Chapter 2
December 14 New Gotham
Goliath slid a glance over to his companion and asked a silent question.
"Och will ye quit lookin' at me like that lad," Hudson growled as he shifted to a more comfortable position. The doctors had outfitted him with a prosthetic a few weeks ago, but he was still learning to adapt to it.
Neither Elisa nor Goliath wanted to bring him along, but as soon as the elder gargoyle found out what they were doing he insisted on coming along. When all other petitions had been rejected he finally played the 'honor' trump card on Goliath, and the Clan leader finally caved in. But not before Elisa made Hudson swear that he would not get involved in any of the fighting unless they asked him to.
Goliath had to admire Elisa for her ferocity, because he had not once been able to make Hudson swear like he had done with Elisa. Of course, Elisa was more like to carry out her threats against the elder gargoyle if he broke his oath.
"Sorry old friend, just making sure you're comfortable."
"I'm not a hatchling t' be coddled Goliath. I dealt wit' the loss of my eye I can deal with this," he retorted testily.
"My apologies," Goliath restated as he turned his attention to the voice in his ear-piece.
"Detective Reese?"
Reese looked up from his desk and blinked at the beautiful woman standing in front of him. "Can I help you?"
"Are you Jesse Reese?"
"I am, but who wants to know?"
She took a step closer and after a quick look around lowered her voice to be sure no one else heard. "Detective Elisa Maza, NYPD. Do you have a few minutes where I could talk to you alone, away from any prying eyes or ears?"
That made him start. But then he quickly recovered and nodded. "Yeah sure. I was just finishing my paperwork for the night. Let me go throw this in the Captain's box and then we can go grab a cup of coffee."
A genuine smile flitted across her lips. "Coffee sounds great. I was in such a hurry to get up here I didn't have time for my caffine fix. I'll wait for you in the lobby."
Reese nodded, and began to collect all his paperwork together into a neat pile. As he did so he glanced at the ring he still wore. For a moment he was tempted to activate it, but then his last encounter with Helena pushed that thought from his mind. Ever since the attack on the Clocktower, things had changed drastically in his relationship with the three women – especially Helena. He understood the reasons behind her following him around night after night, keeping trouble at bay. But after a couple of months, he finally thought it had been time to broach the subject and gently encourage her to be using her skills and resources elsewhere.
That had lead to a huge fight and one hell of a black eye. Reese tried to call her several times after that, even showed up at Barbara's school. He was shocked at the red-head's nearly gaunt features, but managed to hide it as he pleaded with her to talk to Helena. Barbara only shook her head no and brushed past him with a pained look crossing her face as she turned away from him. When Dinah even balked at the idea of talking things over with him he finally gave up. He had left one last message on Helena's answering machine and had never seen or spoken to any of the women since.
Oh, he still felt the tiny tingling sensation run up the back of his neck every now and then, signaling Helena's presence nearby. But he had never quite talked himself into taking the ring off- even after nearly five months. He would hear what Detective Maza had to say first and then see if he needed to break the silence.
"Thanks for meeting me like this Detective," Elisa began after they had ordered and began sipping on their steaming mugs of coffee.
"My friends call me Reese. Now what can I do for you Elisa?"
She looked down at her folded hands and took a deep breath. "Reese, you and I have a big problem on our hands, and I have been told by an...acquaintance of mine that you are the only one I can trust."
Reese shifted a bit in his seat. "What kind of a problem?"
"A gun problem. Have you heard of the HQ-1?"
"Who hasn't? You guys have been trying to put a lid on that nasty mother for six months now."
"I just found out that a shipment of five thousand of those damn things are going to be heading to Manhattan in just under two weeks and they're coming in from New Gotham."
Reese stared at Elisa shocked. "Five thousand?" he asked in disbelief. "My god....that's enough to supply a small army."
"My source informed me that is exactly what they're going to be used for."
"How in the hell could we have not known about this?"
"Because we all tend to think that once we lock someone up they will loose all their authority and control. Do you know what the HQ stands for?"
"Headquarters? I don't know."
"Try Harley Quinn," Elisa said flatly.
"WHAT?!" Reese nearly shouted. A few people turned their way, but Elisa just flashed a fake smile at them and they looked away disinterested. She looked back at Reese sympathetically, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere as he stared at the table in shock. "It can't be Quinn," he mumbled.
"It is."
"How long again?"
"Christmas Eve, the supplier will be delivering the shipment himself and collecting his pay. We have to stop them here because my source still doesn't know when and where the drop-off point was."
"Is this source reliable?" Reese finally asked as he rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache beginning.
"Normally I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. But let's just say he has a lot of personal investments at stake here, and he's not the type to lose."
Reese frowned a bit as well. "Don't tell me you're going on the word of a criminal?"
Elisa sighed. "Look I know it sounds shady, but I know Tony. Trust me, this is the real deal."
"Tony?" Reese asked as the name rang a bell.
"Yeah. Tony Dracon. Said you might remember him? He was the one who told me I could trust you alone."
She watched the play of emotions run across the detective face, and it finally settled on a deep scowl. "So I suppose that means you know who my father is?" he asked grimly.
"Only that Tony was one of his... 'students'."
"Just for the record, I have never had anything to do with my father or any of his activities. I've worked too hard to become a decent honest cop to have my unfortunate 'family' connections ruin that."
"Trust me Reese, I'm the last person you have to worry about when it comes to things like this," Elisa chuckled reassuringly. "I have more than a few secrets in the closet about my own family," she admitted her expression sobering a bit.
Reese seemed to settle down a bit, and took a long sip of his coffee as he thought about things. He was definitely going to need to bring the Birds in on this one. And a few others that he knew he could trust. "Do you have someplace to stay? I notice you don't have any luggage or a car."
"Actually I do have luggage, I've left it with some friends. As for a place to stay, I'm sure that will have been taken care of by an acquaintance of mine by now."
"Listen I know you don't want to get the police involved in this, and I understand the need for secrecy. But we need help if we're gonna figure this out in time and even have a chance at pulling it off."
"We have a few people on my end that I know I can trust and a few resources that I can pull out of my hat when the time comes. I just need your help in getting more information about who and where the shipment is going."
"Tell me, do any of these 'friends' of yours have wings?" he asked a smile creeping across his face.
Elisa blushed a little and gave him a sheepish grin. "Damn media. I can't hardly go anywhere without someone recognizing me. But in answer to your question, yes. Would you like to meet them?"
"They're here now?" he asked his eyes raising in surprise.
"Just across the street, staying hidden in the shadows on a rooftop most likely."
Reese gave her a funny look as he glanced out the window straining to see any movement in the darkness. "Sounds like someone else I know," he muttered.
"More nighttime vigilantes?"
Elisa had meant it as a joke, but the unhappy look that flashed across the detective's face indicated that she had hit a nerve. He turned to her and nodded. "I have a few acquaintances of my own that I think you should meet as well."
"Sounds like we have a couple of things in common," Elisa commented. Then she shrugged as she reached into her pocket and pulled out some money to pay for the coffee. "We'll need all the help we can get. Come on, let's go meet the guys and then we can go find your friends."
They left the diner and only made it several paces from the door when both detectives sensed the silent disturbance of the air nearby and the hairs stood up on the back of their necks. Elisa whirled around to see a darkly clad female figure and heard Reese sigh quietly behind her. The young woman that had appeared out of thin air stalked around Elisa, clearly sizing the suddenly tense detective up.
On the rooftop across the street Elisa caught a faint movement and gave a silent gesture for the two gargoyles to hold until it became necessary for them to interfere. Reese didn't seem too tense about the meeting. More like annoyed. His jaw worked agitatedly as the intense blue eyes that had been scouring Elisa finally turned on him.
"Well that didn't take long," the brunette sneered.
Reese gave an exasperated sigh. "I thought we had this fight already. Don't you have something better to do with you time than baby sitting me? I am a big boy you know?"
"Obviously," she said with a pointed look in Elisa's direction. "I must admit though, she seems quite the catch. Didn't get nearly half the reaction out of her that I was hoping," she said in a disappointed tone.
Elisa looked from the brunette's face to Reese's and suddenly realized just what she had found herself in the middle of. "Listen Reese how about I go hook up with my friends and we can meet when you two have finished with your...conversation."
"Yes why don't you run along," the brunette told her derisively.
"I wasn't talking to you punk," Elisa snapped back curtly.
"Oh feisty," the young woman mocked.
"Listen sister, you don't know who you're screwing with here and you have no idea what my business with Reese is. So why don't you do everyone a favor and shut that mouth of yours before you dig a bigger grave for yourself," Elisa ground out in a dangerous voice as her entire posture shifted to an aggressive stance.
"Whose gonna make me? You?" the brunette snorted as she took a menacing step forward.
"Damn it Helena back off!" Reese shouted angrily as he tried to wedge himself between the two women.
Helena merely shoved him aside, an act that she accomplished with more force than necessary. Reese was sent crashing into the wall, and left to slump to the ground with a groan. Elisa's eyes were briefly drawn over towards Reese and then she looked back at the brunette.
"Let's take this into the alley boys," she muttered under her breath as she stepped into the dark shadows behind her, eyes challenging the younger woman.
It was a challenge the brunette didn't back down from, even if she did look slightly contrite at having hurt Reese accidentally. "Take a clue and give up now - it'll save you a trip to the hospital."
"The only one whose gonna end up in the hospital is you if you don't back off now."
"Oooo I'm so scared. You don't stand a chance," Helena scoffed.
"Maybe not," Elisa shrugged. Then a smirk twisted her lips up as two large shadows dropped down behind the brunette. "But they do," she commented casually as her eyes shifted past Helena's to meet Goliath's blazing white orbs.
Two deep growls filled the alley, and the quiet sound of metal against leather cut through them. Helena spun around to find herself face with two massive, angry looking creatures borne of nightmares. She gasped, stepped backwards quickly and found herself flat on her back. She had underestimated Reese's companion, and hadn't expected the numbing blow to the back of her knee that had left her lying on her back, with Elisa's boot pressed dangerously against her throat. She heard the click of a safety and looked up to see a gun pointed steadily down at her.
"Look, I have no intention of hurting you. I'm simply here on business, so you can get over the little jealous act right now. If you wish to pursue this conversation further however, my two friends here will be more than happy to fulfill your desire to visit the emergency room. Got it?"
Blue eyes narrowed, and then Elisa's captive nodded once, as much as Elisa's boot allowed. Reese had recovered enough to stagger into the alley and he drew up short at the sight before him. Helena was flat on her back, Elisa having her more than sufficiently subdued as two hulking creatures crouched nearby.
He cleared his throat and walked towards the gargoyles, a smile playing across his face as his eyes slid down to Helena. "Well I was hoping to meet you under a little less hostile circumstances, I apologize for that. My name is Reese, you must be Elisa's friends."
