Kate stared at her phone. What was Dad thinking? She thought to herself. This thought rippled through both Gotham Gazette notifications and her learning about Sophie's suspension. Kate couldn't imagine a Gotham without the Crows, but she also couldn't imagine the Crows as they were now: disruptive, bull-headed, and reactive.

She saw an incoming call from Luke flood her screen, and she sighed with relief as she excused herself to answer it.

"Kate, the Cro-"

"I just saw. Gotham Gazette beat you to the headline again."

"I'm sorry, I was neck deep in surveillance footage."

"It's fine - it's a war, not a battle, remember? What else do you have?" Kate asked, slipping out of the music-ladden bar into the alley to better hear.

"Honestly? Not much. GCPD is scouring the site for evidence, but it all seems pretty cut and dry: the Crows were tipped off that Nocturna was housed in the area, and they managed to corner her before she could escape. Unfortunately that meant a rather extreme ending for her…" Luke trailed off.

"The Crows were tipped off? By who?"

"That's the question of the night. As far as we knew, Nocturna was severely under the radar. That's what's made her so hard to track: she was good, Kate. She knows her way around places. So for her to be tipped off, I can't help but wonder if her new buddy -"

"Was the one who tipped the Crows off. Can we find out more?" Kate pressed.

"Doubtful. I think we might be best placed to tap Sophie for some intel."

"Sophie was suspended," Kate responded plainly, "so we'll need a different strategy."

"No shit. Why?"

"I'll explain later. It's a thing. Jacob sounds beyond unhinged. I think Alice's death is really getting to him."


Mary watched as Kate made her way back to the duo and listened to her offer a generic excuse about needing to get some work done. Mary had her ongoing suspicions of Kate and had said as much to Kate weeks ago at this very bar, but Kate revealed nothing to Mary's chagrin. Mary contemplated arguing against her leaving to help Kate save face, but she was beaten to the punch by Sophie:

"What? No, you should stay."

Kate stared back, clearly caught off guard by Sophie, "I… uhm, I-I can't."

"Come on Kate, just do it tomorrow. Stay and enjoy a night off. This is your own damn bar after all, and what good is that if you can't splurge and occasionally abuse that privilege?," Sophie responded. She brought her drink to her lips, blushing slightly as she realised the amount of force behind her words. She definitely wanted Kate to stay, but she wasn't entirely sure why. Was it nostalgia? Her frustration with the Crows? Her frustration with Batwoman? Something else?

Kate was torn. She had returned to the bar intending to say goodbye, and had advised Luke as much. But Sophie - she was here. She was asking Kate to stay. The truth was she spent only a split-second contemplating before folding, "Fine, but let me make a quick call."

Mary took that as a sign to order another round, and over the next hour, the trio recalled stories of each other:

"He was so embarrassed!" Mary accused.

"And you just left him there?" Sophie asked, her mouth and eyes opened wide bouncing between Mary laughing and Kate dismissively excusing the event.

"He grabbed Mary's ass, and needed a lesson in not objectifying someone. It's so 20th Century. You aren't allowed to treat any woman like that, especially not my sister," Kate reasoned. She shot back the rest of her whisky and gestured if either wanted a top-up. Seeing no immediate response, she left her stool and missed Mary's reaction.

"She's never called me that before."

"What, your name?" Sophie replied, half-joking, half-confused.

"Her sister," she said, tears threatening the edges of her eyes.

Sophie stared, clearly caught off guard at Mary's admission. Moments later Kate returned with a bottle of whisky in tow, "I was saving this for a special occasion but," she began, addressing both Sophie and Mary, "this feels like as good a night as an-" but Kate was cut off after a shove against her back threw her off balance. She quickly recovered and turned to see a girl collapsed on the ground, barely conscious. Mary was immediately at her side, checking her breathing and pulse. Kate glanced around, "is anyone with her?" Kate asked the surrounding crowd.

