a/n: here's part two of three; I've got a few final tweaks to make in part three before I upload it, but plan on it having a fairly quick turnaround if you're interested. After that we get into some Point Rock drama...

Cheers, EQT.95

"I can't believe you invited over the very person who tried to kill you less than a day ago," Luke hissed as the ringer chimed through the unit.

"You don't even believe that," Kate countered. "But good acting. Besides, this is our best option for getting to the bottom of the explosives. I don't have the security clearance to access the Crow network, and we can't exactly set up shop in a bugged space."

"Speculative. It's speculatively bugged. You have no evidence it was," Luke replied, before pressing the buzzer to turn on the mic and unlock the front door. "Top floor. Elevator's broke, so take the stairs."

"Is that a risk you want to run?"

"What? Does she not know how to use the stairs?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "No, I mean about the 'speculative' bugging."

"You realize there are a million and one ways to check, right? The batcave is under Wayne Enterprise. You literally have access to some of the greatest tech in the world."

Kate paused. "That actually hadn't crossed my mind."

"Unbelievable," Luke sighed begrudgingly. "Fine, but the moment it gets sketchy, she is out."

"Ok, dad."

"Excuse m-" Luke began, but a knock at the door cut him off. "That was fast."

"I guess she knows how to use stairs."

Sophie arrived at the address Kate messaged her with skepticism. The building looked abandoned and not remotely close to what she expected when she agreed to meet. That skepticism grew when she buzzed in and heard a strange man's voice on the other side telling her to walk to the top floor. Everything was shrouded in mystery, and after Kate's scribbled note in her office, Sophie couldn't help but wonder how much Kate hadn't been telling her.

"Hi, you must be Sophie," the same voice said, welcoming her at the door. "I'm Luke."

So this was the famous Luke Fox. He looked like he belonged in front of a college lecture hall, not in a run down building on the edge of Lower Gotham. He was dressed in a patterned button up and tie, and over that was a sweater and over that a blazer. His over-layered professor appearance aside, Sophie could immediately tell he was intelligent. The softness of his voice suggested to her he spent more time observing than speaking, and behind his glasses were bright, scrutinizing eyes. The formality of his welcome also suggested to Sophie that he wasn't thrilled by her appearance. Sophie couldn't blame him, and she was slightly surprised to even see him here.

"Hey Luke, I've heard a lot about you," Sophie replied. It wasn't entirely truthful, and she could tell Luke didn't entirely believe her.

"Right. Well, I've heard enough about you," Luke said, eyeing her suspiciously. "Come in."

"Be nice, Luke," came Kate's voice from inside the flat. Sophie stepped into the space, surprised at its scale and complete lack of finishes. For being a construction site, it wasn't furnished like one. A table and chairs were set up where she assumed the kitchen was supposed to go. Just past that was a long couch oriented toward a fireplace - one of the few finishes that seemed complete. It was paired with two armchairs and a coffee table. A small fire was already lit inside the space, and it was only then that Sophie realized there was probably no heat in the building.

Her eyes landed on a bed behind the couch, and her eyebrows raised in question. "Who lives here?"

"Technically no one," Luke answered.

"But we've been having break-ins," Kate continued, walking across the flat toward the two. "So we're babysitting it until we can get some decent security."

"It feels a bit like a safe house," Sophie replied, looking around the space.

Kate's eyes lit up at this. "See? What did I say," she said to Luke who was looking more perturbed with each passing minute.

"You said it feels like-"

"Like a safe house, exactly. He didn't agree," Kate interrupted, beaming in victory.

"What is all of this?" Sophie asked, glancing at the piles of folders on the table.

"Well, that small, neglected pile in the corner is real estate work. Everything else is Crow-related," Luke remarked darkly, shooting a quick glare at Kate.

Kate returned his stare with a sheepish grin. They had agreed he'd play the annoyed business partner when Sophie arrived to keep up appearances. It wouldn't make much sense to have him around to help out without an ulterior motive. In this case, it was to get answers so Kate could return her attention to the largely forgotten renovations.

"I've got a hunch that what happened last night was an inside job," Kate began.

"Oh is that right? A secret plot that double crosses the Lead Crow was conjured up from the inside, Kate? Real groundbreaking theory. My money was on Area 51," Luke cut on sarcastically. She shot him a glare; he was taking his role a little too seriously.

"Right, so, what that means-"

"You said your office was bugged," Sophie cut in. "Why?"

