbles to himself, "This has to be a
Twilight Zone episode" then turns to look at Dinah in her robe and says,
"Or a damn good dream."

Theo claps uncertainly, still a bit preoccupied.

Black Canary's fingertips splay as she straightens with a weak smile. "I
only did it because I was so put out at the blatant sexism of this
auctionI was going to turn the tables. But I guess it backfired. I just
want you to know thought, I didn't use your shield. I know how you feel
about that. Or I can guess. I'm sorry. What a huge mistake!"

Guy starts to say something after Dinah says huge,but remains playing
nice.

Theo looks to the stage, trying to get some bearing on what in the world
might happen next. He turns, finally, and recollects his brandy.

Guy checks the register in his check book, smiles and puffs on the cigar.

Superman shaking his head, he crooks his finger, then places it under your
chin, lifting it up so as to look you in the eye, "Although I have some
reservations about the ... *ahem* ... appropriateness of the venue you
chose, to vent your feelings, I think you more than amply demonstrated to
the public how dedicated you are to a good cause. And the good taste that
you always display." He puts a hand on your shoulder, then turns so he's
beside you guiding you towards the bar, "Perhaps you'd like something to
help, oh, cool you down, after that little number?"

His words make her feel better. Dinah straightens her shoulders and nods.
"Okay. Say, can I express my mad passionate unrequited love for you now,
or is it probably not a good moment?" A saucy wink soon follows...then her
gaze drift to Theo as they approach.

Seeing Superman, Kory heads towards him saying as she approaches to both
Dinah and Clark, "Hi, that was a really good number you did, Dinah. It
must've taken a lot of planning to put it together." She says, trying to
be nice. Her gaze immediately turns to Superman, looking for some kind've
input on her own performance.

Black Canary says quietly "Yours was far better, Kory."

Finally managing to make his way back to the stage, Lex composes himself
and picks up the mic, if a bit forcefully. Ever the consumate tactician,
he nods to the curtained area, and speaks out, "Thank you for that ...
'stirring' tribute to our premiere auctionee, the Black Canary. Now, as I
was so ... spontaneously interrupted before, shall we get down to the
business of helping the needy? What say we start the bidding on this
dreamdate at ... $2000."

Arsenal grins to himself and stands, wandering over to the group, "That
was a new side of you, Dinah..." he calls from a few steps away... out of
swinging range.

Kory Anders smiles at Dinah, "Thanks, but really, yours was good. I don't
think I could ever do it right if I tried. It's like dancing." She offers,
hopefully as some sort of comfort. Black Canary turns her attention to the
voice, immediately starting towards him with a cheerful hug. She pulls
back just as swiftly with an expression of horror. "Oh my god, Speedy, you
didn't see that, did you?"

Guy smiles and says,"50,000 dollars. On the Lady Bird.

Guy says "And I do mean 50."

Black Canary suddenlt freezes as she hears the voice. o O (A date. With
Guy Gardner?) Her complexion turns a curious pale.

Guy fixes the room with a stone cold gaze,"Anyone wanna outbid me?"

Turning from Dinah to Kory, Clark reaches over and gives her a hug, then
whispers in her ear, "That was amazing, Mae. I never knew you had that
range." Giving her a peck onher ear, he releases the hug, then smiles
proudly at her. At the echo of the bid, Clark turns, his eyes falling on
the bidder. o O (Guy?)

Theo turns, dumbfounded, toward the voice that big the $50,000. He seems
to shrink an inch or two. . o 0 (What the hell was I thinking?)

Arsenal grins an enormous grin at Dinah, and nods, "Every curve. You about
floored me... I thought this was going to be another boring hobnob with
the richies..." then he pauses, finally noticing Dinah's considerably less
health pallor.

Black Canary. o O (So exactly WHO was responsible for stopping Hal from
recreating the universe? I need to have a little chat with them. Oh god.
Oh god.)

Kory Anders returns Clark's hug with a smile, "Thanks." She whispers back
below Dinah's range of hearing. She hears Guy's bid and ponders to
herself. o O ( Guy Gardner? )

Impulse walks up behind Arsenal, peering over his shoulder to see how mad
Dinah is, then blinks as everyone freezes. 'Course he wasn't paying
attention to what was going on  he's much too worried about what might
happen to him. "What?" he asks innocently.

