zerocharliexray | [oom] a beautiful night in Gotham City

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[oom] a beautiful night in Gotham City

The door she opens leads into a handsome old building with high, gracious ceilings. Down the tastefully appointed cream-colored hall, figures are bustling in and out of a room; some dressed in normal civilian clothing, others... not so much. "They're settin' up for the surgery," Zinda explains, and nods to another door not far from them. "That's where the Skipper is. Canary's in there with her, I think."

She looks from Bucky to Sharon and back again. "Mind waitin' while I go fetch her?"

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Dinah doesn't look concerned at the wince, so much as sympathetic. She knows that feeling, well. But now she tilts her head, grinning a little sheepishly.

"You know how it is. Some people can fly, others see in the dark. Me, I can bring an avalanche when I scream. If the rock's loose enough to start with, I mean. Lady B didn't say?"

"To be honest, I haven't talked to her that much. But if she told Bucky, he didn't mention it."

So she's pretty sure Zinda hadn't told Bucky. She thinks that kind of thing would probably come up in conversation.

Sharon gives the other woman an impressed, assessing kind of look. "That's got to come in handy from time to time. So you could have blown that ship to pieces on your own, huh?"

"Could have," Dinah admits. "But it wouldn't have been as exciting. And if we hadn't met the Brothers as we did they'd have come after us as a matter of honour. Better to end it this way."

"I like your style."

She'd like the sonic cannon, too, but she has to admit Dinah seems to have managed it pretty neatly. Aside from the internal bleeding they probably all have. "You'll have some good news for your friend when she gets out of surgery."

Dinah nods, albeit with a sigh and a real pang of worry. "She'd expect nothing less," she says, but looks around to check on the others as she says so.

"Talking of which, you think we're ready to go? We've got the best doctor back at HQ, if he's out of surgery."

Bucky leaves the chastened crew with the authorities and walks up in time to hear this last. He gives Sharon a sharp once-over, checking for signs of injury.

She looks okay, although she's got a bruise blossoming on her jawline and she's moving like she's going to be sore. But she's here, and on her feet, and smiling, and he feels a weight lift from him.

"Saw the Aerie One circle and head back," he offers. "Crew's wrapped up."

Dinah smiles at him, a little warmer when she sees that relaxation, knowing what it means.

"Creote and Savant will be okay at Gotham General," she says, thinking out loud. "Huntress will make her own way back. It's the same crowd in the car."

Gesturing at Connor and Ted, she makes her way over, feeling pain in a new muscle with each step.

"Thanks, Bucky. That was good work."

"Happy to help," he assures her. "That was a hell of a fight you all put up."

"I'd be shrugging modestly but I think my trap is seizing up," Dinah says, deadpan.

She does glance at the others though - Richard Dragon is talking to Helena and Dinah reminds herself to get his number off her later.

...for sparring reasons obviously

"I'm glad they all showed up. Oracle's earned a lot of respect in our community.

Bucky nods, remembering that Zinda had called her friend the Skipper by a couple of other names from time to time - including Oracle. It's easy to put some of the pieces together.

"Sounds like it," he agrees. "I know Zinda can't say enough good about her."

He shifts to stand a little closer to Sharon. "But yeah, unless there's something I'm not seeing, I think you're clear to head back."

Plus maybe that way he can get Sharon to let someone check her over.

Dinah smiles fondly, as ever, deligthed that people are saying good things about her best friend.

"Thanks. Are you coming back, or heading to the bar form here? You'd be welcome either way. Dr Cross is one of the best in the world."

He moves a little closer and she sets her hand, brief and light, at the small of his back, just as a little reminder that she's here and in one piece.

One very sore piece, but one piece. The vibranium suit absorbs impact like nothing else, but she still feels exactly like she'd gotten pummeled by a bunch of fighters better than her. And her jaw is probably going to swell up.

Worth it, though. Every bruise and ache and pain is worth it. She glances up at Bucky. "We should probably at least stick around to say bye to Zinda," she points out.

He nods to that. "We'll never hear the end of it if we just skip out," he says, with the barest flicker of amusement before it vanishes into stern determination. "And that way you can get checked out by the docs."

