Continuing the “Birds of Prey” fanfiction: Batman joins Batgirl in the struggle to save the innocent gamblers from whatever fate Kano has in store for them.

Want to read from the beginning? CLICK HERE!

Using supplies from his utility belt, Batman quickly treated Batgirl’s wounds. He also gave her a universal antidote for poison.

“Paranoid much?” Batgirl asked.

“When I landed on the roof, I ran a photo ID on the ninjas,” Batman said as he returned his items to his belt. “They’re from a group calling themselves the Hand. They deal in poisons.”

Batgirl swallowed hard.

Batman may be paranoid, but that’s what made him the Batman. His paranoia helped him survive six years fighting both the ordinary and psychotic criminals that plagued Gotham City.

“Sweep the rest of the rooftops,” Batman said. “Kano probably has more ninjas on the ground. I’ll handle them and, when I find him, Kano.”

“I’ve already got him rattled,” Batgirl said. She picked up the headset she’d been using to communicate with him and showed it to Batman. He gave a slight nod — the best affirmation Batgirl would get from her mentor.

“Keep taunting him,” Batman said. “I’ll —”

An explosion cut through Batman’s words. He and Batgirl moved to the rooftop’s edge and looked down at the theater. The blast had torn open the theater’s rear doors where Batgirl had warned Gamble’s men.

Six more ninjas rushed toward the building.

“I gave Gamble’s men some lead time,” Batgirl said. “Hopefully, it was enough.”

“Probably not,” Batman said. 

The Masked Manhunter took a step off the rooftop. Using his cape as a glider, he descended to the theater below.

Batgirl brought the headset to her mouth. Before she activated it, she used a verbal command to call up her cowl’s link to the Batcomputer.

She commanded it to lock in on the headset’s frequency and track all users in her area.

“Had to start the party without me, Kano?”

The Aussie didn’t answer straight away, but Batgirl heard the sounds from the street below through the earpiece. She knew he heard her.

Eventually, Kano replied, “Little busy now, girl, but it’s nice you know my name. Means you know my reputation.”

“Lots of criminals in Gotham thought they had a reputation,” Batgirl said. “Then they met the Bat-Team. All your ninjas up here are down. Batman’s about to take care of the ones entering the theater.”

Kano laughed. “That’s not all of them.”

Batgirl thought about the theater’s other doors. They had chains, but that wouldn’t stop Kano’s explosives. Just how many ninjas did he have with him?

Batman leveled the last ninja entering the theater by landing on the man.

From a crouch, Batman threw two of his Batarangs, striking two more ninjas in the back of the neck. They, too, fell.

Batman’s boots scattered ninja ash as he raced into the theater, moving to striking distance on the remaining three ninjas.

To their credit, the ninjas reacted quickly to Batman’s arrival. They drew their ninja-to swords from their backs and prepared for an attack. 

Unfortunately, one can never be prepared for Batman’s strike.

All three ninjas slashed at the Gotham vigilante. He evaded all three blades.

Batman grabbed one ninja by the arm and snapped the arm. The ninja stumbled away from the fight.

The vigilante ducked under another blade. He then hurled an uppercut that launched the ninja into the air before he came crashing down unconscious.

The last ninja thrust his sword at Batman’s stomach. Handling his cloak like a matador, Batman parried the sword. The ninja lost his weapon in the folds of the vigilante’s cloak. 

Batman drew in the ninja and took him down with a solid punch to the jaw.

The ninja with the broken arm cradled his injury with one hand while attacking Batman with a series of kicks.

Using his cloak for subterfuge, Batman avoided any direct hits. He made one that took the ninja down. 

The Dark Knight stood over three more piles of ash-filled ninja costumes.

Two more explosions sounded from further in the theater — accompanied by the screams of innocents.

Batman is on the case while Batgirl tracks Kano. Will either of them make it in time to save the innocents? There’s more tomorrow…

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!