"You sure you don't want to take the day off?" Luke pressed for the third time that morning. He was staring at Kate who had nearly doubled-down in pain as she changed into a clean shirt. After staying the night to keep an eye on her, Luke was now fretting over the smallest of cringes.
The painkillers Mary had provided the night before paired with a few shots of whisky had made Kate think the injury wasn't that bad. Unfortunately, with morning came the delayed onset of how sore she was, and she was slowly learning her new limits, one that included reaching her arms over her head.
"It's fine," she replied through gritted teeth. "Besides, this would be the worst day to play the 'party' card."
Kate was alluding to the fact that following the bombing and subsequent claim made by the Crows for it had caused a domino effect. By the time the 9:30 news had wrapped, Kate's phone was blowing up with messages from board members demanding an emergency meeting to discuss next steps. If Kate was going to stay above the fray, she needed to be at that meeting. More than that, she needed to talk to Sophie to understand how things had gone so wrong. She was in the middle of reading through the report Paulie had delivered the day before, and there was no shred of evidence that explosives were included in the mix.
It wasn't yet clear to Kate whether Sophie had intentionally sent her the wrong intel, or something fishy was up. Kate had her money on the latter while Luke had his on the former. Lines had already been drawn that morning as they bounced hypothesis after hypothesis off each other.
"She's clearly just working for Jacob," Luke had reasoned. He would get especially temperamental whenever he observed Kate nearly doubling over in pain. "It's the only obvious conclusion for how shady everything went down."
"You've conveniently left out the likelihood of Cobblepot having any role in this," Kate countered. After her second drink the night before, she had relaxed to the idea that Sophie was the villain. If their years together was anything to go off, it meant that Sophie wouldn't be behind this. She still didn't trust that Sophie wasn't working with Jacob, but she knew Sophie would never take someone's life. The first item on her agenda when she was made Lead Crow was to eliminate the use of any explosive force. Since then, Kate had let her imagination wander toward less obvious possibilities.
Sophie taking credit for the bombing meant there were two things Luke and Kate could argue over:
The first was that the bombing occurred well before their agreed timeline, and it meant Sophie's allegiance was up for renewed debate. On one hand, it could mean Sophie was working with Jacob to undermine Batwoman. On the other hand, it could mean a higher power was at play overriding even Sophie's authority. Overnight, Kate and Luke's view on this topic had flipped; where Kate had originally blamed Sophie for the bombing, it was now Luke who was up in arms about the whole thing. Kate knew his reaction was instinctive and out of concern for her, and his flared emotions meant there wasn't room to negotiate that opinion just now.
The second item was about Kate's role within the Crows. Assuming Sophie was involved in a coordinated effort to kill Batwoman, it would mean Sophie's lack of trust in anyone included Kate and the board. The report submitted to Kate and subsequently submitted to the board lacked any suggestion of the night's prior events. It didn't sit well with Kate that Sophie would bypass providing an amended briefing prior to executing in the field. If the alternate theory were assumed and it was in fact someone else, namely Cobblepot or one of her cronies behind it, that meant Sophie was effectively without authority. It also meant this decision-maker was thumbing her nose at the board by not including them in the planning. It was a risky path and one that could only be achieved by someone holding a majority vote. Someone like Cobblepot. In either case, for this to go missed by Kate meant her network and means of information wasn't far reaching enough, and she needed to instead go right to the sources.
"Fine, but remember I'm just a call away," Luke said, finally giving in.
"Thanks, dad," Kate joked lightly. Luke was the overprotective brother she never had, and knew deep down he was only looking out for her.
Luke ignored Kate's remark, "I'll be remote most of the day bringing things from Wayne Tower back here so we can set up shop for the weekend." Luke then raised his hand, stopping Kate from interjecting. "And before you say anything, no, I am not bringing the suit. You are going to spend the next forty eight hours resting."
