Dina sat trying to figure a way out of her bonds. Yes, this was highly
improbable, but she was giving it a try. The bonds had been created to
prevent the use of her metahuman powers, and therefore using her mind power
was out. Well, other than thinking of course.
Scarecrow had long since abandoned watching the two. Barbara was resting comfortably now on a chair. He'd been decent enough to carry her over to the cushions and rest her. She could not crawl there.
Dina's mind was spinning a thousand miles a minute. If she had only let her finger nails grow, maybe she could pick the lock. Yes, it was sick, but an idea.
"You okay?" Barbara asked Dina.
"Fine," Dina answered, blonde hair falling into her eyes. "This is the first time in my life I've wanted short hair."
Scarecrow chuckled slightly. "Bet you're trying to figure out the bonds. All the little bat girl good guys do that. I enjoy watching it."
"Why do you enjoy it," Barbara asked, watching his face without her glasses. It was blurred, just slightly. She could tell he was grinning, but that was all. The scarecrows grimace was disturbing, but without the full force, Barbara was not afraid.
"You're trying to trick me into giving something away," he grinned. "It won't work little bad girl. I've played this game much longer than you. And after all I've told you, you still won't understand the full extent of the plan. That is the beauty of good. Usually, the good guys forget to look at the tiniest details."
Helena tapped Reese on the shoulder. He jumped about four feet into the air and glared. "DO you have to sneak up on people," he asked.
"You do it all the time," she grinned. The black leather of her outfit was slightly distracting to Reese, but so was the promise of the raid of his career.
"What did you find?" He watched her eyes carefully. They hadn't changed back to red with little slits yet. Reese wondered if this was a good sign or not.
"What are you looking at?" She asked, backing up. "Jeez. Am I that fascinating?"
"I was looking at your eyes," he said.
"Ohhhhh," she sighed, as if it explained everything. "Looking to see if I've noticed something. I think I know where my friends are."
Reese touched her arm to get Helena to wait. He felt the sensation rush through his fingers to her bare skin. The feeling was akin to being electrocuted, but pleasant.
"Wait, Helena."
"What?"
"Are you sure it isn't a trap?"
"Are you kidding? Of course it's a trap, Reese. How long have you been a police officer?"
The feeling left his system as quickly as it had entered it. Every time Reese felt close to Helena, she pulled away, like a reflex. Love seemed to be a test for her, and she refused to pass.
"They are down the hall, probably in the office or something. We have to get in without making a sound."
The downstairs door creaked open, sending a sense of panic through both Reese and Helena.
"Where the hell are we," The man muttered, searching the room for a clue where he was. "You promised to tell me what you needed me for."
"Soon," Harley whispered. Ivy answered the man by kicking him in the back. He grunted and kept walking.
"Do we really have to use this guy," Ivy groaned. "He's a pig. The guy tried to grab my ass three times in the car."
"Don't be so attractive then, sweet cheeks," he chuckled.
Ivy kicked him again. This time much harder. "Don't call me that!"
Harley chuckled and then let out a long sigh. "Mr. J used to call me that." She immediately snapped out of her reverie. "Oh well, soon enough he'll be out and we'll rule Gotham again." She squealed in delight and marched down the hall, holding the rope that formed a lease around the conman's neck.
"That the suspects?" Reese whispered, into Helena's ear. She didn't shiver, though she wanted to. Several times she'd considered moment like this. Reese was close enough to kiss her, but now was certainly not the time.
Helena said nothing, but nodded her brown hair back and forth. Reese smiled, feeling the soft strands brush his cheek. He wanted to kiss her, but knew now was certainly not the place or time.
Dina was grinning as the Scarecrow read the collected works of the poet Baudelaire. He seemed to be enjoying it.
Barbara wanted something to read or analyze. She'd counted all the ceiling tiles forty times, even counting the small circles within the metal plates. Soon, she'd start counting the hairs on her head and then figure out a new math theorem.
The door cracked open, shattering Barbara's counting ability.
"Get in there" Ivy shouted. "I'm so tired of these pricks. I deal with plants. They don't talk back!"
"All right babe, calm down."
"Who the hell are you?" the scarecrow asked the conman. "Harley didn't say anything about a new one."
