Jim Gordon answered his phone on the third ring and sounded quite alert. Barbara wasn't surprised, every morning since she first moved to the city James Gordon had always woke early to take a walk across the city. His personal attempt to see the city as the sun rose, covering the building in dawn light…before the sin gripped it.
While alert he did seem taken aback to hear his daughter's voice on the line, while they kept in regular contact, it wasn't often that she called him this early. And Jim Gordon was far too clever to fall for Barbara's excuse of 'just calling to say hello'. No one called at 4:30 in the morning to just say hello. None the less he played his part in the act the two of them had come close to perfecting over the years. He asked no questions regarding the true nature of the call and Barbara eased into her questions under the guise of simple curiosity. He knew it was impossible that Barbara would have been up to the acts she had begun as a teenager however he never doubted for a second she would slide into despair and remain a simple librarian or teacher. That was perhaps his fault…he instilled the belief of justice in his adopted daughter. He cared to damn much about Gotham and blamed himself for shaping Barbara's value system.
They spoke for fifteen minutes; James providing the same facts regarding the investigation that Barbara had already uncovered using the computer as well as admitted that the situation was a bit more dire that the department was willing to accept. The truth being that while some of the missing happened to be high school or college girls, the majority of them were drug addicts, prostitutes and the general nameless and that while he was desperate to solve the case he didn't have the manpower or the honest cops to make it happen as soon as he would like.
"There's something weird about the case," he said abruptly in his usual gruff voice.
"Weird? What do you mean," asked Barbara tentatively.
That's when the conversation finally worked to Oracle's favour, with James divulging the word on the street that the true nature of the case was more super than natural than he was expecting. Nothing metahuman like up in Metropolis but rumours that an occultist known as Brother Night was a key player in the case. Something similar had happened in San Francisco a few years ago except with grade schoolers. A patrolman transferred California informed Jim on some of the more grim aspects of that case; the things that didn't make the report back then because they simply made no sense.
"Thanks Dad…I was just curious about it, I hope I didn't keep you too long from your walk."
He assured her that the street would still be there and that if anything he would merely get to miss Mickey from the newsstand delaying him about thirty minutes,
"I wish there was something I could do to help," said Barbara casually.
"I know, sweetie, the best thing for you to do is to let us worry about it. You have enough worry about as it," he acted his part out from memory now. She always wanted to help and never could. James always told her to just worry about being safe. A family built on well intention lies. "You know, I heard from a friend that Dick Grayson is headed back from Bludhaven in a few days, do you two plan-"
Barbara cut him off insisting she needed to get ready for work herself. They planned a dinner date for the next week and said their farewells before disconnecting. The conversation proved very useful, and she began to search for information regarding the new player now known as Brother Night while also managing to fume that her father knew about Dick's arrival. A friend? She scoffed. Bruce was way off somewhere. No friend had told her father. If anything Dick had called him himself just to force her into a date. Which until last night she would have found charming and delightful but at the moment just seemed petty to her.
Through the Batcomputer Barbara was able to find out a three things about Brother Night. First that his real name was Eldon Peck, second, he seemed to actually have some sort of mystical based powers and third that Batman had never faced him so the file on him was pretty much useless.
"Damn," she said to herself. She realized that Detective Reese had been at Harley's former office for a about ten minutes, she called him and they spoke as he searched the office, finding nothing, which of course Barbara already knew would be the case. She brought up the subject of the missing girls and of Brother Night and the Detective had almost no information regarding the case. It wasn't his case after all.
"Would you like me to ask around?"
"No, I've already gotten all the information I think the police have to offer, I was just touching base."
"So I really don't need to be breaking and entering right now?"
Barbara bit her lip, "No, I don't think so. Thank you for your assistance. I'll contact you if anything more comes up."
She ended the call at the exact moment a car pulled into the parking garage area of the cave and after a moment Helena vacated the vehicle and strode over to where Barbara sat. "Who is that freak?"
