Day 388

I had been looking everywhere in the Sirens for Barbara. It should be full with people partying, but today it was empty and silent. Even the lights were switched off. The sounds of my hurried footsteps echoed the bar. I have checked the kitchen, pantry, toilet, office, private rooms… but Barbara was nowhere to be found. I heard a faint sound and turned around quickly. One of Barbara's stoic ladies was standing behind me. I heard they are as swift as ninja.

"Where is Barbara?" I asked her. "It's her 38th week. She shouldn't go anywhere alone."

"She is a strong woman and she doesn't need anyone," the poker-faced woman answered.

I raised my eyebrows. "I never doubted that, but she's pregnant and her baby could come out anytime soon," I sharply said, placing my hand on my hip. Lee is busy in the hospital so sometimes she asked me to check on Barbara.

"She went somewhere with a luggage."

"A luggage?"

"I am as clueless as you, little girl."

I narrowed my eyes at the insult of my height and stormed out of the place. First place I need to go is St. Luke's hospital. The fact that Barbara went missing on reunification day is out of my mind. This should be good news for her and her baby.

I drove to the hospital to inform Lee about the missing of the pregnant lady. When I was on my way to the female wing of the hospital, I heard Barbara's screams of pain.

Worried, I quickened my steps and saw she was with Lee. Lee was massaging her back while she bent forward a bit with her hands on a table. "I was from the Sirens, looking for you," I crossly blurted. I saw Barbara slightly rolled her eyes in exasperation.

I shifted my eyes to Lee, telepathically asking her about Barbara's labor. As if she read my mind, she mouthed, "Maybe tonight." The quick conversation I had had with Barbara's underling appeared in my mind. She had said that Barbara had gone with a luggage but I didn't see luggage anywhere near her. I couldn't help but wonder what is in the head of Ms. Kean.

"I already called Jim," Lee then said out loud.

"Okay, Barbara," I said, slowly. "Let's do some exercises to help with the contractions. Come on. We can do this together."

Barbara is like a young version of Mrs. Weller. Her insults and disses fell out fluently from her mouth. Fortunately, they just bounced away from me. I didn't take offense from any of them. I've been in labor before so I understood her feelings. She had calm down for now and Lee was checking her blood pressure.

"Blood pressure's normal," Lee examined.

"I'm glad something about this is normal," sighed Barbara. "So how long's this gonna take, Doc, soup to nuts?"

I pursued my lips at her question in doubt, while Lee was gearing up her stethoscope. "Are you in a hurry or something?" Lee asked, pressing the end of the stethoscope on Barbara's stomach.

"No, it's just that, uh… I just feel like you've been…"

While Barbara chatted away, I moved away from the two of them to give them space and walked to the door, leaning against it. I felt like I shouldn't listen to their conversation. It's probably about their complicated relationship with Jim. But from Barbara's attitude, she did seem to be in a hurry for something. The luggage must be a part of it. I don't want to alert Lee or anyone about this since I was just speculating, but I think for now, I must keep my eyes on the pregnant lady.

The sun had set. I hope the reunification ran smoothly, even though there was no news from the precinct. Jim hadn't arrived. I guessed it took a long time to do this kind of arrangement. I took turns with Lee for our late lunch a couple hours ago since one of us should took care of Barbara. She just doesn't trust anyone else.

Even when I was assigned by Lee to check on her a few months ago, she would kick me out of Sirens. But after a few visits, she had finally allowed me to visit her.

I freed my back from the wall and sat on the bed beside Barbara's. Lee had gone out for toilet break.

"So, are you going somewhere?" I asked Barbara, who had just relax after a contraction a few seconds ago.

She titled her head to the side a bit and narrowed her icy blue eyes. Her face showed that she didn't want to talk about it, but I insisted.

"I heard you departed from the Sirens with a luggage. Is there something that Lee and I and Jim should know?" I probed.

She was about to answer when her face contorted in pain. She gritted her teeth and groaned. My reaction was instant, since Lee is not by her side, so I quickly massaged her back. She screamed in pain, tightening her grip at the rail at the foot of her bed.

"Deep breath, Babs. You're doing all right."

"How, uh… is parenthood?" she suddenly asked. I wasn't sure if she was genuinely asking or if she was trying to avoid my interrogation.

