The fledgling Birds of Prey must escape O-Ren’s bomb and catch the Chechen in these climactic chapters to my fanfiction!
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Sonya felt the explosions coming from beneath her. O-Ren must have rigged the entire place to blow to cover an escape. Damn her, it worked.
The Seattle detective and vigilante hung tenuously from the Gotham vigilante. Batgirl’s Batline pulled them toward the roof. The concussive shockwave from the explosions slammed into the women.
Sonya lost her grip on Batgirl.
Luckily, her reflexes were quick enough to grab Batgirl’s cape before she fell too far away.
Batgirl’s line pulled the trio up to the open skylight on the roof. Black Canary pulled herself onto the roof and then lowered a hand down to Batgirl.
The Gotham vigilante detached the grappling gun and line from her belt and dropped it down to Sonya. The Seattle detective took the gun and released Batgirl’s cape.
While Sonya hung in place, Canary helped Batgirl up. Batgirl’s wounds hindered her. The pain got the better of her; Batgirl’s arms gave.
Canary grabbed her and helped Batgirl the rest of the way up.
With Batgirl out of the way, Sonya climbed up the line and pulled herself up onto the roof. Batgirl lay on her back; Black Canary stood, hands on her knees.
Sonya sat on the roof, joining the other women in catching their collective breaths.
Fires engulfed the building interior beneath the women.
Sirens filled the air, closing in on the area. Sonya looked to the main gate and saw three GCPD squad cars and a SWAT van approaching.
It didn’t look as if they planned to let the gate arm blocking the entrance stop them.
Good for them.
Batgirl sat up, wincing from the pain.
Sonya moved over to Batgirl and put her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “I admit I thought the cape thing was over the top,” Sonya said. “But now I totally appreciate it. Sorry about pulling it.”
Batgirl waved her off. Batgirl said, “The cowl’s neck has reinforcement to protect against that.”
“Best get moving, ladies,” Canary said. “Unless you wanna test how fireproof that cape is.”
Sonya looked to Black Canary, who was looking down into the building. Sonya joined her.
The railcar that O-Ren had occupied was a nearly unrecognizable mess of burning wood and warped steel. Flames consumed nearby cars, quickly spreading throughout the building.
“Stairs are this way,” Batgirl said.
When Sonya and Black Canary turned, Batgirl stood behind them, her thumb pointed back over her shoulder.
“You sure you’re up for this?” Sonya asked.
The Caped Crusader smiled. “Just a flesh wound. Not like I lost a leg or anything.”
Canary smiled. She approached Batgirl and threw an arm over her shoulder. “A Python fan and an Ashes on Sunday fan. Really starting to like you, Batgirl. Except when you’re yelling at me.”
“You deserved it, though,” Batgirl said.
Canary removed her arm from Batgirl’s shoulders and shrugged. Sonya gave the women a gentle push on their backs as a suggestion to get going.
Batgirl turned and led the way toward the edge of the building. “O-Ren slipped away on foot,” she said. “She’ll be difficult to find.”
“Your Chechen guy took off in the sedan,” Black Canary said.
“Then we can track him,” Batgirl said.
“You’re too banged up for this,” Canary said.
Sonya said, “I can get the car and —”
Descending the fire escape with the others, Batgirl said, “You’re still a badge, Detective Blade. You can talk to the cops. Ask for Jim Gordon.”
“We’ve met,” Sonya said.
Batgirl stopped and stared at Sonya for a moment. She then finished descending the stairs.
Black Canary and Sonya exchanged puzzled looks, then followed Batgirl down.
“Tell Gordon you followed the Chechen here,” Batgirl said. “You realized the guards were on the take. After taking them out —”
“I didn’t —”
“After taking them out,” Batgirl continued, “you followed the Chechen to the building. Tell Gordon everything you saw.”
“Minus the vigilante parts,” Black Canary said.
“Gordon’s smart enough to know I’m lying,” Sonya said.
Batgirl hid her smile of appreciation for the respect Sonya showed her father. “Plausible deniability,” she said.
Now at the bottom of the stairs, Black Canary said, “So, we taking your bike or Sonya’s rental?”
“First rule of Gotham vigilantes,” Batgirl said. “We don’t get spotted in rental cars.”
“Well, damn!” Sonya said. “Next time I’ll wear a mask, maybe even make up a silly code name!”
“Robin could give you one,” Batgirl said. “He names everything.”
Batgirl took the turn harder than she should have in her condition. Black Canary held her waist, apologizing every time she heard Batgirl wince. Canary didn’t seem to mind the speed nor the recklessness.
In route to the Batcycle, Batgirl linked to the Batcomputer via her cowl. She’d previously created a backdoor link to the Gotham City computer network that monitored the city’s street cameras.
Using that data, she created on the Batcomputer an algorithm that could find and track a vehicle by make, model, and, if given time, the license plate.
By the time she and Black Canary hit the street, the Batcomputer picked up the Chechen’s exit from the rail yard.
The Euro-mobster traveled north through Old Gotham. Batgirl surmised his best bet was to get back to his base in the Bowery. Once there, he could activate all his lackeys there and dig in.
It’d take him a good thirty minutes and a ride through three Gotham neighborhoods to get there. Plenty of time to stop him, especially at this speed.
Batgirl used oral commands to get the Batcomputer to plan a path to cut off the mobster. Moments later, a map and directions appeared on her cowl’s HUD via her mask’s lenses.
The lateness of the evening helped; traffic was light. Batgirl needed to get to the Chechen before he crossed into the Upper East Side, one neighborhood away.
With the thriving nightlife activity in that neighborhood, civilians could get in harm’s way. Not to mention, the Galante crime family wouldn’t appreciate a high-speed chase through their territory.
Taking side streets, Batgirl cut the distance between them and the Chechen. She weaved around a slow-moving taxi and turned onto Adam Keaton Boulevard.
Wayne Tower loomed over them on the right.
According to her HUD, the Chechen was two streets to the left. They passed the old, abandoned clock tower. Batgirl often mulled over the idea of asking Bruce to back her for a loan for the place. Having a base there would have made this chase easier.
A thought for later.
“I don’t have a fancy mask with a map on my face!” Black Canary yelled against the wind buffeting the women on the motorcycle. “Where are we in catching this guy?”
Batgirl turned another corner. “He’s just ahead of us!” She maneuvered the Batcycle past another car.
“Plan?”
“Get you in front of the Chechen and let you scream them into submission!”
Canary smiled. “I call it my Canary Cry,” she said. “I can definitely get behind this plan!”
Will Batgirl and Black Canary catch the Chechen and cut him off at the figurative pass? Tune in 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!