"You wouldn't know me," the man muttered. "Well you would. But you wouldn't know me now."
"Try me," he began. "I'm scarecrow."
"That much was obvious," he barked, scratching his belly. Long ago he'd been fit and tough and ready to take on all the scum that crossed his path. "I used to be Nightwing. A hell of a lot has changed."
Barbara gasped without meaning to. Nightwings fall had been legendary. One day he was a doogooder with plenty of time and many beloved fans. The next he was arrested for some of the greatest cons of all time. Social security had been only a small thing. Older men and woman far and wide identified him as the sludge of a young man who had stolen their checks. He wanted to deny it, but Nightwing had done all that. He had stepped forward and taken what he could, because he had the ability to. The guilt no longer racked him. His stubble was the most annoying thing he could consider at the moment.
Ivy sat in a small chair, Harley following behind.
"You all ready?" Harley asked.
"You still haven't told us for what," Ivy muttered. "I was called away from work for this?"
"We're going to be the thing of legend," Harley whispered. "Every one of us will go down in history."
"I'm here for cash," Ivy whispered. "The crime ring became stupid years ago. My daughter is at home right now, thinking mom has a normal job."
"I still have no idea how you got pregnant," Scarecrow muttered.
"Sperm bank," Ivy growled. "I wouldn't sleep with you on principle alone."
"Kids, can we calm down," Harley asked. "Ivy, you can be behind scenes. I'll pay you under the table. We won't let Stephanie know."
"I'm concerned I'm going to end up like Selena," Ivy sighed. "Just I'd rather not get involved in a big way."
Nightwing rolled his eyes. "I tried that once, Ivy. Ended up in a federal prison until you got me out."
"They're in here," Helena whispered to Reese, urging him with her hand to make his shoes tread softer. He followed her lead.
"What did they just say?"
"You better have someone check federal records. Nightwing is out. We better not rush in. There are two of us and five of them. All of them have some level of intelligence or power. We're going to need back up or to knock them off one by one."
"I'm in for that plan," Reese whispered. "I'd rather be alive at the end of the night."
"You will be," Helena whispered, her voice softening just a bit. "I'm glad you're here Reese. I don't think I could do this alone."
"My pleasure."
Scarecrow had long since abandoned watching the two. Barbara was resting comfortably now on a chair. He'd been decent enough to carry her over to the cushions and rest her. She could not crawl there.
Dina's mind was spinning a thousand miles a minute. If she had only let her finger nails grow, maybe she could pick the lock. Yes, it was sick, but an idea.
"You okay?" Barbara asked Dina.
"Fine," Dina answered, blonde hair falling into her eyes. "This is the first time in my life I've wanted short hair."
Scarecrow chuckled slightly. "Bet you're trying to figure out the bonds. All the little bat girl good guys do that. I enjoy watching it."
"Why do you enjoy it," Barbara asked, watching his face without her glasses. It was blurred, just slightly. She could tell he was grinning, but that was all. The scarecrows grimace was disturbing, but without the full force, Barbara was not afraid.
"You're trying to trick me into giving something away," he grinned. "It won't work little bad girl. I've played this game much longer than you. And after all I've told you, you still won't understand the full extent of the plan. That is the beauty of good. Usually, the good guys forget to look at the tiniest details."
Helena tapped Reese on the shoulder. He jumped about four feet into the air and glared. "DO you have to sneak up on people," he asked.
"You do it all the time," she grinned. The black leather of her outfit was slightly distracting to Reese, but so was the promise of the raid of his career.
"What did you find?" He watched her eyes carefully. They hadn't changed back to red with little slits yet. Reese wondered if this was a good sign or not.
"What are you looking at?" She asked, backing up. "Jeez. Am I that fascinating?"
"I was looking at your eyes," he said.
"Ohhhhh," she sighed, as if it explained everything. "Looking to see if I've noticed something. I think I know where my friends are."
Reese touched her arm to get Helena to wait. He felt the sensation rush through his fingers to her bare skin. The feeling was akin to being electrocuted, but pleasant.
"Wait, Helena."
"What?"
"Are you sure it isn't a trap?"
"Are you kidding? Of course it's a trap, Reese. How long have you been a police officer?"