"New," I shrugged, then I think I let a smile plastered on my face. "You worry more, you spend more, you cry more… but then you smile more, laugh more, love more. I personally enjoy it."

"Yeah, but not this!" she shrieked in agony. Lee returned to the room. "There must be something you can give me," she grated to Lee. I moved away and let Lee massaged her.

"We're out of the drugs that you need," replied my doctor friend. "It's okay. You're almost there. I'll get you some ice chips so you don't get dehydrated."

Barbara made a sarcastic face. "Gee, thanks."

I controlled the urges to roll my eyes at Barbara's brash attitudes. My hand returned to her back, applying pressure to comfort the soreness. My knuckles made up and down motion as I massaged her. Then I heard Nygma's voice uttering Lee's name so I whipped my head to the door. There was a Nygma there, entering the room. He was bewildered seeing her and tensed.

"Don't worry, I'm not here for you," Nygma bitterly uttered.

He then shifted his gaze to Barbara and I, especially to Barbara. Barbara took a step backwards, while I moved to her front to protect her and her baby. He returned to glance at Lee.

"But for the record, you stabbed me first," Nygma pointedly said, pointing his finger towards Lee. He seemed to look very betrayed, but I was more worried about the fact they had stabbed each other.

Then I saw Oswald limped his way through the door, pushing it wide open. "If you two are quite done, we are actually here for Barbara," he interrupted. "Or more precisely what she stole from us."

Lee tried to stop them, raising her hand to prevent them from going forward and ordered them to leave.

"Gladly," Oswald answered. "Just as soon as Barbara gives us the…" He stopped and tilted his head to Nygma. "What's it called?"

"Pressure regulator valve," Nygma curtly answered.

"Right." He nodded at the long difficult name. "That."

Everyone is looking at the agitated pregnant woman behind me right now.

"I should have known that you would try to screw us over," accused Nygma, pointing his finger towards Barbara.

"You only noticed because you tried to screw me over first!" she snarled.

Nygma put on two fingers up in a teasing manner. "Second, technically."

"Okay, she's in the middle of having a baby," Lee attempted to stop them.

"And we are in the middle of trying to leave Gotham, and we can't do that without a crucial part of the submarine which will ferry us all away from here!" Oswald screamed, while marching towards us step by step.

I twirled around to frown at Barbara, feeling betrayed.

"Hand over the part… now." The criminal lord pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Barbara's abdomen.

Lee and I gasped in anger. "Don't point that at the baby," we chorused. What was he thinking? He could have accidentally pulled the trigger! As a mother, that just pissed me off.

"What? No, I did not!" he defended, lowering his weapon while trying to explain himself. "I... I was merely trying to make a general threatening gesture with a firearm."

"But you did, though," Nygma interjected, pointing out what he had accounted. "You pointed the gun at the baby."

Oswald huffed in frustration. "All right, fine. I'm sorry!" He apologized to the Barbara's baby bump. Then he angrily looked back up at us. "Now give us what we want!"

"No! You think I'm stupid enough to have the part on me?" Barbara shrieked. "It's hidden away, somewhere safe. And if you think you can torture me into telling you where, there is literally nothing more painful than what I am going through right now!"

"Agreed 100 per cent," I said, while Lee rushed to massage her back again.

At that moment, abruptly, an explosion occurred in the building.

The explosion shook the building, making all of us alert of the situation. The glass windows rattled behind us. I whipped my head towards the blonde lady to check on her condition, but Lee got that covered.

The speaker resonated.

"Barbara Kean. Your time is up. There's no place for you to hide."

Who the Hell was that? And what did he want with Barbara?

"No one will save you. Nor mercy that will spare you. You simply cannot run from your sins. And you cannot run from me."

I saw a wheel chair nearby and grabbed it. My heart was racing fast. Someone wanted Barbara and her child's life might be in danger.

"Sit," I commanded her and she did without question. Lee tried to contact Jim or anyone from the precinct but no one was replying. I radioed Hassan that something bad is going one and I needed him to protect the children in the apartment.

All of us briskly walked out of the room to escape from the back exit. Lee was pushing the wheel chair. Oswald and Nygma were following us from behind.

"Who are those guys?" Lee probed in concern.

"No idea," replied Barbara.