The gargoyles straightened up into relaxed postures as Reese introduced himself, and Helena rolled to her feet as Elisa holstered her gun and lifted her foot from the younger woman's throat. "We are pleased to have your assistance Detective. I am Goliath, leader of the Manhattan Clan Wyvern and this is my mentor Hudson."
"I have to say I'd never thought I'd see a real live gargoyle in the flesh," Reese grinned looking the two beings over with an excited expression. "This is truly amazing."
Helena, who had been rubbing her throat and glaring daggers at Elisa the whole time suddenly paused as she looked back over at the two creatures a look of surprise and recognition crossing her features. Elisa merely smirked a bit and then offered her hand. "And that would make me Elisa Maza, NYPD."
Helena suddenly wanted to crawl away and hide under a rock for a long long time. "Shit," she muttered darkly, realizing the mistake her rampant emotions had caused. "I think I'll just go jump off a building now."
"That doesn't mean much since you'll always land on your feet," Reese chuckled, seeming to have brushed off her impossibly strong attack on him. "Elisa, Goliath, and Hudson, this is Helena aka the Huntress. She and her two friends were the real people who helped capture Quinn. Even though the police department will never condone their vigilantism, we are all secretly happy to have their assistance," he explained with a smile that seemed to soften the brunette a bit.
"I take it this is one of your friends you wanted to introduce me to then?" Elisa asked, forcing her own tone to soften into a friendlier one.
"Yes she is," he said, looking pointedly at Helena who had grace enough to look a little sheepish. "Helena, something big has come up. We need to take them to Oracle."
Helena cleared her throat and nodded as she tapped a slender finger to the curiously designed necklace she wore around her throat. "Oracle?" she asked quietly to no one in particular. The small group watched as the young woman winced visibly, and Reese fought to suppress a smirk.
"Ok, ok!" Helena sighed exasperated. "Listen Reese has made some new friends who seem to need our help. He wants to bring them over." There was a pause and then a small smile played on the brunette's lips. "Yeah they're safe. But I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise that I got meeting them. We'll be there in about ten minutes."
"Go off comms again?" Reese teased as Helena finished her conversation.
"I'll lead Tiny and Gramps here back. The password to the elevator is still the same."
With that, Helena turned and sprinted into the back of the alley where she leapt up onto a third story fire escape platform and then vaulted across the alley's expanse to the rooftop. She leaned down, her dark eyes glittering. "You two coming?" she asked Goliath and Hudson casually.
"Tiny?" Goliath asked Reese with an arched eyebrow.
"Helena's not one much for rules and formalities," Reese explained apologetically.
With a shrug of his massive shoulders, the gargoyle glanced over at Elisa. "I'll be fine Big Guy. Just don't forget my luggage!" she reminded him.
He chuckled and then looked over to Hudson who nodded and planted his talons firmly in the concrete wall and began his ascent. It wasn't quite as smooth as his ascents used to be, but he was pleased to see he managed his climb with only a couple of minor hitches.
Helena stepped back to allow the two to climb over the edge and looked at their wings. "Why not just fly up?"
"Gargoyles don't fly lass. We glide" Hudson explained.
He watched as her eyes widened slightly as he spoke for the first time. "Oooo Sean Connery as a gargoyle," she said with a sexy little grin that made even the older gargoyle blush a little bit. "Well, see if you can keep up boys. Oracle hates to be kept waiting."
The two watched as she took a running start towards the other edge of the building and nodded impressed as she leapt out over the street below. She tucked her body into a tight roll, and then landed gracefully on the rooftop across the street, still in a dead run as she headed for the next rooftop.
"Looks like there's more to the lass than what one sees" Hudson chuckled as he hopped up onto the ledge and spread his wings to follow after the shadowy form racing away from them. Goliath grunted his own agreement, and leapt out into the night as well.
As the two detectives drove to the meeting place, Reese filled Elisa in on how he had come to meet 'friends' and what little of their past he felt was safe to divulge. He admitted there was more to the story, but she understood that if they wanted to reveal more about themselves, that would be up to them.
In exchange, Elisa told Reese the story of how she had come to know the gargoyles and the cliff notes of her chaotic life with them over the past six years. Reese grinned as she wrapped up the last few details. "You're not making my outlook seem very bright you know."
Elisa snickered. "Get used to it now Reese," she advised, only half joking.
Reese pointed out the window then and Elisa followed his gesture. "There we are. Home base."
"The clock tower?" Elisa whispered, a sudden flash of nostalgia washing over her.
"Yeap. Something wrong?" he asked noticing her sudden change of expression.
Elisa shook herself out of it and smiled slightly. "No. It's just that for awhile, the Clan lived in the clock tower above my precinct. That was before the Hunter's blew it up. They like being back at the castle, but I know all of us sometimes miss the old Tower."
"Wait until you see what Oracle has set up inside."
As the elevator opened up to admit the last two arrivals, Elisa felt her breath slip away. "Oh...my...god," she whispered as she moved through the well decorated room towards the huge bank of computers.
An elderly gentleman in a butler's uniform walked up to the two new arrivals and smiled. "Ah Detective Reese, so good to see you again."
"Hey Alfred," Reese returned as he handed over his jacket.
"And you must be Detective Maza," he stated as he flashed Elisa a grandfatherly smile. "If there is anything you should require during your stay here, do not hesitate to ask."
"Um, thanks Alfred."
"Where is everyone?" Reese asked looking around the empty room.
"Ah yes, the gargoyles arrived with Miss Helena a half hour ago. They thought you might be detained for a little while longer, so they have moved into the gym. It seems a friendly challenge brewed between Miss Helena and Mister Goliath."
Reese's eyebrow went up, and Elisa had to suppress a giggle at hearing the elderly man call Goliath 'Mister'. "Challenge?" she asked only slightly worried.
"Yes it seems Mr. Goliath insisted that she quite calling him 'Tiny'. She said only if he proved it. Perhaps you would like to see for yourself? They have only just begun. Please follow me."
As Alfred led them across the room and down a hallway, the sounds of fighting became clearer the closer they got to a heavy set of oak doors. Alfred, reached out to open them up, and then stepped aside to reveal a spacious gym. In the center, the lithe young woman clad in tight black leather squared off against Goliath.
"Is she nuts to challenge him to a spar?"
"She's a lot tougher than she looks," Reese replied with a distantly affectionate smile.
Sure enough, Goliath moved in with lightening speed, his fist striking air as she ducked under his bulk and lashed out with a series of vicious kicks and punches to his unprotected side. Goliath grimaced, but the Huntress had forgotten about his tail. Before she could jump out of reach he had snagged her and whipped her into the floor...hard.
Elisa winced, but was surprised to see the young woman bounce back up to her feet with a predatory grin as she shook off the impact. More blows were traded, and then it was Goliath's turn to hit the ground. The crash loosened a few boards, and Elisa looked around the room hoping their little 'challenge' wasn't about to cost them some new allies.
On the contrary, the woman in the wheel chair, and the blonde standing next to her were watching the spar with complete fascination. Hudson was leaning back against the wall, relaxed, but interested as well. "Have you ever seen her fight with this level of intensity before?" Elisa whispered to Reese who also seemed rooted in place.
"No. They have a 'no kill' policy, she usually has to tone it down to keep to that rule," he explained.
"It's been a long time since I've seen Goliath spar like this," Elisa told Reese with an affectionate smile of her own. One look at her love's face told her he was enjoying the challenge, especially since it was coming from a friend and not someone trying to kill them.
The combatants turned it up a notch, and the blows grew fiercer as they tested each other's limits out. But as the adrenaline poured through the veins of the two, it wasn't long before their animal instincts began to take over and the primal urge for blood began to overwhelm their rationality. The turning point was when Huntress landed a kick that drew blood from Goliath's jaw.
That single act made both fighters pause, and then the smell of fresh blood spurred them into a sudden frenzy. Huntress leapt at Goliath, fingers reaching out like claws, as his own deadly talons began to descend upon her. A cat-like screech met with his snarl, and then they were on each other before anyone could stop them.
"Goliath!" Elisa and Hudson shouted in unison, seeing his eyes flare white.
"Dinah," Oracle snapped at the blonde next to her who jumped slightly as she was startled from her fixed gaze.
The blonde instantly raised her hands and the two warriors suddenly froze. She slowly separated her hands, and the frozen warriors floated up into the air a couple of inches and moved apart from each other under her control.
Elisa and Hudson gawked at the blonde girl, and Reese had to stifle a chuckle. Dinah's brow furrowed with concentration and Oracle nodded to her as she watched the two combatants carefully. Goliath's eyes had stopped glowing and the Huntress's own pupils had gone back to normal.
"Ok Dinah, they're ok now. Let them down."
The girl opened her closed fists and both Goliath and Huntress were deposited to the floor with little dignity. Dinah snickered, and Huntress threw her a glare. "Go ahead and laugh now kid. See if your still laughing after practice tomorrow." Dinah quieted immediately.
Both she and Goliath had rolled to their feet and were looking themselves over. Goliath had a small cut along his jaw, and several more where her nails had incredibly dug into his shoulder. She was sporting a swelling left eye, and several gashes along her ribcage where his talons had broken through her guard.
Huntress let out a low throaty chuckle, and strode up to Goliath. "That was fun, we'll have to do that again some time...Goliath" she invited in a voice that raised Elisa's hackles.
Down Maza, she thought forcefully to herself. Of course Goliath's response didn't help her sudden flash of jealousy.
"Indeed, I look forward to it Huntress."
"Alfred could you fetch the first aid kit?" Oracle asked the aging butler.
"I thought we might be needing it," he answered, holding up the bag that he had somehow magically produced from nowhere.
Five minutes later, Goliath and the Huntress had their wounds bandaged and Oracle invited everyone back into the main room where they could sit and talk. As everyone made themselves comfortable, Alfred brought in refreshments and then settled into a chair off to one side once everyone had something to eat and drink. There was small talk for several more minutes as general introductions were made.
Elisa took the chance to look over the other two women, taking in a few personal observations of her own. The older woman in the wheel chair was obviously Barbara Gordon. Elisa knew her father's reputation extremely well and even recalled a few of the news articles that surrounded Barbara's shooting. Elisa had to admit that from what she remembered, the woman who sat before her now hardly resembled the strong and energetic face she had seen before. Her shoulders seemed slumped under some unimaginable burden. Her green eyes were dull and sunken, dark shadows only enhancing her gaunt features. When she managed to force a smile, it never reached her eyes.
Dinah seemed much more easy going than either Helena or Barbara. She still had the cheery attitude that came with a youthful age. Of the three, only she seemed to smile freely. But Elisa caught the brief watchful glances the blonde kept giving Barbara. Barbara was always with arm's reach of Dinah, and there was a constant glint of worry in the blonde's piercing eyes.
