"So glad you're back." Dinah had Shayera in a head lock, they've been sparring for three hours.
"Can't breathe," Shayera was tapping on Dinah's arm, about to pass out. "Can't breath."
"Oops sorry." Dinah released her head, "Couldn't hear you."
Feeling her neck with one hand, "No shit." The redhead inhaled deeply.
"You're off your game. What's up with that?"
"Just - a little distracted."
Dinah was back in her fighting stance, "Go again?"
"I think I'm done getting my ass kicked."
"You wanna grab dinner?"
"Asphyxiation does make you hungry."
On the way to the Mess Hall, Zattana caught up with them straight from her magic show. Green Lantern was walking from the other side, he approached them, stopping them in their tracks.
"Shayera, got a minute?"
Dinah motioned her head, "We'll wait for you - over there."
John waited for them to be gone. "How you been?"
"Good. You?"
"Never better. I see things clearly now. I haven't been seeing things clearly, you know."
Shayera was impatient, she had no appetite to beat around the bush with John right now.
John saw the annoyance creep across her face, decided to just go for it. "I'm sure you've heard, about me and Mari."
Shayera was still clueless, her forehead furrowed.
"Me and Mari. I broke it off."
Shayera was stunned for a moment. After the feeling passed, she felt nothing, not happy or celebratory, the sort of feelings she swore she'd feel when the time came. She used to dream of this moment, and now it's here, she felt nothing.
John continued, "I want you in my life. I don't know what I was thinking choosing to stay with someone else, but I love you Shayera, I always have. When you left the league, I realized how I just can't bear not having you around."
"I.. I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll be with me. I promise, it'll be forever this time."
Shayera shook her head. "That sounds good and well. But John, I don't feel the same way."
"We have a son in the future, Shayera. You can't ignore that. I met him, he had wings like you." John seized her by the arms, his eyes were searching; trying to interpret more than what she was saying. "Are you trying to get back at me? Punish me for staying with Mari?"
"No. I'm not. For a while now I haven't felt that way about you." Shayera broke free from his clutches. "You said you realized how you can't bear not having me around, I realized the same thing but about someone else."
"I'm not ignoring the fact that we will have a son. I just don't want it anymore. Not with you anyway. I want that life but not with you." Shayera said with finality before walking away. John looked on silently, feeling defeated, as she and her friends disappeared.
In the Mess Hall, Batman was having dinner with Flash and Superman.
"You never cease to amaze me." Flash unceremoniously reached for Batman's biscuit and started chomping on it. "You weren't gonna eat that, were you?"
Superman chuckled; Flash was known for taking food off your plate. "How you ever got those two to come back, both in one day, I'll never know."
Batman looked sideways at them, taking a dramatic pause, "Mad skills, son." He looked up, Green Arrow was standing in front of their table.
"You're killing me, Flash." Green Arrow slammed a fistful of bills on the table, then left.
Flash took the money, grinning at his seatmates the whole time. "So we had a little bet." He pointed his fork at Batman, "You told us you would try to bring Diana and Shayera back. I told the guys, if there's one guy who can do it, it's the Bats. Green Arrow disagreed; he bet on the wrong horse." Flash jabbed the meat with his fork, pointing it at J'onn sitting across the room.
"Really, Flash. Betting?" Superman gave him a stern look.
Batman chimed in. "Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to him."
Vigilante stepped up to Superman offering his hand, folded bills visibly cupped inside, drawling all the vowels, he spoke, "Well, damn me to hell. But a bet is a bet, Supes."
Superman winced, taking his hand. "Thank you, Vigilante."
"I know we said we was go'n do b'iness later. Well, I saw Green Arrow handing out cash to ya'll and I thought, what the hell." The big guy shrunk even more in his seat as Vigilante returned to his table.
"Didn't see that one coming." Batman chuckled.
Superman gesticulated. "It only goes to show - that my faith in my teammates is unwavering. Always knew they'd come back."
Flash started laughing. His laughter was loud and infectious, the other two couldn't help but join in. At the entrance, Shayera and her friends suddenly walked in, stopping them short.
