Operation Black Arrow: Opening Gambit

[Batman]

Operational Security is loosely defined as the process of identifying critical informaiton to understand if it is being observed, to define its value to enemy units, and to reduce any exploitation of this information by enemy units. Generally speaking, military personel use the acronym OPSEC for this process. OPSEC happens to be my current role in this particular JLA mission.

More specificly, I've taken some pains both in and out of costume to ensure the security of assets, to reduce any outflow of information, and most importantly to ensure the smooth running of the action from start to finish. For this purpose I've tasked Oracle to keep a constant watch on internet and communications chatter, ensured a complete satelite blackout of the mission area, and I'm not proceeding with the last stage of the mission. Acquiring a triggerman, as the parlance goes.

Although someone connected to goverment was a nessecity in this case, we needed someone with a high standard of trust, and still higher capacity for discretion. This really only left one possible option. Commissioner James Gordon, my long time ally in the war on crime, and an indispinsible asset in this specific mission.

To that end, I take care to slip into his office unnoticed, using the window he's long taken care to leave ajar for me, and then appearing almost phantom like from behind me, issuing a false cough to let him know that I'm here. Aware as always that its always best not to startle anyone carrying a gun, even a long time friend like Jim.

[shadow=black,left,300]"Jim, I need you to come with me immediately. There is a high priority situation that requires your immediate attention."[/shadow]

My voice is stony as I speak, leaving no room for argument or negotiation. A simple statement of intent, and almost command. I know he'll understand my methods in this matter, and hopefully not put up too much of a problem in carrying this all out. We don't have time to argue. The window I left myself is allready narrowing, and I still need to make sure that all the other pieces are in play.

[James Gordon]

Everyone from days have left the station hours ago and the second shift is just about over about 2 hours from now it’s about 9 pm and I should be home resting but I’m still here at the station working on some paper work that needs to be worked on and filed away and also working on a case.

When I hear that familiar false cough coming from behind, you would think I should be used to this after all the years I’ve known him but I still cringe when Batman sneaks up on me.

Setting my pen down on the desk, as I hear him say that he needs to come with him right away and it’s a high priority issue that needs my attention. What could possibility be high priority from me? Usually when it’s high priority it’s usually for Batman. And from the roughness of his voice I’m not to give him a hard time like I usually do. Closing the folder to the case I’ve been working on I stand up I stretch a little.

I walk over to the corner where the coat rack is grabbing my coat and my hat, turning towards Batman putting on my coat and placing my hat on, as I step towards him ready for what he has plans for me. “Very well from the roughness of your voice Batman it must be very important where to?” I asked Batman.

[Batman]

Jim reponds as I'd known he would, dropping what he's doing to come to my aid. Its what makes him a good cop and a better man...and as much a friend as I can ever have in this life.

I don't say any of that to him though, instead reaching to my belt, extracting a simple GPS device from my pocket, handing it across to him.

[shadow=black,left,300]"This device has allready been programmed with the coordinates that you'll need. Activate it when you reach street level. The building is four blocks over. Walk, don't drive. When you arrive you'll find an older style brownstone. Walk to the front entrance and enter five-hundred seventy three into the intercom pad. That will unlock the front door. Take the stairs to the roof access. I'll meet you there. Make sure you are not followed."[/shadow]

The instructions are as brief as I can make them, carefully crafted to put him in precisely the right direction, without giving out too much unnessecery information. Certainly more subtle than what Queen had in mind....Net arrow into police headquarters...
Probably get himself seen by half the city...thats all I need on my plate.

I don't wait for Jim to respond to my instructions, simply moving out onto the fire escape, and then firing a grapnel line across the street. Swinging out across traffic, allready making my own, much further transit to the location. I have preperations to put into effect before the main event.

I hope Green Arrow appreciates what I'm putting into this plan...this has not been easy to coordinate...though knowing Queen, he's completely oblivious. What possessed that man to be a hero I'll never know...Brave, loyal, and utterly clueless.

[James Gordon]

Batman hands me a small GPS unit saying to use when I get to ground level, I listen to the instructions very carefully and quickly memorized the number that he has given me to enter on the keypad when I arrive at the location.

I quickly nod to Batman as he leaves and I step out of my office and walk down to ground level. Once outside of the station I active the GPS unit it then shows me which direction I’m to go. Before I go I quickly look around making sure that I’m not being watched or followed.

Once I feel its okay, I walk in the direction the GPS unit tells me. Everyone once and a while I look to make sure that I’m not being followed.

The walk didn’t take to long and I arrive at the location, finding the old style brownstone building. Stepping up to the front entrance, once more I look around making sure that no one followed me. Seeing that it was clear I quickly key in the code on the keypad the front door unlocks stepping inside closing the door behind me seeing the stairs well is off to the left.

Walking through the door that lead to the stair well, I look up there might be about 8-10 flights of stair, taking a deep breath I start the climb to the top. About 15 minutes later I reach the top stepping out onto the rooftop.

I’m slightly winded from the climb, taking a handkerchief out wiping the sweat from my brow and I take out another handkerchief out and I wipe my glasses.

