Setting: Shortly after Hawkgirl's readmission into the League. Between S1 and S2 of JLU

-

He hears her land behind him. He almost assumes (wishes?) it's Diana, but the rustle of feathers in the wind gives her identity away.

He doesn't take his eyes off the building, merely tilts his head almost imperceptibly to his left and acknowledges her presence.

"Shayera."

Her response is measured, careful, as she approaches his crouched form slowly.

"Batman."

"Something I can help you with?" he inquires.

"No. Nothing. I just wanted…to see how you were." She responds, clearly uncomfortable with the sentence.

He arches an eyebrow under his mask, but doesn't remove his stare from the building below. "Not much like you."

"Yeah. Well, J'onn suggested I…reconnect with you all. It has been a year."

Reconnect with Diana and me, you mean Batman thinks. "We're okay, you and I."

She doesn't move from her spot behind him.

"Anything else?" he asks, beginning to feel a slight pang of irritation.

"Same old Batman, I see. Too much social interaction might kill you." She responds in a tone laced with subdued amusement.

"What did you expect of me?"

"I don't know. A warning, maybe." She admits, in a calm voice.

"Fine. This is it; don't bother me when I'm on a stakeout in my city." He responds flatly.

He still doesn't turn to face her, but she isn't going to leave without pushing the appropriate buttons.

"The way Wally tells it, you don't seem to mind Diana tagging along on your patrols."

No response. Shayera decides to push further.

"I was gone a whole year, and you still ignoreher obvious interest in you. You really are the same, Bruce."

He grits his teeth briefly at the mention of his other name, and turns to face her.

"Watch it."

"What? I haven't earned the privilege of calling you that? Give me a break." She folds her arms and glares at him. He responds accordingly.

"It's not a privilege. It's a matter of trust."

"Would I be back with the League if you couldn't trust me?"

He sometimes forgets that she is his equal in a war of words. He decides to drop it and turns back to his quiet vigil. She walks up beside him and they stare at the building in silence for a few minutes. She breaks it, eventually.

"I'll earn your trust back if necessary."

"You never lost it."

She's quiet for a few seconds at this. Batman breaks the silence this time.

"Anything else?"

"I was just wondering if you'd join me for a game of chess later. I had no good opponents in exile."

"Oh?"

"Arthur wasn't a challenge and the android was too much of one."

"Later then."

"Later."