What Fools These Mortals Be

Chapter 1 - Shot Blocked

Querl has his assignment: Lena Luthor. Apparently, she's fairly well known around these parts, not that that matters to him. Querl is the job, and the job is taking the shot, making the shot, and moving on to the next target. He's known for both his accuracy and efficiency, and what he lacks in the more... romantic aspects of the profession he more than makes up for with his success rate. Querl is flawless, and Lena Luthor is about to be another feather, so to speak, in his cap.

He's scoped out her schedule for the last seventy-two hours. She's an orderly woman, something he can respect, and one who starts her work days early and ends them late. It's a habit he means to put an end to today. She allows herself lunch out of the office only twice a week and always with the same person, Miss Kara Danvers.

Kara is light and sunshine to Lena's shadowy self-doubts, and if opposites attract, it's rather amazing these two can peel apart from each other at all. They more than accessorize each other, providing strengths where the other is weak but still having enough in common to have a strong basis for their relationship. It would be a dynamic relationship if they didn't also happen to be the two most clueless people on the planet when it came to this subject. Lena might be capable of curing cancer and Kara capable of winning a Pultizer, but it doesn't look like either of them will be capable of finding their way out of the closet on their own.

As Lena heads to the cafe where Kara waits, Querl is already in position. He pulls his bow out and notches the arrow that quite literally has Lena's name on it along with the number 1,000. It's meant for her and her alone, and it has one job to do. Miss Luthor is about to be a milestone. He has a clear view of the smile growing on Lena's face as Kara rises and waves excitedly. The two women hug, and Querl waits for them to separate so his target is clear. As soon as they sit, he lets his arrow loose.

The arrow streaks toward its target with perfect aim. It's going to be a direct shot to Lena's chest, right in the heart. It's not just any arrow either. It's magic allows it to go through solid objects, pass through other mortals, and continue until it strikes true in the heart of its intended who is now gazing into the eyes of her one true love. Nothing can stop it. Well, almost nothing can stop it. Even as Lena and Kara smile cluelessly at each other, a silver streak flashes in from the opposite direction. It's headed toward Kara and on an intercept path with Querl's arrow. The two objects strike in a flash of light that causes the women to blink away and then look around at the street for the cause. Querl's arrow is consumed, lost in the only thing that can stop it, the arrow of another Cupid.

"No. Sprok, no."

With a wave of his hand, Querl's bow, quiver, and wings disappear as he steps into view. It takes no time at all to find the equally exasperated looking young woman who's casting her gaze around for another Cupid. She has long brown hair, full lips, two-tone blue robes, and a flurry of light blue feathers that poof around her as her wings snap away and disappear as she takes on a mortal persona. She makes eye contact with Querl and sends him a glare he immediately returns.

They know each other well. They're the two highest ranked Cupids still in active service, and they've vied for assignments for years. This isn't the first time their paths have crossed, but this is the first time it's ended in disaster.

"What did you do?" She marches over to him, spine rigid and hands fisted at her sides. Though she phrases it as a question, it's more of an accusation.

"Me?" His head snaps back, and it takes him a good three count to find the words to respond, but when he does it's with righteous indignation. "You're the one that shot my arrow and ruined my assignment."

"No way. She's my assignment. I've been tracking her for two days, and I haven't seen you anywhere. You've made a clerical mistake, and ooooooh boy will you be in trouble when this gets to the Eroses."

"Sprok you and sprok the Eroses."

She gasps.

"I don't make mistakes. I've had this assignment for seventy-two hours, and this is the first I've seen of you. You're the one who's stepped into my assignment. Show me your work order."

"Show me yours," she replies.

After a moment's grumbling, they both pull out a scroll and exchange them. Very quickly the truth is revealed, and the confusion cleared up.

"Lena Luthor is your assignment," the woman says.

"Yes, and someone assigned you Kara Danvers at the exact same time. Why?"

She hands him back his scroll and takes hers, rolling it up as she sighs. "They are rather clueless. Maybe the powers that be thought a wake up call to just one of them wouldn't be enough."

"I suppose that's the only thing that makes any sense. Still, this is an unmitigated disaster. Their arrows are both destroyed."

"Maybe they'll fall in love without any external influence."

Both Cupids look over at the women in question. Kara is shoving french fries into her mouth a half-dozen at a time while waving her other hand around and telling a story, and Lena is half checked out while she reads work emails.

"That seems extremely unlikely," Querl says.

"Crap. What do you think our chances of getting replacement arrows are?"

"And admit defeat? Never. We're Cupids. Just because we can't use the magic of our arrows doesn't mean we surrender. What was it they told us on the first day of school?"

"Love will find a way, and you are that way. But our arrows are spent."

"Nia, do you trust me?"

"No, you're an arrogant, know it all, assignment stealer, and those are some of your better traits."

"But do I get the job done?"

Rather unwillingly, Nia admits, "Yes."

"Good enough. We'll need to work together if we're to succeed. What do you know about the ancient art of human matchmaking?"

"Nothing, but I'm a quick study."

Querl glances over as Kara manages to knock her drink over. Both ladies jump up from the table, barely managing not to wear the beverage that quickly spreads over the glass top and drips to the ground.

"I hope that's true because it looks like we have our work cut out for us. We're going to need every advantage we can find if we're going to bring these two to their happily ever after."