This chapter of Birds of Prey fanfiction presents the final confrontation between Sonya Blade, Black Canary, and Kano.

Want to read from the beginning? CLICK HERE!

“It’ll only ricochet —” Sonya said as she squeezed off a shot. It bounced off a rail two levels below and struck something further down. A blast of steam obscured the lower levels. They could barely see Kano’s cyborg red eye.

“If you miss!” Canary finished.

Shaking her head, Canary took stairs two at a time, moving down to the second level — one level above the criminal from Madripoor. Sonya moved to the Canary’s former position.

On the lower level, Kano took another shot at Sonya with his eye beam. This time, his blast of crimson-colored energy cut through Sonya’s thigh. She stumbled, falling hard on the landing.

Her gun slipped from her grasp, clattering through an opening in the stairs and falling to a lower level.

“Shouldn’t a’ come after me, lil’ Sonya,” Kano taunted, his words barely understandable through his thick Australian accent. “Gonna end up like yer partner.”

Sonya gritted her teeth.

“He was fulla heart,” Kano continued. “’Til I ripped it outta him.”

Through the openings between stairs, Canary made eye contact with Sonya. Silently, she insisted Sonya not let the monster get to her. Sonya nodded her head.

Yet the memory of her partner’s murder, a murder Sonya was helpless to prevent, played in her mind’s eye.

The Seattle detective watched as Black Canary performed a controlled roll down the stairs to the landing above Kano. He took a shot at her, his eye beam grazing her side.

The blast did more harm to Canary’s leather jacket than her person.

“If you can use your gun,” Canary said.

Sonya took that as a cue. She threw her hands over her ears and buried her head between her knees.

Down below, Canary unleashed with her scream, focusing it in a thin stream of aural pain directed at Kano. He fell backward, slamming into the guard rail. His head snapped back, and he fell forward in a heap.

Kano didn’t get up.

As Black Canary used a railing to hold herself up, Sonya ran to her side. Both women looked down at Kano.

“Is he…” Sonya asked.

“Would it make you happy if he were?” Black Canary asked.

Sonya turned away from Canary so she wouldn’t see her reaction.

An hour later, Sonya stood alone outside the bridge of the cargo ship she’d just raided with Black Canary. Below her, Seattle police were clearing out the beaten underworld thugs.

Those arrested included Kano, the man who murdered her partner. He was barely conscious as they led him away in handcuffs. Kano glanced at Sonya, flashing a smile and a wink.

The Seattle cop looked away before her hatred got the better of her.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw her friend Black Canary behind her.

“I’m surprised you’re still here,” Sonya said.

Canary shrugged and crossed her arms in front of her. “Normally I’d have left a damned long time ago,” Canary began, “Seattle PD isn’t too hip on vigilantes. Not like, say, Gotham.”

Black Canary stepped to Sonya, placing her hands on either of the cop’s shoulders. “But, my friend needs a shoulder, so I’m here.”

Sonya took one of Canary’s hands in hers. “Thanks for that. But I’m okay. Really.”

Canary took a long stare at Sonya. The cop threw up her hands.

“Really, Dinah,” she said. “I’m good. Kano’s going to jail. For a little while, anyway. China White will probably have him out in a few days.”

“He’s caught on a boat full of drugs! How in the hell —”

Canary started to continue, but the look on Sonya’s face silenced her. Her hands fell to her sides, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

“This is why I stick to low-level crime,” Canary said. “There’s a sense of accomplishment.”

Sonya smiled. “We put our finger in the dike and pray for the best,” she said.

“That Scorpion guy better pray,” Canary said.

Sonya allowed herself a laugh. “If he turns up, you’ll be the first person I call.”

“You better.”

The two crimefighters stared at one another for a moment, then shared a warm embrace.

Continued next Tuesday… and happy Thanksgiving to my American peeps!

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!