"Because everywhere else already is," Kate answered simply. Sophie scowled back, doubting the extent of Kate's remark.

"What do you mean 'everywhere else already is'? How is that even possible? If there was far-reaching surveillance installed within headquarters I feel like that's something I'd know about," Sophie replied.

"It's not that kind of surveillance," Kate continued. "This is from Margaret."

"This again? Kate, this conspiracy theo-"

"It's not a conspiracy. I was skeptical too, but Margaret all but told me and has regularly backed it up with proof. Initially I thought she meant she had allies on the inside; she would say things like 'a little bird' shared details with her in our meetings. So then I started testing people."

"That's why you told me to watch out for Paulie?" Sophie asked, still skeptical but willing to hear Kate's words.

"Exactly. There were two situations she had intel on where only three people were present: you, me, and Paulie. I assumed she had something on him, but then she started knowing things from our one-on-one conversations."

"That's why you stopped having meetings in my office. Are you telling me my office has been bugged this entire time?"

"Yes."

"You let me work for weeks with a bugged office?"

"It's not like there's anything for her to gain from it. She already knows you despise her along with the board and that your agendas don't align. What more could she possibly learn?"

Sophie paused, understanding Kate's position but suddenly thinking back to every late night over the past two weeks with Renee in her office. A small wave of panic shot through her realizing Cobblepot may have picked up on this less than professional affair. She shook her thoughts from it, knowing she couldn't exactly bring this obstacle up to Kate. This would be a later problem; for now, she needed to focus on the information download Kate was providing.

"But what changed? How did you know yours wasn't bugged?" Sophie asked.

"She told me."

"And you trusted her?" Sophie asked, incredulous that Kate would take Cobblepot at her word.

"Of course not. I also installed a piece of Wayne technology to muffle any communication," Kate said casually as though it was a forgettable detail. "The point is, since then no one has accessed my office - authorized or not."

"And you know that because?"

"Another Wayne Tech thing."

"Oh, right. I forget well-connected millionaires can just get these things," Sophie said sarcastically.

"Long story short, Kate didn't check her log when she got in this morning," Luke cut in. "So when she realized this folder," he said, lifting it for dramatic flare, "had been left in her office, she drew her own conclusion."

There was a moment of silence as Sophie absorbed the information.

"And what, you didn't have a Wayne Tech thing to check and confirm it?" Sophie asked obviously.

"It was a spur of the moment decision," Kate excused quickly.

"In other words: no, the well-connected millionaire didn't think to check," Luke added.

"This is why you've been such a prick," she said midthought.

"I think that's just her nature," Luke chimed in, ignoring a mock look of hurt from Kate.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Sophie asked.

"I tried, remember?" Kate answered. "But you weren't interested in hearing it. It was actually probably for the best - Cobblepot had her doubts about me, so getting your authentic hatred was what finally sold her I was on her side."

"'Hatred' is harsh," Sophie corrected.

"But not wrong," Kate said as she watched Sophie avert her gaze.

"So what does this have to do with last night?" Sophie asked, redirecting the topic.

"No idea. But I think it's connected."

"How?"

"No idea. That's what all of this is for," she said, gesturing at the file-laden table.

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"No idea."

"But wha-"

"I think Kate's made it pretty clear she has no idea," Luke interjected. "Which is why we're here."

"That's the idea," Kate replied. "I could try doing this myself, but I'm only marginally competent. You know Crow Security like the back of your hand, and Luke is a genius. Between the three of us, I feel like we might have a fighting chance at untangling everything.

Sophie stared between Kate, Luke, and the files. "There must be over a hundred hours of work here."

"And the sooner we get through it, the sooner we can get back to paint chips," Luke said, giving Kate a side-eyed glance of faux annoyance.

"Well I hope you ordered food."

"Pizza?" Luke offered

"No olives," came Kate and Sophie's reply in unison.

"You don't like olives either?!" Luke asked Sophie dumbfounded.

"What? No, I love olives. Kate can't stand them."

"What was Zienko doing there?" Kate pondered aloud. She was doing an audit of the Crow task force present the night before in an effort to find red flags that might help them figure out who set the explosives. They speculated that there could be a connection between any adjustments to the roster from the original strategy.

"Bohashka?" Sophie asked in reply.

"Yea. He's that bald Ukranian, right?"

"Yea, he's also supposed to be suspended," Sophie said darkly, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"What for?" Luke chimed in.