The feeling left his system as quickly as it had entered it. Every time Reese felt close to Helena, she pulled away, like a reflex. Love seemed to be a test for her, and she refused to pass.
"They are down the hall, probably in the office or something. We have to get in without making a sound."
The downstairs door creaked open, sending a sense of panic through both Reese and Helena.
"Where the hell are we," The man muttered, searching the room for a clue where he was. "You promised to tell me what you needed me for."
"Soon," Harley whispered. Ivy answered the man by kicking him in the back. He grunted and kept walking.
"Do we really have to use this guy," Ivy groaned. "He's a pig. The guy tried to grab my ass three times in the car."
"Don't be so attractive then, sweet cheeks," he chuckled.
Ivy kicked him again. This time much harder. "Don't call me that!"
Harley chuckled and then let out a long sigh. "Mr. J used to call me that." She immediately snapped out of her reverie. "Oh well, soon enough he'll be out and we'll rule Gotham again." She squealed in delight and marched down the hall, holding the rope that formed a lease around the conman's neck.
"That the suspects?" Reese whispered, into Helena's ear. She didn't shiver, though she wanted to. Several times she'd considered moment like this. Reese was close enough to kiss her, but now was certainly not the time.
Helena said nothing, but nodded her brown hair back and forth. Reese smiled, feeling the soft strands brush his cheek. He wanted to kiss her, but knew now was certainly not the place or time.
Dina was grinning as the Scarecrow read the collected works of the poet Baudelaire. He seemed to be enjoying it.
Barbara wanted something to read or analyze. She'd counted all the ceiling tiles forty times, even counting the small circles within the metal plates. Soon, she'd start counting the hairs on her head and then figure out a new math theorem.
The door cracked open, shattering Barbara's counting ability.
"Get in there" Ivy shouted. "I'm so tired of these pricks. I deal with plants. They don't talk back!"
"All right babe, calm down."
"Who the hell are you?" the scarecrow asked the conman. "Harley didn't say anything about a new one."
"You wouldn't know me," the man muttered. "Well you would. But you wouldn't know me now."
"Try me," he began. "I'm scarecrow."
"That much was obvious," he barked, scratching his belly. Long ago he'd been fit and tough and ready to take on all the scum that crossed his path. "I used to be Nightwing. A hell of a lot has changed."
Barbara gasped without meaning to. Nightwings fall had been legendary. One day he was a doogooder with plenty of time and many beloved fans. The next he was arrested for some of the greatest cons of all time. Social security had been only a small thing. Older men and woman far and wide identified him as the sludge of a young man who had stolen their checks. He wanted to deny it, but Nightwing had done all that. He had stepped forward and taken what he could, because he had the ability to. The guilt no longer racked him. His stubble was the most annoying thing he could consider at the moment.
Ivy sat in a small chair, Harley following behind.
"You all ready?" Harley asked.
"You still haven't told us for what," Ivy muttered. "I was called away from work for this?"
"We're going to be the thing of legend," Harley whispered. "Every one of us will go down in history."
"I'm here for cash," Ivy whispered. "The crime ring became stupid years ago. My daughter is at home right now, thinking mom has a normal job."
"I still have no idea how you got pregnant," Scarecrow muttered.
"Sperm bank," Ivy growled. "I wouldn't sleep with you on principle alone."
"Kids, can we calm down," Harley asked. "Ivy, you can be behind scenes. I'll pay you under the table. We won't let Stephanie know."
"I'm concerned I'm going to end up like Selena," Ivy sighed. "Just I'd rather not get involved in a big way."
Nightwing rolled his eyes. "I tried that once, Ivy. Ended up in a federal prison until you got me out."
"They're in here," Helena whispered to Reese, urging him with her hand to make his shoes tread softer. He followed her lead.
"What did they just say?"
"You better have someone check federal records. Nightwing is out. We better not rush in. There are two of us and five of them. All of them have some level of intelligence or power. We're going to need back up or to knock them off one by one."
"I'm in for that plan," Reese whispered. "I'd rather be alive at the end of the night."
"You will be," Helena whispered, her voice softening just a bit. "I'm glad you're here Reese. I don't think I could do this alone."
"My pleasure."