"Luke, I am f-"
"And don't say you're fine. One tap to the ribcage and you'd be out for the count, and you know it. This isn't some CW tv show where you can jump back into battle. You're hanging up the cape for the weekend."
Kate had made it a point to arrive at Crow Headquarters early and could already sense a shift as she walked past huddled whispers in the lobby. It was this change in tone that fed into Kate's suspicion that things weren't all they seemed. She had come in at the break of dawn in hopes of catching Sophie for a debrief before the board meeting, but when she reached her office, she noted the lights were off and the door locked.
Kate recognized it was earlier than normal, but it also wasn't like Sophie to not be the first one in the office. Her attention to detail meant she used the extra hours in the morning to deal with the administrative side of her job before she could settle into the day-to-day operations. It concerned Kate that she was absent after such a major event, but not enough to let it redirect her own schedule. She had bigger fish to fry: a boardroom of angry old rich people. She rerouted to the main conference room, anticipating the scourge of monologues that would fill the next two hours of her day;
"The board needs to take swift action if we hope to get through this audit unscathed. The public is outraged. My phone hasn't stopped ringing since last night. You think the GCPD will just accept this act of negligence? Ms. Moore had no right to take these actions, and she should be made an example of. That we gave her this responsibility and she's so quickly returned to the very tactics that put us in this position in the first place is exactly why we should put forth a vote for her immediate removal."
"It's true. I've reviewed the report: nowhere does it highlight use of explosives. You all know my view on explosives: the more the merrier to get Gotham's crime rate down. These low-level heathens need a lesson, and we are poised to give it. I hold no ill-will toward their use last night. But what I don't tolerate is being deceived, and that is exactly what has happened: Ms. Moore flagrantly issued an inaccurate report to the board knowing full well she would do something entirely different. My dear board members, this is the chance to give the Crows the direction they need."
Kate listened to board member after board member chastise the fall-out from the failed Dent operation. The only things missing were pitchforks and torches. It was all clearly for show: not one of the outspoken board members were upset with the actions. To the contrary, they were elated that such drastic measures had been taken. What upset them was that the wool had been pulled over them, and they were collectively using the opportunity to challenge Sophie's authority as Lead Crow. It was the exact move they needed to recover from their batched power move weeks earlier when Sophie was voted in as Lead Crow.
Kate stared at the folder in front of her. It had magically appeared on her desk, and she found it when she arrived that morning. It was the out Sophie needed to stifle the uproar of the board.
"And will anyone second my motion to immediately dismiss Ms. Moore?"
"If I may," Kate finally cut in. She glanced at the folder in front of her, doing a final calculation in her mind about the potential risks of her next words. It took only a second to conclude it was the right move. "I should have spoken earlier; gauging from the mood here, it's clear everyone is more outraged by the lack of information than the bombing of a vacant building and risking the lives of an entire square block with the subsequent gas leak. Be that the case, I think I've got something that may temper the mood of everyone here," Kate said, taking note of Cobblepot's knowing grin.
Kate leaned against the back wall of the elevator as it whizzed up. She closed her eyes, taking solace in the bad jazz music that filled the empty space. After another hour of back and forth, Kate was convinced she had held off the vultures - for now. For a moment she was worried the fallout from the board would mean removing her from her day-to-day role as liaison, but that wasn't where their agenda was at. It was clear the board smelled blood in the water, and they were looking for any reason to out Sophie as Lead Crow. What wasn't clear to Kate was who they had on deck to take her position if and when they got their way.
The ding came too early for Kate's liking, and the sound of the doors opening forced her hand. She opened her eyes and they immediately landed on Sophie who was standing on the other side of the doors.
"I need to talk to you," she rushed. There was a fear in her eyes Kate could only recall seeing twice before.
"Have you just been standing there waiting?" Kate asked, pretending to ignore the anxiety emanating from Sophie. She left the lift, walking past Sophie toward the kitchen. This wasn't great timing; Kate had hoped to catch Sophie in a less public spot to talk through the night's events - not be barraged in the middle of the task force lobby.