"Setting the explosives at the Crowne buildings," Kate answered.

"Six months, unpaid. I issued the suspension myself," Sophie continued.

"Apparently he was with the first squad."

"That's impossible. He doesn't have access to the facility let alone authority to be on an active site. Who else was with him?"

"Marcus James, Jason Morley, Jackson Lloyd, and -"

"Don't tell me -"

"Paulie."

Sophie sighed, bringing her fingers up to the bridge of her nose.

"Is this?"

"Jacob's Five?" Sophie replied.

"Yea."

"Yep."

"Hey, sorry," Luke cut in again. "Can I get some context?"

Even with the seriousness of what they'd just discovered, Kate couldn't help but break into a smile. "Sophie?" Kate offered.

"Since the Crows began, something like three hundred plebes-"

"Still can't believe he uses that word," Kate cut in, shaking her head at the throwback to the name used for first-year cadets at Point Rock.

"I know, right?"

"He thought he was so original-"

"Guys… context."

"Right. Sorry. The Crows have cycled through hundreds of recruits since it started. Jacob oversees the training sessions of all incoming classes, and over the years, he's tapped his favorites and they've always conspicuously accelerated through the ranks."

"Sophie was the first," Kate added. "And since then, only five others have met his standards. I've only met Marcus once at a dinner, but when dad needs something done right, he brings in his closest ring."

"Generally they've all walked in with some previous experience and expertise. A specialty of sorts. Zienko's skills are in explosives. Marcus is known for his hand-to-hand combat."

"And knives. Don't forget the knives," Kate chimed in before adding, "It was a weird dinner. But Paulie confuses me - he always seems so jumpy and unsure. I didn't realize he was in the group."

"It's complicated. He's the best mixed martial arts fighter the Crows have ever seen, and Jacob wants that to round out the team."

"But?"

Sophie sighed. "He's just a kid who grew up on the wrong side of the river jumping from foster home to foster home. He's smart and knows some of the jobs are crooked which has him reluctant to partake, but the group accepts him. He's never had that so he goes along."

"That's why you've been mentoring him."

Sophie nodded.

"Wait, if Sophie is one, why isn't it Jacob's Six?"

"Well, they technically call themselves The Murder of Crows. Jacob's Five is an unofficial nickname. Internally everyone refers to it as 'JF' for short: Jacob's Five, Jacob's Favorites - take your pick," Kate replied.

"Ok, fine. But you haven't answered my question. Wouldn't Sophie be in this Murder of Crows business?" Luke continued.

"No. Because I don't do shady shit."

"It's also why she's his number two," Kate added.

"Was," Sophie corrected.

"Whatever. The difference is that Sophie's the only one who's ever told him no, and that matters when it comes to picking a second in command. Someone who can think on her own doesn't work when you're compiling a group of blunt instruments but it does when finding reliable leadership. It's why the others have never been promoted past Lead Squad. He's got his favorite weapons, and then there's his favorite people - that's Sophie."

Sophie and Luke both stared in surprise at Kate's assessment.

"What? Dad liked to brag about you," she continued dismissively. "The point is that all five of them were in the first squad, and somehow Zienko's name ended up on this list effectively overriding his suspension and giving him the clearance to blow up yet another building."

"Who has the authority to shorten a suspension?" Luke asked.

"Presumably that power lies with the Lead Crow," Kate replied.

"Yea, well, we've seen how effective that's been," Sophie said darkly, a scowl cast over her face.

"I hate to say it, but we should probably assume Jacob was in on this until we find evidence to the contrary," Kate said.

"Guilty until proven innocent?" Luke asked.

"Pretty much. For Zienko, how can we find out who else has the power to shorten suspensions?"

"We should check the bylaws. I can't say for certain that power is exclusive to Lead Crow," Sophie replied. "So whoever else holds that power will be a pretty obvious bit of proof they were behind it."

"On it," Luke jumped in.

"You sure? They're long and pretty boring."

"Luke thrives on the mundane. He's the reason we closed on this building so quickly," Kate said while silently rattling off all the other Batwoman-related finds.

"Ok… let me download a copy from the server," Sophie said. "Do you have a background in this stuff or…?"

"No, he's just crazy smart."

"Oh?"

M-I-T, Kate mouthed to Sophie.

"MIT?" Sophie responded aloud. Luke's head shot around at Kate who attempted a look of innocence. "Wait, how do you two know each other again?"