There was a short queue at the counter, Diana was at the end of the line. Shayera's eyes caught the profile of the Amazon and walked up to her.
Shayera didn't address Diana directly, instead she talked to the food. "Pesto, my favorite. I love pesto. Reminds me of that seaweed dish I love, back in Thanagar."
Diana looked over her shoulder and was greeted by a smiling Shayera. Her emerald eyes were unsettling, leaving her speechless. Constantly reminding herself to put her walls up when she's around, she second-guessed herself when it comes to Shayera. Deeming it was already too late to say anything, she's been quiet for a few seconds too long, she chided herself mentally for not responding right away. All she could manage to do without humiliating herself further was leave, and leave quickly, she did.
No reaction. Shayera pouted. She doesn't know how much more of this she can take. Diana not speaking with her is unbearable. The Amazon simply took her plate and moved on to a table, sitting beside the Martian. Shayera and her friends settled on another table.
"So glad you're done with the sulking. You're up and about. This calls for a celebration, don't you think so?" Zattana tried to lighten up the mood.
"Hell yes." Dinah picked up on it.
"Came all the way here from my show. I was gonna retire early but I wanted to formally welcome you back."
"Tomorrow night. Let's get really hammered."
Zattana was about to suggest something else when Shayera suddenly stood up, plate in hand. The two looked at each other, and before they could do anything to stop her, she walked up to Diana's table.
Shayera placed her plate down hard on Diana's table, it landed with a thunk. The Amazon and the Martian jerked from the sound, surprise written all over their faces.
"Look. I made a huge mistake. I know it. Words are useless at this point. But I miss you. I don't expect you to believe me, it's not right to even ask you to, not after what I did."
The room froze. All the heads turned to their table. Shayera didn't realize she was talking too loud. She was never one to be calm and pulled together. She took a deep breath, not quite finished with her speech. Diana shrunk in her seat, she looked sideways, feeling a little embarassed, not knowing what to do.
"I'm Thanagarian and we don't go down easy, not without a fight." Shayera gesticulated. "We fight for what we want. And I want you." She leaned in, looking her straight in the eyes. "It took a while to sink in. But if you just let me, let me love you, I promise I won't take you for granted. Just give me a fighting chance, is all."
Diana was too stunned to respond. The room grew dead quiet. With bated breath, nobody moved a muscle, and the silence seemed to stretch for hours.
"Damn it Diana, I can't be without you." Shayera threw her hands up in frustration. "I know you still care about me. At least give me a fighting chance."
Diana put her fork down, she got out of her seat and faced the redhead, without batting an eyelash. "No."
Shayera staggered for a second, the words hit her like an uppercut, she didn't see this coming. Although there was a 50 percent chance it would fail, she secretly hoped Diana would be impressed by her bold move.
"No more fighting." Diana reached for her Thanagarian, her hand on the back of her neck and pulled her closer, gently placing her lips on hers. The Amazon repaid her bold move with another bold move. She kissed her slowly, savoring every nibble, loving the way her soft lips pressed against hers.
"Yeah!"
"I knew it!"
"Get in there!"
Everybody in the room was cheering them on, clapping and hooting, making all sorts of noises. On one table, Green Arrow shook his head, grudgingly handing money over to the Question, muttering something under his breath. He went back to Batman's table, leaning down, his gaze leveled with theirs. "This is a sham. I bet you're all in on it." From his waist, he pulled out a wad of cash and put it on the table. Batman's hand reached for the money, to the surprise of the other two. Green Arrow grabbed his hand, they locked eyes for a moment before he relented and walked away.
Batman cleared his throat. "It was a different bet."
Superman raised an eyebrow. Flash put an arm around Batman. "You mean that bet." He pointed at the two women sharing a passionate kiss. Batman smiled and said nothing.
On the other tables, same scenario. Hawk paid Dove what he owed him, so did Etrigan to Elongated Man, so did Gypsy to Dr. Light, so did Dinah to Zattana. In fact, everyone was paying up a debt to everyone else, except the Martian.