Bucky nods to Dinah. "We'll come back with you."

Dinah nods. Hopefully, if Babs is out, she can throw Bucky and Sharon at Pieter and distract the doctor while she slips her very-injured body into Babs' room to check on her.

Ted and Connor are waiting at the car, but with Wildcat hovering protectively at the driver's side. It gives Dinah the opportunity to curl up in the shotgun seat, nursing her aching ribs. Connor sits directly behind her, his arm draps over the back of the seat so she can lean on him.

The tension has dissolved comploetely now - it's godo to be with family again.

It's a quiet ride back to the headquarters. Sharon leans her head on Bucky's shoulder and closes her eyes, exhausted and cataloguing the various aches and pains across her body. The other fighters seem to be in a pretty similar state; Connor lets Dinah lean on him, and Ted Grant lifts his hand off the wheel to pat Dinah's knee, tired and fond.

"Good job with the boat," she murmurs to Bucky. "That was a pretty big boom."

"The crew decided to be smart about it. They didn't take too much convincing." He sounds entirely too matter-of-fact about that, he knows, but maybe it'll pass unnoticed. "That left a clear line of fire for Zinda."

He shifts enough to change the angle of his shoulder so she can rest more comfortably.

"Pretty clever plan."

"I'm just glad it worked."

Considering how many of the brothers had been left, versus how many of them. She nudges her head against his shoulder and exhales, relieved all over again. "It's very tiring, getting your ass kicked."

Not all of them have a super-soldier's accelerated recovery period. Sharon nudges the back of Dinah's seat with her foot. "Good call on pushing them for a draw."

Dinah rolls her head back, peering over her shoulder at them.

"It was the only call, really," she says. "If we'd beaten them they'd hunt us down until one side was dead. It's a matter of honour in their world."

A world Dinah has one foot in, and she knows it.

"This is better," Sharon agrees.

"But if they end up giving you more trouble and you need a hand again, just let one of us know. Zinda can find us at the bar, or leave a note, or something."

She's confident that Bucky would want to come back and lend a hand, and it's not even a question for her. "Maybe not, like, soon, though."

Because ow.

"I will not hesitate," Dinah assures her. "One thing you learn quickly in this job is how to call for help."

Connor clears his throat, to interrupt. "Never as early as you should, though."

"Calling for help at the last minute is a tried and tested way of superheroing," Dinah objects, but she does nod at Sharon. "And it's mutual, of course."

"Things are pretty quiet where we are these days," Sharon tells her, "so hopefully we won't need to take you up on that. But I appreciate the offer."

She watches the unfamiliar city roll by as they drive, Bucky's shoulder warm under her head.

"Quiet," Dinah repeats wistfully. "I remember quiet."

"When?" Ted asks, which makes her shrug.

"There was like a week after I left Seattle. It was boring," she adds through a facetious smirk. "I didn't like it."

Ted barks out a soft laugh as he turns the car into the Justice Society private parking lot.

"Think I saw Big Blue flying off," he says. "Guess that means they finished with your friend."

Hopefully that's a good sign, and not one that things went terribly wrong. She stretches as she gets out of the car, then winces at the protestations of sore muscles.

A motorcycle roars into the lot and comes to a halt, and Helena dismounts in a swirl of black and purple before striding over to them. Sharon recognizes the bravado in her movements, the way she hides her aches and hurts with a slightly stiff gait. It's familiar.

"Dinah," says the other woman as she comes up. She glances at the building, looking strangely reluctant. "...You should go check in on her."

"Yeah," Dinah agrees, already a few steps towards the door before Helena had arrived. But she stops fully, and turns to her friend.

She puts out a hand, palm turned up, and tilts her head, both welcoming and insistent, unwilling to accept any refusal.

"And you should come too. Come on."

She's not going in without her, but she's also not staying here for a second longer.

While Dinah and Helena are talking, Bucky turns to Sharon, his eyes narrowing as she winces mid-stretch.

"You can get checked out now or when we go back. But you are getting checked out," he tells her. "Your choice where."

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