Awww...shucks. I got reviews for last chapter. is shocked
Yes! Birds of Prey. It was the formation of a new world order. It also was written because...gasp I've decided that after this story, though the trilogy will be finished, I'll prolly still write stories for this universe. That I've created. You know. Yeah.
Dear Helena...
Huntress looked around the dark alley. She'd been sure that she'd seen him.
...this whole forgetting you thing...
Finally, a shadow stirred and a figure stepped into her path. Huntress stood her ground.
"Why are you following me?" He asked.
Huntress smiled. "Bats, baby, I just love to irritate you."
...not really working out...
"I know that. That doesn't explain why you're following me."
"You heard the news about Bludhaven? Wait, I forgot who I was talking to. Of course you've heard the news. You're an anal retentive collector of all forms of knowledge."
"Compliments will get you nowhere."
...not that I didn't try...
"So, moving on, Nightwing is missing. What are we doing about it?"
"There is no we."
"Look, I know you're not telling anyone anything that's going on in your head right now. Both Robin and Oracle are worried, but they don't wanna approach. I'm rude. Tell me what goes down in that winged rat brain of yours."
Batman merely stared.
"Okay. Not winged rat. Bat. What's going on in that Bat brain of yours?"
"Why would I confide in you?"
"Because I used to love him, and you don't have to worry about me telling anyone that you cried, since it's a foregone conclusion I'd keep it to myself to blackmail you with later?"
...I tried really hard...
Again, no answer.
"Alfred tells me that you've spent every waking moment looking for him. Wouldn't it be a better consumption of energies to work together?"
"What information could you have that I don't?"
"You forget I'm not the squeaky clean hero you are. I have ties to the dark side, Han. I can talk to people you can't. Well...you can't without threatening them and making them too scared to really talk so you end up dropping them from the roof in frustration."
"That happened once."
"And I saw...this all circles back to the blackmail thing."
"Obviously."
...I even counted Skittles to try and get my mind off you...
"Look, let's lay the cards on the...dirty, dank, and dim alley floor. I want to find him. Not for myself. For Oracle. She loves him. She's worried. Due to circumstances, she can't get out there and do the footwork to find him. I'm doing it for her. Since I know you have lingering feelings or guilt or duty to her, you're going to help me. Got it?"
Batman glared. Huntress knew she'd won. "So...since we're partners...can I drive the Batmobile?"
"No."
"The Batplane?"
"No."
"Can I push the machine that makes those "Bam!" and "Bop!" words appear onscreen?"
"No."
"Damn. You're no fun."
...okay, I'd have counted the Skittles anyways...
Batman and Huntress stood on the roof and watched as Franco Carmine, a small time mobster in Bludhaven left the known mafia meeting club and headed for his car. The couple stood in shadows, and their eyes, the coldness in them, was exactly the same. Batman knew that Nightwing had been taken down sometime two nights ago. Huntress knew through her underground meta-connections that Nightwing had been going after the mob connections in the Bludhaven Zoo. Carmine was that connection.
Using the Zoo as a cover, Carmine brought in big game, then sold the beast to the highest bidder to be hunted down. Already, three lions, two jaguars, and oddly enough, a walrus had been found dead on Zoo premises. Since the last "hunt" had also included the fatal shooting of the security guard, Nightwing had swooped in to start investigating. One week later, he was missing. Oracle had a theory that Carmine was graduating to big game Human hunting. With Nightwing as the premier prey.
Huntress and Batman were here to see if tonight would be the night Carmine went from medium-sized evilness to king-sized, and to take him down when he did.
...but that doesn't meant I didn't count extras to occupy my mind...
Carmine didn't go to the Zoo, as he had all the nights before. This time he drove to a small cottage near one of the cliffs Bludhaven was famous for. No, wait. Bludhaven was famous for having a worse crime-rate than Gotham. So. Cliffs that Bludhaven was second best known for.
Huntress and Batman followed in the Batplane (Huntress eagerly eyeing everything and getting her hand slapped every couple minutes and told not to touch anything), landing quietly soon after Carmine had entered the cottage. As they waited, the night lengthened and became darker.
...I love Skittles...
Finally, the real action began. With a loud bang, a back door opened and a dark figure ran into the night. Away from the road. Into the dark, dangerous forest. For some reason, Huntress had the urge to start chanting "lions and tigers and bears, oh my". Somehow she restrained herself.
Huntress's first instinct was to take after the figure, but Batman and she already knew who it was. Nightwing. Instead, they remained in hiding in the forest. They waited for the hunter(s) to appear. They didn't wait long.
...even if they do corrupt DNA and cause disease...
The Joker, Batman's archenemy, and Harley Quinn, his paramour and resident psycho-girl, stepped out. The Joker held only what appeared to be a cane, but Harley, as usual, had a very large gun (though to be honest it's sometimes substituted with a large bazooka).
Batman leaned over and whispered into Huntress's ear, "I'll take Joker, you take Harley."
Huntress whispered back. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why do I get the girl? I'm all for equal treatment, but I can as easily kick the Joker's ass as you can."
"Because I said."
"You aren't Simon, so why should I listen?"
"Because if you don't I'll hurt you."
"Big talk from a guy in head to toe leather. I ain't nobody's bitch."
Batman sighed, and ignoring her, leaped from the shadows and at the Joker. It left Harley to Huntress, who was slightly insulted to be paired with easily beaten girl.
...I long ago immunized myself against it, so I can indulge...
Huntress dodged to the left as the comically large sized bullets from Harley's gun slammed into the trees behind her. Rolling towards Harley, Huntress came up in a handstand and hit the clown on the chin, sending her flailing back into the cabin. A few short but sweet hits to the head ensured she was out for now.
Huntress turned back to the Joker and Batman, who were, as weekly, indulging in an "epic" battle. The Joker laughed maniacally and ran circles around Batman, who stood there and let him. Finally Batman threw out his arm, slamming the grinning man to the ground and onto a rock, which also knocked him unconscious.
Huntress smiled. "Why must the genius criminal masterminds be so stupid?"
...if you'd like, I'd immunize you too...
It took two hours to track down Nightwing, who was infected with some sort of hallucinogen and didn't recognize anyone. After three fights and nearly falling off a cliff, Batman restrained the man and drugged him into sleep. Tonight was a night for unconsciousness.
"So...we made a good team, Bats."
"Do not call me Bats."
"Aww...but you need a nickname. Batman is so lame."
He didn't reply. Placing Nightwing in the passenger seat of the Batplane, Batman gave a small salute to Huntress before getting into the driver's seat and starting to take off.
"Wait! I was kidding! How am I getting back?"
No response. Huntress sighed. Then felt the cool metal of the nozzle of a gun press into her neck. "Don't move."
Carmine. Forgot all about him.
...you'd have to call me though...
Huntress slowly turned to Carmine, who'd hidden himself in the cabin until all the fighting was over. Huntress's better than average hearing told her sirens were heading this way. Carmine didn't hear them.
"Get in the car."
"What car?"
"That car."
"I'm not getting in that car."
"Why not?"
"It's a Ford."
"So?"
"I'm a Chevrolet girl."
"Get in the car," Carmine said with a renewed pressing of gun. Huntress brought her hand up in a movement too fast to track and knocked the gun away. Carmine stared at her. He turned to flee and Huntress brought up her high heeled foot to kick him in the head. He flew into the door, knocking it off the hinges. Joker and Harley were still unconscious. As the first police car raced into the small field in which the cottage resided, Huntress merged with the shadows and disappeared into the forest. She hated cops.
Love, Vic.