Chapter 27

The next morning Clark lies on his side, his head resting on his hand and a large goofy smile on his face as he watches Dinah sleep in the bed they shared last night. He pushes a few locks of her blond hair off her face and studies her in repose. She was so beautiful he almost feels he has to ask what is a woman like her doing with a plain old farm boy like him.

Last night had in many ways redefine his whole view on the world...as well as blowing his mind. All his power, all his strength...they could be rendered meaningless. Yes he had to be careful but when doesn't he have to be careful. Being careful is the normal state of his being.

Clark, being a farmer, had always been appreciative of slow. Farming takes time. Weeks, months of tending crops but Dinah had given him a whole new appreciation of slow. It could be maddeningly erotic. Inches, centimetres of movement of hands, lips, tongues could be breathtaking. His body may be, to coin a phrase, as hard as steel but Dinah had managed to elicit sensations that set his nerve endings on fire.

In return Clark learnt that exploring Dinah's body was a pleasure in itself. The taste and softness of her skin. The gratification of hearing every pleasured moan and purr he managed to elicit from her. She was an incredibly beautiful, sensual woman. Saying anything but that it was a pleasure to be locked in that primal dance with her would be the biggest lie ever told.

Dinah changed his world. It wasn't about power, force and speed. It was about touch, feel and sensation. He had let himself think back too much on his red kryptonite alter ego he realises. It wasn't about trying to be the dominant one seeking that end. It was about a man making love to a woman and as soon as he realised that his worries about losing control and hurting her faded away.

Dinah taught him he didn't have to lose himself in the moment to have to enjoy it nor did he have to detach himself from it either. There was a happy intermediate where he could remain aware, taking in and experiencing everything. In fact not doing that could mean missing out on the total experience.

Speaking of the total experience he didn't hit that milestone of completion until the 3rd hour. As he said Dinah taught him a whole new way of seeing it and Clark is pretty certain he won't be able to get the goofy smile off his face for days to come.

Dinah begins to stir. Her eyes flutter open and upon seeing Clark she smiles.

"Morning," he says warmly, stroking her cheek with his finger.

Dinah stretches. "Hmm, good morning," she says, her voice still husky from sleep and as far as Dinah is concerned it is a very good morning. Dinah feels wonderful. Last night had been very good and her muscles have that wonderful warm used sensation that you only get from making love and her muscles had certainly gotten a good workout last night. What else can you expect from someone who is practically infinitely strong and has near infinite stamina.

Clark lowers his head and kisses her sweetly on her wonderful, extremely kissable, lips. "Thank you. Last night was incredible...and I needed that," he admits. He needed someone like Dinah to help him get over his hang-ups.

Dinah gives out a contented sigh. "You're welcome. You're a good pupil."

"You're a good teacher."

"Lets just go with we're both good and the sex was great!"

Clark chuckles. "That it was."

Dinah lifts her head and this time kisses him. "And also last night was something I needed too," she confesses. "So what's the time?"

"After 10."

"Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I sent Chloe a text while you were sleeping. I'm taking the day off."

"You allowed to do that?"

"For once I'm being self-indulgent. You see here's my choice. Go to work or stay in bed with my super-hot and sexy girlfriend. What would you choose?"

"After last night that probably means a lot less days at work," Dinah concludes from the fact she really hopes they have many more nights together like last night.

"Well it is such a terrible burden," he jokes. "But I think it might be worth it."

Dinah jabs him in the chest. "You better believe it buster."

"I do," he says sincerely. He lowers his head and kisses her again. Dinah ends up on her back as Clark moves atop of her. Her stomach suddenly growls and they both break into a fit of giggles. Although she can't be surprised at being hungry. Clark burnt up a lot of her energy. "I'll make us breakfast," Clark offers.

He rolls off of her. Dinah misses his presence. She watches him as he grabs his boxer shorts and puts them on. She sighs contentedly. Her fantasies about exploring Clark's body were quite a way short of reality. Last night they crossed the line and boy crossing that line was perhaps better than Dinah remembered. It was also in its way a rather unique experience. After all Clark is the 1st and only alien she has ever been with.

She can't stop smiling at how good it felt...how good Clark made her feel. While Clark wasn't the most skilled lover she has ever had he was probably the most thoughtful. He made sure she was satisfied. Dinah knows that their relationship is changed now but she wouldn't take last night back. This is the happiest she has felt since she dumped Ollie and she wouldn't change it for anything.


Elsewhere...

It had taken some investigating, calling in favours and good old-fashioned intimidation but finally they had it. They had the current location of Dinah Lance.

Her recent appearances as the Black Canary on the news beside Superman...seeing her again in action had been the catalyst...the motivation they needed to make this decision.

There were things that needed to be said. Facts that needed to be amended and a price needed to be paid. The person involves grabs their jacket. They have a long journey to make and there was no time like the present.


Another place...

