A Day in the Life

J'Onn J'Onzz, better known as Martian Manhunter, was an image of incongruities. The green-skinned, bald alien was dressed in his usual work clothes, only today instead of his human form, he was sitting in his true Martian form. The sight of the spindly-legged green alien with a two-pronged head was really disconcerting for the new-to-the-superhero world Firebird. She still hadn't completely adjusted to this form of the Manhunter, but she was working up to it.

J'Onn looked up from the book he was reading, his obligatory bag of Oreos sitting opened beside him. He fixed his stare onto Juanita and told her, "She went on an emergency . . . something in Atlanta I believe. Anyway, she won't be back until much later so you can relax if you wish."

Firebird always felt awkward when under that gaze, as if J'Onn could see right through her . . . and it didn't help matters any to know that he could read her mind whenever he wished. Find out all her thoughts, all her feelings . . . everything she had been keeping hidden from the JLA since she had joined them. Noting that the Manhunter was expecting a reply from her, she said "No, thank you . . . I guess I'll just rest in my room then . . . that is if there are no impending emergencies?"

"No, no emergencies right now, and anyway, Mantis is on monitor duty, so if anything comes up, she'll summon the entire team," replied J'Onn, for the first time noting how uncomfortable the young girl looked. He felt pity for this poor girl. She never asked for this. It was more of a duty that was thrust upon her by forces beyond her control.

"You know . . . considering there are no emergencies, maybe you should go out for a while. This is the first time since you've joined us that we have not had to go on a mission or distance ourselves from a dictatorial liaison with the government." Noting the bland expression on Juanita's face, J'Onn added, "That was a joke by the way. Not a good one, but a smile would be appreciated.

"Also," continued J'Onn without bothering to glance at Firebird to know that he had the desired effect, "you haven't had a chance to properly see New York City yet. The Big Apple! So, how about you and I, we both go out for a tour of this fine metropolis?"

"I totally agree!!" a voice from out of nowhere suddenly jumped in.

"Hello, Jan," said the Manhunter greeting his diminutive teammate. "How goes your investment portfolio?"

"Not bad, in fact, I was finished so I figured I'd come hang out here, but since you seem to be in such a nice mood today, how about we all take a day off? I mean, aside from Mantis, everyone else here is just sitting in the Meeting Hall, wasting their time," said Jan, in her usual disarming flighty way. That very same flightiness had fooled many a super-villain into dropping their guard and the Manhunter was always astonished at how the woman seemed to change when in battle and when out of it.

"Normally I would say that you were just trying to weasel out of your duties in the JLA, but considering that I'm in 'such a good mood,' why not? Please go and inform everyone of this decision, and give my condolences to Mantis, would you? She will undoubtedly be lonely, sitting alone at monitor duty," said the Manhunter as he saw the Wasp's tiny body fly out of the room at a speed that would probably make Flash look twice.

"So, Bonita, you never answered my question . . . Would you like me to accompany you on a little trip? In my human form of course," said J'Onn, turning towards Bonita again.

"Thanks for the offer, J'Onn, not that I don't appreciate the offer, but if you don't mind, I'd rather just be alone today. Do some thinking. Also, I want to try to contact some of my old friends and with you along that would just be awkward," finished Firebird in a flustered voice, obviously very uncomfortable at turning down the Manhunter to an offer he had extended.

Taken aback, J'Onn said in a hurry, "Of course, of course, I understand, please go on, I'll just take this opportunity to meet up with an old friend as well. We can exchange colorful anecdotes about them when we return, eh?" said the Manhunter, looking at Juanita and understanding in an instant exactly why she had turned him down on his offer. It's nothing to do with you ol' fella. It's just something she has to do.

"Well, I'll be going then. See you in the evening," said Firebird as she left the room. I can't believe I turned down the Manhunter . . . I mean it was the MANHUNTER!!! What was I thinking? Oh, well, what's done is done, I may as well get this over with.

She looked around at the noble assemblage and noted the people who were absent today, off on missions which did not require the entire team but which were just as serious as anything that the team handled. The majority of the people present today were relatively new to JLA and this was something they all needed; Her most of all.