Dick has arrived.

Luthor gazes down from the podium, his lip curling back in a smirk, "And
we have a bid for $50 000. My, it seems that our lady hero's tribute has
struck a chord in the community. Do I hear $55 000?" A hand shoots up in
the back, and one of those old men that had been adjusting Dinah's
fishnets earlier in the night calls out, "$60 000!"

Black Canary restrains herself from a grimace, then absentmindedly remarks
to Roy,"Don't talk like that Roy."

Guy yawns at the bid, and smirks,"100K,"

Impulse blinks. "Yow, he's desperate."

Theo turns to look at Dinah in order to attempt to figure out what she's
thinking as the bidding escalates.

Black Canary happens to catch Theo's look and sends a faint smile his way.

Superman turns his gaze towards Dinah as well, noting her pallor, "Dinah,
do you need a chair? Let me help you to a seat." He takes her hand, and
pulls a seat out with his foot. Then fixes his gaze on Gardner.

Black Canary says "OOC Ack, alas alack I really have to go. Please
continue the RP. Just say Dinah slipped backstage for water. And Guy?
You'd better not get fresh with me, or I'll have your Vuldarian weenie
melded to your upper lip faster than you can say 'blowtorch'. ;)"

Luthor begins to chuckle, truly enjoying the moment, although whether its
from the bidding war, or the state that its left Dinah in is left to
question. He leans his arms on the podium, calling out, "We have a bid of
$100 000. A very impressive bid, sir. I hope you can cover it." With a sly
grin, he winks and says, "You wouldn't like the collector's we send by for
the funds." Straightening again, he calls out, "Are there any other bids?"

Guy smirks at Luthor.

Black Canary says "OOC Whoever got me would get a real date. MAYBE a kiss
on teh cheek. Anyways, gotta bail."

Guy just smiles and waits.

A younger gentleman, possibly in his thirties or so, dressed in all
Armani, raises a hand from his table, his eyes still obviously glazed from
Canary performance, and calls out, "$150 000. And a new building for the
Orphanage." He leans back in his chair, and smirks at Guy.

Theo starts pacing back and forth, then starts walking tenatively along
the side of the room.

Dick walks into the auction area with one hand in his pocket and the other
hand holding a drink. .o(Hmm..what do we have here?)

Guy shakes his head as he thinks oO Gee, guess no one knows Buck backs my
checks.Oo "250, 000 and a new orphanage for each district."

Arsenal sees Dick and smiles, turning and walking over he says, "Out bid
them... TRUST me... outbid them."

Dick's meets Arsenal's gaze and he gives a brief chuckle. "I could put it
on the WayneCo. account."

A stylishly dressed Asian businessman in his thirties raises his hand and
say calmly, "Four hundred thousand, a new orphanage for each district and
one million dollars worth of nonperishable canned food goods."

Luthor looks down at the gentleman, then over at Guy, "My, we are feeling
generous tonight, aren't we?" He looks back over at the gentleman who bid
against Guy, and there almost seems to be a glint of anger in his eyes.
The gentleman in question notices Lex's gaze, and hunches down in his
seat, while Lex calls out, "A bid of $250 000, as well as a new orphanage
in every district of Metropolis. An impressive bid, no doubt. Do we hear
more?"

Guy hrms to himself.

Impulse has disconnected.

Arsenal grins at Dick, "If you were here earlier you would bid it all...
Dinah stripped... I barely got my tongue back in my mouth."

Guy pulls out a cell phone, and makes a call and then smiles.

Guy waits to see the next bid before he goes.

Dick raises his nondrink hand and speaks, "Uh, $300,000."

Theo having moved closer to the front of the room, suddenly takes a couple
of quick steps and jumps up to the stage, stumbling a bit on the ledge,
and almost falling on his face. His hair is disshevled, his face dripping
with sweat, and his collar wrenched loose. He shout, while attempting to
be polite, "EXCUSE ME, Mr Luthor..."

Luthor turns, glancing at the Asian gentleman in curiousity, then nods, to
him, before clarifying for Dick, "The bid is currently at ..." Stopping at
the sudden distraction, Luthor steps back, eyeing the pathetic wretch
before him, "Who let this .... person in here? Is he on the guest list?"

Security slowly begins converging on the stage.

