The news was still distracting Kate as she came out from the back with a crate of bottles to restock the bar. Music and lights didn't diminish it either. How could the Crows resort to something so destructive twice in two nights? She kept asking herself. We need to find out who is funding this search, she realised. The Crows weren't so profitable that military-level explosives could be used like rubber bullets. Jacob had sunk nearly 80% of the Kane-family trust into the Crow enterprise, and they were only now just bringing in a profit. This had to be a privately-funded venture by someone with deep pockets or someone with the right connections.
Her internal monologue was suddenly interrupted by a force from her left engulfing her. Kate nearly counter-attacked then quickly realized Mary had arrived, and her form of greeting had, while innocent in nature, had grabbed Kate in a bear hug and threatened the lives of Jack Daniels and Bacardi in Kate's arms.
"I didn't know you were working tonight!" Mary exclaimed. "This is just perfect! You can drink with us!"
"Us?" Kate asked, recovering her balance and surveying Mary's immediate surroundings. Her eyes landed on Sophie's and Kate stared back confusedly. "Wh-Soph? What are you doing here?" she asked, setting the crate on the bar. A barback immediately took to task restocking the shelves for her.
"She was suspended," Mary had intended as a whisper but, to be heard over the music, it came out as a shout.
"Suspended?!" Kate gaped. "I don't understand. What could you possibly have been suspended for? You're the perfect Crow. You're second in command!"
Kate wasn't sure if her reaction was about her former girlfriend (and current crush) being suspended from her dream job or about more light being shed on tonight's less than savory actions by the Crows.
"It's a long story," Sophie began.
"And one that requires shots!" Mary interrupted. "Three please!" she requested from the bartender.
"No, none for me," Kate said, lifting her hands in defense. "I-uh, I have work to do."
"At 9pm on a Wednesday? Kate, you own a bar. This is basically your job," Mary concluded, shoving clear liquid into her and Sophie's hands. "To Sophie's suspension!"
Mary immediately shot back her glass. Kate and Sophie hesitated briefly before following suit with Kate taking the brief distraction to sneak a closer look at Sophie in her dress. A flush of warmth swept through her - she couldn't decide how much was the alcohol and how much was being in the presence of such utter perfection.
"Three more!" Mary shouted, slamming her glass on the bar.
"Wh-" "N-no" "Yea, no."
Mary ignored them as she ushered the bartender over to replenish their glasses. Meanwhile, Kate was looking for a way out of the conversation. While she enjoyed Mary's company and wished to linger a while longer with Sophie, she had the Crows on her mind, and if Sophie was suspended, this made her even more anxious to get over to Wayne Tower.
Mary handed both Sophie and Kate a glass. She wasn't necessarily interested in getting plastered on a Wednesday, but she also saw this as an opportunity to bond with Kate and Sophie. And she also knew the best way to do that was to lighten the mood with some natural blood thinner. She knew how to be insistent, and, after some persuading Kate, all parties were tossing back their second shot of the night.
"Wait, wait, let me get this straight," Mary said, a slight slur in her speech, "you told Jacob he was a 'washed-up fraud of a leader' in front of the entire Crow task force?"
Sophie was not as much of a lightweight as Mary, so she still had the ability to recall the day's earlier conversation where she had already relayed this entire story to Mary. She stared at her, mildly amused at her former boss's step daughter's antics. Mary sure knew how to lighten the mood. Sophie glanced at Kate who had been pensive for the entire regaling of Sophie's suspension. She was clearly deep in thought, and Sophie wondered what was running through her ex's mind.
My ex, Sophie thought for what seemed like the first time in years. She found herself staring at Kate as Mary's voice fell into the background talking about the time she too had tried to confront Jacob when she was a teenager. Kate was still lost in thought and Mary couldn't help but notice the slight furrow of her brow. It was a classic Kate look - always thoughtful, always concerned. Sure, Kate maintained the persona of a carefree spirit, but Sophie knew Kate had more complexity than that.
At the Academy, Kate was a natural at everything, and that made her intimidating among the women and men in their class. But more than that, she was a natural leader. Yes, she had certain bullish qualities, but she managed to get the best out of everyone. Sophie recalled her first three weeks of first term when basic drills were bringing out the worst flaws in people, but Kate took it all in stride. More than that, she had an eye out for everyone. By week two, it was obvious there were a handful of stragglers. Instead of letting them flail, Kate gave up her evenings to train with them. In no time at all, their entire year was performing collectively better than any class the Academy had ever seen.
Sophie still carried resentment toward her alma mater for the way they dismissed Kate, and she knew Kate carried a chip on her own shoulder about it. She had every right to graduate and transition into her dream as a Crow. Sophie caught herself at this thought: These Crows were the same Crows who, not ten hours earlier, had dismissed her without batting an eye. Would things have been better with Kate at the helm? Sophie wondered.
She shook herself from thought and realised Mary and Kate were both studying their phones intently.
"You guys are the best company," Sophie teased, but quieted when she saw Kate's look of frustration. "What's wrong?" She asked, pulling out her own phone to see three notifications from the Gotham Gazette. The first mirrored what Kate had seen an hour earlier, but the next two were even more jarring:
"Three victims found in the rubble of warehouse explosions from recent Crow activity. None of the three survived."
"Gotham City declares review of Crow's authority and jurisdiction after botched raid leaves four dead and millions of dollars destroyed in inventory at Crowne Family warehouses."
