The fledgling Birds of Prey must escape O-Ren’s bomb and catch the Chechen in these climactic chapters to my fanfiction!
Want to read from the beginning? CLICK HERE!
Sonya felt the blast behind her. It pushed her and the women dangling from Batgirl’s line forward. The detective lost her grip from around Batgirl’s neck.
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 to 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 the Gotham vigilante the rest of the way up.
With Batgirl out of the way, Sonya climbed up the line and pulled herself up on the roof. Batgirl lay on her back; Sonya stood, hands on knees.
Sonya sat on the roof, joining the other women in catching their collective breaths.
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 stop at the arm blocking entrance at the gate.
Good for them.
Batgirl sat up, wincing from the pain. She reached into her utility belt and pulled out first aid ointment. She applied it generously to the wound in her stomach.
Sonya moved over to Batgirl and put her hand on the younger woman’s shoulder. “I admit I thought the cape thing was a bit over the top,” Sonya said, “but now I totally appreciate it.
“Sorry about pulling it. Like your body needed more stress.”
Batgirl waved her off. “The neck is reinforced in case that happens,” she said. She finished with the ointment and returned it to its pouch.
“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 rail car that O-Ren had occupied was a nearly unrecognizable mess of burning wood and warped steel. Flames licked nearby cars, slowly spreading throughout the building.
“Stairs are this way.”
Sonya and Black Canary turned to see Batgirl standing, 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. “Python fan and an Ashes on Sunday fan. Really starting to like you, Batgirl. Except when you’re yelling at me.”
Batgirl turned and led the way toward the edge of the building. “You deserved it, though.”
Canary shrugged as she and Sonya followed Batgirl.
“O-Ren slipped away on foot and in a stealth suit,” Batgirl said. “Probably won’t find her. As for the Chechen —”
“Check your left,” Black Canary said.
Batgirl and Sonya looked in that direction and saw the Chechen’s sedan bouncing over the tracks, weaving between the parked rail cars.
There was a fence ahead of him, but it was a weak chain-link affair. At speed, the Euro-mobster would break right through.
“My bike’s in that direction,” Batgirl said, pointing to an area just to the left of the Chechen’s escape route.
The women reached the edge of the building and a fire escape. As they descended, Batgirl said, “I can use the city’s street cams to track Chechen.”
“You’re too banged up to take him alone,” Canary said.
Sonya said, “I can get the car and —”
Now at the bottom of the stairs, Black Canary turned to Sonya. “You’re the detective, so the cops will like you better,” she said.
Addressing Batgirl, Canary asked, “Your bike seats two.”
“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.”
“Move it, Batgirl!” Canary said, already heading in the direction of the Batcycle.
Batgirl shrugged.
Sonya smiled. “She’s always been headstrong,” she said.
The Gotham vigilante gave the Seattle detective a nod and a smile, then headed after Canary.
Batgirl took the turn a bit harder than she should have in her condition. Black Canary held her waist, careful of Batgirl’s wounds. 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 left a backdoor link to the computer that monitored Gotham’s street cameras.
Using that data, she had the Batcomputer find the Chechen.
The Euro-mobster was headed 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 had the help of the Batcomputer in planning a path to cutting off the mobster. Using the same camera footage, the computer presented a map and directions on her cowl’s HUD via her mask’s lenses.
The lateness of the evening helped; traffic was light. Batgirl had to get the Chechen before he crossed into the Upper East Side, one neighborhood away.
With a thriving nightlife activity in that neighborhood, civilians could get in harm’s way.
Not to mention the Falcone crime family wouldn’t appreciate a high-speed chase through their territory that brought them no profit.
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 Clock Tower. Batgirl mulled the idea of asking Bruce to back her for a loan for the place. Having a base there would have made this chase easier.
She’d save that thought for later.
“I don’t have a fancy mask with a map in my face!” Black Canary yelled against the wind buffeting the women on the motorcycle. “Where are we on 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 tomorrow!
Just starting with us? Read it from the beginning! Birds of Prey, Part One
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!