Ok so this may not have been their best plan ever. The blood flowing from the flesh wound in their side is a strong indicator of that fact.

Several swear words escape their lips as they pour alcohol on the wound to clean it. They then grab a needle and thread and stitch themselves up. Has to be a sad fact of their life at how skilled they are at patching up their own wounds.

They snap the thread once done and then grab the bottle of vodka they have and drink a huge gulp of it. That'll dull the pain.

They can't stay here. The foes chasing them will be here soon enough. They need help. The figure stands up and grabs their jacket. When they had been forced to flee they had come to Metropolis on purpose because this was where they could get help.

They can't help but grin at the thought. Is Dinah going to be surprised to see them!


Dinah's apartment, Metropolis...

Dinah lies on her back breathing hard, her skin glistening with sweat, her eyes wide, shining with life. "Wow!" she gasps out.

There is a deep chuckle from beside her in the bed. "Glad to be of service."

Dinah gazes at Clark lying next to her. His body was not sweat covered. Apparently it takes a lot to make him sweat but he still looks incredible. There is still that after sex glow about him. Dinah lets her eyes roam over his body. What a body it was. She had been enjoying herself exploring that. The abs alone take a good hour. They were still on that slow bit which was just fine with Dinah. After breakfast there had been the slow shower and then the slow journey back to bed and then the slow journey in the bed and there might have been a few other journeys in between. Dinah hadn't been keeping track. She had just been enjoying the moments. Lost in the pleasure of it all.

She probably sounds like some hormonal teenager or something right now, where she has spent most of the day so far making love, but for once Dinah doesn't care. It has been far too long since she enjoyed herself this much.

Clark too is enjoying himself. He had decided one day of being self-indulgent was something he deserved...and being with Dinah had retaught him how much he could enjoy making love to a woman...how much he missed it. He doesn't count his red kryptonite stint. That was lust driven sex. Making love was entirely different and making love to Dinah was just incredible.

His red kryptonite driven alter ego had made a crude joke about how good Dinah's thighs were. Way off the mark. They were much better close up.

Clark hears Dinah laughing next to him. "What?"

"Oh just a silly thought I had."

"What thought?"

Best I don't say," Dinah decides.

Clark expression becomes mischievous. "You know I have vays of making you talk," he says in a faux-German accent.

Dinah mock shivers. "Ooh. Try it," she dares him with a playful smile.

"You asked for it!"

In the next instant Clark's fingers are mercilessly tickling Dinah making her squeal with laughter.

"Feel like talking yet?" Clark 'interrogates' her.

"Ah!...No!...OW!"

Clark stops. She kicked him. That was what caused the 'OW!' He takes her leg into his lap and starts rubbing it and her foot. "Sorry," he says, guiltily.

"No. It's alright," she assures him although she is pretty certain she'll get a bruise.

Clark examines her leg with his x-ray vision. "It's not broken," he reports.

"The Man of Steel...well I can vouch for that," Dinah sniggers with a waggle of her eyebrows.

"Dinah," he mildly reproaches her, blushing as he does so.

"Now don't blush. You really have nothing to be ashamed about Clark. Quite the opposite."

"Ditto," he says softly.

Dinah smiles, a little smugly, that he thinks that. In her more vain moments Dinah will admit to herself she thinks she is downright gorgeous. Dinah sighs contentedly as Clark's fingers massage her foot. He's good at that. She'll have to remember that for the future. Body massages. That'll be fun.

Dinah is really liking this. Just the two of them, lying in bed, naked as the day they were born, talking, making love. She can really see this becoming a regular thing for her and Clark which is always a good sign for a relationship when you can imagine it continuing into the future.

"So what was that silly thought you had?" Clark asks, holding her foot in a manner to show he has in a bad position should she try to refuse answering.

"You won't like it," she warns him.

"Try me."

"Ok but I did warn you. As you know Helena brags."

"Oh brother," Clark murmurs. He knows where this is going.

Dinah continues. "Anyway my thought was that for once Helena wasn't boasting. In fact if anything she played it down just how good you are."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Take it as you want but I don't know how it was for you but for me...as I recall I did say 'wow'."

"Wow's a good word," Clark confirms. "And it covers my end too..." Clark then chuckles.

"What?"

"Oh nothing. Just a silly thought," he teases.

Dinah makes a childish face. "Ha ha. Spill it or face my wrath."

"Well I certainly don't want that. It is just I was right."

"Right? About what?"

Clark teases a grin. "You really are a screamer."

Dinah throws a pillow at him which bounces harmlessly off his chest. When she fought him on red kryptonite he made that lecherous comment about her. "You're just lucky you're so cute babe."

"Are you trying to burst that pillow?" he inquires.

Dinah pouts before a smile starts to pull on her lips. "You know I'm not the only screamer Clark. Remember that thing I did in the shower?"

Clark's cheeks heat up and blood rushes south. "Oh yeah," he murmurs. Yep he really did scream when she did that. Where did she learn it? That was the question.