The term fit, Barbara supposed, Brother Night was very pale with long hair that was equally black and gray and his eyes seemed to be too large for his otherwise very small head.
"Bad guy," Barbara supplied as she continued to navigate the computer, attempting to pull information from the information grid.
"Our bad guy?" Helena asked impatiently.
"It would appear so, I'm working on it, how was the scene?"
"I think they fled by car. Obviously I couldn't pursue since it had been about four hours. We need to do something."
Barbara nodded grimly. "Yes, and the quicker the better. Based on the information from the police's missing person reports and the pathologist's time of death for the found girls we have some time…but I think it would be best if we can wrap this up tonight."
Helena just gave Barbara a look of worry for her seemingly lack of concern.
"Look, Barbara, it's not your fault."
"It is in part. I should have checked in. But there's time for blame latter. Right now….I need to…separate myself from my emotions…I need to work this. You need to get some rest. Alfred should be up, he can show you to a guest bedroom…Or you know…just walk around, there is about a million of them."
The two fell silent. After a brief period Huntress placed what she hoped was a reassuring hand on Barbara's shoulder and squeezed before heading for the staircase that would lead her out of the cave and into the mansion.
In the absence of her friend Barbara began to form plans and back up plans. None of which would be useful at all unless she could figure out where Dinah was being held. Fortunately for Barbara she had the world's best computer at her fingertips…she would figure it out.
It was about a little after nine am and the sun had risen into a surprisingly glorious morning free of clouds of rain that too often seemed to cover the city. Barbara had no way of knowing this however, because she hadn't moved from her place at the computer terminal for over six hours. She had completely absorbed herself into her work and the outside world matter not at all to her.
She didn't hear Alfred descend into Cave or next to her until he sat a plate of eggs, toast and juice on a collapsible tray next to the hacker. She barely glanced at the food before turning back to the screens.
"Thanks Alfred, but I'm not hungry."
"I assumed as much, Miss Barbara, but I'm afraid I must insist. Miss Helena is resting as to be in shape tonight. And while I don't imagine you intend on taking a nap, you do need to keep your strength up as well. I assure you, the information you seek will be there after your breakfast," said the butler.
She glanced at Alfred and his expression while showing concern and wasn't severe looking at all she knew by his tone of voice that her repeating herself wasn't really an option. She moved back from the screens and focused her attention to the food her had brought her. She brain maintained that she was no hungry, but her stomach insisted otherwise now that she had actually seen the food. She tentatively picked up a piece of toast and dipped it in the eggs before taking a small bite from it. After finishing the first piece she took a sip from the orange juice.
"I can't help but blame myself Alfred. Dinah was too young for this work…too irresponsible."
Alfred nodded, as though he agreed. "Indeed. That's precisely what Master Bruce said of you when you first started your journey. I seem to remember you leaping from the top of Wayne Enterprises with a normal jump line with absolutely no give. You nearly died, as I remember."
"That's different. Bruce was there to save. Batman was everywhere. Huntress doesn't have the luxury of always being around to save her at every turn. And neither do I."
"If that had been the case with you would have stayed a librarian, Miss Barbara?"
Sometimes Barbara thought that Alfred might actually be the smartest member of the group. Just as sometimes Alfred though that Barbara was in actuality the strongest person he had encountered in his Master's line of work.
"What if this doesn't turn out in our favour? What if she's already dead? Or emotionally destroyed…Or crippled?"
"The life of a hero is always balanced with triumph and tragedy Miss Barbara, as you should know better than anyone. It's a chance all of you take every day. You do it still, even though you don't realize it. But you've had your breakfast and should get back to work. I too, I'm afraid, the silver doesn't polish itself."
Alfred offered Barbara a reassuring smile before he picked up empty plate and glass and left Barbara with her thoughts. She turned to her screens and rubbed her temple to subdue the headache threatening to burst forward as she processed millions of ideas. A spark went off, lining up with other thoughts she had already considered and there it was: a perfectly decent plan. She couldn't help but smile widely at her own genius.
" Way to go, Batgirl," she said to the empty cave.