Helena was a whole other mystery. Her fight with Goliath showed Elisa that the woman wasn't just all talk. She was obviously steering clear of both Elisa and Reese, and after the initial fussing over from Alfred had withdrawn into the shadows of the room's furthest corner. It was clear to some one with an eye as practiced as Elisa's that all three of the women had suffered more than one tragedy in their lives. The sense of...darkness that seemed to hang over them was more than obvious. It seemed that the only thing that kept them from being consumed by it completely was Dinah and Alfred.
"Well," Oracle began, looking over the new trio seated across from her, and breaking through Elisa's observations. "I must say, this is quite an honor to be able to meet you three. You've had quite an impressive arrest record Detective. Dracon, Xanatos, The Pack."
Elisa blushed a bit. "Yeah well I have to admit that I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of my Clan."
"Your Clan?" Dinah asked her eyebrows drawn together confused.
"Our family, Dinah," Goliath explained. "Though Elisa may be human, she has more than proven herself to be a part of our family, or our Clan. And contrary to what she may say, Elisa earned those arrests on her own merit," he told Oracle as he slid a fond smile towards the raven-haired detective. It was a look that was not lost on anyone else in the room either.
"Well, we are all glad to have you visit us. But given what little I've been told so far, I'm guessing this isn't a vacation."
Elisa sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. "No, we have a serious problem on our hands, and as much as I hate doing this, the police have to be kept in the dark until the last possible moment."
"And you agree with her on this Detective?" Oracle asked Reese who nodded unhappily.
"You know how much of a stickler I am for doing things through the proper channels. But we can't this time. Too much is at stake."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with those new guns that have been popping up in New York lately perhaps?"
"You know?" Elisa asked a bit more sharply than intended.
Oracle only shook her head. "I know about only as much as the police reports tell. None of the guns have ever been recovered, and anyone who has gotten near one ends up dead or seriously maimed for life. I also know that you have been one of the prominent detectives on the case, seeing as how either you or your partner have filed more than seventy percent of the reports."
"How do you know about those reports?"
"While I don't necessarily always agree with it, the Delphi here can crack into virtually any computer on the planet. While her methods may be less than legal, she's helped spot a lot of clues that everyone else has missed," Reese explained.
"So have you're explorations turned anything up on our guns?"
"Nothing that I've spotted readily. We've had a sudden upsurge in petty crimes lately, and we've been busy trying to figure out if they're connected somehow. Obviously you have some information that has lead you up here though."
"What the reports don't show is that we recently learned the name of the gang and the name of the guns. The gang is called the Wild Cards, and the gun is an HQ-1."
Elisa watched in surprise as dawning horror spread across Barbara's face, which had gone deathly white. "It's can't be," she whispered in a numb voice. Dinah was instantly beside her and even Helena had crept out of the shadows, her eyes glittering angrily.
"I'm afraid Harley Quinn's incarceration only put a temporary hold on her plans for violence and mayhem. Somehow she's managed to regain control of her crew, and obviously has access to funds the government never knew existed. But in thirteen days from now, a train carrying five thousand new guns is supposed to leave the yard down by the docks. Those guns are going to be used to wage a private war in New York that not even the government will be able to handle in enough time."
"What about the Feds?" Dinah asked quietly, trying to calm the shaken Oracle.
"I asked Matt - my partner - that. He said that a few years ago a small group of Quinn's and Joker's puppets had been weeded out of the Bureau - but not everyone. Not to mention the fact that neither Quinn or Joker have ever been interested in New York. There's another major player here that we know nothing about. The Feds aren't exactly discreet in their investigations. If we loose the surprise now, we may not ever have another chance."
There was a deathly silence that settled over the group, and not even Hudson or Goliath wished to break it. Elisa looked from one stricken face to the next. Oracle was trembling visibly under Dinah's hand. The blonde looked pained at both Oracle's reaction and the thought of what lay ahead of them. Helena looked positively murderous.
Reese finally broke the silence by getting up and going over to crouch in front of Oracle. "Oracle...Barbara... I'm sorry this is happening all over again. You three sacrificed so much to see her locked away forever." He took the red-head's hands in his own and squeezed them gently.
"Yet I've been forced to stand by and watch as that bitch drained the life and spirit out of the three of you a little bit every day. Now that I have reason to go after her, I won't let her continue to hurt you any more. She won't win- I promise you that."
Elisa felt her heart stop with the emotional oath. Behind her she could sense both Goliath and Hudson holding themselves absolutely still, none of them wanted to do anything to distract from such an obviously monumental moment. Oracle's eyes finally lifted to meet Reese's, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, but held stubbornly in check. Dinah however, was allowing her own tears spill freely. Helena had retreated into the shadows, but not before Elisa caught her swipe savagely at her own eyes.
"I'm sorry," Barbara finally whispered, looking away ashamed.
Reese tugged gently on her hands forcing her to look at him as he took in all three women with his next statement. "I told you ladies that I understood to begin with. But now you know that I'm always there for you like you have been for me. Just promise me that you'll never shut me out like this again." His last statement was accompanied by a pointed look in Helena's direction.
"We promise," Barbara answered in a steadier voice. Oracle suddenly remembered that there were three other visitors in the room and cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Do they understand what happened last year?"
"No, I thought that incident was best left for you to tell if you felt it appropriate."
"They should know... Oracle said with pleading look.
"Of course," he said with a gentle pat of her hand before he stood and went back to his own chair and sat perched on the edge as he took a long sip of his coffee. "Last year Quinn gained a mind control over Helena and used her in her plans to try and take over Gotham. Part of that plan would mean eliminating any threat to herself, so she sent Helena on a mission to kill Oracle. Quinn had access to the codes here at the Clocktower, and while Barbara managed to snap Helena out of Quinn's control. They weren't able to stop Quinn from trashing the Clocktower and killing Barbara's boyfriend who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The ensuing fight took a lot out of everyone- physically and emotionally."
It was a very abbreviated version of that night, and while he was sure the others realized that, they merely nodded in sympathy. Barbara seemed to have managed to hold herself together through the brief retelling and finally cleared her throat. "Even if we are going to keep the department out of this as a whole, we're still going to need extra help. Reese is there anyone in your precinct that you know without a doubt will be able to help us with this?" Oracle asked.
"Yeah, there's a couple. My Captain is one of them, which is for the best so that he can be let in on what's going on. I agree with Elisa when it comes to protocol. With something big like this going down, if we don't at least make an attempt to do things somewhat right, we could loose the whole case."
There was a soft snort from the shadows, and Reese scowled in Helena's direction. "You're both right," Oracle admitted, "but I think it might be best if we didn't give anyone else a heads-up until later next week. For now we have almost two weeks to gather information, come up with a plan, and prepare for one ugly fight."
"How many people are we looking at?" Dinah asked.
"My...informant, is still looking into more specifics for me. But given how much they have to transport and how important this shipment is, we can count on a small army," Elisa answered gravely.
"My Clan will stand by in New York with Xanatos' resources if we need them," Goliath inputted to give them some reassurance.
"Xanatos?" Oracle asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Imagine that huh? As much as I even hate to admit it, the man settled down with a family and turned over a new lease on life. He gave the gargoyles back their ancestral home at the castle, and has become their unofficial benefactor."
"You mean prison actually sobered him up?" Dinah asked amazed.
There was a chuckle from Elisa and the two gargoyles. "Nay lass. He schemed right up until he nearly lost his firstborn. After we helped him, he decided to keep his scheming strictly to his businesses. It's more like a debt of gratitude, but it's one we're more than willin' to help him keep."
"He finally realized he had more to lose in life than just his money," Elisa finished, knowing that Xanatos' good behavior went deeper than mere gratitude- though the smug billionaire would probably never admit it openly.
"What kind of 'resources' are we talking about here?" Oracle asked intrigued.
"A dozen gargoyle robots. They've been nicknamed the Steel Clan- and each one is loaded with a small arsenal of their own. Xanatos still keep his own suit in ready status just in case some one else wants to attack us. And of course there's his wife Fox."
"She was one of the Pack also correct?"
"Yeah, her and Xanatos are a perfect match. She's half –Fey. I'd love to bet that you're term meta-human is the same as someone who is part Fey. Anyway, she's been training along with their son in her powers. She's gotten pretty good this past year."
"Fey? As in from the Isle of the Fairies, the magical island of Avalon?" Helena asked skeptically.
"I would think you of all people would know better that all legends are based on truths," Elisa retorted back with a raised eyebrow of reproof.
"And you're telling me that you know for a fact that it's true," Helena countered.
"You bet I do. Goliath and I went up against Oberon himself. Then we spent nearly a year on the damned skiff that was supposed to get us back home. We ran across the Banshee, King Arthur, the Lochness Monster-"
"Don't forget Anasi, the Raven and Anubis," Goliath interjected.
"Yeah we had quite the world tour. Though next time I'm hoping it could be on a nice big yacht with a shower and at least one change of clothes," Elisa chuckled, a knowing look passing between the two. Then she glanced back over at Helena. "The Third Race is as real as us and the gargoyles. They've just disguised their existence behind exaggerated stories and legends."
"Is there anyone else we can rely on for help?" Oracle asked steering the conversation back to the matter at hand.
"My partner, my Captain, some family, and a few other people who have personal interests at stake here."
"Personal interests?"
"You might as well tell her, she's gonna find out anyway," Reese sighed.
"My informant is Tony Dracon."
"You've got to be kidding us right?" Helena scoffed.
"No I'm not. Listen Tony has a lot at stake here. On top of that, these lunatics have taken out his right hand man and best friend. He wouldn't have approached me with this unless he had no other avenue. Tony's in danger of losing his turf to someone who is a lot more violent and dangerous than he is. Given the choice, I'd rather have Dracon controlling the crime in Manhattan than Quinn or whoever she's partnered with- and Dracon knows that. As I understand it, he has some connections with mob boss up here and promises me that when we need help we'll get it."
"Great, now we have the mafia on our side," Helena huffed.
Goliath rumbled deep in his chest, and Helena squelched any further sarcastic remarks. "I also dislike the thought of working with those who continuously show disregard for the laws of society. But after speaking with my Clan about this, we have all agreed that we cannot be picky about who our backup is- even if their reasons for making a stand are less noble than ours."
Oracle rubbed her temples tiredly and nodded. "I hate to agree with you, but I also realize that when the mob has a personal grudge to settle, nothing is going to stop them. There is someone else we can call in. An old friend of mine who is a cop up in Bludhaven and was Batman's protégé along with myself years ago."
"You're going to call Nightwing?" Dinah asked excitedly.
Helena had a completely different reaction however. "Barbara, please don't bring Dick into this," she hissed vehemently.
"Helena, in two weeks you're going to be at war with Quinn and I'll be stuck here in this damned chair unable to do anything to protect you. I'll be damned if I let a few personal grudges you have with your father and anything to do with him get in the way of keeping all of you as safe as possible. I'm calling Dick and you had better learn to deal with it."