"I rest my case," Dinah declares victoriously.

"Well Miss Perry Mason I guess you win this round."

"I win every round," she boasts. "Especially the last...uh...5 we just had."

"6 as matter of fact," Clark corrects her.

"Really? That has to be a record," she mumbles to herself. That hormonal teenager quip she made to herself is starting to hold some truth. In fact she can look at him now in his non-clothed state and the same want and desire rises up inside her no matter the fact she is more than a little worn out but in her defence she has 2 years of pent up sexual energy to burn through. Ok she needs an energy boost she decides and that means the kitchen for a snack. She's famished.

Dinah extricates her foot from Clark's hold and rolls off the bed. She grabs his shirt that had ended up on the floor and slips it on. It looks comically big on her as she heads for the kitchen with a little skip in her step although those steps are also a little gingerly as she is tender. She is in truth a little sore. A certain part of her anatomy is reminding her that it's been more than awhile for her since she last slept with a guy and Clark's...gifted in a certain department as regards to his anatomy and she has actually lost count of how many times they have made love today.

Not that Dinah is regretting it. She is absolutely not. In fact she can't remember the last time she let herself indulge this much and it will probably be awhile before she can do so again. Therefore she might as well take advantage of today. Dinah notes as she heads to the kitchen that the sun is setting. Wow. She and Clark really have been at this all day.

Dinah steps into the kitchen and hears noises. Someone else is here. Dinah tenses as a head pops up from behind the counter. A woman with long dark hair tied in a ponytail. She is dressed in tight black leather pants and a blue vest like top. She has oriental tattoos all up her left arm and onto her neck.

"Oh hey Di," the woman greets Dinah with a smile.

"Ev?" Dinah queries unable to believe her eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Now is that anyway to greet your dear old friend?" Ev asks, looking a little offended.

"How did you get in here?"

"Your door was open."

"No. It wasn't."

"Well it wasn't locked in any serious way."

"You're in trouble aren't you?"

"Oh charming that is," Ev complains. "I come all this way and you assume I'm in trouble. Could be I just came to see you."

Dinah snorts. "In a pig's eye."

Ev ignores that for the moment and looks Dinah over. She starts to smile at the sight. "So who is he?"

"Who's who?"

"The guy whose shirt you're wearing...and before you go denying it it's as obvious as hell. The rumpled hair, the glowing, the marks on your skin, the way you're walking. You look like a woman who has been thoroughly ****'d!"

"And you wonder why I'm not happy to see you," Dinah says sarcastically. She then takes a minute to fasten up the shirt more in an effort to hide some of the red/purple marks Clark had left on her skin where he has been nibbling on her.

"Dinah?" a voice queries her name. Clark then walks in, wearing only a pair of boxers. "I heard voices..." he trails off not finishing his explanation upon seeing the woman with Dinah.

Ev looks Clark over with a more than appreciative gaze. "My. You're a big one aren't you," she says, with the full suggestiveness of her voice.

Clark blushes, self-consciously, all the way to the tips of his ears. "Uh...Dinah?"

Dinah closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. This is so not how she wanted Clark to meet this person. In fact Clark never meeting this person would have been ideal. "Clark Kent, Ev Crawford," Dinah introduces them to each other. "She's an old friend," she explains. Of course it's more complicated than that but that would take too long to go into right now.

"College room-mates actually," Ev fills in the details. "But lets not talk about that. Lets talk about us," she says, striking a provocative pose.

"Ev!" Dinah yells.

Ev smirks. "Relax Di. I'm only..."

"Hitting on my boyfriend," Dinah says between gritted teeth.

"Oh. You're serious with this one huh?" Ev asks.

"Yes!"

Ev sighs disappointed. "Fine, fine," she accepts. She then starts opening cabinets around the kitchen. "So where do you keep the drink?"

Dinah groans. "2nd cupboard to your left. There should be something." While Ev fishes out her drink Dinah turns to Clark. "Sorry. I really didn't know she was coming for a visit," she apologises.

"I just live for surprises!" Ev declares.

"Not pleasant ones!" Dinah counters that with because when Ev shows up life threatening trouble is usually following.

Just then there is a knock on the door.

"Oh what now," Dinah grumbles. Whoever it is surely this can't get any worse. Famous last words.

"I'll get it!" Ev offers as she hurriedly moves to answer, deliberately brushing past Clark as she does. Ev opens the door to reveal a man with blond hair and goatee beard dressed in a sharp suit.

Dinah's eyes goes wide. "O-Ollie," she stutters out in complete shock at seeing her ex-boyfriend, the left-wing socialite, Oliver Queen.

Ollie arches an eyebrow at the sight of Ev, Dinah dressed in only an oversized man's shirt and a semi-naked man. "I've come at a bad time...or a really good one."