"Oh, just a friend of a friend," Kate replied quickly.

"Actually, that's a funny story -"

"Luke," Kate admonished, but the mischievous look on Luke's face told her he wasn't heeding it.

"Before this gig I used to work for Wayne Enterprise. I caught her trespassing in Wayne Tower-"

"It was a misunderstanding-"

"- she had literally scaled the entire building -"

"- you're exaggerating -"

"- broke into Bruce's old office -"

"- the window was unlocked -"

"- and handcuffed me to a file drawer-"

"- only after he cuffed me first-"

"- and then she broke into Wayne's surveillance system-"

" - is it really 'breaking in' if I knew the password -"

"- to access footage-"

"Luke-"

"- of Alice's crew nabbing you."

"Luke."

Luke paused, glancing over at Kate whose face was emanating annoyance while he wore the same mischievous grin as before, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"You are so pleased with yourself right now," Kate muttered at Luke, cursing his boyish grin.

Sophie had bounced between the two, trying to keep track of the competing tellings. "To access footage of what?" she asked.

Luke remained silent at this, looking expectantly at Kate.

"Oh, now you're done talking?"

"Guys," Sophie pressed. "What are you talking about?"

Kate sighed before continuing, "When Alice's goons took you, the Crows attempted to trace you through local surveillance systems, but they quickly discovered all surrounding areas had been cut off. I remembered from visiting Bruce as a kid that Wayne Enterprise had surveillance feeds separate from the city grid; it generally covered the same areas but with different angles. At the time it seemed like a viable alternative."

"Seemed? Kate, it literally gave the Crows their only lead," Luke interjected. Kate gaped back at him; he clearly was not getting her subtle looks to drop the subject.

"Well aren't you the selective talker tonight," Kate shot back with a 'don't-say-another-word' look. Luke flinched slightly, but his face suggested he wouldn't be taking her look to heart.

"Hang on," Sophie said, digesting Kate's words. "You were Individual 1?"

"Huh?" Now it was Luke and Kate's turn to stare at Sophie in confusion.

"When final reports are written, only names of the Crow task force are included to protect the identities of any civilians involved. Only those active on the case ever have access to the unredacted names unless you're Lead Crow or the case gets reopened, so, my not actually being on the task force meant I only saw the redacted copy. It didn't occur to me to look at it after being promoted. In it, Individual 1 was credited with supplying the footage you mentioned," she said, pausing to take in Luke's nod of understanding. "Individual 1 was also cited as being the first to track Alice to the orphanage, beating the Crows by nearly twenty minutes and just narrowly missing me in the process. After managing to knock out a handful of Alice's guys, it said Individual 1 was also temporarily captured then released hours later… you're telling me that was you?"

"Technically it was eight… a handful suggests only five," Luke corrected playfully.

"That is so not the point, Luke," Kate remarked dismissively.

"Actually, I'd say that's very on point, Kate," Sophie interjected, her voice raising in… annoyance? Kate grew confused by Sophie's reaction. "We've talked about that day twice now, and not once did you fess up to being the one who saved my life."

"Well, technically that was Batwoman," Kate offered jokingly.

"Would you stop trying to downplay this for a second?" Sophie demanded, catching Kate off guard. Luke and Kate stared at Sophie in muted surprise and Sophie fell quiet for a moment, deep in thought. She realized it would be the first time she'd utter the story out loud, and the weight of it was just sinking in: "Alice's movie-in-the-park was her back-up plan for me."

"Wh- what?" Kate stared back, her playful tone now gone. Luke equally sobered to Sophie's words.

"That… that wasn't the original game plan. It was all nonsense to me at the time; what they were saying sounded like crazy talk, but after seeing it for real in other instances I know it's true."

"What was the original plan?" Luke asked, unsure whether he actually wanted to know.

Sophie paused for a second before continuing.

"They had planned to have Mouse impersonate me to infiltrate the Crows; to mess with Jacob. I didn't fully understand what they meant at the time, but now… with everything that we've seen, it's pretty obvious."

"Sophie… I…" Kate began but couldn't put her thoughts to words. She watched helplessly as she saw Sophie reimagining the night in question.