The fire returned to Barbara's eyes just long enough to let the brunette know that there was no persuading her mentor. Helena grumbled several oaths that caused Goliath's eyebrows to raise and Hudson had to cover a chuckle in a cough. She threw both of them dark looks and then retreated into the shadows once more.
"Do you have someplace to stay?" Oracle asked Elisa and the gargoyles, ignoring the moody young woman.
"Ah, well I haven't booked anyplace yet, but I'm sure Xa-"
"We have a spare bedroom up in the loft. I always keep it prepared, just in case. Or there are plenty of available rooms back at the Manor," Alfred chimed in looking to Oracle for approval.
"Absolutely. But what about you two? Is it true that you turn to stone when you sleep?"
"Aye lass. So we only need a safe ledge to sleep out on."
"Well the clock tower is as safe as you can get in this town," Reese chuckled. He tried to ignore the sudden flash of dismay in Oracle's eyes that were slightly mirrored in the other two Birds.
Elisa's tired eyes didn't miss it either but she had been up for nearly eighteen hours, and wanted nothing more than to take a shower, change into some fresh clothes and sleep. "I have been up a long time," she admitted a yawn punctuating that remark. "Besides, I hate having to rely on Xanatos and avoid it as much as possible."
"Alfred can show all of you around and help you get settled then. Elisa please make yourself at home and don't hesitate to ask us for anything."
"Thanks for your hospitality Oracle."
"I'm only Oracle when I'm working. Please, call me Barbara."
Elisa flashed her a warm smile and turned to aging butler. "Lead on Alfred."
Goliath and Hudson stood up as well, Goliath reaching down to pick up the large duffel bag that carried Elisa's clothing and toiletries. Oracle watched as the elder gargoyle struggled a bit to get to his feet, but did so without complaint and limped after the others.
"How'd he loose the leg?" Oracle asked Reese once they were out of earshot.
"To one of those guns. One bullet blew off most of his lower leg. The doctors were forced to remove what little was left below the knee Elisa said."
"One bullet did that to someone his size?" Helena asked skeptically.
But Barbara merely nodded, a deeply troubled look in her eyes. "Quinn is trying to get out by using the back door. She knows that we've been cracking down on things in this city- that's why she's lying low. But if she manages to turn Manhattan upside down..."
"Manhattan will put out a call for help, we'd go, and then her goons here would take over. You realize that stopping the shipment from leaving here isn't our only problem," Helena stated crossly.
"Five thousand guns are going to Manhattan. We need to find the people who are supposed to be receiving them."
Reese nodded in agreement. "We need to attack this thing on both sides."
"Which is going to take a lot of careful planning. Thank God Elisa found this all out now while we still have some time left," Barbara breathed in small relief. Then she looked at her watch and began power the Delphi System down. "Elisa is right, it's getting late and Dinah and I still have one last day of school left before break."
"Yeah some Christmas break this is gonna be," Dinah sighed.
"Do you work tomorrow night Helena?" Barbara asked
"Yeah, I'll be off at eleven."
"I have to work as well, but my shift ends at ten."
"Shall we all meet up here around eleven then?" Barbara asked the two and they both nodded. With a yawn she waved in their direction and then turned her chair towards her own bedroom.
Dinah went over the give Reese a hug, pointedly ignoring the death looks she knew Helena was giving her. "It's good to have you back. We've missed you – even if some people don't want to show it." She threw her own dark look back towards Helena and Reese had to quickly cover a smirk. It seemed that the young blonde had grown used to Helena's threats, and had developed a challenging attitude of her own over the past few months.
"See you tomorrow night," she said, looking back at him with a charming smile. With a wave, she too was gone, leaving Reese and Helena alone in a suddenly silent room.
Reese stood there for nearly two minutes, hands in his pockets, gazing into the dark corner that Helena had taken cover in. There was no movement the entire time and with a quite sigh he turned to leave. He had taken no more then three steps towards the door when there was a slight rustle of leather behind him and a hand settled firmly on his shoulder.
"Reese...about tonight...I....I'm....." There was a soft noise of frustration as Helena struggled to apologize.
"I was out of line and I'm sorry," she finally managed.
Reese whirled on her relieved and angry at the same time. "You're damn right you were out of line! Jesus Helena, you have avoided me for nearly a year! You wouldn't return my phone calls, you even had Barbara and Dinah brushing me off! What if Elisa had been some one else I had been interested in? Who the hell do you think you are, pulling some jealous girlfriend act like you did tonight?"
Helena could only look at the floor, arms hugging herself as she accepted his justified anger. "I had no right to do that....I'm sorry Reese. I just...I just couldn't stand the thought of loos-."
"Of loosing me? Maybe you should have thought of that a year ago when you decided it was 'safer' for me to not be a part of your life," he ground out sarcastically. He could feel all the old anger and hurt building inside of him that had fueled a number of their arguments before she had stopped talking to him altogether last year. But a tear dripping to the floor caused the next hurtful comment to die in his throat.
He had never seen Helena cry. But standing there, with arms clasped tightly around herself, eyes unable to meet his, and tears streaking down a trembling chin, Reese suddenly realized that everything he thought he knew about Helena was wrong. Inside, she was still that traumatized teenager who had lost her whole world in one night. Now, she was standing on the brink of it shattering once again, only this time she had been the one to deliver the killing blow.
The anger fled from Reese in the face of such a revelation. He took a step forward and rested his hand on her cheek, his fingers lifting her chin. "Guess it's a good thing I'm slow to take a hint and decided not to give up on us just yet," he whispered, a sad smile turning up his lips just a tiny bit.
He watched as her eyes flickered in surprise and hope. She tried to say something, but nothing came out and his smile widened a bit more before he answered the question in her eyes by closing the distance between them and kissing her gently.
When he learned back, she swayed unsteadily on her feet, her eyes half closed. For just a moment Reese thought they looked different somehow, but in the dim light he couldn't be sure. "God Reese, I'm so sorry," she whispered fighting more tears now.
"Shhhh," he soothed. "You've said your apologies, I've accepted them. Let's just realize that we understand each other a lot more than we think, and we won't shut each other out like that again – ever."
"I....won't," she finally promised.
"Good. Now, it's been a long night for all of us. I could definitely use some sleep since Elisa assures me that I will be getting less of it now that we're all back in a working partnership."
He watched as her face screwed up slightly at the mention of the other woman's name and Reese chuckled. "Yeah she had the same reaction when you were talking to Goliath," he teased. Her brows furrowed a bit more, and he kissed her again. "Get some sleep."
In the solitude of her bedroom, Barbara sat back in the small mountain of pillows and ran a tired hand through her crimson mane. She removed her glasses and pinched the aching spot on the bridge of her nose as she tried to digest everything that she had been told this evening. It was weird. Here she was, the all knowing Oracle, and yet her mind seemed to be lost in a haze. A haze of fear, anger, and the overwhelming odds that their small group seemed to be faced with.
Reaching over, she pulled open the large bottom drawer of her nightstand and pulled out a fairly empty bottle of scotch and a glass. Pouring herself a double, she recapped the bottle and took a healthy swig. Fire raced down her throat, a warm numbness quickly following in its wake. Pulling her hi-tech laptop onto her legs she opened it, took a deep breath, and slipped her headset on.
She only had to wait a minute before he appeared on her screen. Her heart fluttered for a second, and her breath caught in her chest as it always did when she saw him. Especially when he was clad in his nighttime costume like he was now. "Barbara? Is everything ok?" he asked, worry filling his eyes.
She didn't blame him. The only time she had called him over the past several years was when something terrible had already happened. Like last year. She really needed to stop doing this to him. "Not really," she admitted in a quiet voice.
"Oh god, did one of the girls get hurt?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that. It's just.....well we have a huge case on our hands, and we're gonna need all the help we can get."
He blinked a little startled by that. "Sure...but what about Helena?" Dick had understood Helena's anger towards Bruce. Even though he didn't really know why she felt the need to distance herself from everyone affiliated with her father, Dick had respected her wish not to spend time with him. The couple of times they had been forced to work together, had been highly uncomfortable and easily considered a hostile work environment.
"Helena's gonna have to suck it up this time and deal with the situation," Barbara said tersely. "This is too big to worry about petty grudges."
"Jeez Barbara, what the hell have you ladies gotten into now?"
"Do you know who Detective Elisa Maza is?"
"The gargoyle lady right?" he asked after a moment of thought.
"She's up from Manhattan with a couple of her friends. Their guns are coming from New Gotham. A huge shipment is being sent off in two weeks."
"How many players?"
"Two." Barbara paused to take a drink and ease the shaking in her voice. "We don't know who one of them is yet, but this is all stemming from Quinn."
"Damn it! Can't these people ever stay down?" Dick swore. Then he sighed as he took a closer look into his small screen. "Babs I'm so sorry love," he said with a sincerity that nearly broke her heart. The loving concern in his eyes was too much for her and she had to look away. He had made it more than clear that his love for had never faded. Truth be told, she had never really stopped loving him. Maybe that's why Wade's death had hit her so hard- because she had felt guilty about the whole relationship. She had even been thinking about calling it off. No matter how much she cared for him and wanted to try to have a somewhat normal life with Wade, a part of her screamed that she was betraying Dick.
"Can you come?" was all Barbara managed to ask.
"Of course I will," he answered softly. Then he tried to lighten the mood a bit and gave her a boyish grin. "I've seen just about everything, but I have yet to see a real live gargoyle. Now how could a superhero miss out on an opportunity like that?"
That managed to get a tiny grin out of her. "They are really something to see in the flesh. I'll have to show you the spar their leader Goliath had with Helena tonight. The two of them cut loose and gave it everything they had until Dinah had to stop things before someone lost an eye."
"Little sis finally met her match huh?"
"Don't you dare call Helena that while you're around her or I'll be more than happy to tell her a few of the nicknames I had for you....Shortpants."
"Ouch!" he laughed feigning a mortal shot to the heart. "You play mean Babs! Besides, you really think I would be that stupid and risk having HER getting mad at me?"
"Considering how much she likes to antagonize you? Yes I do," Barbara chuckled.
Dick's grin was dazzling. "I always could get you to laugh," he remarked almost smugly. "Lemme take care of things at work tomorrow and I'll be down there around midnight. Dream sweet dreams about me love."
Then before she could say anything else, he closed of the connection, leaving Barbara sputtering. With a frustrated jab to her keyboard she shut down her own computer, and chugged the rest of the drink. "Damn him," she muttered, shoving her computer off to the side.
She hated the fact that he could break through her every defense with that damned smiled on that that damned handsome face, and that damned athletic body, filled with his damn cockiness, yet tempered by his damn kind-heartedness. If only her dreams had all been of him that night.
