Author's Notes: Kate is impersonated by either Brainiac 5 or Beth in this episode.
At Gotham Pharmaceuticals, three sportscars in easily identifiable neon colors arrived after speeding through the parking lot like they belonged in Fast and the Furious. Masked thieves put boxes of drugs into the trunks of these three cars and immediately took off. Meanwhile, Angelique was handcuffed to a very flimsy-looking table with all sorts of chemicals laid out and an open gas-lit flame. Black Mask eyed Angelique unimpressed.
"It's time for you to get back in the kitchen...and cook me up some drugs," Black Mask ordered her as he tossed a beaker filled with acid on the floor. Two thugs uncuffed Angelique and held her away from the table. "We've been having some quality control issues lately."
Angelique was forced to her knees in front of the acid pool and broken glass shards. "I can't help you," she claimed.
The thugs placed her face near the toxic fumes of the acid and glass. "If you don't cook for me, I have all that I need to dissolve your body," Black Mask threatened.
The next day, Beth came to Dr. Wong's office. She arrived early and took over her desk. As it happened, a middle-aged man in a suit came in and gave Beth a confused look. "Dr. Wong?" he presumed.
"Do I look like a Dr. Wong?" Beth asked incredulously.
"Well, I've been taught all my life to be colorblind and to respect whatever anyone identifies as," he said.
"So...who the fuck are you?" Beth wondered.
"I'm Phil Jackson, your patient," he said taking a seat on the couch.
"Ah, yes, my five-thirty. Please, sit down," Beth said.
"I am," he said confused.
"I meant, sit on the floor," Beth ordered.
Beth casually went through his patient papers. "Yikes," she winced.
"Is this about my divorce?" he asked confused, now on the floor.
"Oh, sorry, I mixed you up with someone whose parents were killed in front of him, became a furry at night, and may-or-may-not be having homosexual relationships with his wards," Beth said.
"Oh...well, that's not me," Phil said stunned.
"Well...no shit," Beth agreed.
Dr. Wong entered the office and noticed Phil and Beth already there. "Mr. Jackson, apologies, but we'll need to reschedule," Dr. Wong ushered him out. Dr. Wong then gave Beth a disappointed look. "Out of the chair," she ordered.
Beth complied as they traded places. "So, why have you come to this session?" Dr. Wong asked.
"It was a birthday present from my employer," Beth replied.
"So, why did your employer suggest you come in for counseling?" Dr. Wong asked.
"I think because my mother died, my sister and I didn't speak for years, and I've used most of my life using sex to deflect from the void that exists in my empty heart," Beth said reflectively.
"You close with your family?" Dr. Wong asked.
"We get along well enough," Beth smirked.
"Do you have any friends?" Dr. Wong asked.
"I really don't have time...I mean...I have a pet bat," Beth said lamely.
"Tell me about the sex," Dr. Wong ordered.
"Sex didn't bring me any good, but I found the impulse is still very much there. It's just never the right person," Beth said vaguely.
"So, you're not having sex with whom?" Dr. Wong asked.
"He's just not available. I mean, he tells me how I should dress," Beth rolled her eyes.
"So, he's not romantic?" Dr. Wong assumed.
"God no," Beth nodded.
"So, you're a girl with no friends and an empty heart," Dr. Wong summarized.
"I have friends...they're just in my head. It's like in that Harry Potter book where all the ghosts come out of his wand. It's kind of like that only all the ghosts are people I've killed," Beth said.
"And are there a lot of people you've killed?" Dr. Wong asked.
"A shit-ton," Beth confirmed.
"What's really got you bothered?" Dr. Wong asked.
"I want to fuck Black Mask," Beth admitted.
There was a long awkward silence between them. "And do you know how he looks under the mask?" Dr. Wong asked.
"Yes, he's good-looking," Beth said defensively.
"I understand," Dr. Wong nodded.
"You got to tell me how to not fuck Black Mask before I get arrested or some shit," Beth beseeched her.
"It won't give you the power you're seeking," Dr. Wong told her.
"Just tell me what to do," Beth said impatiently.
"You already know what you're going to do. Everyone knows what they're going to do," Dr. Wong said simply.
"So, what's the point of you?" Beth wondered.
"You've already made the choice. Now, you must understand it," Dr. Wong replied.
That night, three sportscars were ready to race off to their destination as opposed to being incognito in generic cars going at an average speed. The three cars took three different routes to supposedly make them more difficult to track. The Batmobile blocked the path of the third car forcing it to stop. Batwoman got out of the Batmobile and used a sonic charge on her hand to blast the windows out. She then dragged the masked woman out of the car.
"Where are they going?" Beth asked her as she took the thug's mask off.
Beth eyed Ryan Wilder under the mask. "You have no idea what you've done," Ryan complained. "I'm burnt. Thanks a lot."
"Excuse me? You're in the stolen car I'm looking for," Beth told her off.
"I was undercover for the Crows," Ryan said. "The real driver is in custody."
