Part 8

Gabby

I may not have much experience in the superhero world but there are some things I can figure out by myself.

1. If you wake up in an alley after almost being killed, there is a good reason.

2. When senior superhero almost has a heart attack when you return home an hour later than you should be and without her partner you should assume that something very bad has happened.

And 3. If Alfred looks frazzled someone is probably grievously injured.

"Where have you been? What happened? Where's Helena? Why are you here? How did you get here? What happened to never going off comms? Oh god, you're bleeding, sit down, let me help you."

Honestly, she never talked that fast when it was nearing the end of a Friday afternoon English lesson.

"I was at Dinah's shirks office. The shrink went bad. Helena was captured. I'm here because I had no idea where to go. I took the buss and I didn't mean to go off comms. It seems someone stole mine. I'm fine, really, it's just a little scratch … attached to a bigger bump. Maybe I should sit down."

The room swarms around me for a few seconds until I feel the cool of a metal kitchen chair under my rear end.

As Barbara starts to clean the scratch on my forehead I launch into a slightly hysterical recount of the events in Dinah's physiatrists office.

"When I woke up I was in the alley across from the Dark Horse so I took the 107 to Grandview walked four blocks north and took the 61 to Heights then walked the last part to the Clocktower … Where's Dinah?"

Barbara's hand freezes on my head. "She's missing."

"Missing? What the hell do you mean missing? She had already left the Doctor's office I'm sure," I argue. My hysteria is obvious, even to my own muddled mind, but I can't seem to control it.

"How sure are you?"

"I'm …" I cut myself off and shake my head. First rule of crime fighting, accept the evidence.

"Dinah called us from Dr. Fraser's office. Alfred took the call. We had to … play along. Dinah's aware of Helena's disappearance … she thinks you're with Hel … I was just about to …" Barbara turns towards her computers and sighs deeply.

"I'm coming with you."

"I know," she says without pause and logs onto the Delphi. "But the two of use need back up."

"Who?"

"I've got a few ideas … Alfred!"

Alfred appears beside me before I can even open my mouth to ask why Alfred is coming with us.

I look up at him and grimace at the pained look on his face.

My irrational mind almost laughs at the deep wrinkle in his neck that bobs up and down with his head.

"Yes, Ms. Barbara?"

"How operational is the bat-cave?" Barbara asks as she opens more windows and switches screens a few times.

I laugh. "Bat-cave?"

"Master Bruce had me keep the computers and vehicles in good condition just in case …"

"Right," Barbara nods and looks at the old man, "and the extra suits?"

"Extra suits?" I mumble, I can see the plan forming in front of me.

"All in good condition."

"Good. Let's go."


Barbara

The first step is pure agony. The second isn't so bad. By the third I'm anxious for the fourth.

The fourth step leads me to the giant bay of computers and Alfred, who types quickly and frowns at my reflection in one of the monitors.

I estimate four seconds before he starts to respectfully lecturing me, or trying to stop me from leaving the bat-cave.

"Ms. Barbara do you really think …"

Damn him. Off by barely a second and half.

His voice drones on as I settle my cowl over my eyes and brush at my cape. After such a long time it seems like more of a hindrance than a help. I do know better. The bullet proof material is also fire resistant and strong enough to hold up under a rapid decent. It's been so long. Maybe too long.

"Are the vehicles ready?"

He simply stares at me for a few seconds before he decides he is wasting his breath and sighs. "Yes, Ms. Barbara."

"What about the others?" I ask and settle myself in a chair beside him to check on Helena and Dinah's GPS signal. They're still in the same place they were half an hour ago. No one seems to be moving, my only problem is going to be searching the sixteen floors. Dr. Fraser owns ten of them, the others are for commercial usage but she could still be hiding in one of them.

"I believe they're almost ready," Alfred informs me and returns to his monitoring.

"Ready might not be the best way to describe me," Gabby's voice nervously speaks up from behind me.

I'm taller than her, so the suit is slightly saggy around her ankles and a long strand of curly blonde hair hangs out from beneath her dark red wig. She looks absolutely ridiculous as my doppelganger.

I smile and tuck the errant strand of hair up into the cowl. "You'll be ok, Gabs," I tell her softly.

"Did you really wear this thing every night?" she asks suspiciously.

I chuckle softly and raise one eyebrow at her, "Yes, why?"

"It itches," she grimaces as she pulls at the front of her get-up and wrinkles her nose.

I smile and look over her shoulder, "How are the others?"

Gabby covers a sudden laugh with the back of her hand and eyes the change room. "They're … well … one of them is having just a little too much fun with the front of your suit. The other one … has some serious issues."

Without even a flinch I crumple up my forehead and ask, "Oh? You've only just realized this now?"

"Boys," I raise my voice and it echoes through the cave around me, "Are you ready?"

Two dark figures hesitantly move from the darkness of the changing rooms and slink towards us.

The third Batgirl skips up the stairs and smiles grimly. "When I said I wouldn't mind getting into your suit I didn't realize this is what you had in mind," a slightly harsh voice tells me softly.

I smile at his lame attempt to lighten the mood and turn to the menacing looking Batman standing behind Gabby.

"You know what you have to do?"

Batman nods and slowly makes his way towards the bat-mobile. "I don't need a permit to drive this thing, do I?" he asks as he pops the door and climbs in.

I shrug. "You tell me."

As the engines fire up and Alfred opens the cave wall to allow the bat-mobile to leave for the first time in eight years I turn to the third Batgirl and point to the red and black motorcycle. "That's yours," I tell her and grab Gabby by the arm to lead her to my own old bike.

As the bikes begin to follow the bat-mobile I flick on my comm. set and talk to the other Batgirl. "Take Lexington and Firth, try not to make a big scene that's the last thing we need right now. Nightwing will meet you there. I'll meet you on Luthor Avenue."

"Affirmative, Batgirl … how fast does this thing go?"

I roll my eyes as I lead the way down an old long forgotten road. To my left is Wayne Manor, I purposely don't look at it.

"I can't remember," I tell the Batgirl riding beside me. "Oh, and Gibson?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop playing with your … er … my chest. I mean the costume's chest. It looks bizarre." I slip my head sideways enough to catch the smile on his face.

"Gotcha Batgirl. See you at the meeting point."

He veers off to the left and Gabby and I are left with the bat-mobile looming behind us. "You know what to do Batman, keep a cool head and everything will go fine … you might want to consider leering and growling a little more though, really play it up. I'm sure Bruce won't mind."

"Are you sure about this Barbara?" His soft voice whispers through my head and for a minute I'm almost convinced that instead of Jesse Reese its Bruce back in that car.

I shake the cobwebs away and steady myself.

"Yes, Jesse. Let's go get them back."

TBC