December 14 New Gotham
Goliath slid a glance over to his companion and asked a silent question.
"Och will ye quit lookin' at me like that lad," Hudson growled as he shifted to a more comfortable position. The doctors had outfitted him with a prosthetic a few weeks ago, but he was still learning to adapt to it.
Neither Elisa nor Goliath wanted to bring him along, but as soon as the elder gargoyle found out what they were doing he insisted on coming along. When all other petitions had been rejected he finally played the 'honor' trump card on Goliath, and the Clan leader finally caved in. But not before Elisa made Hudson swear that he would not get involved in any of the fighting unless they asked him to.
Goliath had to admire Elisa for her ferocity, because he had not once been able to make Hudson swear like he had done with Elisa. Of course, Elisa was more like to carry out her threats against the elder gargoyle if he broke his oath.
"Sorry old friend, just making sure you're comfortable."
"I'm not a hatchling t' be coddled Goliath. I dealt wit' the loss of my eye I can deal with this," he retorted testily.
"My apologies," Goliath restated as he turned his attention to the voice in his ear-piece.
"Detective Reese?"
Reese looked up from his desk and blinked at the beautiful woman standing in front of him. "Can I help you?"
"Are you Jesse Reese?"
"I am, but who wants to know?"
She took a step closer and after a quick look around lowered her voice to be sure no one else heard. "Detective Elisa Maza, NYPD. Do you have a few minutes where I could talk to you alone, away from any prying eyes or ears?"
That made him start. But then he quickly recovered and nodded. "Yeah sure. I was just finishing my paperwork for the night. Let me go throw this in the Captain's box and then we can go grab a cup of coffee."
A genuine smile flitted across her lips. "Coffee sounds great. I was in such a hurry to get up here I didn't have time for my caffine fix. I'll wait for you in the lobby."
Reese nodded, and began to collect all his paperwork together into a neat pile. As he did so he glanced at the ring he still wore. For a moment he was tempted to activate it, but then his last encounter with Helena pushed that thought from his mind. Ever since the attack on the Clocktower, things had changed drastically in his relationship with the three women – especially Helena. He understood the reasons behind her following him around night after night, keeping trouble at bay. But after a couple of months, he finally thought it had been time to broach the subject and gently encourage her to be using her skills and resources elsewhere.
That had lead to a huge fight and one hell of a black eye. Reese tried to call her several times after that, even showed up at Barbara's school. He was shocked at the red-head's nearly gaunt features, but managed to hide it as he pleaded with her to talk to Helena. Barbara only shook her head no and brushed past him with a pained look crossing her face as she turned away from him. When Dinah even balked at the idea of talking things over with him he finally gave up. He had left one last message on Helena's answering machine and had never seen or spoken to any of the women since.
Oh, he still felt the tiny tingling sensation run up the back of his neck every now and then, signaling Helena's presence nearby. But he had never quite talked himself into taking the ring off- even after nearly five months. He would hear what Detective Maza had to say first and then see if he needed to break the silence.
"Thanks for meeting me like this Detective," Elisa began after they had ordered and began sipping on their steaming mugs of coffee.
"My friends call me Reese. Now what can I do for you Elisa?"
She looked down at her folded hands and took a deep breath. "Reese, you and I have a big problem on our hands, and I have been told by an...acquaintance of mine that you are the only one I can trust."
Reese shifted a bit in his seat. "What kind of a problem?"
"A gun problem. Have you heard of the HQ-1?"
"Who hasn't? You guys have been trying to put a lid on that nasty mother for six months now."
"I just found out that a shipment of five thousand of those damn things are going to be heading to Manhattan in just under two weeks and they're coming in from New Gotham."
Reese stared at Elisa shocked. "Five thousand?" he asked in disbelief. "My god....that's enough to supply a small army."
"My source informed me that is exactly what they're going to be used for."
"How in the hell could we have not known about this?"
"Because we all tend to think that once we lock someone up they will loose all their authority and control. Do you know what the HQ stands for?"
"Headquarters? I don't know."
"Try Harley Quinn," Elisa said flatly.
"WHAT?!" Reese nearly shouted. A few people turned their way, but Elisa just flashed a fake smile at them and they looked away disinterested. She looked back at Reese sympathetically, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere as he stared at the table in shock. "It can't be Quinn," he mumbled.
"It is."
"How long again?"
"Christmas Eve, the supplier will be delivering the shipment himself and collecting his pay. We have to stop them here because my source still doesn't know when and where the drop-off point was."
"Is this source reliable?" Reese finally asked as he rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache beginning.
"Normally I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. But let's just say he has a lot of personal investments at stake here, and he's not the type to lose."
Reese frowned a bit as well. "Don't tell me you're going on the word of a criminal?"
Elisa sighed. "Look I know it sounds shady, but I know Tony. Trust me, this is the real deal."
"Tony?" Reese asked as the name rang a bell.
"Yeah. Tony Dracon. Said you might remember him? He was the one who told me I could trust you alone."
She watched the play of emotions run across the detective face, and it finally settled on a deep scowl. "So I suppose that means you know who my father is?" he asked grimly.
"Only that Tony was one of his... 'students'."
"Just for the record, I have never had anything to do with my father or any of his activities. I've worked too hard to become a decent honest cop to have my unfortunate 'family' connections ruin that."
"Trust me Reese, I'm the last person you have to worry about when it comes to things like this," Elisa chuckled reassuringly. "I have more than a few secrets in the closet about my own family," she admitted her expression sobering a bit.
Reese seemed to settle down a bit, and took a long sip of his coffee as he thought about things. He was definitely going to need to bring the Birds in on this one. And a few others that he knew he could trust. "Do you have someplace to stay? I notice you don't have any luggage or a car."
"Actually I do have luggage, I've left it with some friends. As for a place to stay, I'm sure that will have been taken care of by an acquaintance of mine by now."
"Listen I know you don't want to get the police involved in this, and I understand the need for secrecy. But we need help if we're gonna figure this out in time and even have a chance at pulling it off."
"We have a few people on my end that I know I can trust and a few resources that I can pull out of my hat when the time comes. I just need your help in getting more information about who and where the shipment is going."
"Tell me, do any of these 'friends' of yours have wings?" he asked a smile creeping across his face.
Elisa blushed a little and gave him a sheepish grin. "Damn media. I can't hardly go anywhere without someone recognizing me. But in answer to your question, yes. Would you like to meet them?"
"They're here now?" he asked his eyes raising in surprise.
"Just across the street, staying hidden in the shadows on a rooftop most likely."
Reese gave her a funny look as he glanced out the window straining to see any movement in the darkness. "Sounds like someone else I know," he muttered.
"More nighttime vigilantes?"
Elisa had meant it as a joke, but the unhappy look that flashed across the detective's face indicated that she had hit a nerve. He turned to her and nodded. "I have a few acquaintances of my own that I think you should meet as well."
"Sounds like we have a couple of things in common," Elisa commented. Then she shrugged as she reached into her pocket and pulled out some money to pay for the coffee. "We'll need all the help we can get. Come on, let's go meet the guys and then we can go find your friends."
They left the diner and only made it several paces from the door when both detectives sensed the silent disturbance of the air nearby and the hairs stood up on the back of their necks. Elisa whirled around to see a darkly clad female figure and heard Reese sigh quietly behind her. The young woman that had appeared out of thin air stalked around Elisa, clearly sizing the suddenly tense detective up.
On the rooftop across the street Elisa caught a faint movement and gave a silent gesture for the two gargoyles to hold until it became necessary for them to interfere. Reese didn't seem too tense about the meeting. More like annoyed. His jaw worked agitatedly as the intense blue eyes that had been scouring Elisa finally turned on him.
"Well that didn't take long," the brunette sneered.
Reese gave an exasperated sigh. "I thought we had this fight already. Don't you have something better to do with you time than baby sitting me? I am a big boy you know?"
"Obviously," she said with a pointed look in Elisa's direction. "I must admit though, she seems quite the catch. Didn't get nearly half the reaction out of her that I was hoping," she said in a disappointed tone.
Elisa looked from the brunette's face to Reese's and suddenly realized just what she had found herself in the middle of. "Listen Reese how about I go hook up with my friends and we can meet when you two have finished with your...conversation."
"Yes why don't you run along," the brunette told her derisively.
"I wasn't talking to you punk," Elisa snapped back curtly.
"Oh feisty," the young woman mocked.
"Listen sister, you don't know who you're screwing with here and you have no idea what my business with Reese is. So why don't you do everyone a favor and shut that mouth of yours before you dig a bigger grave for yourself," Elisa ground out in a dangerous voice as her entire posture shifted to an aggressive stance.
"Whose gonna make me? You?" the brunette snorted as she took a menacing step forward.
"Damn it Helena back off!" Reese shouted angrily as he tried to wedge himself between the two women.
Helena merely shoved him aside, an act that she accomplished with more force than necessary. Reese was sent crashing into the wall, and left to slump to the ground with a groan. Elisa's eyes were briefly drawn over towards Reese and then she looked back at the brunette.
"Let's take this into the alley boys," she muttered under her breath as she stepped into the dark shadows behind her, eyes challenging the younger woman.
It was a challenge the brunette didn't back down from, even if she did look slightly contrite at having hurt Reese accidentally. "Take a clue and give up now - it'll save you a trip to the hospital."
"The only one whose gonna end up in the hospital is you if you don't back off now."
"Oooo I'm so scared. You don't stand a chance," Helena scoffed.
"Maybe not," Elisa shrugged. Then a smirk twisted her lips up as two large shadows dropped down behind the brunette. "But they do," she commented casually as her eyes shifted past Helena's to meet Goliath's blazing white orbs.
Two deep growls filled the alley, and the quiet sound of metal against leather cut through them. Helena spun around to find herself face with two massive, angry looking creatures borne of nightmares. She gasped, stepped backwards quickly and found herself flat on her back. She had underestimated Reese's companion, and hadn't expected the numbing blow to the back of her knee that had left her lying on her back, with Elisa's boot pressed dangerously against her throat. She heard the click of a safety and looked up to see a gun pointed steadily down at her.
"Look, I have no intention of hurting you. I'm simply here on business, so you can get over the little jealous act right now. If you wish to pursue this conversation further however, my two friends here will be more than happy to fulfill your desire to visit the emergency room. Got it?"
Blue eyes narrowed, and then Elisa's captive nodded once, as much as Elisa's boot allowed. Reese had recovered enough to stagger into the alley and he drew up short at the sight before him. Helena was flat on her back, Elisa having her more than sufficiently subdued as two hulking creatures crouched nearby.
He cleared his throat and walked towards the gargoyles, a smile playing across his face as his eyes slid down to Helena. "Well I was hoping to meet you under a little less hostile circumstances, I apologize for that. My name is Reese, you must be Elisa's friends."
