Disclaimer: All the characters are owned by DC Comics and Time/Warner; this 
is an original story that does not intend to infringe on their copyright. 

Feedback is welcome! 

Copyright May 2000 

Friends
by Syl Francis (efrancis@earthlink.net)

***

He was gone. She couldn't believe it. Ten years together and he was gone. 

The news came as a shock. She was still stunned. The plane carrying Oliver 
Queen and 158 other passengers disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean. Reason 
unknown. 

One minute it was on the radar, the next it was gone. 

And with it, the only man she'd ever loved. 

The memorial service at the JLA satellite was a blur. Superman spoke a few 
words. Dinah supposed that he'd said all of the appropriate things, but she 
couldn't recall any of them. Besides, it hadn't mattered. It hadn't seemed 
right. Hal should've been standing up there, but he was gone, too. 

Dinah glanced over at the small group of younger heroes, the former Teen 
Titans who'd gathered protectively around Roy. He was holding tightly to his 
little girl, Lian. She couldn't understand why Grandpa Ollie was never coming 
back. 

Lian caught her eye and instantly held her arms out for her. 

"Gramma Canary!" she wailed. 

Dinah felt her lower lip tremble and the tears begin again. Unable to look at 
Roy and Lian, the two people who'd loved Ollie as much as she had, Dinah quickly 
turned on her heel and ran out of the JLA chapel. 

She turned a blind corner and ran directly into a brick wall. "Ohhh!" she 
cried, falling backwards. A steel grip on her wrist saved her and pulled her 
back up to her feet. By now, Dinah couldn't see from the unchecked tears, and a 
wracking sob escaped from her lips. She felt like she was on the verge of 
collapse, her knees giving way. 

Before she knew what was happening, the same strong grip lifted her as easily 
as a child and began to carry her. Blinking the tears from her eyes, Dinah 
looked up at her unknown benefactor and almost screamed--Batman! Dinah knew that 
she should protest. That she should insist she was more than capable of walking. 
But the feel of being held again in strong arms that she knew would never let 
go, stopped her. 

Instead, Dinah gratefully laid her head on the powerful shoulder of the Dark 
Knight and allowed herself to be carried to the suite that she'd once shared 
with Ollie. 

**** 

Dinah watched him from lowered eyelashes. Batman had hardly spoken a word 
since he'd set her down on the sofa. He took something out of his utility belt, 
waved it around the room a bit, and then made a beeline towards the cabinet 
where Ollie had kept his stash of liquor. 

"That belt of yours must come in handy, Batman," she said wryly. Batman 
didn't acknowledge her comment, just opened the cabinet, took out her favorite 
liqueur, and poured her a generous drink. 

"Here. Drink this," he ordered. 

Dinah's eyebrows shot to the top of her forehead. Who does he think he is, 
she fumed? And how did he know what type of liquor she preferred? Nevertheless, 
she took the proffered drink and downed it in a single gulp. 

In the next instant, she jumped up and whipped the glass against the far wall 
of the room. The force of the throw shattered it on impact. 

She stood unmoving, staring as the remains of the dark liqueur slowly oozed 
down the wall. 

"Feel better?" a deep growl asked. 

Furious, Dinah leaped and spinning in midair, she kicked out, aiming for her 
teammate's head. He moved his head at the last instant, but she still managed to 
connect with a glancing blow. 

"What do *you* care?" she screamed, lunging at him. Batman, looking slightly 
dazed from the kick, sidestepped the move. At this moment, Dinah felt as if a 
red haze suddenly overtook her. She attacked with the fury of a raging tempest. 
Leaping, spinning, kicking, striking out with her fists, she vented the wrath 
she felt against the universe at Batman. 

The battle seemed to last an eternity, or maybe it was less than an eye 
blink. Eventually, the red haze lifted and Dinah realized that she'd given 
Batman the best she could offer, and he'd taken each of her blows and kicks, 
turning his body just enough to minimize the force of the hits. 

Batman had *allowed* her to hit him, to use him as punching bag. And he 
hadn't blocked a single blow. 

Feeling her rage slowly subside, Dinah crouched breathing raggedly. She still 
maintained her defensive position, her hands and forearms held stiffly upright 
ready to wage war. 

"Feel better?" The same deep growl asked once more; however, this time Dinah 
heard what she hadn't heard before. Compassion. Understanding. Friendship. 

Nodding wordlessly, Dinah again felt the tears come. Batman was instantly 
there, holding her, adding his strength to hers. 

"He was a good man, Dinah," Batman said quietly. "I'll miss him, too." 

"Y-You will?" she asked, surprised. 

"He was my friend," Batman said simply. He stepped back, deliberately 
dropping his hands down to his sides. "Will you be all right?" he asked. 

Dinah nodded. 

"In that case," he said, "I'd best be going." He turned to go, his cape 
whipping behind him. His grim demeanor exuded the embodiment of terror. 

"Batman?" 

He stopped, looking back at her with a single raised eyebrow. 

"Thank you." 


The End