Raven Blade

By: Ryu Niiyama

Chapter 4: The Agent and the Frog

Sophie Moore had died and gone to hell; she was certain of it.

Commander Kane must have secretly hated her to send her undercover at Kate's new predominantly female clientele centered gay bar. Most of the patrons were women, women of all shapes, heights, ages- though they averaged under 30-, races and backgrounds. She saw a culture that she was a member of, but not allowed to acknowledge and she felt the bitter weight, in the shape of the hole in her heart where Kate used to be, get a little heavier.

To make matters worse, Kate was here, and while her sense of style was certainly different than Sophie's, Kate Kane was fashionable. She wore expensive clothes that flattered her figure without compromising her personality and it was always jarring to see her dressed to the nines. Even more so considering that she never got to really have this side of Kate for herself. Dating secretly in the military academy meant that you usually wore casual clothes, uniforms or fatigues. She never got to see a Kate Kane that knew she was beautiful and flaunted it. She had been denied a version of Kate Kane whose aversion to social norms was not a warning but instead tastefully worn as beacon…accessories woven in inked skin or aggressively cut but perfectly coifed hair. Kate Kane might have hated the social elite, but she was one of them and their trappings fit her like a glove.

Sophie bit her cheek, briefly grateful that this woman had never been hers because if Kate had put in that type of effort when they were together, then the craving, the need, the addiction to this woman would have been unbreakable. Her love, her confidence, her beauty would have been impossible to walk away from, and Sophie Moore would have been lost. And no matter how angry Kate was or how much she believed Sophie a coward, Sophie knew what Kate didn't …the world would have torn her apart and left nothing until the very love that she'd risked everything for became a poison. In walking away, Sophie could still cherish Kate, she could still long for her happiness and in that, Sophie would change nothing between them.

However right now…right now it was hell because she wanted to peel that shirt off Kate with her teeth and see if her former lover had gotten any new tattoos.

For just a moment their eyes met, and she was proud to see that she wasn't the only one rattled to see her former lover dressed to the nines. She wasn't equipped to deal with this, the return of the woman that she once loved like breathing, a woman that up until recently she was certain was the new caped crusader and the oddly familiar attraction to the Red Knight, considering that she wasn't Kate after all. And that didn't even cover the fraternization rules she was considering breaking every time she looked Carolyn Hamilton in the eyes.

Those warm, enchanting, deep umber eyes-

A warm hand at her back caused her to tense slightly before the soft and delicately familiar scent of olive blossoms immediately set her at ease. She noticed a small frown overtake Kate's rakish smile and in confusion Sophie turned towards the new presence and promptly forgot why she was here in the first place. "I heard this was an interesting establishment. A pleasure to see you here, Sophie." Somewhere, the higher functioning parts of Sophie Moore's brain knitted together that the warm, always teasing voice didn't actually call her "Agent", or "Moore" or "Field Commander". The rest of her brain gave up on speech as soft brown eyes took in the sight of Agent Carolyn Hamilton dressed like she just walked off of a runway from Fashion Week.

The woman's enviously long, natural coils were pulled up into a lax beehive and restrained and accented by a winding golden circlet. Her muscular arms were bare save a matching golden armband, the pure, feminine power of them easily drawing Sophie's gaze. Sophie blinked at the silken sleeveless tunic that showed off a tantalizing amount of cleavage and her thoughts temporarily derailed from the mission. Years of hiding her attraction to women, while being surrounded with some of Gotham's most competent and attractive of the Crows and with the return of the ex-that-she-had-to-send-away, and Sophie's mask was cracked and crumbling like a paper tiger in the rain.

"Care to dance, beautiful lady?"

Internally, Sophie was proud that she managed to not look either annoyed or attracted to the calmly smiling Agent. Ignoring the looks of envy and lust that seemed to be laser focused on them from all the other women and some of the men in the club, she took the other Agent's hand and allowed herself to be pulled close. Somewhere behind her, she heard a glass hit the floor. Ignoring the fact that apparently The Hold Up had some clumsy waitstaff, she squeezed Hamilton's hand tightly, trying to causally convey her annoyance.

"What are you doing here?"

With a smile that was somehow both smugly alluring and sincere, Agent Hamilton's dark eyes razed hotly over Sophie's form, interest easily sparking within her sultry, teasing gaze.

"Helping you not stand out so much. You are gorgeous, sweet Sophie, but very…uptight, yes?"

Sophie let out a shudder and a strangled moan as Agent Hamilton delivered her intentions while drawing Sophie close and not quite nibling at her ear. "I shall go get us a drink…or two." The second Agent Hamilton moved away Mary appeared out of nowhere, her jaw halfway to the floor. The young heiress took a look after the retreating agent and back at Sophie, mildly impressed. Mary wasted no time in complementing her and sniffing out the reason that Sophie was here although as embarrassing and annoying as it was, it was apparent that Mary had no idea that the woman that just walked away was also a Crow.

She allowed Kate's sister to draw her over to the bar, absently noting that Kate had disappeared again, only for Mary to move away again, presumably to place a drink order. "Here you are, beautiful lady." Carolyn Hamilton was an enigma; her personnel sheet was almost glaringly bland yet the woman seemed well versed in almost any subject and though she was hired primarily for her linguistic skills, she was one of if not the top combatant in the Crows. A fact that sparked Sophie's sense of competition and need for perfection like wildfire. Yet there was something else beneath her slightly flirtatious but exceedingly competent demeanor. Sophie still didn't trust the other Agent's story as to how the elevator stayed aloft at Elliot Towers just long enough for the two of them and Mary to escape in one piece. Yet she didn't really have a theory that made any sense either. Carolyn hummed softly, drawing Sophie from her distracted thoughts and she thought she caught the remnants of a smirk on the agent's face before she pouted for effect.