[Green Arrow]

God damn I hate ties.

Its not so much the look of them, because that can be pretty classy, or even the intricacies of securing them, because any bowman worth his salt can string a bow blindfolded.

No, its the fact that they make you feel like you're strangling the whole time you're wearing them. It doesn't matter if ifs a Walmart special shirt and a clip on, or a five thousand dollar custome tailored shanghai silk suit, its always too tight around the neck, and generally a bit loose everywhere else. Even after 20 years running a major corporaiton, they still make me feel like I'm wearing a neck fitted straight jacket. It gets worse too. Not only is it hard to breathe, and stuffy as hell, the pressure on your neck muscles wears on you, giving you a stiff achy neck, and one of those cricks that makes you feel like the morning after a fight with Darkseid, or whoever the JLA nemesis of the week is.

Ties are a pain in the ass. Even when I ran Queen Industries I got out of that every chance I could, rolling up my sleeves and loosening my tie like some second string political cantidate, trying to show how he was in touch with the common man....

Yeah, who am I kidding? I've spent most of my carreer in Tights. After six hours in those, a suit should be easy pickings...particularly that I"m not wearing the tights under this one. Truth is I'm just making up excuses cause I'm nervous as hell, and scared to show it.

Dinah and I have been putting off the wedding forever. We got the paperwork in order a long time ago. All the Ts dotted and Is crossed, but getting the last part, the official part...well thats a lot trickier. A whole hell of a lot harder to pull off. For one thing theres the 'when supervillains attack' schick, that ensures any group of heroes standing together for long enough, and you can pretty much bet on a supervillain attack.

Its just going to happen that way.

So naturally that meant we couldn't do a big event, as much fun as that would be to pull of...I can just see Dinah tossin Bats the garter...Laugh my ass off for a week over that kinda move...still, gotta be practical.

So instead we've got this. A rooftop in Gotham, under the full moon, just Me, Bats, Dinah, Barbara, and Gordon, Bat's pick to get us hitched and make an honest man out of me...Not that he'll ever know who Dinah or I are. Doesn't need to. Paperwork is done, over with...this is just the formality...the biggest formality of my life. One final committment to a the most beautiful, intelligent, and dangerous woman I've ever met.

Means a whole nother thing when you do 'Till death' with a woman who could very easily break every bone in your body..

Truth be told Dinah and I have had our low spots on the way here too. Trust issues, conflicted emotions, a fair level of bullheadeness on both sides. Sometimes I've wondered if I could even live with her, nonetheless marry her, make that kind of commitment. In the end I realized one very important fact. One truism thats going to last as long as I do.

I allready have.

I look in her eyes, and I see a kindred spirit, what some would call a soulmate. Someone that feels so right, that you can fight with, and argue with, and say bitter words too...but in the end, she'll still have your back, still be there for you. Because we're both alone, but we're that way together.

Funny, I probably should have written some of this down for the vows...Don't know how I got talked into the 'write your own' schtick...Seems kinda silly now. Still, I got the Index cards tucked right here in my....well shit.

Figures. I remembered the rings, remembered the Green arrow mask, even remembered the damn corsage...but I left the speech at home...

Guess that means I'll have to wing it...

Just as I'm considering taking a swan dive off the building to avoid the pain Dinah will put me in if I screw this up, the Commish pops out the roof access door, looking a bit confused no doubt by the sight of his daughter with two of the JLA...okay, cover story time...

I step forward, taking his hand and shaking it firmly, smiling broadly behind my mask, speaking in as friendly a matter as I can.

"Well hell there Commissioner Gordon, do you mind if I call you Jim? I know what you're wondering, but let me sum it up. Miss Canary over there finally decided to make an honest man out of me...Bout time really...we've got the paperwork and all, but we needed some kind of ceremony to make it official...and well Bats, whose manning the permimeter by the way, suggested you, and your daughter to help us out. I hope its not an inconvience to you...we won't take but a few minutes of your time, and then you can both be on your way, east breezy..."

[Barbara Gordon]

Barbara Gordon was set up in her own little corner of the roof, surrounded by a number of computers and devices hooked to portable power sources. This was her on the go communications kit. She was hooked into satellites all over the place, but her focus was on the surrounding area. She also had a constant "ear" out on a number of different programs, searching for any mention of Green Arrow or Black Canary, whether they be over the airwaves such as phones or tv, or over real time net, emails . . anything. All communication sources were covered. If anyo0ne was talking about the two, they would know, or if they were talking about their location.

After another check that everything was running as it should, Barbara looked up at Green Arrow. She refrained from smiling too broadly. She was excited for both Dinah and Ollie, though she couldn't let her father know how happy she was for them. She looked over as he stepped onto the roof and smiled at him, then turned back forward, her face all business as Green Arrow spoke to her father.

She flicked one screen to a different program, and smiled ot herself as she waited for Black Canary
, finding it difficult to think her best friend was getting married, and she couldn't even show the excitement she felt.