Dinah's face darkens as quick as a thunder storm can roll in and they look pretty similar too right now. "Ollie!" she snaps. "This is not the time for your levity!"

Before Ollie can respond he is shoved into the apartment by several Japanese men dressed in sharp suits of varying colours and shades. More smash in through the windows and the skylight of the top floor apartment until there are at least a good baker's dozen of them.

Dinah can recognise the men from their style of suits and the visible tattoos. Yakuza. "Starling," she growls in a low dangerous voice, as she glares at her old friend, Ev, as to whom she knows is responsible for this.

Ev shrugs. "I may have just possibly upset them a little by throwing this guy out a 5th floor window," she confesses. "I mean how was I suppose to know he was the clan leader's son?" she asks innocently.

One of the Yakuza speaks. "There can be no witnesses. Kill them all!"

Ev reacts to that first. "Hey! What happened to the last request where the lady gets a drink!" she shouts as she smashes the bottle she has been holding in her hand all this time into the face of one of the Yakuza before kicking out backwards hitting another one in the knee-cap dropping him to the floor.

That's the key for the whole thing to kick off. In a blink Dinah kicks one in the stomach and punches another in the face.

Ollie swings an elbow into the throat of one directly behind him before swinging round with a punch to knock him down.

Clark moves forward as one of the men reaches into his jacket. A quick x-ray shows he was reaching for a gun. Clark pins the arm to the man's chest before tapping a knock-out punch into his face.

The Yakuza quickly discover they have hugely underestimated who they were trying to kill as between the 4 people all of them are soon laying strewn across the apartment in varying levels of pain and unconsciousness.

"Well that was liberating," Ev states glibly which earns her the glare of death from Dinah.

Dinah points at Ev, her hand literally shaking with rage. "You," she hisses. "Do you know have any idea what you've done?"

"Look Di..."

Dinah cuts her off. "Forget it!" she snaps. "I don't want to hear another one of your lame excuses Ev! As for right now I need to pack and we need to leave before more show up."

"Pack?" Clark queries, confused by that.

"I can't stay here! She's led them right to where I live!" Dinah rages, throwing her hands in the air in complete frustration.

Ev has enough grace to look slightly guilty.

There is the sound of a gun cocking. One of the Yakuza fires off a shot. No-one moves...except Clark who blurs in front of Dinah, whom the shot was aimed at, and the bullet flattens on impact with his invulnerable body on the right pectoral.

Ollie moves rapidly and delivers a kick knocking the guy out.

Ev's eyebrows rise. She steps forward and her hand skims over the bare skin where the bullet impacted. "That's a neat trick," she remarks while enjoying the excuse to run her hand over the chiselled plains.

Ollie looks at Dinah with...he isn't sure what to feel.

"You know," Dinah realises from Ollie's expression. He's worked it out.

"Know what?" Ev asks.

"He's Superman," Ollie answers. Who else could it be that bullets bounce off of.

Ev looks at Dinah with lots of admiration. "You're doing Superman?"

"Ev...just don't," Dinah warns her off and stomps towards her bedroom. She needs to get changed and pack. "Ollie! Don't you vanish!" she orders. He needs to stay until they sort this out.

Clark follows Dinah unsure what is going on. He steps in the bedroom. "I know this is a bad time," he says realising that it is that to talk.

Dinah is pulling on some jeans. She throws Clark's shirt off of herself and over to him before she grabs one of her own tops to wear. "It is Clark," she confirms about it being a bad time.

Clark steps up to her and places his hands on her shoulders. "Hey. We'll sort this out," he promises.

Dinah sighs. The honest sincerity in his eyes is reassuring. God his eyes are so beautiful. "This is a mess. It's always the same when Ev shows up...and don't get me started on Ollie."

"Who is he?" Clark asks.

"Remember I said there was a guy who cheated on me?"

Clark's expression darkens as he makes the connection. "Him?"

Dinah nods. "Him," she confirms. "Please don't kill him."

"Can I throw him into the neighbouring state?"

Dinah laughs at the gallows humour. "Maybe later...and as much as I hate to say it Ollie has his uses." She takes a breath, stands on her toes and plants a sweet kiss on Clark's lips. "I'm sorry. Ollie gave away to Ev who you are," she apologises.

Clark sighs. "I know. We'll find a solution...but I don't regret saving you. Not ever."

Dinah smiles at that. "Get changed. We need to go. More Yakuza will come and then there is the police. This is going to be a nightmare to explain away," Dinah says raising her hand to her head as a headache hits.

"Base of operations?" he queries about where they will go.

Dinah nods and turns to pack anything she doesn't want the Yakuza to find when the back-up shows up and ransacks the place looking for clues. They need to go some place where they won't be attacked where they can figure out their next step. Behind her there is a gust of wind. She turns her head and Clark is changed. Some days she wonders if she'll ever get use to that.

Back out in the living area Ev and Ollie are making sure all the Yakuza stay down. "Always easy to tell when you're in town Ev." Ollie comments. "You always bring the funnest parties with you."

