Author's Notes:
Here it is, folks: my fifth full-length BOTF story (though it takes place between "Eyewitness of the Past" and "The Call")! This one was quick to come up with a plot for, but the plot was not really the easiest one to think of. I will explain the inspiration for this story at a later date. Big ups to those who have been following these Batgirl of the Future story arcs, whether you've been following them since the first one was posted or if you're a newbie, or even somewhere in between. Many thanks to you guys and girls!
Recommended order of reading (although it's not really necessary to follow in it):
1. Rebirth
2. Running Out of Inque
3. Remember
4. Eyewitness of the Past
5. Last Resort
6. Big Time
7. The Call
8. Truth Be Told
9. In Waves (which doesn't follow any episodes)
10. What Lies Within (Teen Titans crossover)
11. Betrayal (Part 2 of Big Time; upcoming)
Without further ado, here it is! Please read, review, and enjoy...
Several police vehicles chased after a large, armored hover craft, which was moving faster than its pursuers. The drivers of the different vehicles did not seem to notice the Batmobile as they passed it. "Somebody's in a hurry," Batman noted aloud.
"No kidding," Batgirl stated from the seat behind him. "Haven't seen anything like this in almost a year."
"I have," Batman said solemnly.
"Ter—Batman, who's in such a big hurry?" a female voice asked through the com-link.
"Going to find out, Max," Terry answered. He turned to Batgirl. "Hang on, sis: I'm going—"
"—to go at high speed to chase it," Batgirl finished for him with a small, grim smirk.
"Right," Batman said, a little irritated. "You think you can ever go a night without finishing someone else's sentence?"
The abnormally small, teenage girl shrugged, still grinning. "If I try hard enough, I guess, which I don't want to do right now. I'd rather catch this guy right now."
"Couldn't agree more," Batman atoned. He pulled the Batmobile further up into the air in hopes of catching sight of the renegade vehicle once more.
"There it is, I see it!" Coba said urgently, pointing.
Terry looked where Coba was pointing and, sure enough, there was the vehicle, recklessly maneuvering each police vehicle. He steered the Batmobile so it flew directly above the vehicle. He released some grappling hooks from the Batmobile, causing the hooks to go straight through the roof of the other vehicle. "This'll slow him down," he murmured, pulling up to try to stall the hover craft.
Despite the young man's efforts, the vehicle kept zipping through the city, trying to shake the Batmobile loose. Batgirl was the first to notice a building up ahead. We're going to hit it! she thought frantically. A calm suddenly washed over her as she stood up and opened the door. "Try to keep the lines straight," she said urgently. Without waiting to hear another word, the girl hopped out of the vehicle and moved towards the lines.
"Batgirl, no!" Batman yelled after her, though struggling to do as she said. "Get back here!"
"What is she doing?!" Max's voice asked anxiously.
The voices of Terry and Max were blocked from Coba's mind as she quickly yet carefully jumped onto a cable. Shifting her weight accurately, she slightly twisted her body as she slid down the cable. Upon landing on the roof of the other vehicle, she slammed a device on it. The vehicle immediately began to lose power, causing it to slope downward. Coba immediately shot a grappling hook at the Batmobile, miraculously wrapping it around one of the front parts of the bumper. She set the grappling mechanism so it pulled her up.
Batman was now able to move the vehicle without it fighting him. He pulled up just in the nick of time upon seeing the building Coba had spotted before making her move. The other vehicle just barely missed hitting the building. Terry lowered it to the ground as Coba came back up, getting herself back into the Batmobile. He unhooked the grappling lines from the Batmobile before turning to his sister. "What were you thinking?!" he demanded to know. "You could've gotten yourself killed!"
"Can we discuss this later?" Coba requested hastily. "We've got a job to do!"
Terry wanted answers, but his half-sister's sudden hostile behavior kept him from pressing. "Fine," he said bluntly.
"Who was in such a big hurry?" Max asked again.
McGinnis steered the Batmobile around to the front of the vehicle to see what was going on. The police had already surrounded it, and a few officers already walked into it to detain the driver. Just a second later the officers came back out, herding a young man out of it. Batman and Batgirl's eyes grew wide. "Sean Miller," Batman gasped in shock.
"Sean Miller?" Max asked, surprised and yet a bit confused.
"Yeah, from our history class."
The young man being arrested bore a sinister grin. After a brief moment, he began to laugh maniacally. Coba suddenly shuddered in horror at the sound. Terry noticed his half-sister's discomfort. "I'm sorry, sis," he said apologetically. "I didn't mean for you to make an enemy of him."
Coba shook her head. "That's not why I'm scared, Batman," she explained in an anxious, quiet voice. "I saw this happen in a dream last night: the nightmare has begun."
What exactly does Coba mean by this being "the beginning of something big"? Why is she so uncomfortable about this, more so than she had been with past nightmares even? How was she able to glide down that grappling line so well? These questions and more will be answered as the story progresses.
Reviews are greatly appreciated!