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The Watchtower, Justice League Orbital HQ

The Present

"Again? You pull this shit again?" 

Dinah Lance wasn't just seeing red. No, her rage was white hot. Her blood was steaming, a heated flush rising up her neck and face like lava overflow. If this were Looney Tunes, there'd be smoke shooting out her ears. And it was all because of one man. One stupid, lousy, pigheaded jackass called Oliver Queen.

"Dinah, babe, come on…"

Of course he couldn't just take the break-up and let her walk away with some semblance of dignity. No, he had to follow her, pleading with her to give him yet another chance. Right in front of everybody, too. Half of the cape community watching and whispering as Black Canary and Green Arrow aired out their dirty laundry right there in the Watchtower halls. Just what Dinah needed.

She tightened her jaw, keeping her eyes locked forward as she continued on. She couldn't stand to look at him. Even seeing his face as she closed her eyes fueled the fire of her fury. Of her embarrassment.

"After all I did to help you clean up Star City…" Dinah fumed, snarling through her teeth as she kept marching forward. She must have looked like she was a warpath, because other heroes in the hall quickly stepped aside to give her a wide berth. "All the bullshit billionaire drama I had to put up with… you go and cheat again!"

She heard the onlookers murmuring around her, tiny gasps and hushed whispers shared between colleagues. Dinah didn't care if they heard all the dirty details. Not anymore. If Ollie didn't give a damn about their relationship, then she wasn't going to give a damn about his reputation. Everyone ought to know that Green Arrow didn't shoot straight. Other women deserved a warning, after all.

Behind her, she heard the man - the pig - sputter, stumbling pathetically over his words. 

"It was for a mission!" Ollie's reply was weak, lame. No conviction in his voice - not even he believed the bullshit coming out of his mouth. "I had to keep my cover, Dinah!"

The whine in his voice only pissed her off that much more. Dinah shook her head in disgust. What had she ever seen in him?

"You had to keep your cover for a full weekend at a Caribbean resort?" She whirled around on him then, setting upon him all the rage welled up in her eyes. If only she had laser vision like Superman. "Oh no, what a fucking sacrifice! Don't even fucking talk to me!"

He seemed to shrink under her gaze, his shoulder slumping slightly as he retreated half a step - like he was afraid she was going to snap at him with her teeth. Like she was some sort of rabid animal. That stirred up even more anger, the thought that he would look down on her. Ollie was the real animal, the pig who couldn't control his urges.

Dinah gave her ex one last disgusted sneer before whirling back around. It was only when her eyes were off him that Ollie found his courage again. His voice rose up behind her, most unwelcome to her ears.

"Jesus, Dinah, would you calm down for just a second? You're overreacting-"

That was it. Something in Dinah's mind snapped. Her vision went white. Her fury was the surface of the sun. All consuming. For so long, the pressure was building. And it lashed out like a solar flare.

The next thing Dinah knew, she was staring down at Ollie. He was groaning in pain, laying flat on his back in the middle of a cracked floor panel.

Dinah blinked. She had used her Canary Cry… and literally shouted the jackass down. She had retained a sound enough mind not to use the full force of her powers - if she had, Ollie would have been a red smear on the ground. But it was… amusing to see him so weak, so pathetic. Like she had revealed him for what he truly was. 

Soon enough the rage that clouded her mind faded… and reason took control back from emotion. Suddenly, Dinah was very aware of all the eyes that were on her and Ollie. She was frozen to the spot as her eyes danced around the hall. She couldn't count the number of people staring, heroes and Watchtower staff alike.

Shit.

Dinah swallowed, saying nothing as she watched Mr. Terrific come forth to help Ollie up to his feet.

The blond archer groaned, trying to find his balance on shaky legs, holding onto Terrific for support. The other man shot Dinah a look and she could see shock behind his T-shaped mask. But ultimately he said nothing. Dinah knew then why he was called the third smartest man in the world. It took a certain wisdom to not get involved in arguments that weren't any of your business.

Ollie lifted his head, his own domino mask half-falling from his face. There was pleading in the eye that Dinah could see. 

