Raven and Changeling had arrived in Gotham via a portal and after dropping Harley at Arkham, teleported again to an arranged spot where Alfred was waiting with a car. It would never do for them to just appear in front of Wayne Manor. He had greeted then with a courtly gesture that was part nod and part bow. "Mr. Logan, Miss Raven. Miss Gordon is eagerly awaiting your arrival"
"Please, it's just Raven and Garfield," Raven said. "How should we address you?"
"Alfred is fine, Miss Raven," he said with just the lightest touch of dry sarcasm. It was clear to her how he had been able to deal with the huge personalities he had spent so many years around. "Will you be wanting dinner? Miss Gordon has not eaten and it would be an excellent opportunity for her to brief you as to the situation here."
The two young heroes shared a glance. They were being quietly, respectfully, and completely managed. "That would be great," Gar said. "Thanks Alfred."
"You are very welcome, sir. I must say, we are very glad to have you here. Bane and Killer Croc are among the rouges that have been active since Master Wayne has been absent. He left strict orders for her not to engage either, simply based on their physical prowess. I believe her frustration was nearing the breaking point when we were told you were coming."
They threaded through the legendarily grim and dirty streets of Gotham. Night was falling as they drove and at one point, they passed an intersection and Gar glanced to his left. He was certain he saw more working prostitutes in that one look then in the entire rest of his life. He shook his head. No wonder Rob got out of this place. They reached a point where the run down apartments and storefronts gave way to warehouses, then with surprising suddenness to rolling woodlands. Rae nudged him and indicated that he should look out the other window with a tilt of her head. On a crag overlooking a wind swept sea, a structure that looked more like a castle or fortress then any contemporary structure loomed up, dark and ominous, lit only by a single light near the entrance. "Jeez," Gar muttered. "We're going to Hogwarts."
"How did people not figure out that was Batman's house?" Raven asked. "I kind of expect to hear a werewolf howl."
They were speaking softly but Alfred clearly heard them, "Frau Blucher will be meeting us at the door," he said, his voice dry enough start a forest fire. Gar snorted in amused surprise. Raven looked blank.
The interior was, oddly enough given the Gothic exterior, art deco. Rae found herself warming to the place, based on nothing other then the fact that it didn't look like anywhere else she had ever been. Alfred insisted on carrying the two backpacks that contained their few essentials and he led them in. Barbara Gordon was waiting for them, out of costume and wearing a warm up suit. "Hi," she said with a quick wave and a welcoming smile. Her manner was completely unlike either Rob or Batman's. "Nice to meet you guys," she said, offering a quick handshake to them both. "Come on down to the cave and we'll get started while Alfred gets dinner… unless someone will finally let me order take-out."
"Miss Gordon, as I have told you before, no 'take out' shall enter this house as long as I posses the strength to kick it across the lawn."
Barbara stood on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "I love Alfred and Alfred loves me!" she said in a singsong, teasing voice. Alfred walked away muttering something that sounded like "Americans..." The second he was out of sight, her affected persona dropped away. Raven wondered why she would bother with such a facade for Alfred's sake. He was clearly too sharp to be fooled. "This way. First thing on the docket is Bane. With Bruce gone he's barely bothered to hide."
"Either Gar or I could take him out alone," Raven said. "Maybe we could split up?" For a moment Gar was concerned that Batgirl might take that as insulting but she never batted an eye.
"No need to take the risk." She had led them to a book case that opened when she triggered some hidden catch, then down the wide stairs it had hidden. "Bruce said we needed to make it loud and obvious that you two are here, so as soon as we eat, we're going to do a quick recon and then bust in and bust heads."
They reached the bottom of the stairs and laid out in front of them was the most famous secret hideout in the world. They both stopped for a second and sort of took it in. "I always thought Rob was lying about the giant penny," Gar said softly. Raven nodded agreement.
Barbara noticed they were no longer following her and looked over her shoulder with a flash of annoyance. There was the Bat's influence. "I would say 'take a picture, it'll last longer' but no pictures allowed. As I was saying, I have an address. There is a blind spot on a roof they aren't covering because the surrounding area is heavily surveyed." She sat at what appeared to be a central control area with the largest computer screen Gar had ever seen. "Raven, you can teleport us there?" Raven nodded agreement. "OK, then I'll do a little sneak n' peek..."
"I can turn into something small and look at anything you need," Gar interrupted.
Barbara went on as if she had not been spoken over, "And Changeling will also scout around. If Bane is there, which I believe he will be, we just drop in. Raven, you take his men. You can keep the bullets under control. I'll be on overwatch looking for surprises. Changeling, I want you to beat the living crap out of Bane. He needs to lose and lose badly. We're making a statement here. Agreed?" Gar nodded and Raven, feeling a bit bowled over sort of wanted to nitpick the plan just to show Batgirl that she wasn't their boss. Raven also realized that was a little childish so she nodded agreement. "OK, no need to push it on your first night. Tomorrow, we..." They spent the remaining time going over plans for dealing with other Gotham luminaries.