Theo says "Backs away a bit, suddenly realizing he's overstepped his
bounds, "No, sir, don't misunderstand. I just want to say something and
put in my own bid.""

Kory Anders thinks to herself . o O ( They're bidding millions on Canary .
. if I wasn't so aprehensive about singing I could've raised so much more
if I came as myself and so many people could have benefitted . . let that
be a lesson to me. I shouldn't abuse my powers like that for selfish
reasons. )

Holding up his hand to his security force, Luthor begins to smirk, then
lets out a small chuckle, as he indicates the podium, "Oh? Please, be my
guest." o O (Another way to cast insult on these superbuffoons. Perhaps I
should pay the way for this fool to take her, just for an added insult.
Hmmm.)

Theo turns toward the audience and squints as he accidentally stares
straight into the spotlight. "Sorry folks. Don't mean to interrupt
your...generosity. But I promised myself I.... Well, I'm just a nameless
schmuck from out of town, who doesn't have money like the rest of ya...."

Dick takes a drink from his glass and leans over to Roy. "I think that's
my..next door neighbor."

Guy smiles at Theo.

Theo says "...but I've been an admirer of the Black Canary for a while,
and I'm a sucker for a good cause." Theo turns and pulls something out of
his pocket. "I've only got about $5,000 and whatever my sincerity is
worth, but the orphanages can have it. Also, if you'll bear with me a
moment, I have something I'd like to read....""

Stepping up behind 'Kory', the Man of Tomorrow places his hands on her
shoulders, then speaks quietly to her, so that only she can hear, "What
you did took a lot, Mae. And I'm immensely proud of you. I just wish you'd
told me of your talents sooner. And why didn't you come as yourself? Was
it because of Lex?"

Theo's eyes grow momentarily sharp and emotive, and he begins to recite:
One Joy of so much anguish Sweet nature has for me I shun it as I do
Despair Or dear iniquity Why Birds, a Summer morning Before the Quick of
Day Should stab my ravished spirit With Dirks of Melody Is part of an
inquiry That will receive reply When Flesh and Spirit sunder In Death's
Immediately

Kory Anders looks at Superman a moment and then back at the stage with a
soft nod, speaking so softly that only Clark can hear her, "That was part
of it. . I just couldn't bring myself to face him again like this, knowing
what I do . . but I was also a little nervous about singing. I've never
done it publically before." She offers.

Dick's eyebrows raise in surprise. "Whoa. I didn't realize the GCPD had
poets on the force." says softly to himself.

Theo looks up from the podium, his eyes beginning to adjust to the light,
"That's apoem of Emily Dickinson's that just kind of sums up the way I
feel about..." Suddenly, Theo notices that Black Canary is no longer in
the room, and he begins to fidget, playing with his tie, nervously
smoothing his hair... "Um, sorry folks. I guess...."

Guy waits until theo is done and then says,"In the nameless Schmucks name,
with my backers money I bid. 750,000 dollars, the new orphanges, a daily
food mission for the next year, and a yearly clothing and christmas drive.
IN the name of myself, and Buck Wargo. So unless anyone wants to outbid
me, and ruin this nameless man's night, I think we are done. I would
hope."

A bemused Lex watches the drunken wretch babble on, shaking his head. o O
(Oh, this is to good an opportunity to pass up. One of that wretched
dogooder's comrades, reduced to having to go on a date with something this
pathetic. I couldn't have planned this better myself.) Looking towards the
gentleman he had taken notice of before, he motions to him for a moment,
then points to Theo and nods, giving a thumbs up sign, then turning back
to listen to the wretch again, his movements practiced and at ease, and
difficult to catch.

Theo turns, and beats a hurried, if indirect path toward the curtain and
the backstage door, leaving his contribution lying on the podium.

Superman pulls 'Kory' into another hug, whispering to her, "You were
great, Mae. Don't ever doubt that, or your worth. I'll always be proud of
my little sister." He lets her go gently, making sure not too many noticed
the unusual exchange between he and 'Kory'.

The Asian man frowns severely, but makes no move to bid. He adjusts his
sunglasses before motioning to his 'entourage' that it's time to leave.

Dick takes another pull of his drink and then scans the room for the first
time. .o0(Hmm..that hair looks familiar. That could only be Kory. Good
thing Gar didn't come to this auction if she goes up there.) Dick smiles
to himself, full of old memories.