"But Wasp . . . should not one of us stay with Mantis as a precaution? Just in case something goes wrong which we cannot arrive back in time for?" asked Icon, in a noble voice which gave the feeling that he was commanding someone to stay rather than asking.

"Well . . . since you asked, I guess you're the one volunteering, Icon. Have fun, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," replied Jan as she flew off with a sparkle in her eyes. She knew things were still tense between the new members and a little one-on-one interaction was just the ticket. Latching onto Hank Pym's currently normal-sized shoulders, Wasp proceeded to whisper in his ear about their plans for the day.

"Of course it is, sweetie," replied Jan with a carefree air that did not give away the misgivings she herself felt about this. "You are the one who suggested that maybe we should attempt to settle our differences away from the team dynamic, and I don't see a better way to start than by having a picnic in the park where had our very first date," finished Jan, the happy-go-lucky personality fairly dampened by the mention of the word 'date'.

OH MY GOD!!! I can't believe I said that. After the break-up, it was the one thing we swore we would never mention to each other. What was I thinking?

Hank was taken aback slightly. She still remembers our first date! That means there's still hope. I knew that she might still love me.. the way that I still love her.

"Hank . . . Hank . . . Hello, paging Dr. Pym, anyone home?" said the Wasp staring into Pym's eyes and not finding any response.

"Oh, of course, I'm right behind you, I was just thinking . . . about an experiment I've been working on in the lab," replied Pym, with as much grace as he could possibly salvage.

"Same old Hank. You never change do you?" asked the Wasp as she wistfully remembered their time as a couple.

"Calm down, Jan," said Hank Pym. "God, you're acting like you're fighting Thanos, and not something as innocuous as a calorie-laden, extremely delicious, french pastry," finished Pym, while taking a big bite of the food almost as a direct challenge to Jan.

"Ha! Easy for you to say, 'Mr. I can change my mass content'. Us normal folks have to worry about fitting into our costumes, and about how our calves look fat . . . " muttered the Wasp pouting as she stared at the scrumptious delight.

"You know I've always said that you're beautiful . . . no matter how fat you get!!" laughed Hank Pym as he ducked the playful punch Jan directed at his shoulder.

"I'll get you for that Pym, but tell me, are you telling the truth?"

"Of course not, you are as fat as the world is cubic," replied Pym with a hint of annoyance.

"Not that . . . I meant do you really think that I'm beautiful?" asked Jan with not a little hint of irritation in her voice too.

"Oh, that . . . well . . . of course, of course anyone would, you're a perfectly healthy human specimen of physical perfection and anyone who saw you would be smitten," replied Pym looking a little more uncomfortable than he usually did.

"Ohhhh!!! You're impossible Henry Pym! Here we are, having a delightful picnic in a romantic setting and all you do is degenerate me into a clinical specimen instead of the woman you still loved. Well, I've had it, if you want to seriously talk about what is really on both our minds, come find me . . . otherwise, just leave me alone!!" stormed Jan before getting up and walking away in a hurry so that Pym would not see the tears in her eyes.

" . . . But . . . But . . . I still love you," said Pym behind her in a voice so soft that even he barely heard himself.

As Jan smoldered with these thoughts she started to walk towards the center of the park . . . a place which was surprisingly empty today. Suddenly she looked up, feeling a sense of foreboding that always accompanied long silences, and saw . . . nothing!

That's it Jan, make it harder on yourself, create the boogeyman.

"Well, well . . . look who we have here, if it isn't my dearest, oldest friend, Janet van Dyne herself, or should I say the Wasp?" said a voice coming from directly in front of the Wasp where there had been no one just a second before.

"Yellowjacket!" gasped the Wasp instantly shrinking down to Wasp size and hovering above her now useless relaxing clothes.

Good thing I wore my work clothes underneath today . . . I hate to think what would've happened if I hadn't . . .

"Waspy, c'mon, no need to go all shrinky on me, I just want to talk, that's all. Won't you talk, for old times sake?" Yellowjacket said, almost plaintively.