"What can I say? It's a gift." She then laughs. "Damn. I can't believe she hooked up with Superman. Bet that leaves you feeling inadequate."

"Thanks Ev. You always know what to say to make a guy feel good," Ollie grumbles. He had not yet come to terms with that revelation. It was obvious as hell what Dinah and Superman must have been up to before he showed up at the door. This has completely thrown off what he was planning to say and do.

Dinah stomps back out, fully dressed with a holdall slung over her shoulder. Clark is following her. "Right here's the plan. We go to our base of operations and Ev explains just what the hell is going on and then we come up with a solution. Clear," she says. She is not asking a question. She is telling them what happens next.

"How do we make sure we're not followed?" Ollie asks what he thinks is a pertinent question. They had already followed Ev here.

Dinah actually smiles. "Clark," she says simply. In a gust of wind Ollie vanishes and then a blurred figure returns a few seconds later and Ev vanishes. A few seconds later Clark reappears next to Dinah whom he gently picks up in his arms before he vanishes with her at superspeed.


A little later, now in the 'empty' building Clark and Dinah used as their base, Dinah finds herself getting more aggravated by the second by having to be in Ollie's presence. "Stop looking at me Ollie," Dinah protests at the way he is looking at her and has been for the last 5 minutes. Clark was off getting supplies and Ev was drowning her sorrows on the other side of the building so that just left her with her cheating ex. The word awkward does not come close to ascribing the emotion in this moment. In the meantime she had managed to freshen herself up and changed into her Black Canary outfit.

"I think I have a right to after you just gave away who I am," he complains, his brow deeply furrowed with a frown at the fact she, in a rather offhanded manner, just said 'Oh by the way he's the Green Arrow'.

Dinah shrugs. "You know who he is...or it wouldn't have taken you long to figure out. Seems only fair."

"Fair?" Ollie questions that.

"Don't insult me Ollie," she warns him. "The fact you showed up was because you heard I was dating someone. No doubt you did you're own little research to find out who it was and then came to Metropolis because you wanted to pull some ridiculous alpha male act on him," Dinah lays down the facts as she sees them about his sudden appearance.

"Now you're insulting me."

"Then why are you here?"

"To...apologise."

"Apologise," Dinah laughs. She laughs hard enough to have to hold her sides even if it is a bitter hollow laugh. "Apologise? After 2 years!" she exclaims.

This was not the way Ollie envisioned this meeting going at all. "Look Dinah I am sorry. You don't have to believe me."

"I don't. Do you have any idea how much it hurt to find you with that...that...woman!"

Ollie sighs. "What do you want me to say Dinah? That I'm a terribly flawed person. I admit that. It was...wrong to hurt you."

"It wasn't just that Ollie although that crystallised it for me. We'd been having problems before then."

"I know," Ollie agrees, with sadness.

"That was your fault as well."

"What?"

"You refused to see it."

"See what?"

"That I wasn't your protégée or the young girl you helped train any longer. I had grown up. I was a woman who had the right to be your equal but you refused to see it. To change and accept it...and don't get me started on the difference in age crap you would use as an excuse to avoid commitment."

"It wasn't crap Dinah. It was the truth. I'm over 40 in case you forgot."

"I am well aware of your age Ollie. It didn't matter to me as I told you repeatedly. You were the one who made it an issue with your damn insecurities."

"Because it was an issue and my insecurities had nothing to do with it. This life isn't some fairy tale where everything works out with a happy ending. The differences matter."

"Ah yes I remember you saying that during our last argument. 5 hours later I found you in bed...our bed with that woman you picked up using the old Queen charm," Dinah says bitterly. After that she turned round, without saying a word and left and has never looked back.

Ollie pinches the bridge of his nose. Yes it was wrong. A drunken wrong though he accepts that doesn't excuse him.

"Ollie I really don't wish to rehash this," Dinah almost begs from him. "Believe me when I say living it through the 1st time round was painful enough. Lets just stick to business. We get Ev and ourselves out of this mess and we part ways as amicably as possible."

Before Ollie can debate it any further a gust of wind blows through and he finds a bag thrust into his stomach hard enough to wind him by a figure dressed in red and blue.

Dinah secretly smiles at the fact Clark probably did that deliberately.

"I found the bag where you said it was," Clark reports to Ollie. Amongst other things picking up Ollie's Green Arrow items had been on Clark's 'to do' list as well as the more obvious food and water since none of them can go home right now. He also enjoyed shoving the bag hard into Oliver Queen's gut. Forgive Clark but he automatically doesn't like the guy who cheated on his girlfriend.

"Thanks," Ollie says a little breathless, in a tone that says he really doesn't mean it. What can he say? As an ex he automatically doesn't like Dinah's current beau. Sue him.

