Back in Gotham City, Batgirl follows up on the war between the Chechen and Gamble. She also has a conversation with Dick Grayson while he’s back at college.
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Batgirl sat atop a building looking down on the Gotham City neighborhood called Park Row.
Back in the early and mid-1990s, wealthy Gothamites from Bristol crossed the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge or came over from the Rogers Yacht Basin through Newtown to make Park Row the spot for Gotham high society.
Unfortunately, the late nineties dot-com implosion and its subsequent drag on the United States economy made people in the nearby Bowery desperate; the corruption under Boss Rupert Thorne made crime easier.
That crime spilled over into Park Row, culminating in the murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne in the early aughts.
The high-society types fled Park Row for the safety of their mansions in Bristol or the security of extra police patrols on the Upper East Side.
More crime flooded Park Row, the area gaining the name Crime Alley.
With property values collapsing, immigrants and minorities filled in the areas the high society (mostly white) types left behind.
To his credit, Gamble squashed some of the darker criminal activity when he assumed control of the area in the mid-2000s. He pushed out the drugs and the pimps.
Because of his efforts, Gamble became a figure for community reform — despite everyone knowing what he was really up to.
Other criminals like Penguin and Black Mask let Gamble have his territory, advising him to show no ambition outside of Crime Alley.
Now, Batgirl tracked two of the Chechen’s men cruising through Gamble’s territory.
Presumably they weren’t here for weed or gambling; they could get that in the Bowery, which they controlled. Just two weeks ago, the Chechen’s men burned Gamble’s supply of marijuana.
It was not only a warning to Gamble but a show of confidence from the Chechen.
Batman sent Batgirl to disrupt the Chechen’s confidence.
“You’d think they’d at least slow down a bit,” Batgirl said over her cowl’s commlink.
Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Robin was on the other line via a cellphone patch. While Batgirl was out patrolling Gotham, Dick was at New York City’s Empire State University, settling into his first year of college.
“Money never sleeps,” Dick said. “Neither do the criminals looking to get it.”
“If they spent half the energy they used to think up these illegal schemes and instead did something good, they’d probably be just as rich.”
“Then how else would you spend your nights?”
Batgirl thought for a moment. “Studying library and computer sciences and… ugh! Maybe rushing a sorority.”
Dick laughed. “I can’t imagine you dealing with hazing.”
“Being forced to wear the same outfit as ten other girls is the true hazing!”
Batgirl returned her attention to her binoculars. The Chechen’s men parked down an alley. Once out of their car, they headed to the abandoned Monarch Theater.
At least, Gotham records listed the place as abandoned. Batgirl knew Gamble ran a gambling racket from the site.
It seems the Chechen’s men knew that too.
“So, are you gonna find the time to go to Gotham U?” Dick asked.
Batgirl watched the Chechen’s men walk around the theater. They played it casual, but Batgirl could tell they were scoping out the place.
“I got in,” Batgirl replied to Dick.
“Of course, you did. But are you going to go?”
“Dad wants me to,” Batgirl said, referring to her father, current police commissioner James Gordon. He didn’t know his only daughter moonlighted as the costumed vigilante Batgirl.
Batgirl kept that secret from him. She felt he’d ultimately be proud of what she’s accomplished under the cowl but would disapprove of his teenage daughter risking her life every night when she should be safely in college.
Then again, with all the mass shootings, maybe vigilante life was safer. As a vigilante, she wore body armor and was trained for gunplay resistance.
“I’m still working for that start-up company in Burnside, so it’s not like I’m just goofing off,” Batgirl said. “Dad hasn’t pressured me. Yet.”
“Vigilante life doesn’t have much in the way of a 401k,” Dick said.
“Says the ward of a billionaire.”
Batgirl moved from her current position to another rooftop so she could monitor the Chechen’s men. “That why you took off? The no retirement plan part.”
Dick didn’t immediately answer. He eventually said, “Just thought it time for a change.”
Batgirl noted the darkness in Dick’s answer.
A few months ago, Batman and Robin encountered Dr. Jonathan Crane, creator of a toxin that triggered hallucinations of a victim’s greatest fears.
The American military was interested but needed to run a battery of tests and safety protocols. However, Oscorp would pay three times what the government would and pay immediately upon proof the toxin worked.
Crane bypassed scientific professionalism and assessed his toxin on random Gotham citizens.
That’s how he caught Batman’s attention.
Batman and Robin took on Crane, who fashioned himself as the criminal Scarecrow. During the encounter, Scarecrow dosed Robin with the toxin.
Batman made an antidote. Unfortunately, whatever Robin saw while under the influence really messed him up. He wouldn’t even talk about it with Batgirl, despite the close bond between the two.
Was that why Dick ran off to college? Batgirl couldn’t be sure, but it tracked.
Batgirl changed the subject to avoid the potentially dark turn in their conversation. “So, how’s the roomy? The Parker kid?”
“He’s hardly ever here,” Dick said.
Down below, the Chechen’s men finished a full trip around the theater.
While they worked, Batgirl also took in the lay of the land, noting entrances, escape routes, and guard placement. All handy intel she’d log in the Batcomputer later. Her eidetic memory would make that task a breeze.
“We don’t share any classes because I’m on the criminology track and he’s in the sciences,” Dick continued while Batgirl tracked the Chechen’s men. “Then he’s out all hours of the night. Either he’s a secret party animal or he’s also a vigilante.”
Now, the men Batgirl followed moved to another street. Pursuing the men, Batgirl saw them heading to a pawnshop. The place should be closed at this hour.
However, after a knock at the back door, someone let the Chechen’s men inside.
“Not gonna lie, though,” Dick said. “It’s kinda nice not having Bruce in my ear correcting every misstep. How’d you get him to let you go solo?”
“Because I was gonna do it without him,” Barbara said. She’d initially taken up the cowl to protect her father from an assassination attempt from the mercenary Fox. She’d held her own, earning Batman’s respect.
“Also, I wasn’t living in his house to be controlled,” she added.
“Ouch! You wound! But you also missed out on Alfred’s amazing hot chocolate.”
Batgirl smiled. Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s manservant and confidant, did indeed have a hot chocolate that took the edge off a night of crime fighting.
Dick continued his small talk. Meanwhile, Batgirl dug into her knowledge of Gotham that Batman had drilled into her. She remembered Gamble did not control this shop.
So, who did?
“As fun as this convo is, Momma’s gotta get to work,” Batgirl said.
“Working on Gamble and the Chechen?” Dick asked.
“Yeah. Trying to prevent all-out war while Batman looks into a cat burglar.”
“Be careful out there,” Dick replied.
“Always. Later, college boy.”
Batgirl cut the line to Dick. She missed their conversations; missed having him at her side on patrol even more.
But Batgirl understood taking a break after so much trauma. It was only five years ago that Dick lost his parents at the circus. Then the Scarecrow thing.
Batman got the luxury (if you would call it that) of over a decade to adjust to the murder of his parents before he assumed the cowl.
Batgirl worried about what could happen to her.
Shaking the dark thought away, Batgirl prepared to find out who let the Chechen’s men into the henhouse.
Batgirl investigates the Chechen’s men. Guess who she discovers. Find out in the next chapter!
While writing this fanfiction, I used Green Ronin’s Mutants and Masterminds, 3rd Edition RPG, to leave some things to chance. Check it out!
Like this Birds of Prey fanfiction? Check out Mark’s original “Shadowdance” saga books!