"He was," came a voice. The voice's finger pointed at a man staring sheepishly at the scene who proceeded to shrug his shoulders ambiguously.

Kate turned to him, "What happened?"

"What can I say, the lady can't hold her liquor."

Kate's eyes narrowed as she spotted a glass on the cocktail table next to them. Martinis aren't cloudy, Kate observed. She redirected her gaze at the man, "You think this is funny?" Kate asked, advancing toward him. His dismissiveness quickly turned defensive and aggressive.

"Look lady, I don't know who you are, but you have no evidence of nothin'," he began shouting.

"So when the cops arrive - because believe me, they're on their way - and they search you, you're telling me they won't find any evidence or nothin?," Kate mocked, closing into the man's personal space. She was bluffing, but only half-way. She had established a policy at the bar to take all types of perceived harassment seriously and hoped the staff had reacted appropriately.

The man laughed mockingly at Kate, "Look at this chic," he announced to the gathering crowd. "Thinks she owns the place. And who do you think the GCPD is going to believe? Me or a mouthy little bitch like you?"

"I do own this place, and your kind aren't welcome here," Kate said matter of factly. The man's posture adjusted slightly as he glanced around at the looks of support for Kate from the group.

In that moment red and blue lights flashed into the bar, and the man's face contorted into the realization he had no allies in the room. Kate saw him flinch, and before even he seemed to realise his plan to bolt, she deftly knocked him to the ground, pinning him with ease as the GCPD entered the bar.

Sophie observed the scene with awe. Mary's instinct to provide medical assistance and Kate's ability to confront and secure the threat in a moment's notice astonished her. They should be the Crows.

Mary left in the ambulance with the victim, leaving Kate and Sophie behind. Kate had provided the cops with a run down of the events, and a number of witnesses stayed to corroborate the story. Meanwhile, nearly everyone else had taken the disruption as a sign to part, making the bar empty within minutes.

"Well, so much for a raucous night out," Kate joked, making her way over to Sophie.

"Kate, that - what you and Mary did just now… that was amazing."

Kate waved it off. To her, it was nothing - especially given the circumstances elsewhere in Gotham tonight.

"I'm serious. You two made a great team. Can you imagine what the Crows could be with that as leadership? We'd be unstoppable," Sophie exclaimed.

"Mmm," Kate responded dismissively, but silently contemplated her words. Working with Mary had been ideal. She was brilliant, reliable, and completely trustworthy. Her capacity to react effectively had been made evident on countless occasions - none clearer than when she saved Sophie's life a few months earlier.

"That does make it the second time in a row Mary has abandoned me here, though."

"Another?" Kate asked, snagging the bottle she had left on the table.

"Actually, I should probably get going," Sophie said, beginning to rise from the table and collect her things?

"But it's not even a school night," Kate countered. "And besides, I've got your favorite," she said, walking over to the bar and retrieving a bottle of bourbon.

"Hmmm," Sophie contemplated more seriously. The biting of her lip in indecision caused Kate to melt slightly.

"Sounds like a yes to me," Kate said, grabbing a glass and pouring a serving. "How about this - you're practically unemployed now and couldn't possibly afford to pay your tab, so if you stay and help me close, I'll comp your bill and let you keep drinking - on the house."

"How about I pay my tab as is, and the house pays for my closing drinks."

"You drive a hard bargain, Soph. But you've got yourself a deal," Kate said, handing Sophie the glass. "Now, if you don't mind, the bathrooms need some attention…"

Sophie stared at Kate, "You aren't serious…"

Kate laughed, "No, we have a guy come in the morning to do that. You're on dish duty."

Hi all! Thanks to everyone who's read to this point, and I hope you're enjoying.

For next week I will only be posting one chapter. I had originally set out writing it as two chapters, but the more I wrote, the more I became partial to reading it as a full bit. Thanks again for giving it a read, and I hope everyone is staying safe out there!

All my affection,

EQT.95