The gargoyles straightened up into relaxed postures as Reese introduced himself, and Helena rolled to her feet as Elisa holstered her gun and lifted her foot from the younger woman's throat. "We are pleased to have your assistance Detective. I am Goliath, leader of the Manhattan Clan Wyvern and this is my mentor Hudson."
"I have to say I'd never thought I'd see a real live gargoyle in the flesh," Reese grinned looking the two beings over with an excited expression. "This is truly amazing."
Helena, who had been rubbing her throat and glaring daggers at Elisa the whole time suddenly paused as she looked back over at the two creatures a look of surprise and recognition crossing her features. Elisa merely smirked a bit and then offered her hand. "And that would make me Elisa Maza, NYPD."
Helena suddenly wanted to crawl away and hide under a rock for a long long time. "Shit," she muttered darkly, realizing the mistake her rampant emotions had caused. "I think I'll just go jump off a building now."
"That doesn't mean much since you'll always land on your feet," Reese chuckled, seeming to have brushed off her impossibly strong attack on him. "Elisa, Goliath, and Hudson, this is Helena aka the Huntress. She and her two friends were the real people who helped capture Quinn. Even though the police department will never condone their vigilantism, we are all secretly happy to have their assistance," he explained with a smile that seemed to soften the brunette a bit.
"I take it this is one of your friends you wanted to introduce me to then?" Elisa asked, forcing her own tone to soften into a friendlier one.
"Yes she is," he said, looking pointedly at Helena who had grace enough to look a little sheepish. "Helena, something big has come up. We need to take them to Oracle."
Helena cleared her throat and nodded as she tapped a slender finger to the curiously designed necklace she wore around her throat. "Oracle?" she asked quietly to no one in particular. The small group watched as the young woman winced visibly, and Reese fought to suppress a smirk.
"Ok, ok!" Helena sighed exasperated. "Listen Reese has made some new friends who seem to need our help. He wants to bring them over." There was a pause and then a small smile played on the brunette's lips. "Yeah they're safe. But I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise that I got meeting them. We'll be there in about ten minutes."
"Go off comms again?" Reese teased as Helena finished her conversation.
"I'll lead Tiny and Gramps here back. The password to the elevator is still the same."
With that, Helena turned and sprinted into the back of the alley where she leapt up onto a third story fire escape platform and then vaulted across the alley's expanse to the rooftop. She leaned down, her dark eyes glittering. "You two coming?" she asked Goliath and Hudson casually.
"Tiny?" Goliath asked Reese with an arched eyebrow.
"Helena's not one much for rules and formalities," Reese explained apologetically.
With a shrug of his massive shoulders, the gargoyle glanced over at Elisa. "I'll be fine Big Guy. Just don't forget my luggage!" she reminded him.
He chuckled and then looked over to Hudson who nodded and planted his talons firmly in the concrete wall and began his ascent. It wasn't quite as smooth as his ascents used to be, but he was pleased to see he managed his climb with only a couple of minor hitches.
Helena stepped back to allow the two to climb over the edge and looked at their wings. "Why not just fly up?"
"Gargoyles don't fly lass. We glide" Hudson explained.
He watched as her eyes widened slightly as he spoke for the first time. "Oooo Sean Connery as a gargoyle," she said with a sexy little grin that made even the older gargoyle blush a little bit. "Well, see if you can keep up boys. Oracle hates to be kept waiting."
The two watched as she took a running start towards the other edge of the building and nodded impressed as she leapt out over the street below. She tucked her body into a tight roll, and then landed gracefully on the rooftop across the street, still in a dead run as she headed for the next rooftop.
"Looks like there's more to the lass than what one sees" Hudson chuckled as he hopped up onto the ledge and spread his wings to follow after the shadowy form racing away from them. Goliath grunted his own agreement, and leapt out into the night as well.
As the two detectives drove to the meeting place, Reese filled Elisa in on how he had come to meet 'friends' and what little of their past he felt was safe to divulge. He admitted there was more to the story, but she understood that if they wanted to reveal more about themselves, that would be up to them.
In exchange, Elisa told Reese the story of how she had come to know the gargoyles and the cliff notes of her chaotic life with them over the past six years. Reese grinned as she wrapped up the last few details. "You're not making my outlook seem very bright you know."
Elisa snickered. "Get used to it now Reese," she advised, only half joking.
Reese pointed out the window then and Elisa followed his gesture. "There we are. Home base."
"The clock tower?" Elisa whispered, a sudden flash of nostalgia washing over her.
"Yeap. Something wrong?" he asked noticing her sudden change of expression.
Elisa shook herself out of it and smiled slightly. "No. It's just that for awhile, the Clan lived in the clock tower above my precinct. That was before the Hunter's blew it up. They like being back at the castle, but I know all of us sometimes miss the old Tower."
"Wait until you see what Oracle has set up inside."
As the elevator opened up to admit the last two arrivals, Elisa felt her breath slip away. "Oh...my...god," she whispered as she moved through the well decorated room towards the huge bank of computers.
An elderly gentleman in a butler's uniform walked up to the two new arrivals and smiled. "Ah Detective Reese, so good to see you again."
"Hey Alfred," Reese returned as he handed over his jacket.
"And you must be Detective Maza," he stated as he flashed Elisa a grandfatherly smile. "If there is anything you should require during your stay here, do not hesitate to ask."
"Um, thanks Alfred."
"Where is everyone?" Reese asked looking around the empty room.
"Ah yes, the gargoyles arrived with Miss Helena a half hour ago. They thought you might be detained for a little while longer, so they have moved into the gym. It seems a friendly challenge brewed between Miss Helena and Mister Goliath."
Reese's eyebrow went up, and Elisa had to suppress a giggle at hearing the elderly man call Goliath 'Mister'. "Challenge?" she asked only slightly worried.
"Yes it seems Mr. Goliath insisted that she quite calling him 'Tiny'. She said only if he proved it. Perhaps you would like to see for yourself? They have only just begun. Please follow me."
As Alfred led them across the room and down a hallway, the sounds of fighting became clearer the closer they got to a heavy set of oak doors. Alfred, reached out to open them up, and then stepped aside to reveal a spacious gym. In the center, the lithe young woman clad in tight black leather squared off against Goliath.
"Is she nuts to challenge him to a spar?"
"She's a lot tougher than she looks," Reese replied with a distantly affectionate smile.
Sure enough, Goliath moved in with lightening speed, his fist striking air as she ducked under his bulk and lashed out with a series of vicious kicks and punches to his unprotected side. Goliath grimaced, but the Huntress had forgotten about his tail. Before she could jump out of reach he had snagged her and whipped her into the floor...hard.
Elisa winced, but was surprised to see the young woman bounce back up to her feet with a predatory grin as she shook off the impact. More blows were traded, and then it was Goliath's turn to hit the ground. The crash loosened a few boards, and Elisa looked around the room hoping their little 'challenge' wasn't about to cost them some new allies.
On the contrary, the woman in the wheel chair, and the blonde standing next to her were watching the spar with complete fascination. Hudson was leaning back against the wall, relaxed, but interested as well. "Have you ever seen her fight with this level of intensity before?" Elisa whispered to Reese who also seemed rooted in place.
"No. They have a 'no kill' policy, she usually has to tone it down to keep to that rule," he explained.
"It's been a long time since I've seen Goliath spar like this," Elisa told Reese with an affectionate smile of her own. One look at her love's face told her he was enjoying the challenge, especially since it was coming from a friend and not someone trying to kill them.
The combatants turned it up a notch, and the blows grew fiercer as they tested each other's limits out. But as the adrenaline poured through the veins of the two, it wasn't long before their animal instincts began to take over and the primal urge for blood began to overwhelm their rationality. The turning point was when Huntress landed a kick that drew blood from Goliath's jaw.
That single act made both fighters pause, and then the smell of fresh blood spurred them into a sudden frenzy. Huntress leapt at Goliath, fingers reaching out like claws, as his own deadly talons began to descend upon her. A cat-like screech met with his snarl, and then they were on each other before anyone could stop them.
"Goliath!" Elisa and Hudson shouted in unison, seeing his eyes flare white.
"Dinah," Oracle snapped at the blonde next to her who jumped slightly as she was startled from her fixed gaze.
The blonde instantly raised her hands and the two warriors suddenly froze. She slowly separated her hands, and the frozen warriors floated up into the air a couple of inches and moved apart from each other under her control.
Elisa and Hudson gawked at the blonde girl, and Reese had to stifle a chuckle. Dinah's brow furrowed with concentration and Oracle nodded to her as she watched the two combatants carefully. Goliath's eyes had stopped glowing and the Huntress's own pupils had gone back to normal.
"Ok Dinah, they're ok now. Let them down."
The girl opened her closed fists and both Goliath and Huntress were deposited to the floor with little dignity. Dinah snickered, and Huntress threw her a glare. "Go ahead and laugh now kid. See if your still laughing after practice tomorrow." Dinah quieted immediately.
Both she and Goliath had rolled to their feet and were looking themselves over. Goliath had a small cut along his jaw, and several more where her nails had incredibly dug into his shoulder. She was sporting a swelling left eye, and several gashes along her ribcage where his talons had broken through her guard.
Huntress let out a low throaty chuckle, and strode up to Goliath. "That was fun, we'll have to do that again some time...Goliath" she invited in a voice that raised Elisa's hackles.
Down Maza, she thought forcefully to herself. Of course Goliath's response didn't help her sudden flash of jealousy.
"Indeed, I look forward to it Huntress."
"Alfred could you fetch the first aid kit?" Oracle asked the aging butler.
"I thought we might be needing it," he answered, holding up the bag that he had somehow magically produced from nowhere.
Five minutes later, Goliath and the Huntress had their wounds bandaged and Oracle invited everyone back into the main room where they could sit and talk. As everyone made themselves comfortable, Alfred brought in refreshments and then settled into a chair off to one side once everyone had something to eat and drink. There was small talk for several more minutes as general introductions were made.
Elisa took the chance to look over the other two women, taking in a few personal observations of her own. The older woman in the wheel chair was obviously Barbara Gordon. Elisa knew her father's reputation extremely well and even recalled a few of the news articles that surrounded Barbara's shooting. Elisa had to admit that from what she remembered, the woman who sat before her now hardly resembled the strong and energetic face she had seen before. Her shoulders seemed slumped under some unimaginable burden. Her green eyes were dull and sunken, dark shadows only enhancing her gaunt features. When she managed to force a smile, it never reached her eyes.
Dinah seemed much more easy going than either Helena or Barbara. She still had the cheery attitude that came with a youthful age. Of the three, only she seemed to smile freely. But Elisa caught the brief watchful glances the blonde kept giving Barbara. Barbara was always with arm's reach of Dinah, and there was a constant glint of worry in the blonde's piercing eyes.