"Jerry called to tell me you were back from lunch," Sophie explained, turning to walk with her.
"Looks like someone's not getting a Christmas gift this year," Kate replied casually.
"Kate," Sophie continued. "I… I need to talk to you about what happened."
Kate sighed in feigned annoyance, stopping mid-stride to face Sophie. "The board is reviewing it."
"This isn't about that. Kate, I've go-"
Sophie stalled as she looked at Kate's face for the first time. Kate was facing Sophie but glancing around as though tracking for eavesdroppers.
"I've already told you - the board is looking into it," Kate began at a volume slightly louder than necessary. "You'll just have to wait until they announce their decision."
"Kate, I… what?" Sophie began again, her eyes searching wildly for a hint that Kate was stalling. There was a renewed panic that filled Sophie as she tried to decipher Kate's deflection.
Kate moved to leave, walking past her when Sophie heard her whisper, "Thirty minutes. My office."
Sophie watched the minutes tick by at an agonizingly slow rate. She had barely slept the night before, sitting in front of her t.v. for news of Batwoman's fate. Renee had offered to come home with her, but Sophie rejected it, claiming to be too tired and needing time alone. The truth was that she was terrified.
There was still no evidence of Duela Dent in the wreckage either. Granted, a multi-story pile of rubble didn't exactly make for easy searching. Sophie had been so wrapped up in whether Batwoman was safe that she'd barely thought about the other lives that might have been lost to the blast. Even Dent didn't deserve a fate as cruel as last night's.
She hit refresh on the Gotham Gazette's website one more time, hoping to not see any gut churning headlines appear. It had become an obsessive habit - checking back every five minutes for news. Having stayed awake most of the night, she was up early and had snuck back into her office well before daylight. Locking herself inside, she sat in the dark for most of the morning, letting the glow of the screen light her work.
She was trying to understand how everything had gone so wrong, and she couldn't find an ounce of evidence in the stack of files on her desk. It was like an alternate universe had been set up, and Sophie was walking through it with blinders on.
"Come in," Kate said, hearing the soft knock. The door clicked and, in a swift motion, Sophie slid past and shut it behind her. She glanced at Kate's desk, looking for her behind it but instead found her propped on the folding chair next to the door. A questioning look came over her face.
"Change of scenery; I wanted to see what the cage looked like from this side," Kate said dismissively, barely looking up from the paper she was reading through. "You're welcome to take a seat on that side, though," she continued, nodding at the empty chair.
The truth was that Kate had no intention of doing anything that might strain herself. She had broken out in a sweat at the simple act of opening the office door and setting up the folding chair. The imagined pain from sliding across her desk had made her nauseous just thinking about it.
Sophie looked at Kate expectantly, hoping she'd continue by saying something encouraging and reaffirming, but instead she sat quietly in her chair, watching Sophie.
What Kate saw revealed a lot to her. Sophie was skillful at many things, but maintaining a poker face had never been one - Kate often joked that it was because she was just so fundamentally good-hearted she'd never be able to bluff her way out of anything. She looked rattled and unrested as she leaned against Kate's desk, resting her palms against the edge of it, her fingers twitching nervously.
"What happened, Sophie?" Kate asked slowly. She knew what happened: a building exploded, and it landed on her. But that was Batwoman's point of view. There was a whole side that was a mystery to Kate, and she needed Sophie to fill in those missing bits.
"I didn't do it. Kate, you know me. I would never authorize that kind of - especially not for something as trivial as taking down Duela Dent. She's troubled, but not an imminent threat to Gotham. She's been off the radar for weeks as it is - why would I make that kind of decision?" Sophie rambled. All of her thoughts from last night were gushing out as word salad, and Kate leaned back recognizing her role as the listener. "I literally had over half the task force there. It makes no sense that I'd do that if I was just going to blow the place. Why would I put people at risk? And how did everyone but me know what was going on? This is like a bad dream. And now they're investigating the site, and… and what if everyone didn't get out? What if… Kate, I didn't. I didn't know, and now… now people might be dead."
