Kory was bent over the bar, broad shoulders hunched, waiting for her pitcher of beer to be refilled. "I miss Dick," she said seriously.
On her left side, Dinah instantly turned to shush Helena, who refrained from laughing, but gave Dinah a broad grin.
Yeah,
Dinah admitted to herself,
it was kind of funny.
Then she patted Kory on the back, because she was a good sister-wife and not kinda an asshole like Helena. "He'll be back," Dinah told her. "But hey, at least we have each other."
A pretty cool thing about being a superhero and friends with superheroes was that you could walk into any bar in Gotham and not worry about trouble. Dinah doubted Bizarro was drinking there, after all. The McBain wasn't annoying enough to be a yuppie bar, but it was still pretty clean, with a hint of danger. Some of the braver frat boys were dredging there, and their leers were the most dangerous thing about the placeâthe regulars were crooks, yes, but knew enough to stick to their drinks. It helped having Kory with them. Seven feet tall, built like a Greek statue, and glowing green eyes. Even someone dumb enough to live in Gotham was smart enough not to mess with her.
Helena was still kinda disappointed no one had started a barfight, gotten them all started on a wild adventure. They really were just having a night on the town. She sidled against the bar backwards, spine against it, legs open on her stool. "Stuck in a relationship with Barbara Gordon, though. That's not much better."
"Hel!"
"What? I like her. But you gotta admit, Dick's exhausting, Babs is controllingâmaybe a little sympathy for us, having to put up with them both just because the sex is great." Helena eyed the bartender refilling Kory's drink. "Move it along."
"I like Barbara," Kory insisted. "She's a queen. She rules to make us happy."
"Yeah, wellâI didn't sign up to be a peasant." Helena reached behind her for a shotglass, brought it unerringly to her lips.
"You're a knight," Dinah told her. "Just like me. Just with less of a classical, timeless aesthetic."
"What, fishnets? We're talking about fishnets here?"
"I know what you're doing," Kory said, lifting her pitcher for an enormous gulp. "You don't have to banter with each other to distract me. I'm fine with Dick being on a secret missionâsomewhere. Our reunions are always sweet. I just grow tired of waiting for them. I know absence makes the heart grow fonder, but how much fonder can my heart be?"
"Awwwww," Dinah cooed, leaning over to hug Kory. Kory returned the embrace, patting her on the small of the back.
"So you're not pissed at him for booking?" Helena asked.
"No, of course not. I believe all must follow their feelings, and if his feelings lead him away from me for a timeâ" Kory faltered. Dinah rubbed her back. "They will, in time, lead him back. He should not be with me, with any of us, out of obligation. But I believe he truly loves us. All of us."
Helena leaned back along the bar, putting her feet up on Kory's lap. Kory rubbed her calves with the easy intimacy of a Tamaranian. Where banter had failed to distract her from her troubles, the closeness of her friendsâher wivesâwas properly warming her. "Well, I'm gonna be pissed off at him for you. You're, like, the perfect woman. You just wanna give him blowjobs and punch people with him. He should appreciate that. I don't care if Batman has him in Nanda Parbat, he should at least be sending you a Dick pic."
"I do miss the sight of my Dick."
Kory's head going downcast gave Helena another opportunity to flash Dinah a grin. Dinah mouthed something rude to her.
"I know what'll cheer you up," Helena said, gently butting her toes up into Kory's rock-hard stomach.
"Another round?"
"Nah," Helena waved dismissively. "Dinah, your Canary Cryâhow strong is it, exactly? I've seen you take out robots, soâit's robot strong?"
"Depends on how loud I scream."
"Mmmm," Helena agreed. "But you have the low-level for disabling people-people, and the high-level for maybe getting in a shot at Amazo?"
Dinah shrugged good-naturedly. "I just pour it on when everyone's shooting laser beams or throwing Batarangs and hope it's a help."
"But what would the low-level do to, say, Wonder Woman?"
"Nothing, I don't thinkâ"
Helena danced her heels on Kory's thigh. "And Kory, I've seen you get into a punch-up with Wondy. You're pretty strong."