Helena was a whole other mystery. Her fight with Goliath showed Elisa that the woman wasn't just all talk. She was obviously steering clear of both Elisa and Reese, and after the initial fussing over from Alfred had withdrawn into the shadows of the room's furthest corner. It was clear to some one with an eye as practiced as Elisa's that all three of the women had suffered more than one tragedy in their lives. The sense of...darkness that seemed to hang over them was more than obvious. It seemed that the only thing that kept them from being consumed by it completely was Dinah and Alfred.
"Well," Oracle began, looking over the new trio seated across from her, and breaking through Elisa's observations. "I must say, this is quite an honor to be able to meet you three. You've had quite an impressive arrest record Detective. Dracon, Xanatos, The Pack."
Elisa blushed a bit. "Yeah well I have to admit that I wouldn't have been able to do it without the help of my Clan."
"Your Clan?" Dinah asked her eyebrows drawn together confused.
"Our family, Dinah," Goliath explained. "Though Elisa may be human, she has more than proven herself to be a part of our family, or our Clan. And contrary to what she may say, Elisa earned those arrests on her own merit," he told Oracle as he slid a fond smile towards the raven-haired detective. It was a look that was not lost on anyone else in the room either.
"Well, we are all glad to have you visit us. But given what little I've been told so far, I'm guessing this isn't a vacation."
Elisa sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair in a nervous gesture. "No, we have a serious problem on our hands, and as much as I hate doing this, the police have to be kept in the dark until the last possible moment."
"And you agree with her on this Detective?" Oracle asked Reese who nodded unhappily.
"You know how much of a stickler I am for doing things through the proper channels. But we can't this time. Too much is at stake."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with those new guns that have been popping up in New York lately perhaps?"
"You know?" Elisa asked a bit more sharply than intended.
Oracle only shook her head. "I know about only as much as the police reports tell. None of the guns have ever been recovered, and anyone who has gotten near one ends up dead or seriously maimed for life. I also know that you have been one of the prominent detectives on the case, seeing as how either you or your partner have filed more than seventy percent of the reports."
"How do you know about those reports?"
"While I don't necessarily always agree with it, the Delphi here can crack into virtually any computer on the planet. While her methods may be less than legal, she's helped spot a lot of clues that everyone else has missed," Reese explained.
"So have you're explorations turned anything up on our guns?"
"Nothing that I've spotted readily. We've had a sudden upsurge in petty crimes lately, and we've been busy trying to figure out if they're connected somehow. Obviously you have some information that has lead you up here though."
"What the reports don't show is that we recently learned the name of the gang and the name of the guns. The gang is called the Wild Cards, and the gun is an HQ-1."
Elisa watched in surprise as dawning horror spread across Barbara's face, which had gone deathly white. "It's can't be," she whispered in a numb voice. Dinah was instantly beside her and even Helena had crept out of the shadows, her eyes glittering angrily.
"I'm afraid Harley Quinn's incarceration only put a temporary hold on her plans for violence and mayhem. Somehow she's managed to regain control of her crew, and obviously has access to funds the government never knew existed. But in thirteen days from now, a train carrying five thousand new guns is supposed to leave the yard down by the docks. Those guns are going to be used to wage a private war in New York that not even the government will be able to handle in enough time."
"What about the Feds?" Dinah asked quietly, trying to calm the shaken Oracle.
"I asked Matt - my partner - that. He said that a few years ago a small group of Quinn's and Joker's puppets had been weeded out of the Bureau - but not everyone. Not to mention the fact that neither Quinn or Joker have ever been interested in New York. There's another major player here that we know nothing about. The Feds aren't exactly discreet in their investigations. If we loose the surprise now, we may not ever have another chance."
There was a deathly silence that settled over the group, and not even Hudson or Goliath wished to break it. Elisa looked from one stricken face to the next. Oracle was trembling visibly under Dinah's hand. The blonde looked pained at both Oracle's reaction and the thought of what lay ahead of them. Helena looked positively murderous.
Reese finally broke the silence by getting up and going over to crouch in front of Oracle. "Oracle...Barbara... I'm sorry this is happening all over again. You three sacrificed so much to see her locked away forever." He took the red-head's hands in his own and squeezed them gently.
"Yet I've been forced to stand by and watch as that bitch drained the life and spirit out of the three of you a little bit every day. Now that I have reason to go after her, I won't let her continue to hurt you any more. She won't win- I promise you that."
Elisa felt her heart stop with the emotional oath. Behind her she could sense both Goliath and Hudson holding themselves absolutely still, none of them wanted to do anything to distract from such an obviously monumental moment. Oracle's eyes finally lifted to meet Reese's, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, but held stubbornly in check. Dinah however, was allowing her own tears spill freely. Helena had retreated into the shadows, but not before Elisa caught her swipe savagely at her own eyes.
"I'm sorry," Barbara finally whispered, looking away ashamed.
Reese tugged gently on her hands forcing her to look at him as he took in all three women with his next statement. "I told you ladies that I understood to begin with. But now you know that I'm always there for you like you have been for me. Just promise me that you'll never shut me out like this again." His last statement was accompanied by a pointed look in Helena's direction.
"We promise," Barbara answered in a steadier voice. Oracle suddenly remembered that there were three other visitors in the room and cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Do they understand what happened last year?"
"No, I thought that incident was best left for you to tell if you felt it appropriate."
"They should know... Oracle said with pleading look.
"Of course," he said with a gentle pat of her hand before he stood and went back to his own chair and sat perched on the edge as he took a long sip of his coffee. "Last year Quinn gained a mind control over Helena and used her in her plans to try and take over Gotham. Part of that plan would mean eliminating any threat to herself, so she sent Helena on a mission to kill Oracle. Quinn had access to the codes here at the Clocktower, and while Barbara managed to snap Helena out of Quinn's control. They weren't able to stop Quinn from trashing the Clocktower and killing Barbara's boyfriend who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The ensuing fight took a lot out of everyone- physically and emotionally."
It was a very abbreviated version of that night, and while he was sure the others realized that, they merely nodded in sympathy. Barbara seemed to have managed to hold herself together through the brief retelling and finally cleared her throat. "Even if we are going to keep the department out of this as a whole, we're still going to need extra help. Reese is there anyone in your precinct that you know without a doubt will be able to help us with this?" Oracle asked.
"Yeah, there's a couple. My Captain is one of them, which is for the best so that he can be let in on what's going on. I agree with Elisa when it comes to protocol. With something big like this going down, if we don't at least make an attempt to do things somewhat right, we could loose the whole case."
There was a soft snort from the shadows, and Reese scowled in Helena's direction. "You're both right," Oracle admitted, "but I think it might be best if we didn't give anyone else a heads-up until later next week. For now we have almost two weeks to gather information, come up with a plan, and prepare for one ugly fight."
"How many people are we looking at?" Dinah asked.
"My...informant, is still looking into more specifics for me. But given how much they have to transport and how important this shipment is, we can count on a small army," Elisa answered gravely.
"My Clan will stand by in New York with Xanatos' resources if we need them," Goliath inputted to give them some reassurance.
"Xanatos?" Oracle asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Imagine that huh? As much as I even hate to admit it, the man settled down with a family and turned over a new lease on life. He gave the gargoyles back their ancestral home at the castle, and has become their unofficial benefactor."
"You mean prison actually sobered him up?" Dinah asked amazed.
There was a chuckle from Elisa and the two gargoyles. "Nay lass. He schemed right up until he nearly lost his firstborn. After we helped him, he decided to keep his scheming strictly to his businesses. It's more like a debt of gratitude, but it's one we're more than willin' to help him keep."
"He finally realized he had more to lose in life than just his money," Elisa finished, knowing that Xanatos' good behavior went deeper than mere gratitude- though the smug billionaire would probably never admit it openly.
"What kind of 'resources' are we talking about here?" Oracle asked intrigued.
"A dozen gargoyle robots. They've been nicknamed the Steel Clan- and each one is loaded with a small arsenal of their own. Xanatos still keep his own suit in ready status just in case some one else wants to attack us. And of course there's his wife Fox."
"She was one of the Pack also correct?"
"Yeah, her and Xanatos are a perfect match. She's half –Fey. I'd love to bet that you're term meta-human is the same as someone who is part Fey. Anyway, she's been training along with their son in her powers. She's gotten pretty good this past year."
"Fey? As in from the Isle of the Fairies, the magical island of Avalon?" Helena asked skeptically.
"I would think you of all people would know better that all legends are based on truths," Elisa retorted back with a raised eyebrow of reproof.
"And you're telling me that you know for a fact that it's true," Helena countered.
"You bet I do. Goliath and I went up against Oberon himself. Then we spent nearly a year on the damned skiff that was supposed to get us back home. We ran across the Banshee, King Arthur, the Lochness Monster-"
"Don't forget Anasi, the Raven and Anubis," Goliath interjected.
"Yeah we had quite the world tour. Though next time I'm hoping it could be on a nice big yacht with a shower and at least one change of clothes," Elisa chuckled, a knowing look passing between the two. Then she glanced back over at Helena. "The Third Race is as real as us and the gargoyles. They've just disguised their existence behind exaggerated stories and legends."
"Is there anyone else we can rely on for help?" Oracle asked steering the conversation back to the matter at hand.
"My partner, my Captain, some family, and a few other people who have personal interests at stake here."
"Personal interests?"
"You might as well tell her, she's gonna find out anyway," Reese sighed.
"My informant is Tony Dracon."
"You've got to be kidding us right?" Helena scoffed.
"No I'm not. Listen Tony has a lot at stake here. On top of that, these lunatics have taken out his right hand man and best friend. He wouldn't have approached me with this unless he had no other avenue. Tony's in danger of losing his turf to someone who is a lot more violent and dangerous than he is. Given the choice, I'd rather have Dracon controlling the crime in Manhattan than Quinn or whoever she's partnered with- and Dracon knows that. As I understand it, he has some connections with mob boss up here and promises me that when we need help we'll get it."
"Great, now we have the mafia on our side," Helena huffed.
Goliath rumbled deep in his chest, and Helena squelched any further sarcastic remarks. "I also dislike the thought of working with those who continuously show disregard for the laws of society. But after speaking with my Clan about this, we have all agreed that we cannot be picky about who our backup is- even if their reasons for making a stand are less noble than ours."
Oracle rubbed her temples tiredly and nodded. "I hate to agree with you, but I also realize that when the mob has a personal grudge to settle, nothing is going to stop them. There is someone else we can call in. An old friend of mine who is a cop up in Bludhaven and was Batman's protégé along with myself years ago."
"You're going to call Nightwing?" Dinah asked excitedly.
Helena had a completely different reaction however. "Barbara, please don't bring Dick into this," she hissed vehemently.
"Helena, in two weeks you're going to be at war with Quinn and I'll be stuck here in this damned chair unable to do anything to protect you. I'll be damned if I let a few personal grudges you have with your father and anything to do with him get in the way of keeping all of you as safe as possible. I'm calling Dick and you had better learn to deal with it."
