"So for the last couple nights, Tim and me have been trying to keep up with that speedster you beat up a few days ago." Stephanie said, leaning against the wall of the elevator leading to her and Tim's Batcave away from the Batcave. "You can probably imagine trying to follow the movements of a guy who can zip through the city faster than we can drive would be a bit of a pain."

"Have you found him?" Cassandra asked.

"We think so. Little hard to fight with a guy who moves faster than security can get a good look at him, but we at least have a good guess. We have two blurry clips of him rushing the Gotham Merchant's bank, but he left without getting anything. Probably got as far as the vault and realized he wasn't strong enough to bust it down."

"Why would he come back?"

"Dunno, but he might be back, so I want to see about ambushing him if he turns up again." The elevator gave a Ding as the two stepped into the bunker.

It was a far cry from Bruce's design: a large, open space, the lights bright enough to give the room a sterile look. Batarangs, staffs and other manner of weapons lined tables along the walls, two black cycles decorated with red or purple and multiple costumes worn by mannequins at the end of the room. More like a garage than a cave.

Tim was out with Connor trying to piece together Drakon's location and Damian was on a forced night off via message from Bruce. This left Cassandra and Stephanie watching out for another attack by Slipstream.

"I'm not saying Gotham isn't still crazy, but I'll take the speedsters trying to rob banks over the weird stuff like religious cultists and Joker taking hostages and all that stuff," Steph said.

"Much better."

The reality of the situation was that Slipsteam had been in over his head when he first attempted to break into the vault at the Gotham Merchant's Bank. But the second time he had come, he had just been testing the material and investigating a countermeasure. With the two attacks already on record, additional security was already surrounding the bank. Slipsteam had now accounted both for this and for the door of the vault. Five police officers had converged after the alarm sounded, hiding a block away in anticipation of another attack. All of them would later describe being attacked by the same man, sometimes two or three of them, attacking them, garbed in a suit of silver armor with green trim on his shoulders.

Within minutes the forces had seemingly dwindled to one, who approached an officer on the verge of unconsciousness. "Now how could one guy have attacked you from all those places at once? You're hallucinating, officer. Must just be a Figment of your imagination."

"You wait all night to bring out that one, jackass?" Slipstream asked.

"Don't you dare take this away from me." Between both of their distorted voices, each sounded more mechanical than human. "Is that vault open yet."

Within ten seconds Slipstream vanished and reappeared, seemingly in the same blur. "Melody's still working on it."

"May as well get in there then. Nothing better to—"

Figment shouted in pain as a surge of electricity blasted through his suit, forcing him to the ground. Slipstream looked up and took his stance Angel and Batgirl stepped clearly into view.

"If you need some better entertainment, I think we'd be happy to oblige," Batgirl said, sliding another electric Batarang between her fingers. Slipstream's sidestep as she threw looked more like a teleport to the naked eye as he helped his partner to his feet.

"Are these the two from the last time?" Figment asked.

"Yeah. They're good, least as far as chicks in suits go."

"There's the casual sexism again, Angel," Batgirl said. "You're just making me want to rip off that mask and pound in your face."

It was then Figment stepped forward and cracked his gloved knuckles. "Let's see how many of mine you can hit first."

Within moments the criminal had multiplied himself four times, his new forms appearing seemingly from nowhere. Both women exchanged confused looks for a moment, but were on guard the next. Two Figments attacked each of them, beginning with a strike to the front they each easy dodged, but then attacking off to the side. Both dodged these out as well, but emphasized the pace of the fight to both of them. Angel drew her katana, Batgirl her staff.

The two had been outnumbered many times, but Figment's assault was highly concentrated. A strike to one was followed immediately with another lunging toward them. It wasn't that he was especially skilled, but his numbers allowed him to remain unpredictable. Soon enough, Angel defeated one with a kick and strike of her sword, but moments later two more simultaneously kicked her in the lower back, knocking her to the pavement. Batgirl took the cue to improve her guard, though right after dispatching one with a staff thrust to the face, two more punched her in the stomach and a third floored her with an elbow to the back of the head.

"Sheesh, must be convenient being everywhere at once," Slipstream said. As he spoke another Figment appeared behind him and slapped the back of his head. "Ow! What the hell?"

"It'd be over even quicker if you'd get your hands dirty."

"Oh no, I took these two on once. I just want to see 'em get beat."

As they spoke the two heroes pushed back to their feet. The four Figments looked to be ten now, five of whom surrounded each of them.

"Guess the Bat didn't teach you when to stay down."

Angel threw herself at the nearest Figment, backhanding him with the hand she held her sword with before turning around and countering the next two that rushed her, dropping the blade and smashing their heads together. "He taught us not to."

"Good one!" Batgirl called over her own attack, spinning as fast as she was able to dodge and get a quick strike in at any of her attackers.

"Look at you two, just not getting it." Figment said. With that, two of them moved from their positions surrounding Batgirl as two more kicked her in the stomach. Stephanie was forced back, gasping for breath when she bumped into Angel, both realizing the Figments had formed a complete, ten-man circle around them.

"Of all the things in this city you could be fighting, it's us." The ten were now speaking simultaneously, a twinge of discomfort running through Batgirl and Angel. "Killers, muggers, people screwing around with the weather, we're just trying to fight a corrupted financial system. It's not right big wigs like Wayne and Cobblepot keep getting richer and richer in this city."

"Oh great. It's an entire team of itty bitty Anarkys," Batgirl retorted.