So pathetic…

Ollie reached out for her.

"Babe… please… calm down… " 

Suddenly, the rage was back. Dinah could feel it bubbling in her veins. She couldn't explain it, how everything the man did and said now just seemed to piss her off.

"Ollie… If I wasn't calm… you'd be in the emergency room…" Dinah hissed, feeling enough of a fire to step forward threateningly. "With the doctors trying to dislodge your bow from your ass!"

Both Ollie and Mr. Terrific took a step back, but only Ollie threw his hands up. A desperate move for defense, but it wouldn't have helped him one bit. Dinah could have put him in the ground with a single breath. The blond archer wisely didn't talk back this time. 

Dinah felt a small surge of satisfaction as Terrific helped the jackass limp away. Only to have that too snuffed out, catching what Terrific whispered in her ex's ear.

"Damn, Arrow. You're really pushing your luck. You ever heard of meta volatility?"

"She's… volatile, all right."

"You're lucky her shout didn't put you six feet under, dumbass. Let's get you patched up…"

Dinah had heard enough. Her whole body buzzing with anger, it took every bit of her willpower to just turn and walk away. No one made a move to stop her, quickly moving aside to let her pass. 

Yeah, you'd better… or I'll go volatile on your asses…

Meta volatility. Dinah had heard the phrase once or twice. She thought it was a load of bullshit, just government eggheads trying to get the public all scared of metahumans. But if Mr. Terrific was taking it seriously…

Dinah snorted. Let them be afraid of her. It wasn't her fault that regular humans were so disappointing. She was the Black Canary, one of the baddest bitches on the Justice League. She was the chick who kicked ass and looked hot as hell doing it. She wasn't going to shed any more tears over Oliver fucking Queen.

He's human garbage, Dinah reminded herself. Emphasis on the human.

- - -

Clear on the other side of the Watchtower, Karen Starr overheard everything. The break-up, the argument, the pathetic begging from Green Arrow, and especially the Canary Cry that solidified just how done Dinah was with the man.

And now the blonde brawler was headed Karen's way, right for the Watchtower Lounge. The tall, sculpted Kryptonian took a small sip of her drink, smiling to herself. All she had to do was wait.

A minute or two later, the Black Canary came marching in. Even fuming as she was with her pretty face twisted in anger, Canary looked immaculate. Karen drew her eyes up those long toned legs clad in fishnets and shin-length, laced-up boots… then that black bodice so tight and snug to her waist and chest. Karen saw that she was missing her usual black leather jacket, which left her pale shoulders and arms delightfully bare. Tight and toned, but not muscly like Wonder Woman or even Karen herself. The Canary was a head-turner. Nobody with a pulse could ignore her.

Just as Karen predicted, she made a beeline straight for the lounge bar. Out of the corner of her eye, Karen watched Dinah reach over the counter, snatch a bottle of Vodka, and pour herself a shot. Then, without so much as a flinch, the blonde tipped her head back and gulped it down. She slammed the shot glass onto the bar, huffing.

Karen raised a brow, but otherwise kept an even expression. She swiveled on her bar stool to face her new drinking buddy.

"Having a rough day?" Karen rested her chin on her open palm, swirling the hard lemonade in her own icy glass.

Dinah poured herself another shot. She lifted the shot glass to her lips.

"Just getting rid of some baggage. Been weighing me down for years." She answered. Just like before, she downed the shot without flinching. Karen's eyes stayed on Dinah's throat, watching it tense as she swallowed.

"Ouch." Karen offered sympathy in that single word.

"He deserves worse." Dinah breathed out, a frown drooping her lovely face. Some strands of golden hair fell down, across her eyes, nose, lips. It made her seem like she'd just gotten out of a brawl… or a roll in bed.

"I don't doubt it." Karen snorted. She set down her drink and slid off her stool. "I couldn't help but overhear…"

"The whole damn station overheard." Dinah said bluntly. 

Karen sensed Dinah's heartbeat speed up for a moment. So too did the Kryptonian catch the blush rising in the other woman's cheeks. Thanks to the Vodka. 