The fire returned to Barbara's eyes just long enough to let the brunette know that there was no persuading her mentor. Helena grumbled several oaths that caused Goliath's eyebrows to raise and Hudson had to cover a chuckle in a cough. She threw both of them dark looks and then retreated into the shadows once more.
"Do you have someplace to stay?" Oracle asked Elisa and the gargoyles, ignoring the moody young woman.
"Ah, well I haven't booked anyplace yet, but I'm sure Xa-"
"We have a spare bedroom up in the loft. I always keep it prepared, just in case. Or there are plenty of available rooms back at the Manor," Alfred chimed in looking to Oracle for approval.
"Absolutely. But what about you two? Is it true that you turn to stone when you sleep?"
"Aye lass. So we only need a safe ledge to sleep out on."
"Well the clock tower is as safe as you can get in this town," Reese chuckled. He tried to ignore the sudden flash of dismay in Oracle's eyes that were slightly mirrored in the other two Birds.
Elisa's tired eyes didn't miss it either but she had been up for nearly eighteen hours, and wanted nothing more than to take a shower, change into some fresh clothes and sleep. "I have been up a long time," she admitted a yawn punctuating that remark. "Besides, I hate having to rely on Xanatos and avoid it as much as possible."
"Alfred can show all of you around and help you get settled then. Elisa please make yourself at home and don't hesitate to ask us for anything."
"Thanks for your hospitality Oracle."
"I'm only Oracle when I'm working. Please, call me Barbara."
Elisa flashed her a warm smile and turned to aging butler. "Lead on Alfred."
Goliath and Hudson stood up as well, Goliath reaching down to pick up the large duffel bag that carried Elisa's clothing and toiletries. Oracle watched as the elder gargoyle struggled a bit to get to his feet, but did so without complaint and limped after the others.
"How'd he loose the leg?" Oracle asked Reese once they were out of earshot.
"To one of those guns. One bullet blew off most of his lower leg. The doctors were forced to remove what little was left below the knee Elisa said."
"One bullet did that to someone his size?" Helena asked skeptically.
But Barbara merely nodded, a deeply troubled look in her eyes. "Quinn is trying to get out by using the back door. She knows that we've been cracking down on things in this city- that's why she's lying low. But if she manages to turn Manhattan upside down..."
"Manhattan will put out a call for help, we'd go, and then her goons here would take over. You realize that stopping the shipment from leaving here isn't our only problem," Helena stated crossly.
"Five thousand guns are going to Manhattan. We need to find the people who are supposed to be receiving them."
Reese nodded in agreement. "We need to attack this thing on both sides."
"Which is going to take a lot of careful planning. Thank God Elisa found this all out now while we still have some time left," Barbara breathed in small relief. Then she looked at her watch and began power the Delphi System down. "Elisa is right, it's getting late and Dinah and I still have one last day of school left before break."
"Yeah some Christmas break this is gonna be," Dinah sighed.
"Do you work tomorrow night Helena?" Barbara asked
"Yeah, I'll be off at eleven."
"I have to work as well, but my shift ends at ten."
"Shall we all meet up here around eleven then?" Barbara asked the two and they both nodded. With a yawn she waved in their direction and then turned her chair towards her own bedroom.
Dinah went over the give Reese a hug, pointedly ignoring the death looks she knew Helena was giving her. "It's good to have you back. We've missed you – even if some people don't want to show it." She threw her own dark look back towards Helena and Reese had to quickly cover a smirk. It seemed that the young blonde had grown used to Helena's threats, and had developed a challenging attitude of her own over the past few months.
"See you tomorrow night," she said, looking back at him with a charming smile. With a wave, she too was gone, leaving Reese and Helena alone in a suddenly silent room.
Reese stood there for nearly two minutes, hands in his pockets, gazing into the dark corner that Helena had taken cover in. There was no movement the entire time and with a quite sigh he turned to leave. He had taken no more then three steps towards the door when there was a slight rustle of leather behind him and a hand settled firmly on his shoulder.
"Reese...about tonight...I....I'm....." There was a soft noise of frustration as Helena struggled to apologize.
"I was out of line and I'm sorry," she finally managed.
Reese whirled on her relieved and angry at the same time. "You're damn right you were out of line! Jesus Helena, you have avoided me for nearly a year! You wouldn't return my phone calls, you even had Barbara and Dinah brushing me off! What if Elisa had been some one else I had been interested in? Who the hell do you think you are, pulling some jealous girlfriend act like you did tonight?"
Helena could only look at the floor, arms hugging herself as she accepted his justified anger. "I had no right to do that....I'm sorry Reese. I just...I just couldn't stand the thought of loos-."
"Of loosing me? Maybe you should have thought of that a year ago when you decided it was 'safer' for me to not be a part of your life," he ground out sarcastically. He could feel all the old anger and hurt building inside of him that had fueled a number of their arguments before she had stopped talking to him altogether last year. But a tear dripping to the floor caused the next hurtful comment to die in his throat.
He had never seen Helena cry. But standing there, with arms clasped tightly around herself, eyes unable to meet his, and tears streaking down a trembling chin, Reese suddenly realized that everything he thought he knew about Helena was wrong. Inside, she was still that traumatized teenager who had lost her whole world in one night. Now, she was standing on the brink of it shattering once again, only this time she had been the one to deliver the killing blow.
The anger fled from Reese in the face of such a revelation. He took a step forward and rested his hand on her cheek, his fingers lifting her chin. "Guess it's a good thing I'm slow to take a hint and decided not to give up on us just yet," he whispered, a sad smile turning up his lips just a tiny bit.
He watched as her eyes flickered in surprise and hope. She tried to say something, but nothing came out and his smile widened a bit more before he answered the question in her eyes by closing the distance between them and kissing her gently.
When he learned back, she swayed unsteadily on her feet, her eyes half closed. For just a moment Reese thought they looked different somehow, but in the dim light he couldn't be sure. "God Reese, I'm so sorry," she whispered fighting more tears now.
"Shhhh," he soothed. "You've said your apologies, I've accepted them. Let's just realize that we understand each other a lot more than we think, and we won't shut each other out like that again – ever."
"I....won't," she finally promised.
"Good. Now, it's been a long night for all of us. I could definitely use some sleep since Elisa assures me that I will be getting less of it now that we're all back in a working partnership."
He watched as her face screwed up slightly at the mention of the other woman's name and Reese chuckled. "Yeah she had the same reaction when you were talking to Goliath," he teased. Her brows furrowed a bit more, and he kissed her again. "Get some sleep."
In the solitude of her bedroom, Barbara sat back in the small mountain of pillows and ran a tired hand through her crimson mane. She removed her glasses and pinched the aching spot on the bridge of her nose as she tried to digest everything that she had been told this evening. It was weird. Here she was, the all knowing Oracle, and yet her mind seemed to be lost in a haze. A haze of fear, anger, and the overwhelming odds that their small group seemed to be faced with.
Reaching over, she pulled open the large bottom drawer of her nightstand and pulled out a fairly empty bottle of scotch and a glass. Pouring herself a double, she recapped the bottle and took a healthy swig. Fire raced down her throat, a warm numbness quickly following in its wake. Pulling her hi-tech laptop onto her legs she opened it, took a deep breath, and slipped her headset on.
She only had to wait a minute before he appeared on her screen. Her heart fluttered for a second, and her breath caught in her chest as it always did when she saw him. Especially when he was clad in his nighttime costume like he was now. "Barbara? Is everything ok?" he asked, worry filling his eyes.
She didn't blame him. The only time she had called him over the past several years was when something terrible had already happened. Like last year. She really needed to stop doing this to him. "Not really," she admitted in a quiet voice.
"Oh god, did one of the girls get hurt?"
"No, no, it's nothing like that. It's just.....well we have a huge case on our hands, and we're gonna need all the help we can get."
He blinked a little startled by that. "Sure...but what about Helena?" Dick had understood Helena's anger towards Bruce. Even though he didn't really know why she felt the need to distance herself from everyone affiliated with her father, Dick had respected her wish not to spend time with him. The couple of times they had been forced to work together, had been highly uncomfortable and easily considered a hostile work environment.
"Helena's gonna have to suck it up this time and deal with the situation," Barbara said tersely. "This is too big to worry about petty grudges."
"Jeez Barbara, what the hell have you ladies gotten into now?"
"Do you know who Detective Elisa Maza is?"
"The gargoyle lady right?" he asked after a moment of thought.
"She's up from Manhattan with a couple of her friends. Their guns are coming from New Gotham. A huge shipment is being sent off in two weeks."
"How many players?"
"Two." Barbara paused to take a drink and ease the shaking in her voice. "We don't know who one of them is yet, but this is all stemming from Quinn."
"Damn it! Can't these people ever stay down?" Dick swore. Then he sighed as he took a closer look into his small screen. "Babs I'm so sorry love," he said with a sincerity that nearly broke her heart. The loving concern in his eyes was too much for her and she had to look away. He had made it more than clear that his love for had never faded. Truth be told, she had never really stopped loving him. Maybe that's why Wade's death had hit her so hard- because she had felt guilty about the whole relationship. She had even been thinking about calling it off. No matter how much she cared for him and wanted to try to have a somewhat normal life with Wade, a part of her screamed that she was betraying Dick.
"Can you come?" was all Barbara managed to ask.
"Of course I will," he answered softly. Then he tried to lighten the mood a bit and gave her a boyish grin. "I've seen just about everything, but I have yet to see a real live gargoyle. Now how could a superhero miss out on an opportunity like that?"
That managed to get a tiny grin out of her. "They are really something to see in the flesh. I'll have to show you the spar their leader Goliath had with Helena tonight. The two of them cut loose and gave it everything they had until Dinah had to stop things before someone lost an eye."
"Little sis finally met her match huh?"
"Don't you dare call Helena that while you're around her or I'll be more than happy to tell her a few of the nicknames I had for you....Shortpants."
"Ouch!" he laughed feigning a mortal shot to the heart. "You play mean Babs! Besides, you really think I would be that stupid and risk having HER getting mad at me?"
"Considering how much she likes to antagonize you? Yes I do," Barbara chuckled.
Dick's grin was dazzling. "I always could get you to laugh," he remarked almost smugly. "Lemme take care of things at work tomorrow and I'll be down there around midnight. Dream sweet dreams about me love."
Then before she could say anything else, he closed of the connection, leaving Barbara sputtering. With a frustrated jab to her keyboard she shut down her own computer, and chugged the rest of the drink. "Damn him," she muttered, shoving her computer off to the side.
She hated the fact that he could break through her every defense with that damned smiled on that that damned handsome face, and that damned athletic body, filled with his damn cockiness, yet tempered by his damn kind-heartedness. If only her dreams had all been of him that night.