"Yeah, well, why should I give a shit?" Beth asked.
"Black Mask shows up at the drop zone when the car gets there. That's the only time we can nab him," Ryan said. "But now I'm burnt, so the mission is fucked."
"Why are you working for the Crows, street-rat?" Beth asked.
"Black Mask has Angelique. We have a history," Ryan said.
"Being a straight woman, this isn't really my place, but you need to let her go. She got you put in prison, she's a drug dealer, a cheating whore, and a snitch," Beth advised her.
"And why do you care?" Ryan scoffed.
"Only I'm allowed to kick your ass," Beth told her. "Now, I have a reputation to keep so scram."
Ryan ran off as Beth casually tossed a grenade into the car gutting the interior.
At the Crows nest, Sophie came into Jacob's office. Kate was already there. "My informant was caught by Batwoman before she could get any useful intel on Black Mask," Sophie said disappointedly.
"Do you have a line on the other drivers?" Jacob asked.
"Not yet," Sophie admitted.
"Perhaps, you should have been the one to do it," Kate suggested.
"Don't be ridiculous. Sophie is my second-in-command. It would never be her place to act as an informant, especially one where she's behind the wheel of a heist car. That kind of shit gets agents killed," Jacob rebuked. "You're off the case, Sophie. I'm giving it to Kate."
"No offense, Kate, but you'll go guns blazing," Sophie disagreed.
"She's not wrong," Kate smirked.
"Black Mask took the war to us. And as for Angelique Martin, fuck her. She picked her side," Jacob said forcefully.
"Dead or alive, I'm bringing them all in," Kate promised.
The next night, three sportscars were ready to take off to the docks where they would be given the fear toxin in special containers. Upon arriving, Black Mask thugs placed the canisters in the trunks of all three cars. The three cars then took off to their rendezvous point. In the Bat-Cave, Brainiac 5 easily detected the three speeding sportscars from his satellite. The Batmobile immediately went after them. The three cars went in a straight line as the Batmobile came upon them. Batwoman activated her machine-gun turrets and blasted the rear car. The rear tires exploded and the trunk hood was blown off. The canisters were breached and started leaking fear gas. Beth kept up the rate of fire sending bullets into the interior of the car, the dash, and then into the engine. Within seconds, the car was blasted apart.
The second car immediately turned to evade the Batmobile. Beth activated heat-seeking missiles and fired while staying on the leader. The two missiles followed the second car until they hit, completely destroying the car. Crow cop cars intervened behind the Batmobile having been alerted to the destruction. The Crow agents fired on the Batmobile with no effect. Beth dropped explosive mines from the rear causing the Crow cars to crash as they hit them and creating a traffic jam behind her.
"AI, take over," Deathstroke ordered his car.
As his sportscar continued driving forward, Deathstroke opened the roof window of his car and fired an automatic rifle at the Batmobile. The bullets merely bounced off the bullet-proof hull and windows. Throwing the rifle aside, he started throwing grenades onto the street. As the grenades exploded, the Batmobile emerged through the smoke. "She thinks she's hot-shit because of her toys," Deathstroke muttered.
Deathstroke's car went through a red light nearly getting hit in the intersection. A number of cars slowed down blocking the Batmobile's path. Instead of slowing down, Beth knocked the cars out of her way as she continued pursuit. Deathstroke set up an anti-tank rifle and carefully aimed at Beth through the windshield. The bullet hit the windshield making a small crack where Beth's face would have been. Realizing hitting the windshield was pointless, Deathstroke aimed for a front tire and fired. The bullet penetrated the tire causing the Batmobile to swerve and lose control. The Batmobile slammed into a light pole as Deathstroke took off.
Beth calmly pushed a button allowing the Batcycle to detach from the Batmobile.
Deathstroke's car came to the rendezvous point looking shot up and busted. "Where are the other two?" a Black Mask thug asked as he arrived.
"Forget about them. Load what I got," Deathstroke ordered.
The thugs placed the canisters in a florist van and then took off. All the while, Brainiac 5 was still tracking their movements via satellite. "I have their coordinates," Brainiac 5 radioed Beth.
On her Batcycle, Beth sped towards Black Mask's warehouse.
At the warehouse, Black Mask had Ryan's hands tied up as she sat in a chair. "You disappoint me, Ryan," he mocked. "You got stopped by the Bat and had your car destroyed."
"What was I supposed to do?" Ryan asked incredulously.
"How is it that your car was the only one destroyed that night?" Black Mask asked.
"Bad luck," Ryan said lamely.
Black Mask took out a pistol and aimed at her head. "I think you've outlived your usefulness," he said to her. He then got a phone call from Deathstroke. "Really? What the fuck? Fine."
Black Mask lowered his pistol. "Apparently, you're in good company, Miss Wilder. Batwoman destroyed two more of my cars. Looks like this Batwoman might be the real deal."
"No shit," Batwoman said emerging from the shadows. A Batarang sliced the table near Ryan's hands. Black Mask fired off a magazine at her with all the bullets bouncing off her suit.