"What do you want . . . Rita?" replied Jan with more than a hint of disbelief in her voice.

"Well . . . the thing is that my current lifestyle is not very conductive towards my social standing, I mean who wants to hang around you when you're in America's Most Wanted? And forget about being invited to dinner parties!!

"And I can't even go shopping anymore, all everybody does is point and snicker . . . I gotta tell ya, it's a bore!" finished Rita with her usual flighty grin, which reminded Jan of why she despised this woman so much.

" . . . and I should care because?" asked Jan, mildly curious this time.

"I need your help. Help me remove this costume. Y'know that ever since this was grafted on to me, I've been acting like a very bad person. But you know the real me, you know I would never hurt a fly much less kill people. You're the only one who can help me. Please say you'll help me . . . please?"

Yellowjacket's lips actually quivered as she approached Janet.

"Yellowjac- . . . I mean Rita, you know I would love to help you. I'm so glad you want to seek restitution for your crimes. Come home with me, please and I'll get Hank to get you out that suit in no time flat," replied Wasp, warming up to the idea of helping an enemy, but an enemy who had once been nothing more than a friendly societal rival.

"C'mon, let's -- Ahhhhh!!" screamed Wasp as she was suddenly hit in the chest by a blast of pressurized air.

"I'm sorry Jan, I really am, but they said they would help me if I brought you to them. Trust me, this is nothing personal. I give you to them and they give me my freedom." while talking Yellowjacket had already punched the shocked Wasp in gut and was now holding her hair in her hands and attempting to pull her with her.

"But I can help you, too, you don't have to do this," groaned Jan as she looked for an opening. Finding none she shrank to wasp-size and tried to fly away and get a better handle on the situation.

"Uh-huh! No way are you getting off that easy. They told me to come prepared." with those words, Yellowjacket suddenly reached into a satchel she had over her shoulder and produced a mini-cage.

Before the Wasp could respond to this new threat, Yellowjacket had already trapped her in the cage and activated a blue light around it. The Wasp didn't know what it meant but she did know that she was now officially in trouble.

"Go ahead! Try to shrink. Try to grow back to normal. Can't, can you? I'll tell you why. They explained it all to me, they're really smart, I know they can help me. They said that the blue light was a special kind of sonic field. They said that it would make the part of your mind that handles your size changes numb and that I could then bring you to them. And that's just what I'll do now, I'll take you to them, yes, you bet I will." Rita kept saying over and over again, like a mantra as she started to jump away from the park.

"I wouldn't go any further if I were you," said a voice from behind Rita. "It would be very bad for your disposition, it's current sunniness aside."

"No! You can't take her away from me! She's my ticket to freedom. My freedom is everything!" yelled Yellowjacket as she embraced the cage to her chest even more tightly.

"I don't think so . . . I hate to be so cliched but since my mother didn't raise me to hit women, maybe just this once you would appreciate being hit on the head by a photon cannon, no?" said Hank Pym as he stepped out of the shadows, carrying a humongous gun on his shoulder.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!! I JUST WANT TO BE FREE, PLEASE LEA--" Yellowjacket started screaming when Pym let loose a bolt of energy and she slumped to the ground, dropping the cage.

Pym quickly got to the cage and deactivating the sonic resonance field, allowed Jan to escape.

"Honey, you didn't, did you? Use an actual photon cannon on her? She's very sick, she was not responsible for her actions. I . . . " Jan started expounding before being interrupted by Hank, "No, I didn't, I lied, it's only a neural scrambler, she'll be fine in a minute, but let's get her to the mansion's holding facilities, before that happens, shall we?"

"Okay, let's go, c'mon!"

I can't believe how much in love with him I am. No matter what, I will marry him again, if I have to beat him on the head to convince him of it.

God help me! I created that! I created that monstrosity! What was I thinking, renewing my romance with Jan, when I have so many unresolved issues still left from my past. No matter what, I will not allow her to ever come to harm again. Until I have dealt with everything that I have to, I will never approach her again.