Dinah and Clark leave Ollie to get himself changed and walk over to where Ev is sitting, slugging down shots. Clark takes a moment to observe her. Dinah had given him a very brief summary of her relationship with Ev. That they met at college, became friends and even crime fighting partners for awhile, in what Dinah referred to as her early days, with Ev taking the name Starling.

Ev's eyes flicker onto Superman and her lips curve up. "Damn Di. You really got yourself a winner."

"Enough," Dinah snaps in a harsh tone. "This is the part where you explain how we ended up here."

Ev throws back another shot. "Sure. It goes like this. I was in Japan trying to break up this prostitution ring. As you can imagine those running the show didn't take kindly to it. They sent a hit squad to take me out. I took them out first."

Dinah looks at Ev crossly.

"Not in the lethal way," Ev defends herself. "The guy I threw out the window was a complete accident. In the middle of the fight he grabbed me from behind and out of instinct I threw him. I didn't realise we were that close to the window."

Dinah fixes Ev a hard penetrating glare and waits for the whole truth.

"I swear to God Di I didn't mean to kill him alright...but I won't be losing any sleep over it," Ev points out. "The guy was filth."

"Do you know if they have a blood oath taken out on you?" Dinah wants to know because that is the kind of oath that never expires. The family won't rest until Ev is dead or they are.

"Never stopped long enough to ask," Ev answers that or in other words she doesn't know.

"How did you end up in Metropolis?" Clark wants to know.

Ev throws back another shot. "Well when the guy in charge learned his precious baby boy was dead he sent the entire organisation after me. Knew I would need help and I thought of my good old friend Di here."

"Thanks a lot Ev. I'm so glad I'm top of your list when you get in over your head!" Dinah snaps because this isn't the 1st time Ev has done something like this.

"Look I'm sorry alright," Ev apologises, knowing what has Dinah so angry at her. "I really didn't think they could follow me to where you were living. You know I would not do that to you."

Dinah sighs and rubs her brow. She needs to think. "Which Yakuza family is it?" she asks Ev because they were all slightly different in their habits and personal vendettas.

"Makuda."

"Kijuro," Dinah reels off the name of the head of the family.

Ev nods.

Dinah thinks more. "He'll be in town," she assumes.

"Probably," Ev confirms. "Will no doubt want to see my pretty little head on a silver platter in person," she jokes but it falls flat.

Dinah thinks on the solution. Putting Kijuro in jail won't solve the problem. Even from behind bars he can order Ev's death. Somehow they have to get Kijuro to give up his vengeance on Ev. That's the difficult part.

She'll have to talk to him it strikes her. Dinah will have to look the man in the eye and see how far he is prepared to take this. Somehow she has to persuade Kijuro that, even if it was his son that was killed, it is simply not worth the effort of trying to get at Ev.

Now that's not as impossible as it sounds. In one sense Yakuza are businessmen...ok in totally illegal, illegitimate and immoral areas of business but still if the price is too high they won't pay it.

Dinah sighs. She hates these personal revenge things. There is no good way to end them usually. Saving Ev will probably be a messy compromise at best.

By now Ollie has changed into his Green Arrow outfit. Green leather pants and hooded vest with his arrows in a bag slung over his shoulder. He walks over to the little group.

"Ollie I'm putting you in charge of her," Dinah dictates pointing at Ev.

"I'm babysitting?" Ollie queries, almost insulted.

"She needs to be watched while I arrange a meeting with Kijuro."

"And he can't do it why?" Ollie asks, pointing at Clark.

"Putting aside the obvious personal issues you and I have you, to put it simply, are not a virtually invulnerable alien with vast strength, speed and more important for this task auditory and visual abilities above what you can probably imagine. That and he's more intimidating than you are."

"And looks better in tight pants!" Ev cheers on the sidelines.

"I'm wearing jeans," Clark points out.

"Still looks good from where I'm sitting," Ev says with a hungry gaze, as her eyes roam over him.

Dinah rolls her eyes. "Clark lets just go. My decision is made...and it is not up for debate because let me remind you whose life you all suddenly decided to drop into," she warns both Ollie and Ev off.

Clark picks Dinah up and they vanish in a gust of wind.

Ev chortles. "You are really outclassed here Queen aren't ya," she remarks, comparing him to Superman.

Ollie glares at her. "You really are not helping."

Ev shrugs. She pours out another shot. "Here. Get this down ya," she offers the glass to Ollie.

Ollie takes it and throws it back. The drink burns his throat as it goes down. In one way Ev is right. He is outclassed. He can't compete with someone who is bulletproof. Maybe it is some male pride thing but part of him had hoped the new guy in Dinah's life was some loser. He turns out to be the hottest new hero on the block; Superman.

Still when this situation is over Ollie hopes he and Dinah can still have a talk. He feels there are some things they still have to straighten out.


