Tales From the Cave-Beauty & the Superbeast

Trying to Get Along

M'gann wasn't sure how long she had been crying when she heard a clink from outside her bedroom door. "M'gann? Are you in there?" M'gann immediately sat up and wiped her eyes. "Zatanna? Is that really you?" "Yes, its me." "And me!" M'gann recognized Robin's voice, and a much-needed smile came onto her face. "Its so good to hear your voices!" "Yours, too. We were wondering if you'd like some nice hot tea to cheer you up. Can you open the door and let us in?"

Without a second thought, M'gann flew to the doorway and quickly punched in her passcode. Her smile quickly faded, however, when the door opened and no one was there. She leaned forward, looking out into the halls. "Zatanna?" "Down here." M'gann looked down and gasped loudly seeing a teapot and teacup with faces, hopping up and down to get her attention. "Hi."

She bent down and scooped up the teapot, gasping again when she recognized the face on it's side. "Zatanna?! Is that really you?!" "The one and only.", Zatanna sighed. "Don't forget me!", the little teacup cried, in Robin's voice. M'gann felt herself lose her balance as she stumbled backwards into the large wardrobe in her bedroom. Then she thought of something. Wait a minute...I don't have a wardrobe! She turned around just in time to see said piece of furniture come to life and speak in a familiar voice. "Hey there, Megs! Long time, no see!"

"Raquel?!", M'gann cried in shock. She looked around, the reality of her situation setting in. "What...what happened to you guys? Wh-Why are you..." Raquel pouted. "Trust me, its a long story." "Let's just say Conner chose the wrong person to mess with.", Robin said. M'gann's brow furrowed in anger. "Are you telling me Conner's responsible for this?", she said in a bitter tone. "Figures. He's not content with ruining his own life. He has to ruin everyone else's."

Zatanna looked at her Martian friend with kind, comforting eyes. "We heard what you did for your dad. It was really brave of you to take his place." "Yeah!", Raquel said in agreement. "We all think so. You got guts, girl. I admire that."  M'gann felt newborn tears threaten to leak from her eyes.  "But now I've lost everything.  My family, my independence, my dreams..."

All three team members looked at her with sadness.  Of all the people they knew combined, they knew that M'gann was the least deserving of a fate such as this.  Zatanna gave her a sympathetic smile.  "Don't worry.  Things will turn out alright in the end.  I promise."  She wiggled out of M'gann's fingers and dropped to the floor without getting a crack in her fine china body.  "Well, I better get to the kitchen.  Robin and I will see you at dinner!"

"Now,", Raquel said as Zatanna and Robin wobbled out of the room.  "What should you wear?  Oh!  I have just the thing!"  She went the doors in her chest opened to reveal a gallery of gorgeous gowns.  She pulled out a lavender one.  "Here we are!"  She directed M'gann towards her full-length mirror and positioned the gown over her torso to give her a glimpse of how she'd look in it.  "You'll look great in this!  Con won't be able to take his eyes off you, even to eat his dinner!"

M'gann shook her head as she took the dress from Raquel.  "Oh, that's very kind of you, Rach.", she said as nicely as possible, carelessly tossing the gown onto her bed.  "But I think I'm just gonna skip dinner."  "What?!", Raquel screeched.  "You can't do that!  Conner will be furious!"  "Let him be furious.", M'gann said firmly.  "I don't care."

Before Raquel could beg her to go, the door opened.  A little clock walked in, clearing his throat.  M'gann blinked twice in surprise, recognizing the face on the time plate.  "Kaldur?  How—"  He held up a little wooden hand.  "Long story.  I'll tell you later.  Right now, your dinner and your host is waiting for you in the dining area."  Raquel looked at M'gann, waiting to see what she would do.

The Martian girl walked over to her pink butterfly bed.  Sitting on the edge, she folded her arms over her breasts and said bluntly but politely, "I'm not leaving this room."
---------------
Conner paced back and forth in front of the dinner table, nicely set up for two.  His already short patience was wearing thinner and thinner with every minute that passed.  "Where is she?", he grumbled.  "What's taking her so long?"  Zatanna tried to keep the smile on her face as she emptied the cold tea out of the cups and repoured hot tea in them for the hundredth time.  "I'll bet she's trying to look her best, just for you."