Throwing the gun aside, Black Mask and Batwoman fought evenly as Ryan tried to slice her restraints off with the Batarang stuck to the table. "You've learned much, young one," Black Mask said to Beth.
"You'll find I'm full of surprises," Beth replied as she punched him hard to his mask.
Black Mask angrily punched Beth back splitting her lip and casting blood on a plastic tarp. "Don't tell me you're here to rescue her," Black Mask mocked.
Beth got back to her feet. "No one kills her but me."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Black Mask told her.
Ryan suddenly threw the Batarang into Black Mask's back. Beth got the better of the fight and forced Black Mask to his knees. "Where's Angelique?" Ryan demanded.
"I'd be happy to show you," Black Mask said as he turned on a projector. There, they all could see Angelique being held hostage with a gun to her head. "Let me go, or my men will shoot her."
"Like I give a shit. Fire away," Beth said ruthlessly.
"No!" Ryan said and then placed the Batarang at her throat.
Beth hesitated at that. "Let's not be too hasty," she said to Ryan.
"Promise to let him go or I slit my own throat," Ryan said to Beth.
"Sounds like a win-win if I just keep him," Beth refused.
"I know you want me to stick around as your personal punching bag. I'm everything you hate, a woke, proud, empowered black woman," Ryan said to her.
"She's got a point," Black Mask chimed in.
"Okay. On my honor," Beth said as she released Black Mask.
Black Mask got back up and took the Batarang out of his back. "Now, that is some great branding, right there," he said as he admired it.
"I know, right?" Beth agreed.
"Well, until next time," Black Mask said as he casually walked off.
"You just let a masked psycho-killer get away just so you can beat my ass?" Ryan asked amazed.
"Consider yourself lucky," Beth said as she walked off in the other direction.
A disgruntled Black Mask entered his drug lab and found Angelique back to work. "Sorry about the delay. There was a royal fuck-up at my warehouse. How about you?"
"Just finished my first cook," Angelique said somberly. "This is all new equipment and I want to talk to you about how to roll it out."
"I was thinking we would make you the ceremonial first recipient," Black Mask said as he was about to inject her.
"Actually, I'm sober," Angelique told him.
"Do I look like the fucking AA?" Black Mask mocked.
"Wait, I was Ocean's assistant but he never gave me the full technique. I had to guess," Angelique said.
"So...this formula could be deadly?" Black Mask asked intrigued. "You really are full of disappointments."
"I'll find you Ocean," Angelique offered.
"He's already dead. I killed him personally. Not to worry. I know the formula," Black Mask told her as he withdrew the needle.
"Wait...you've been just fucking with me this whole time? The assassination, the breakout, being made a hostage, and scrambling to figure out the formula?" Angelique asked incredulously.
"Well, seeing as how you're a Lesbian, I didn't know how else to do it," Black Mask replied.
In a dark alleyway, Beth met up with Black Mask without his mask on. "Look, I made my feelings very very clear. You've been harder to read. What with the shooting and stabbing and all," Black Mask accused. "
"And?" Beth asked unimpressed with his whine.
"Do you regret it?" Black Mask asked.
"Does it matter?" Beth said dismissively.
"Just answer the damn question," Black Mask ordered.
"I had a world-class shrink call me a fuck-up the other day. What do you think?" Beth evaded.
"Do you...or do you not...regret it," Black Mask pressed.
"Are you not hearing me? I had it within me to drive a knife through your heart," Beth said.
"So?" Black Mask shrugged.
"So...before I get the urge again, we should probably get this out of the way," Beth said as she slammed him up against a dumpster.
"Careful, Beth, is being straight even legal now?" Black Mask wondered.
"Fuck it," Beth said as she kissed him passionately.
"Ah, yes, Beth, let's do it in this dumpster," Black Mask suggested.
"And now you've lost me," Beth said repulsed, and walked off.
"Damn it," Black Mask realized his mistake and walked the other way.
At the warehouse, Kate took point as it was swarming with Crow forensics teams. Sophie eyed the surveillance footage of the fight between Black Mask and Batwoman and then noticed the blood on the plastic tarp. Taking a cue tip, she took a sample of the blood for analysis.
Author's Notes: Drug dealers would never use highly identifiable sportscars speeding around Gotham to deliver drugs, Sophie would never be an informant as second-in-command of the Crows, satellites could easily determine where the vehicles are going without the need for a tracking device, Ryan would never be hired by a cartel in this manner...ever, Alice is in the shrink's office for 24 hours, Black Mask would never be alone, Sophie continues to violate police protocol by going it alone and getting captured every time, and Ryan Wilder being Batwoman is super obvious, and all of this is happening even though Angelique doesn't know the full technique. Zip made sense in this episode but that's okay. I am building towards the greatest love story ever told here.
Dr. Wong is a veteran psychiatrist that has treated Supergirl on several occasions. She's my superhero shrink.