"I was literally tied down with general anesthesia being forced through a facemask. I've tried for months to remember what happened - to figure out how I woke up unharmed after Alice told me I'd be dead," Sophie continued, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She angrily wiped it away. "And now you two are telling me the reason why I'm still alive - why I'm sitting here is because of you? Waiting another twenty minutes for the Crows to show up and I'd have been done - gone. Those twenty minutes were everything, Kate."

Sophie's words seemed to echo infinitely off the walls as Luke and Kate sat wordlessly in response. Finally it was Luke who recovered first.

"I should check the building; it's been a while since our last round," Luke said, beginning to stand to leave.

"I'd actually rather you stay - apparently that's the only way to get any honesty out of Kate these days," Sophie accused. She stared at Kate who looked about as uncomfortable as Sophie had ever seen.

"It's fine, Luke; go on ahead," Kate said, excusing an appreciative Luke. He glanced quickly at Sophie before darting from the flat. The door shutting behind him resonated through the silent tension that had overtaken the room.

Sophie wasn't sure why she suddenly felt so angry at Kate. Perhaps it had been weeks of feeling deceived by her only to, in the matter of a few hours, be told that deception was an act. Or maybe it was that, wherever she turned, Kate was always there trying to put out her fires. To learn now of Kate's actions from so many months ago had broken the camel's back.

"So what's your excuse for this one?" Sophie asked, cutting the tension like a knife.

"Soph, I-"

"It's Sophie, Kate," Sophie warned.

Kate looked like she had just been slapped, her words failing her. To anyone else, Sophie's interjection would seem a minor correction, but for Kate, it meant so much more. In a flash, she felt transported back to a memory like it was yesterday:

"Hey."

"Mhm?"

"I didn't know you don't like being called 'Soph'."

They were laying on Kate's bed, having wasted away the morning hours to lazy naps and limb-tangled snuggling. Kate's head was supported by one of her hands, propped up by her elbow, the other was dancing lightly over Sophie's stomach.

"Hm?" Sophie replied, her eyes still closed, but a small furrow to her brow appeared in response.

Kate's mind had been wandering aimlessly when she settled on a memory from the day before; she had walked in on Sophie and James in heated dialogue about some current events assignment. He had tried tempering Sophie's animated debate by calling her 'Soph' which, after telling him off for dubbing her that shortened name, only made her more intent on proving her point.

"I call you 'Soph' all the time."

"I don't mind so much when you call me it," Sophie sighed in reply.

"So you don't like it," Kate tried to clarify.

Sophie opened her eyes and stared back at Kate confusedly.

"I just don't want to call you something you don't like. You should have told me," Kate reasoned, her face serious and full of worry.

A small smile danced across Sophie's lips. "I like it when you say it."

"I just don't get it Kate," Sophie said, her tone softer now. It almost sounded resigned, as though her want to fight had suddenly drained away.

"Get what?" Kate asked, pulled out of the memory.

"Why do you think you need to protect me?" Sophie asked simply. They both knew her words weren't exclusive to this recent event. They harked back to their first year at Point Rock together. "If I counted all the times you jumped in to… to be the hero… just - just stop, ok?" Sophie continued, her voice quiet but shaking with irritation.

"What? No. I'm not trying to be the hero," Kate replied, confused by Sophie's transition.

"I'm serious Kate. It's more than that. I can't keep doing this hot and cold with you. One day I'm in the dark without a clue what's going on and the next you tell me some master plan you've cooked up and expect me to just roll with it."

"And if you're in danger?"

"That is literally my job, Kate. I'm a Crow. I will always be in danger," Sophie shot back. "You had no problem with it for the last three years while you toured the world, so why should now be any different?"

Kate could only stare back at Sophie. She wasn't wrong: Kate had managed to shake herself of Sophie's ghost in her travels, but she also knew a call like the one Mary made would always bring her back.

She wrestled with ways the conversation could go, but she knew none would address Sophie's frustrations. The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps in the hall, and Kate gave a small sigh of relief that she wouldn't have to respond yet. Luke had taken a suspiciously short amount of time to check the building, and Kate wondered if he knew things would unravel quickly if he was gone for too long.

"Let's just get through this stuff," Sophie continued, also hearing the footsteps. She wasn't ready to end the conversation, but she also knew she had better chances at winning the lottery than having an open, honest conversation with Kate anymore.

"Sure," Kate replied simply.

"All clear," came Luke's voice at the door.

"That's great." / "Good," they both replied sharply.

Luke glanced at Kate questioningly and her face told him they'd talk about it later.

"So… find anything while I was out?"