Clark and Dinah had returned to the area of her apartment. Why? Because for the Yakuza that was their last lead and if Dinah knows her Yakuza then they are probably staking the place out to see if Ev returns. They stand on a rooftop a little distance away and she lets Clark's eyes do their work in the darkness that has by now descended upon Metropolis after the sunset.

Clark raises his hand and points. "Two men on the roof of the building opposite with a pair of binoculars," he reports.

"That'll be them," Dinah says.

"Are you sure this will work?" he asks her about her plan.

"Nope. It is just there is no alternative. Well not one that won't involve a whole hell of a lot of dead bodies." Dinah shakes her head at the foolishness of it all. "It's an honour thing."

"I did spend some time in Japan," Clark points out so he does know a little about the culture.

"Right. I forgot you said you did some travelling."

"A lot of travelling," Clark corrects her.

"Ok so lets do this," Dinah says.

Two average Yakuza members Souti and Kenta find themselves studying the building opposite to one moment later hanging upside down over the edge of the roof being held by the ankle by a man in a red and blue costume. A blond woman kneels down in front of them.

"Eigo o hanasemasu ka?" Black Canary says, asking them if they speak English. She knows a few Japanese phrases.

One of the men, Kenta, nods. "I speak English."

"Good. Now lets cut to business shall we. You're after a friend of mine. I want a meeting with your boss to bargain for her life. Before you dismiss me out of hand remember the position you are in and before you claim not to fear death also note the man holding you is in fact an alien so whatever you think you aren't afraid of he can do 100 things to you you can't even begin to imagine," she says to them, liberally exaggerating the threat Clark poses because it gets them to focus. "All I want is for you to pass on my message about a meeting to your boss. I'll be back here in 6 hours for your reply," she informs them. That should be plenty of time. In fact she is being generous giving them that long but that still means it will be dark as it will only be the early morning in 6 hours.

Black Canary stands up. "And oh in case you think I'm bluffing." She looks to Clark. "Superman," she says simply.

Superman lets go of his grip and the two men plummet to the ground.

Inches from the pavement they come to a stop as they are caught. Their hearts are pounding. They get dumped onto the ground and look up to see Superman standing over them in an intimidating manner. "6 hours. Don't be late because then I would have to come find you and trust me when I say that you don't want that," he warns them in a stern tone before he bends his knees and lifts off the ground.

Kenta's hand goes over his pounding heart. This job use to be so much simpler before all these superpowered beings showed up. He's getting too old for this.


6 hours later...

Dinah is back on the rooftop, alone...or apparently alone. Clark is close enough to intervene but he is out of sight. She didn't want to spook any messenger that gets sent to meet her. She left Ollie babysitting Ev still. He was still whining about it. She left him sharing a few shots of liquor with Ev. Just made Dinah all the gladder she dumped his ass and has Clark instead to cuddle up to.

Dinah paces a little. She really hopes Kijuro is at least open to hearing her out or there be will no easy solution that helps save Ev's neck.

Dinah can hear the heavy footsteps coming nearer long before she sees anyone. Her brow furrows. That's a lot of men coming up the stairs to the roof. She considers calling Clark now because that wasn't the arrangement but she wavers to giving this one chance to see what's the story.

Dinah focus her gaze on the rooftop access door and waits.

Several men burst out and spread out to surround her and then a Japanese man in his 40s with greying hair appears. He has a cane in his hand and if Dinah recalls correctly it hides the fact it is in fact a sword.

"Kijuro," Black Canary says the name with surprise that the leader of the Makuda clan himself would make an appearance right here and now instead of sending a message about arranging a meeting. She bows her head in respect because that is important to get this discussion off to a good start.

"Black Canary," Kijuro replies in accented English. "It has been some time since our last encounter," he comments.

"It has," Black Canary confirms. That was way back when she was barely starting out as the Black Canary when Ollie was mentoring her and on a case they crossed swords with the Makuda clan. Kijuro wasn't the leader back then but he was definitely on his way to becoming so which in the intervening years he has succeeded in doing.

Kijuro takes a moment to assess how time has altered her. While she had interfered in his business before she had an honour he could respect. Respect enough to decide to come here in person to listen to her. "You wish to bargain for the life of the one who killed my son," he prompts her to speak.

Dinah notes that Kijuro keeps any emotive reflect out of his tone making it impossible to judge how upset and determined he is to punish Ev. "If you will permit it I'll be very blunt about this."

Kijuro nods his head granting her permission.

"Your son was part of a hit squad sent to kill Starling. That's not the safest line of work Kijuro. You know as well I do that there was a possibility, however slim you considered it to be, that he would not return. This is the world you chose to be in and the world you chose for your son to be part of."

"You suggest I just accept his death as...an unfortunate hazard of the job?" he queries from Black Canary.

"It is a hazard of the job," Black Canary says bluntly.

"She killed my son," Kijuro states bluntly.