For a moment the blonde brawler said nothing. Then, with a heavy sigh, she buried her face in her hands. Karen inched closer, sympathy welling up in her heart for her fellow superheroine. She leaned against the bar, resting her elbows on it, but remained mindful enough to leave Dinah some space.

"I don't mean to get too personal here, but…" Karen pursed her lips, taking a moment to find the right words. Dinah stayed still, only peering at Karen through her open fingers. "A woman like you shouldn't get so worked up over a guy like him."

Especially not a guy with no powers…

Dinah let out another long sigh, letting her hands fall flat on the bar. A groan followed, frustration and disgust wavering in the woman's throat.

"I shouldn't." She agreed. "But I am. That son of a bitch…"

Karen took a chance, reaching out to place a gloved hand on Dinah's bare shoulder. 

"Put your mind off of him. Forget about him. You're the Black Canary. A chump like Green Arrow could never bring you down."

A bit sappy, but Karen gave it the edge of sincerity as she looked right into Dinah's eyes. And she very much liked the fire she saw within them. And that fire was burning bright. Though that may have been because of the Vodka…

Dinah breathed in, nodding. She pushed off from the bar, standing - coming up some inches short of Karen. But the fire in her eyes burned even brighter then, making Dinah seem as towering as a giant.

"You know what… you're absolutely right." A bold smile cracked at Dinah's lips. With a finger, she poked Karen in the chest - barely missing the open circle in the fabric. A deep chuckle rumbled up in the brawler's chest. "I'm not going to bawl my eyes out over… over some guy! I'm not going to waste another second thinking about Green Arrow. I'm… I'm gonna go get fucking drunk!"

Karen returned the shorter blonde's smile… but made a point of eyeing the tall - and open - bottle of booze that was still resting on the bar.

"You mean you're not already?"

"I'm no lightweight, Power Girl." Dinah puffed up with pride then, smirking. Her eyes were blazing then, wild with intent. She stepped closer, poking Karen again in her ample chest. "I'm hitting up a bar. A real bar. A club! And I'm going to drink that watering hole dry! And if anyone - anyone - gives me shit… I'll put them on their ass!"

A small laugh rose up in Karen's throat. More impressed than mocking, of course. Karen didn't want to spoil the woman's mood. And an angry Canary meant bad news for the Watchtower lounge.

"Damn. Go get 'em, babe." Karen offered a supportive smile. But Dinah didn't seem satisfied. She shook her head up at the taller blonde.

"And you're coming with me." Dinah smirked, poking Karen in the chest again. This time, her finger slipped through the boob window, sinking an inch or so into her cleavage. Pointedly, Dinah let her touch linger before drawing her hand away. Long enough for Karen to notice… and in turn feel quite intrigued.

"Oh?" Karen grinned.

"It'll be a celebration!" Dinah laughed, nodding. "To women freeing themselves from human garbage!"

The way Dinah spat out the word human with such distaste only piqued Karen's curiosity that much more. In the span of about a second, Karen's mind raced through the possibilities, the potential that the Black Canary had to offer. In the end, the decision Karen made was an easy one. Dinah Lance was a metahuman. And that was all that mattered to Cythonna.

The Black Canary would make a fine addition to their sisterhood.

Karen gave the shorter blonde a bright smile.

"I'll drink to that."

"We're gonna be doing a lot of drinking." Dinah laughed, coiling her arm around Karen's. Together, they headed for the Watchtower's Zeta station - there were clubs back on Earth calling their names. "I hope you can hold your liquor, blondie."

"Of course." Karen lifted her chin with pride. "You think they call me Power Girl for nothing? I'm no lightweight, either."

Dinah let out a snort and a cackle, leaning against Karen with a bit more familiarity than expected from a professional colleague. But Karen allowed it. The lingering touch, the warmth of her body, the way her hand drew slowly over the firm muscle of her arm… all those little things held so much promise. But nothing held more promise than the heat and the edge that now weaved through Dinah's voice.

"Hell, Karen…" Dinah coiled her arm just a little tighter around the Kryptonian's. Karen glanced to the side, just in time to see Dinah bite her lip. "I wouldn't call anything about you lightweight."