Guy looks at the Asian man, and mouths the words. 'Loser' while he holds
his fingers up in a L shape.

Kory Anders hugs Superman tightly for a moment before letting him go,
"Thanks, Clark." She whispers back, "I really needed that." She offers a
soft smile in thanks.

Approachring the podium once more, Lex raises the gavel, looking down at
Guy with unconcealed curiousity at why he could possibly hate the Canary
so much, after having attempted to win her or himself, to want to place
her in the wretch's hands. But his curiosity is outweighed by the feeling
of satisfaction, as he calls out, "The big goes to the ...errr, very
generous gentleman, in the amount of $750 000, the orphanages, the food
and clothing. Going once ... going twice ...." He waits for oly a moment,
before calling out, "GONE!"

Theo disappears through the stage curtains, audibly berrating himself in
some unintelligible tongue, and leaves through the back door of the
auditorium.


Guy smirks at Lex,"It's Guy. Guy Gardner." Guy thinks oO Fraggin feebOo.

Guy looks at all the heroes who were giving him weird looks.

Luthor shrugs at Guy's proclamation, as the gavel comes down on the
podium, "Would the ... gentleman kindly step forth and receive his
certificate, proclaiming his winning bid." Lex looks around, then sees his
security pointing towards the curtain at the back, and nods to them to
bring him out, while he turns to Guy, "And will that be cash, check,
credit card, or simply life time payments?" A course of laughter runs
through the crowd at this statement.

Guy smirks,"Fraggin limp wristed schmucks." He heads to the back, with
Dinah's look of, oh my gawd, he leans over and kisses her on the forhead.
He then says,"Nice Dance, and this is yoru date." He points to Theo and
leaves,'I just wanted the tax write of." He winks jokingly, and knowingly.

Guy walks up to lex.

Guy pulls out a corperate american express. Guy holds it out to Lex and
leans closer as he says,"Oh, and long haired aussie freak boy. Your daddy
was a bald jackass, so shut the lookin down your nose at me crap."

Guy says this out of hearing of the Microphone.

Lex looks at the card, then at Guy, "You must be joking." He shakes his
head, muttering about buffoons who should know better, but then sighs, and
waves an aide over to take the card, "And should I assume that you'll have
an account set up for the rest of the donation?"

Guy nods to Lex and says into the Microphone,'Of course, I came from the
people I plan on helping. Lex."

Guy watches Lex's face, closely.

Luthor turns to the mic, ignoring Guy seemingly once more, although there
seems to be an adge to his voice, and a tension to his face, "Well, after
that fairly successful auction, what say we enjoy the evening once more.
Please, the refreshments and food are limitless tonight. I'm sure we will
have more excitement later ..." With that, he turns his back on Guy, and
walks off the stage, muttering to one of his aides, "Everything ...
Gardner ... buffoon. Pay dearly .... insult ..."

Superman turning on his heel, Superman excuses himself from 'Kory's' side,
and begins heading for the terrace. As he passes Luthor, he smiles, "It
seems that others know how to flaunt their wealth as well, Luthor. And for
better causes." He waves to the crowd, then steps out onto the terrace,
slowly floating upwards. As he does so, he crosses his arms over his
chest, and calls out to Luthor, "Just remember. I'm always watching you."
With that, he takes off into the evening sky.

Guy stretches and makes his way to the door.

Guy is singing/mutter an old sea chanty about short, tubby, bald idiots.
Guy has left.

Dick drains his glass and sets it on a passing tray. Offered another he
takes it and continues drinking.

Kory Anders watches her 'brother' leave and then turns to leave as well.
As she approaches the entrance, her black Lincoln superstretch limosine
pulls up again and one of the attendants escorts her to the door as
another opens it for her. Kory Anders has left.

Dick walks out after 'Kory' with his drink still in his hand. He sees her
drive away in the limo and then shrugs. .o0(You really have to work on
your timing Grayson.) He then walks down the street, drink in hand... Dick
has left.


***Fade to black, as Theo passes out, finding out he won the date with
Dinah, and Guy gets picked up, after mysteriously being altered into Gal
Gardner, by the older gentlemen who'd been hitting on Dinah earlier and 
hoped to win her in the auction.  Okay, so maybe that didn't happen to
Guy, but we can have fun imagining it, right?***