Dinner was announced by an alert that came up on the screen they were using. Barbara stood with a sigh. "He thinks I've been pushing myself. Prepare to be stuffed." Dinner was of a quality that Gar and Raven rarely experienced. It was prime rib for the ladies and an enormous portabello cap with a spicy, nutty sauce for the gentleman. Asparagus in plum sauce and potato puree. Strawberry shortcake that made the normally abstemious Raven consider a second piece. Gar did more then consider it; he exceeded it.
"Alfred..." Gar said, "Dude, I am never leaving. That was amazing!"
"Thank you, Sir," he replied as he began clearing the table. Raven stood to help him but Barbara waved her off. "We have never had a vegan guest before. I relish the challenge."
"OK," Barbara said, rising. "Let's go work some of this off. Get changed and meet me in the cave." She turned and walked away without looking back.
"I guess the bat effects people the same," Raven said. "That could have been Robin."
Alfred returned to the room. "Your things are in your room," he said. "I'll show you up." Raven had been slightly concerned that they would be given separate rooms, not being married and Alfred being seemingly very proper. The room he led them to was enormous and ornate. It featured a balcony that overlooked the ocean and a bed that was clearly a good deal larger then a standard king. They had no time to look over their ostentatious accommodations, and dressed quickly.
Barbara was waiting for them in the library in front of the hidden entrance. She opened the door and led them down. "I have current photos of our entrance point from several angles. Raven, will you be able to get us there with these?" Raven glanced over the images and nodded. "When we get there, take cover and wait for my word to go. Got it?"
Raven again bristled a little but managed restraint and surprisingly, Gar spoke. "Batgirl," he said, "We got it. You need to get that Raven has been doing this almost as long as you have and I've been doing it longer. We're used to working in a team and you aren't. Slow your roll a little." Barbara tilted her head slightly and her eyes narrowed. He cocked an eyebrow at her. She nodded brusquely. Raven opened the portal in the tense silence and they stepped through.
Gar immediately transformed into a hummingbird, Raven ducked into the cover of a water tower's shadow and Batgirl was over the side of the roof and on the wall in a heartbeat. Gar buzzed out over the street and saw that it was deserted for the block around their target building except for fully armed criminals. Maybe mercenaries was a better term. They wore body armor and carried military grade rifles. It stunned him. In Jump City, this kind of display would have been instantly met with massive force; SWAT, helicopters, maybe even National Guard and certainly the Titans. Here, it seemed that people just walked around the area instead of through and went on about their business. He quickly circled the block and returned to the roof, transforming next to Raven. "Six guys in the street, paramilitary types," he whispered. "Light and movement on the second floor of the building. I saw Bane but I couldn't get a count on how many were in there with him."
"Six more," Barbara whispered, startling them both. The windows are rigged with claymores pointing out and up, set to go off if the windows are breached." It must be admitted she sounded a little smug. She held up a tablet. "Pictures." They paged through them and made final plans.
Across the street, Bane was sitting at a table looking over some kind of blueprints. The six mercenaries were off duty, so they were lounging around, four actually playing video games. Out of nowhere a black gate appeared. Bane was up and moving in an instant, triggering his chemical enhancements as he went. The men were grabbing for weapons. A black ball entered the room and broke open, forming into a curved barrier that cut the men off, leaving only the three heroes in an irregular space with Bane. Possibly most disconcerting of all was the roaring, bounding twelve foot tall, fifteen hundred pound green gorilla that charged straight at the villain.
Gar met Bane, taking two punches and a kick that that actually hurt in spite of his mass. Bane was an extremely skilled fighter but he had always counted on being bigger and stronger then his opponents. This was not his fight. His habits were counterproductive. Gar's first huge overhand attack missed but his second struck Bane a glancing but immensely powerful blow, staggering him. Gar then slammed both fists down once, then twice. Both struck with sickening impacts and the crack of breaking bones. After that it was mopping up.
When they teleported back to the manor, Raven now able to take then directly inside, Barbara had nodded and said "Good work. That went well." She glanced sidelong at them and slightly rolled her eyes. "I suggest you get some rest but you do what you want. I'm going home." Rae and Gar went up to their room.
Once they had changed out of costume and into the luxurious robes that were provided, as if by agreement, they went out onto their balcony and looked out at the ocean under the moon. Rae molded herself to him and he wrapped an arm around her. "This feels good," he said.
Rae nodded, "It felt like forever since we did something." She leaned away from him and looked thoughtful. "I wonder..."
"You wonder what?"
"Batman asked us to come here because Barbara needed help, which she did. It also might pull the clown back here, especially since we put Harley back in the Arkham Escapatorium." Gar chuckled at her rare jest. "I'm wondering if he also knew this would help us. Feeling effective. Getting away."
Gar thought for a moment. "I bet he has lots of good reasons for every move he makes." They stood in each other's arms for several long minutes until she broke away and took his hand, leading him towards the bed. He suddenly chuckled. She gave him an inquiring look. "Since Alfred made that joke, I've had movie references bouncing around my head."
Rae had wondered where the line that made him laugh earlier had come from. Yet another movie he could quote that she had never seen. "What obscure thing has bubbled up from the depths now?"
He put on a bad Irish accent and pointed. "A man would have to be a sprinter to catch his wife in a bed that big!"
She laughed and actually blushed a little. "Don't worry. I'll slow down after a lap or two."