"We're just trying to make Gotham a better place. Somebody's gotta pay for it."

"Hey man, keep that do-gooder crap to yourself." Slipstream called. "You don't speak for the whole team. I'm getting' the hell out of here soon as we've got that cash."

As he spoke there came a thunderous Boom from within the Gotham Merchant's bank. For a moment the world seemed silent, and once the sound returned Figment said, "Looks like we hit paydirt. Gotta wrap this up." With that, the ten Figments converged.

"You got any ideas?" Batgirl asked.

"No. You?"

"It's not very good. I was hoping you'd have something better. But I guess we don't have a choice."

As the ten rushed in, Angel took to dodging and striking back at whatever attacks she could, but was quickly overwhelmed by just how many fists came flying at once, multiple hitting her face and gut. Batgirl took a different tactic, dropping her staff and drawing a pair of electrified batarangs from her belt. Wielding them like a pair of knives, she slashed at any Figment she could, noting the shouts of pain with whoever she came in contact with and that they seemed to freeze in place for a few seconds when she did so. It wasn't perfect, by any means, but it seemed to stem the assault, at least for a few seconds at a time.

"Electricity slows him down!" She called to Angel. "Go for something shocking."

Angel too drew her weaponry and followed her friend's orders. Though still outnumbered, fighting perhaps three at once each while the other two were stunned was certainly preferable.

With a moment between dodges, Angel took a slide and delivered a front snap kick to one of the Figments she had stunned. The force was enough to send his helmet flying off, but Angel stared in confusion and disgust when she saw it was hollow on the inside.

"Don't tell me you're surprised," one of the still mobile Figments said, sucker punching Angel while she was distracted, a dull ringing now in the back of her head. "Please, did you really think I'd handle you both personally? These drones are all controlled remotely. You can't win if my real body is still standing, and let me assure you, it's far, far away from here."

Batgirl knocked the taunting Figment away with a slash of electricity and a punch, allowing her to stand at Angel's side again. Both were already tiring out, breaths heavy and hearts racing.

"Well, my idea kinda worked. Didn't exactly turn the tides," Batgirl said. "You have anything left?"

"Find the real body?"

"But he just said it isn't here… I mean, unless he's lying—"

The ten Figments rushed towards the heroes again, forcing their conversation to come to an abrupt stop.

A moment later, however, they too came to a direct stop.

"What the—who the hell are you?" Figment said, to seemingly no one in particular.

"Who the hell is who?" Slipstream asked.

"Damn it. Slip, looks like the homeowner came back—" There was a gasp from each of the Figments as every eye looked on in confusion. Then a shout of pain. "What's your problem man?"

"Figment? Figment, talk to me man!" Slipstream shouted. "What's going on?"

"Seriously," Batgirl said. "What is going on?"

"I said I'd get out!" Figment's had become shaky and frantic. "What are you—stop! Don't—"

Two noises came next: a shatter of glass and a bloodcurdling scream.

Across the street, a body came careening out of the seventh floor window of a rundown old apartment. A final Figment, dressed like the rest, flailed helplessly as he headed for the ground. Angel knew she couldn't do anything to assist him, but in that moment it didn't matter. She ran toward him, fast as she could.

Another Figment punched through a window on the third floor, extending his hand and catching the other, but losing his grip within moments. It was at least enough to slow the first one's fall, but when he finally hit the ground, the bones crackling was audible and he let out a last howl before he fell unconscious.

The rest of the Figments disappeared as Angel made it to him, heart racing, and pulled up his head to listen for breaths. She uttered a silent Thank you when she heard them.

"What the hell just happened?" There came another voice from the bank, running to join the still-frozen Slipstream. She was dressed in some skintight black material, wielding a pair of golden gauntlets and goggles over her face. What little skin was visible was brown, and in both hands she held sacks stuffed with bills.

"Somebody just decided to interfere," Slipstream said. Within ten seconds he rushed into and back out of the bank, his arms full of bills. "Figment's down, we need to get out of here."

"What? We can take those two!"

From a few blocks away, police sirens could be heard. "They're not all I'm worried about," Slipstream said. "I'm running us out of here."

"We can't leave him behind—"

"We don't have a choice."

The two of them disappeared in a wave of black and white motion before Stephanie could even shout, "Stop!" and had instead to mumble, "Damn it." With the scene seemingly cleared, she walked over to Angel, who was pulling at Figment's helmet until it was free. His hair was short and brown, braces covered his teeth.

"God… I… I think I might go to school with him," Stephanie said, shaking her head. "And that first guy was harassing the football team… is everyone in Gotham U dressing up at night?" She put a hand on Cassandra's shoulder. "Is he gonna be all right?"

"He is breathing. For now. He will need a doctor."

"Yeah, for sure." Stephanie turned toward the sirens. "I'll see about getting an ambulance over here. Say a prayer for me."

"Always."

If not for the critical condition the fight had left Figment in, Angel or Batgirl would have investigated the situation further. Looked for a sign of who had thrown him out the window and why. As they assisted the paramedics in loading his body, two figures looked down at them.

"What do you think?" Lipov asked. "How long do you think she could have lasted if we'd left them alone?"

Odmience said nothing, only turned and locked eyes with him.

"I'd say she was doing pretty well, but I think you'd have done better," Lipov said with a shrug. "That kid was pretty good with those toys of his, for a rookie… perhaps we'll discuss them another time."

Odmience took a step forward and laid a clenched fist against Lipov's chest.

"You'll fight her again soon. I promise. We'll just need to secure the guest of honor first."