"Alas, sweet maiden, I fear that I may be out matched…" Sophie quirked an eyebrow at the way that Carolyn spoke when she wanted to turn on the charm. There was something foreign, antiquated and yet absolutely captivating about her, but Sophie had worked with her long enough to hear the warning within. Following warm, dark eyes as they darted to the side, Sophie pretended to dismiss the would be suitor while still claiming the drink she bought. She caught a brief glance at a potential suspect that was a little too enamored with the dress she was wearing. Hamilton played the role well, looking suitably heartbroken as she drifted away and Sophie had to hide her twitch of annoyance as two women quickly stepped up to ease the taller woman's pain.

Mary took that moment to pop back in, setting off a chain of events that looked like the worst train wreck of an undercover job ever. Sophie was certain that Kate returned to the bar once she realized Elle, who was a self-righteous ass in Sophie's opinion, was trying her best to both impress and insult Sophie at the same time. Sophie had never been so relieved to see a woman absolved of being a suspect, although she thought Kate was overplaying her own role as she suckled her injured finger with an intent delicacy that reminded Sophie of actions best left behind closed doors.

She tried for a few others, and was surprised to see that Agent Hamilton was heading towards the exit. She sighed…that meant that they had nothing. The entire embarrassing night was a bust. She'd go check in at HQ and then try to see if Batwoman had a lead. It was the least she could do since she didn't actually find the culprit who drugged the vigilante that saved her life. She should have known it wouldn't have been that easy. The moment she returned to HQ, Commander Kane turned on her; which hurt in a way that she couldn't quite express given that even though she couldn't have it the way she originally had hoped she wanted to be a part of his family. The Crows were supposed to make sure that no other family went through what Jacob Kane went through and Sophie had joined so that the streets would be a little safer for people that Gotham often dismissed…people that looked like her.

And now all of that was in jeopardy.

Trust both in the Crows and the trust that Jacob Kane had in her was eroding at an exponential rate…and she was on the verge of losing everything…and yet…and yet she had to do what she felt was right, trust those that fought for what was right…even if no one else supported her. Sullenly, with heavy steps and heavier thoughts, she trudged her way towards the lockers, silencing cat calls with a quick glare and a reminder that the Crows took professional conduct seriously. Near tears of frustration, she changed closed and slammed her locker door short. She wanted to scream, or shoot something.

"Agent Moore."

Startled she looked up, seeing Carolyn Hamilton, apparently recently showered as the woman was wearing her pants and shoes but only had a towel about her shoulders that tried and failed miserably to cover up her feminine assets. Nerves a little raw from seeing Kate again, the mess with Nocturna and whatever it was that Batwoman was stirring up in her, on top of being reprimanded for trying to do the right thing and she felt her temper flaring irrationally. Closing her eyes briefly to calm herself, she couldn't take looking at the taller Agent looking so effortlessly flawless while her own life was turning itself upside down.

"Hamilton."

The taller woman looked uncharacteristically nervous for a moment as she tugged at the towel around her neck. It was cute…but Hamilton didn't do cute. Which meant… "Apparently, news travels fast. Who told you?" The taller agent blushed, a cherry undertone to her flawless mahogany skin called to Sophie like a siren. Internally, she sighed not wanting to wreck herself upon another shore of female beauty and the jagged rocks of societal and familial rejection. "Taveroff was being his usual, boorish self. I was hoping that I'd catch you before you left. I'm actually off tomorrow, did you want to make a night of it? You could tell me what happened…or just more about yourself…and I could do the same."

Sophie swallowed the frown that wanted to crawl over her face. It wasn't that she had an issue with a very beautiful woman asking her out so much as the implications behind it. She couldn't give more than friendship because the costs were too high to risk her heart…and yet she knew that Carolyn wouldn't push more than necessary. Wouldn't actually ask for more than Sophie could give…and somehow that made it worse. Kate had pushed and demanded, but she hadn't listened or understood and that broke her heart, but to have understanding and compassion showed her…would be far more insidious than hurt accusations and crooked smiles.

"Maybe some other time, Hamilton."

Umber eyes searched hers briefly and the taller woman nodded with a quirk of her distractingly full lips.

"Of course, have a pleasant evening, Agent Moore. I'll see you when you return."

With that the other woman was gone, having snagged and donned a bra and shirt with a deftness that would have been impressive had Sophie not already been warmed by the easy confidence the other agent placed in her. She made no reference to the suspension…which had no set end date, as if it was merely PTO and Sophie would be back in the command center after some rest and reflection. Perhaps she truly needed both, but first she needed to talk to the woman that started all of this. It was so strange dealing with Batwoman, she seemed so familiar…too familiar but her theory that those vivid viridian eyes could only belong to Kate Kane had been dis-proven with gunfire. Yet she felt the same pull, without all the weight and shrapnel and expectation of dealing with Kate and she wondered just once, just this once if she could have something all her own. Something that she didn't have to sacrifice quietly for.

For a brief second her mind flashed upon Agent Hamilton as the statuesque woman effortless drew every eye in The Hold Up and her concerned visage as she pulled Sophie from an elevator car teetering on a frayed cable. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Sophie allowed herself to think of black neoprene and Kevlar weave, crimson lipstick and eyes that glittered like emeralds. It was disappointing that Batwoman wasn't Kate Kane, but perhaps in a way it was better. Kate wanted love and commitment and a life lived under the gaze of the sun, but Batwoman was a woman of the shadows. Perhaps she didn't need love so much as a little fun…

Perhaps one day Sophie Moore could say that would be enough for her yearning, lonely heart.

As always, I don't write Sophie/Kate fics, but I very much acknowledge their history, emotions and baggage. No matter what, this is a Sophie/Nubia series, ladies.