[Black Canary]

There were so many ways we could have done this.
A large wedding, no secret identities... Well that wouldn't have worked well. Ollie and I don't really lead mundane lives enough to have friends and family out of costume.
A giant wedding in costume... that would be one giant target for any super villain to crash and ruin it all.
Hell, we could have eloped to Vegas.
But, Ollie met me half way on all of it.
We will be wearing our costumes. And my Maid of Honer can be there in her civilian I.D. pretending she doesn't know me so well.
No crowd, no friends, little family, and our own vows exchanged.
A more private ceremony.
Of course... I didn't tell Ollie that I had my costume remade for this.
If I'm not going to get a giant ceremony on 'my special day', I'm at least going to wear white.
Fuck purity. It's tradition.
So, in the rush of getting the special uniform on without anyone noticing, I dropped my notes on the vows.
Lovely. Ollie's going to kill me.
At least I'll leave a well dressed corpse.
Besides... it's vows. How hard can it be to wing it?
There's no 'here comes the bride' being played, not even anyone to let me know they are ready.
I have to peek out the door, hoping my veil doesn't peak out too much, to see everyone's there.
I step out onto the roof with a tight smile, hoping to make at least my Groom-to-be's head turn at my.
I walk slowly to his side, even though there's no beat to do it to, and give Barbara a private grin as I pass her to do it.
Once in place, I nod to the Commissioner.

[shadow=yellow,right,600]"Are we ready then?"[/shadow]

[James Gordon]

Once my glasses are on I quickly look around then I’m greeted by Green Arrow why is Green Arrow dressed in suit? Shouldn’t he be dressed in Green Arrow clothing?

Batman had brought me here to see Green Arrow and this was high priority? Okay something is up, normally when something is up I get a bad feeling but I’m not getting that here.

Green Arrow shakes my hand asks me if he could call me Jim, don’t like anyone calling me that in public everyone usually calls me Commish or Commissioner when I’m duty, “I prefer if you call me Commish,” I said as Green Arrow explains why I’m here and also points out that Barbara is here also.

I do a quick look and I see Barbara a short distance off in a corner smiling and I wave to her, she must know Green Arrow by acquaintance.

He tells me that he is getting married to Miss Canary. Raising an eye brow he must be referring to Black Canary, okay an interesting choice. Saying that the paperwork had been done and that he and Black Canary needed me to make the ceremony official and that Batman had suggested me and Barbara to help them out, and if it wasn’t too much of a problem or being out of my way.

I smile at Green Arrow, “of course it is not out of my way I’m honored that you ask me to do this for you and Miss Canary.”

A couple of minutes later didn’t even see Black Canary sneak up to Green Arrow’s side until she spoke, asking if everyone is ready and she looks stunning in the costume she is wearing.

It has been a while since I have done anything like this and I quickly run through my mind the vows that are said in wedding ceremonies.

Looking at the couple to be, “Do you have a Maid of Honor and a Best man to witness the exchange of vows? If not let’s proceed to the vows unless you have your own vows that you want to say to each other.”

By the looks on their faces it looks like they had their own and I step back and let them exchange their own vows to each other and I’m the Justice of Peace and witness to this wonderful wedding and under a full moon more or less can’t beat that.

[Green Arrow]

The Commish seems even faster on his feet than Brucey had predicted, getting his head wrapped around the issue at hand pretty fast, and even findin time to make a small joke of his own in the course of the proceedings. Doubt he really wants me to call him 'Commish'...He also touches on the best man and vows issues....ouch, some sore spots there.

Firstly, the plan in hand was to have Roy hand me off to Dinah's tender care...but what with the stuff he's been up to in the league, and all the stuff with my god daughter, he hasn't had time...Not to mention I really didn't want to add another potential target to the proceedings. Instead I did what any rational man did...and begged Bats to do it, which of course he agreed too...cause I can be pretty charming when I'm desperate.

Naturally that isn't quite how I put it to Gordon.

"Well, Bats is technicly best man...But he'll be doing that from the perimeter. Gotta keep things secure ya know...wouldn't believe the time we've had with that....And your daughter as kind enough to fill in the maid of honor slot...thank god. As for vows....erhm...yeah....I got that handled somewhere around here..."

I rustle around in my pockets, at last pulling a paper napkin from one pocket, enscrolled with the number of some informant back in Star City...not that Dinah will EVER know it...As far as she's concerned, it has the most sacred words of my life written on it...Like I said, i can be convincing when I'm desperate.

"An arrow flies true only with a steady hand, and you've been mine Songbird...Guiding me through high winds, and rough weather, through darkness and light. Your voice has torn asunder walls and death machines, but it only carries a song in my heart...Be mine lover, now and forever, and I shall hold true and steady, nocked against highest wind and darkest night, for you've allready pierced my heart."

Yeah okay...its a bit corny....Very corny...but I think it came out pretty well overall...I sum it up by reaching into my pocket, extracting a gold band from within, and then moving forward to take her wrist, kissing her hand before I gently push the ring onto it. Offering her my hand in turn.

"I love you Songbird."