Hello again, everyone! (or just Shea Fahlin, who is still my only reviewer!!!) Geez, that vacation really helped me unblock my writer's block. We went to Disney World (shoutouts to Mickey Mouse!!), had a great time, I'll spare you the rest of the excruciatingly dry details. Anyway, I think this story finally has a purpose now! (which is a relief, I was really starting to worry about what to write...) Well, here goes Chapter 3!

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The New Gotham City Clocktower, 5:00 p.m.

"Let's see... so "x" equals..." Dinah Lance sat at the table in her home, the clocktower, trying desperately to finish her algebra homework before Barbara scolded her for doddling. Her mentor was sitting nearby at her computers. Ever since Helena ran into the Joker, Barbara was monitoring the Delphi system much more frequently now, searching for any hints of a new superhero named Ace.

"Oh, shit." Barbara frowned at the computer screen.

"Whatsamatter?" Dinah said as she got up to join Barbara.

"Y'know that jewelry store on Capitol Blvd.? Its burglar alarms are going off." The redhead sighed and picked up her cell phone. "I'm gonna have to call Helena away from her work." (By the way, will somebody please let me know if that bar she works at has a name or anything? I forgot.)

"I'll go!" Dinah volunteered. She was desperate to get away from the evils of math and go fight the evils of New Gotham for a change.

Barbara looked up at Dinah. "I'm sorry, but you know I can't let you do that. I'd never forgive myself if the Joker got you."

"And what, you'd be fine if the Joker got Helena? Come on, I can handle this! Besides, Helena's busy and I'm perfectly available!"

Barbara raised an eyebrow at the teenager. "Have you finished your math homework?"

"Yes!" Dinah said as she put on her sweetest face, hoping Barbara wouldn't notice her little white lie.

If she did notice, she didn't let it show. Barbara sighed heavily and finally gave in. "Alright, you can go."

"Yeee-es!" Dinah celebrated.

"But stay on coms at all times! No shutting me off, got it?"

"Whatever you say, Barbara!"

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The Streets of New Gotham City, a few minutes later

"Yah-hoooooo!!!" Dinah yelled as she rocketed down the streets of New Gotham. When Dinah became a superhero like Helena, Barbara had gotten her her very own motorcycle for transportation, since she couldn't clear buildings in a single bound like her partner. Although she could only use the cycle for fighting crime, it was her baby and she loved riding on it.

"It's kinda hard to be stealthy when you're screaming like that, don't you think?" Oracle said over the com-link.

"Hey, can't a girl have a little fun every once and a while?" Dinah retorted. But as much as she hated to admit it, Barbara was right. It was time for business.

Dinah slowed down and parked the cycle about a block away from the jewelry store, planning to use the element of surprise to her advantage. As she snuck up, she could hear the robbers talking.

"Hey, Pete! Hurry it up! I can't afford to get caught again. They'll give me ten years for sure."

Pete was just dragging the last bag of diamonds out from the store. "Yeah, yeah, you told me. It's not like I won't get in trouble too, y'know." He shoved the last bag into their truck. "Now let's quit chattering and get out of here before one of those vigilantes shows up."

"Yeah, those pesky vigilantes always ruin everything, don't they?"

The two robbers whirled around in surprise to see Dinah standing behind them, hands on her hips and a told-you-so look on her face. She clenched her fists and swung a roundhouse kick at the nearest robber's face. "And you would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for this darn superhero!" she said, knocking him to the ground. Pete quickly reached inside his jacket, pulled out a handgun, and immediately began firing like a madman. The immense rain of bullets was too overwhelming for Dinah. She rolled over behind the robber's getaway truck for cover. "Oracle! He's got a gun! I need bac-"

Just then a metal baton flew by and knocked the gun out of the robber's hand, then turned and flew back to its owner's purple gloved hand like a boomerang. "What the- another one!!!???" Pete exclaimed as he turned around to see Ace standing behind him.

"Y'know, you should be careful where you point that thing." Ace said and effortlessly knocked the surprised thug out with a swing of his baton. Apparently, he was oblivious to the fact that Dinah was still hiding behind the truck. "Well, that takes care of that."

Behind the truck, Dinah's heart was pounding so hard she was surprised Ace couldn't hear it. "Oracle!" she whispered over the com-link. "I need help! He's here!"

Back at the clocktower, Oracle's heart started pounding herself. "O-okay. Helena will be there soon. Just stay put and don't let him see you."

But it was too late. Ace thought he heard whispering and peered around the side of the truck to find Dinah. "What on- wait a minute! You're Helena's partner, aren't you?"

Dinah whirled around in horror. She was in fight or flight mode now, and instinctively she knew that fighting would be the only way out. "Keee- YAH!" she yelled, sending a kick flying at his face.

"Whoa! Do you guys do anything but fight!?" Ace exclaimed, surprised at her kick. Dinah immediately began kicking and punching at him much like Helena did, fueled by the adrenaline rush. She aimed a kick right at his face, and by reflex he grabbed her ankle mid-kick to avoid a broken jaw. Just then the bare skin on his forearm came in contact with the skin on her ankle. Immediately Dinah's world started to spin. Everything slowly went black, and Oracle's screaming at her on the com-link faded away..."Dinah, what's going on? Please answer me! Dinah? DINAH!!!!!"

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And that's it! Please review again, lemme know whatcha think!