Chương 23: Chapter 23: Power of Love or Something Like That
While Danny's job parameters had changed very rapidly in the past few months, he hadn't expected to begin receiving requests from the criminally inclined instead of his usual child patients. The fact that this requester was currently knocking on his apartment door was even further unappreciated.
"Would you just let them in so they stop making so much noise?!" Harley's voice drifted from the living room, her annoyance clear. "They're interrupting Game of Thrones!"
"You'll be thanking them for that later," Danny muttered under his breath as he peeked through his door's peephole. He was fairly certain the man on the right was Hal Jordan (even if he didn't have his suit on now, Danny remembered his face and bravado from his time on the Watchtower). The black haired woman next to him, however, was a complete stranger. She was dressed like a biker chick, with a worn leather jacket, black and pink striped leggings and black boots. Danny thought she might've been a newly discovered model or actress from her looks, but he didn't think he was that out of the loop. "If I ignore salesmen for long enough, they're required to leave, right?"
"Oh, what is your problem now?" Danny heard Ivy huff in irritation as she came up beside him and pushed him aside with her hip to have a chance to look through the hole. "Ohhh," she hummed in agreement. "Yes, traveling salespeople definitely. They should move on soon."
Danny and Ivy tensed as one of the visitors knocked on the door again. "You know-" the woman in the hall must've been speaking right next to the door- "our rings can sense your presence." Oh, come on. He couldn't even be left alone at home? "I'm also not above creating a key to fit your lock."
"Carol, really?" That must've been Hal. Clearly, the safety of the universe was in the 'right hands.'
Danny had had enough of people breaking into his apartment by now, and he wasn't about to let Hal Jordan and his girlfriend join that list. With a defeated sigh, Danny waved Ivy away from the door, unlocked it, and opened the door.
"What do you want." It wasn't even a question at this point. Danny stared blankly at the two uninvited guests and wished he lived on a private island.
"Lovely to meet you too," Carol (the woman who just threatened his door) said in a sugary sweet voice as she walked through the door. "I see we've interrupted a gathering of the Gotham Girls."
That was certainly one way to put it, though maybe not the best way when you're already an unwelcome guest. Danny had to hold his left arm out to keep Ivy from lunging at the door and attacking Carol. He really didn't want a fight to start here because it would most certainly destroy his apartment. No matter how nature-based Ivy's powers were, he was fairly certain that's not what his renter's insurance was referring to in the "natural disasters" clause.
"What. Do. You. Want," Danny flatly intoned, hoping to direct their attention back to him. He was not enjoying how his home had somehow become his office now. All he wanted to do was eat some lunch while listening to Harley's live commentary to whatever show she was currently watching.
"No, wait; let's see where this goes," Hal said with a grin that quickly disappeared under Ivy and Carol's glares. Danny just sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Hal Jordan's mouth always had a way of getting him into situations like this.
"Carol, why don't you come in. The Green Lantern can stay outside," Ivy smiled politely as she beckoned the Star Sapphire inside and closed the door in Hal's face. "Would you like a drink? I certainly need one." Before he knew it, the two villainesses were chatting like old friends as they sat in the kitchen, drinking wine from crystal glasses that he wasn't even aware they had.
Danny still wasn't pleased. "Carol, really, what are you here for?" He asked during a break in their conversation.
"Star Sapphires fight against hate and fear to protect and give love," Carol explained. "I try and help hospitalized children as Carol Ferris, whether it means paying off med-flight debts or flying them across the country to see a specialist. But I know the thing some of these kids need most is a little extra love and support… and I can do that as a Sapphire. I heard you're the 'Villain Wrangler,'" she used her fingers to make air quotes around his newfound title, "so here I am."
Danny just stared at her for a moment. This wasn't the first person who had come to him before a request was sent out, but he was surprised at how straightforward she was. "Officially, I can't do anything without a request," he finally replied. "Unofficially, Gotham Children's has group storytimes every Wednesday morning. They're at 9 AM so meet me outside and I'll have it set up."
"Wonderful!" Ivy drawled, waving her hand nonchalantly. "Now that that's settled, let us know when Selina shows up and Harley finishes her episode. Can't have a talk about ridiculous men without them."
Danny had seen kids become happy and hopeful because of his visitors, but never had he seen someone affect them in the way Star Sapphire did.
He sat at the back of the playroom, watching in awe as she made her stories come to life with pink constructs from her power ring. The same pink color shimmered around her form as she entertained the dozen children seated in front of her, and Danny swore that some of the sicker children had begun to glow too – they all seemed more full of life than they had before.
He wasn't the only one who had noticed it. Several of the nurses had been whispering off to the side as they observed their charges, and one of them had eventually approached him to ask about Star Sapphire.
"Is she a healer?"
He shrugged. "Right now she is." He assumed her powers were at least somewhat similar to Green Lantern's, but to what extent he had no idea. It didn't seem she was outright healing these children, but maybe indirectly boosting their resolve or energy? He had no idea, he wasn't an expert in this sort of stuff. She didn't seem to be harming the kids, so he wasn't worried. Both the kids and Carol seemed to be enjoying themselves anyways. That's all he cared about in the end.
The nurse agreed with him. "Well, whatever she's doing is wonderful. Do you think she'd be open to coming back?"
A smile slid across his face. "I'm sure she'd like that."
As he looked back to see her with a young girl now seated on her lap and pink butterfly constructs landing on all the children's outstretched hands, Danny knew she'd be back.
Thanks to everyone who's checked in on me, I'm okay! I was studying abroad for several weeks and didn't have much time. Hope y'all liked this one too.
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