"I know," Black Canary says in a soft sympathetic tone. "But I can't let you kill her in revenge for what was an accident. She didn't mean to kill him although I know that does little to mediate your feelings of loss. Revenge is never the answer Kijuro. All it starts is a cycle of reprisal that has no end. If you want to honour your son then let him rest in peace. Let this go."

Kijuro takes several moments to absorb and consider Black Canary's words...or at least that is the appearance he is wishing to give out. "Hajimeru," he commands his men. Begin.

'Oh crap,' Dinah thinks to herself as the men surrounding her reach into their coats. She's failed. This is going to get messy now. She braces herself and prepares to shout for Clark's help if she feels it necessary...just not yet. There may still be another way.

Kijuro speaks. "You attempt to bargain but you cannot understand the pain of losing one's family. Therefore I will make you understand by witnessing your friend's end."

Dinah could retort she knows exactly how it feels since she lost her mother but she never gets the chance. Kijuro's men then throw down these little glass spheres that releases a purple gas upon impact when they shatter. Dinah coughs as she accidentally inhales the gas that is spreading far too rapidly to be natural. Her head becomes light and her vision blurs. She coughs harder. "Sup...Super..." Dinah's eyes roll back as she loses consciousness and her form, along with Kijuro and his men, vanish in a cloud of purple smoke.

A few moments later Superman lands on the roof amidst the slowly dissipating cloud. He begins to cough hard due to the cloud. "Canary!" he calls out but nothing. His skin crawls as the purple smoke wafts over him. It feels like...like...this is exactly the same way he felt when he was facing Tala.

"Magic," Clark growls with disdain. He draws in a breath and blows away the smoke to expose a rooftop that is completely vacant apart from himself.

Dread forms in the pit of his stomach. Dinah...she's gone. Clark tries to stem the rising tide of panic within. That won't help. He launches into the air and starts searching. Within several minutes he has combed many city blocks but nothing. No sign. Worry pinches his face over the fact he can't find any trace of a woman he cares for deeply. 'If they hurt her'...his eyes start to glow red in response.

Clark shakes his head. Losing his temper won't help either. He needs to remain calm and think. A notion hits him. Ev. She knows these people better than him. She might know where to look or at least where to start looking.

Clark takes off across the sky. It only takes him seconds to reach the building where they left Ollie and Ev but Clark can tell instantly something is wrong. The door has been smashed in and several of the frosted windows have been broken.

Clark flies straight in to find several Yakuza men firing guns at someone behind a wall. A flash of x-ray vision tells Clark it is Oliver Queen. He puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles loudly. The Yakuza spin round and unload their weapons at him...ineffectually. His eyes glow and he turns the weapons into molten slag. A burst of superspeed and he disables them.

From behind his wall Ollie sticks his head round to see why the gunfire has stopped. He finds Superman standing in the middle of a collection of unconscious men lying on the ground around him.

Ollie steps out and walks towards Superman. "Thanks," he has to says. "Where's Canary?" he asks at the lack of sign of Dinah.

"Gone," Clark replies with some shame at his failure.

Ollie's expression darkens. "What do you mean gone?"

"They took her."

"And you just let them!" Ollie accuses in a raised voice.

Clark is instantly in Oliver's face, his eyes glowing dimly. "I didn't let them," he replies in a tight tone. "And where's Starling?" Clark asks back.

Ollie looks around. "She's not here?" he inquires with a truly puzzled expression.

"No," Clark says simply. "What happened here?"

"They got the drop on us."

Clark looks Oliver up and down. He is dressed only in a pair of boxers and he can smell alcohol and he can smell Ev all over the left-wing socialite. Doesn't take a genius to figure out what they were up to that allowed the drop to be gotten upon them. "They took Starling," Clark comes to the only conclusion possible.

"And they took Canary," Oliver says back and believe him when he says he is less than impressed and angry as hell about it.

"And you know what the worse part is?" Clark asks Oliver.

"No."

"It's up to us to rescue them."

"Us? Together?" Ollie asks with uncertainty in his tone and he points back and forth between himself and Superman.

"I'm afraid so," Clark replies with a wafer thin ironic smile at this situation. Himself, Dinah's current boyfriend, stuck with her ex whom he doesn't like very much. Nothing that happened over the last 6 hours, while they waited and he had to spend time in Oliver's company, has so far changed Clark's low opinion of the guy. In fact if anything it has only cemented it

'God has some sick sense of humour,' Ollie thinks to himself that leaves him having to work with a man he doesn't like. Over the last 6 hours Ollie hasn't seen any reason to change his opinion on Clark Kent.

Ollie and Clark glare at each other thinking the same sarcastic thought. 'Oh yeah. This is going to be a bundle of laughs.'


Author's Note: I guess I should feel guilty for Clark and Dinah's sexy time being interrupted by one former boyfriend and one former college room-mate along with several trained killers but I really don't. I gave them their fun time. Now comes sorting out this mess. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Clark and Ollie are forced to work together to save Dinah and Ev.