Continuing Mark’s “Birds of Prey” fanfiction!
Against Batman’s orders, Batgirl brings Black Canary with her to see if they can catch the Chechen working with Seattle crime boss China White.
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Robin had started the tradition of naming everything in their arsenal “bat-something.” Batgirl often wondered if Batman ever actually named anything.
Batgirl’s motorcycle, or Batcycle, was an enhanced version of a standard street bike. It carried two riders.
Batgirl and Dinah Lance, a.k.a. the Seattle vigilante Black Canary, cruised through Gotham’s Bowery district. They passed buildings with bars over their windows, metal doors and plenty of locks.
Gamble’s territory of Park Row was north of the Bowery. Gamble quelled much of the random street crime there. In contrast, the Chechen encouraged street crime in his Bowery stronghold.
“So, where’s the Chechen hang out?” Black Canary said into the headset Batgirl gave her.
Batgirl had programmed Canary’s headset to function on a frequency Batgirl had, but Batman didn’t. No reason to let him know she defied his order to send Canary home.
Somehow (fangirl-itis?), Dinah had convinced Batgirl to let her tag along in her alter ego as the vigilante Black Canary.
“He holes up in an abandoned mall,” Batgirl said. “Most of the area is dead at night, with the occasional street crime.
“Luckily, the criminals desperate enough to mug someone are wise enough to stay away when they see costumed vigilantes.”
“Doesn’t sound like much has changed in a year,” Canary said. “What have you vigilantes been doing in Gotham?”
Batgirl caught the sarcasm and said, “It’s not just street crime. We’ve got crazies like Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze. No ego, but I’m not sure this town would be here if we hadn’t stepped up.”
“Well, you can keep those costumed freaks. As exciting as the vigilante life can be, the healthcare sucks.”
Batgirl smiled beneath her cowl. “And do you have any idea how long it takes to get chemically enhanced kudzu out of your hair?” she said.
The Gotham vigilante pulled onto a side street and brought the bike to a halt. She and Canary dismounted.
“We’ll take the rooftops from here,” Batgirl said.
“Where should I tell Sonya to meet us?” Black Canary asked.
Batgirl pulled out her grappling gun and aimed it at the roof. “Bad enough I’m bringing you. Besides, Detective Blade has no jurisdiction here.”
Firing the grappling gun, Batgirl continued. “Even if Commissioner Gordon lets her snoop around, she’s bound by law to report her findings to the GCPD before she can act or risk getting her collar tossed.”
“Kind of like how we as vigilantes have no jurisdiction?”
Batgirl glanced at Canary. “I’m sorry, Ms. Lance.”
“I’m Black Canary when I’m in the mask,” Canary said while pointing at her domino mask. “I mean, you don’t go calling Batman by his real name, do you?”
Batgirl hesitated. She was pretty sure Canary merely made a professional request and was not fishing for Batman’s secret identity.
“Sorry. Black Canary. Batman could ground me forever for bringing you this far. I’m not risking losing the cowl to bring along a Seattle detective.”
Batgirl tested the grappling line. It held. “Make sure nobody takes the bike.”
She pressed a button on her grappling gun. The line pulled her up to the roof.
“Hey!” Black Canary started. “How am I supposed to observe if —”
With a flip of her cape, Batgirl disappeared over the roof.
Batgirl felt bad about leaving Black Canary down below. Still, she was already testing Batman’s patience in letting the Seattle vigilante remain in Gotham.
Better to leave her with the Batcycle than risk her getting involved with the Chechen and making a mess of the city’s already unstable underworld.
And gaining Batman’s full wrath.
Gotham’s female vigilante crossed a few rooftops until she made it to the mall, a five-story building in the middle of a small parking lot. The lights meant to illuminate the lot were either shattered or dim.
Batgirl used the shadows to approach the mall and entered a long-since abandoned big-box department store.
Racks and tattered merchandise left to the ages haunted the space. She found a set of moldy stairs and cautiously proceeded up.
From prior reconnaissance, Batgirl knew the Chechen had converted a section of the fourth floor into a loft complete with offices and a bedroom. That’s where he’d be.
Batgirl made it to the fourth floor, silently taking down a few guards on the way. On this floor, she located an air-conditioning vent. Batgirl crawled inside and made her way to the area above the Chechen’s lair.
When she heard voices speaking Russian or a similar language (that was Batman’s thing), knew she was close.
Batgirl continued to a grate in the vent’s metal siding and looked down. She lay over an office area that held ample space for a makeshift conference table with lots of chairs. A set of closed double doors, barely hanging on its hinges, was about thirty feet from the table.
The Chechen sat at the head of the table. He conferred with his lieutenant Abram. Four other men in Euro-trash leather jackets and jeans milled about the area.
Batgirl pulled a microphone from her utility belt. She attached a cable from it to her cowl and then set up a link to the Batcomputer. The machine would translate for her in real-time.
The vigilante listened intently.
Black Canary kicked the Batcycle. Canary in the cage indeed, she thought.
She’d tried for five minutes to figure out how to turn the cycle on to no avail. Her attempts ended when the inanimate object spoke to her, telling her the anti-theft system would arm if she tried again.
Talking damned motorcycles. Only in Gotham.
Canary called Sonya for an update. Sonya said that Gotham’s commissioner teamed her with a Detective Montoya. They’d start digging around for info on China White tomorrow.
Talking to Kano was out of the question.
Canary relayed that she made a similar conversation with one of Gotham’s costumed vigilantes, Batgirl. After Sonya cursed Dinah for getting tagged by the vigilantes, Canary explained she was out with Batgirl now.
Unfortunately, the masked girl ditched her to investigate the Chechen’s hideout.
Sonya demanded to know where they were. Canary shared the information but didn’t intend to wait around for Sonya or Batgirl to give her permission to act.
Batgirl is in the lion’s den, but will Black Canary’s drive for action put Batgirl in the lion’s mouth? You know the drill; come back for 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!