Kate was listening but also deep in thought. It also felt too surreal that the one person who didn't know was the acting commander, but Kate also knew Sophie. Nothing about what Sophie was saying felt untruthful.
"People?" Kate asked and watched Sophie's eyes close in worry.
"Yes, Kate. People."
"Didn't you clear the area?"
"I suppose that would have crossed my mind if I knew it was going to be blown up."
"Fair. That's fair," Kate replied, acknowledging the absurdity of her question. "I want to believe you, Sophie. I really do, but then I need you to tell me that isn't your signature," Kate countered, pointing to the top paper on a stack of files sitting on her desk.
Sophie glanced down, opening the folder. Her eyes widened with confusion. "What is this?
"It's the amended operations strategy for last night's raid."
"I… Kate, I didn't sign this. I've literally never seen this before."
"Lucky for you, the board believes you did, but what I want to know now is how your signature ended up on a post-dated raid plan."
Sophie was flipping through page after page, her face becoming more and more distraught. "I've never seen any of this."
"Me either. Until this morning when I found it on my desk which brings up a whole other set of security problems about how someone has access to my off… my office," Kate said, trailing off as she quickly rose from her chair, ignoring the stabbing sensation on her chest.
"What are yo-" Sophie began but stopped when Kate raised her hand for silence. She watched her grab a pen and paper and begin scratching down words on her desk.
"So my guess," Kate continued as she continued writing, "is that you're playing me, Sophie. My guess is that you intentionally had Paulie give me the wrong report so I'd forward it to the board while you went and changed it behind my back."
"What?" Sophie asked as Kate turned back to her, handing her the paper. "I didn't…"
The office is bugged.
"I defended you in that meeting because I thought I had made a mistake, but the truth is that this was all part of your plan," Kate continued, making her accusations up on the fly. "I get that you don't like me being around or being Jacob's daughter, but I'm not going to fold that easily, Sophie."
"I-I…" Sophie began, acknowledging Kate's note but not sure 'who' the bugging had come from.
"You can go," Kate chimed in, stifling any risk of letting unwanted information out. She raised her phone up, signalling to Sophie she'd message her.
Sophie, for her part, picked up on these final cues and made to leave in silence, slamming the door behind her for good measure.
Kate took a breath to calm her racing heart. She glanced around, trying to find anything else amiss, suddenly wishing she had x-ray vision. What she did have was Luke. She pulled out her phone and quickly scanned through to his contact before pressing call.
"Hey Luke, how's the spec unit looking?" she asked a little too casually.
"Just on my way over with the last load," she heard him reply.
"Great, great, good to hear," Kate continued.
"You're being listened to."
"Mhm."
"Should I pretend to say something interesting?"
"A potential tenant? Already?"
"Ok, I have no idea what you're doing."
"You think it'll be ready by then?"
"Kate…" Luke continued before a long silence.
"If you think they'll invest, we should do it."
"Yea, I'm lost. I need you to be a bit more obvious."
"Yea, I can be at the spec unit then. I've got some stuff to wrap up here but could be over in the next hour?"
"Ok, I didn't need you to be that obvious."
"Great, that'll give us another hour before the potential tenant stops by."
"Wait, what now? Potential? Are you bringing a civilian to the flat? After I just moved all this top secret stuff over?!"
"Perfect. Thanks, Luke."
a/n: Hi all,
I've decided to break this bit into three separate chapters. I plan to post them in quick succession, so be on the lookout for frequent updates. In the meantime, I'm working on the next throwback chapter(s), and am pretty excited about it.
Thanks again to all you reviewers out there: y'all are the best ;)
Cheers, EQT.95