"Exactly how many people have you screwed over?"

"Present company excluded," Oswald butted in.

"There are 79 people in this building," Lee annoyingly aid.

"Well, fortunately, they seem to only be trying to kill one," Nygma pointed out.

"So, by all means, let's gather 'round the target," Oswald sarcastically said.

Lee suggested us to use the abandoned wing. I winced slightly because of all time; the wound on my left thigh felt prickly again. We could use a little help from the two men to distract the enemy while we escaped. But Oswald refused to help, of course. Barbara threatened not to reveal the location of the submarine part if they refused to help. In the end, they agreed. I mean, Nygma agreed, meanwhile Oswald seemed furious.

Lee and Barbara went forward first while I still stuck on the ground. I stared at the two striking men.

"You guys really want to leave Gotham by yourselves?" I asked, feeling a little sad. So many things had happened with me and them. "You know what? Don't answer that." I clenched and unclenched my left fist. "Bye." I limped hurriedly to match Lee's pace, leaving the two 'friends' behind.

Barbara's contractions are getting close and frequent. And we are still nowhere at the proper place to prepare for the childbirth. I rushed forward to check outside before the two ladies. There's a stretcher and ambulance car outside and no one, which is good. It's safer for us.

"What was your plan anyway?" I heard Lee asked when she brought Barbara out. At first I thought she was asking me. "You were going to be a fugitive with Nygma and Penguin?"

"Well, I'm not exactly the stay-at-home-and-bake-apple-pie type," Barbara responded while suppressing the pain of labor.

"Okay, like escaping in a submarine is a brilliant idea," I mockingly said.

The two ladies then were having a staring battles and something seemed to stir Lee. "Barbara, you can live here. You can have this baby here. Jim is not taking the baby away from you."

"You really believe that?" There was sadness on Barbara's face. She really wanted to keep her child. "You really think Captain Jim Gordon is gonna let a criminal raise his kid?"

But Jim wouldn't separate the mother from her child. That's just cruel.

"People are already shooting at my baby. I have to protect him…" Barbara rose from the wheel chair. "Or her. I have to be strong."

My eyes moistened. She is going to be a great mother. I hope my husband and son are all right in the apartment.

"Right, being strong does not mean you have to be a criminal," Lee coaxed. "Jim will help you. And so will I if you'll let me."

"Well, that's just weird." I could feel the lightness of her tone and face.

"Very weird," I added, smiling a little at the exchange of the new friendship.

"I know," Lee said.

Barbara smiled and looked down at her tummy. "Hey, baby, this is your Auntie Lee. Mommy tried to kill her once, maybe twice." She then winced in pain again.

"Okay, that's enough of that," the doctor uttered after letting out a tiny laugh. "Come on. We got to keep moving."

But Barbara was still breathing harshly and she looked up in alarmed. "I think this happening now."

The baby is a girl. And she is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. My heart swelled at the sight of the mother and her newborn baby girl. I remembered when Malik was brought into my life. It was pure joy. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand.

"She's beautiful. Congratulations," Lee praised.

"Hi, there," Barbara greeted, bouncing the baby gently. "Guess I'm-a have to figure out what to call you."

Good vibes were in the air.

"Thank you," she expressed to Lee. And then she looked at me. "Thank you."

All of a sudden, there was a crash nearby and a man appeared. My eyes widened as I realized that he just jumped from the third story of the building, unharmed. I stood before Lee and Barbara. Then, I extracted a scalpel that I had hidden in my pocket. I could hear a loud breathing from the man. He was wearing some sort of mask.

When he turned around, I recognized the man. "Eduardo?" I said. I thought he had died.

"Not anymore," he replied. The mask made his voice sounded different.

Then there was a car speeding fast towards him and hit him, sending him a few feet away from us. I took a step back in appall. Is he dead? The car reversed and stopped before us. I was still in shock when Selina exited the car on our side while Alfred exited from the driver's seat.

"Come on," Selina urged, helping Barbara getting into the car. I snapped myself to focus and helped Selina.

"Get in the car now," Alfred instructed, walking towards the hit man. "I'll hold him off."

Then I entered the back seat while Lee will be driving.

"Alfred and I got this," Selina said. I still looked at her awkwardly due to our fight months ago.

Alfred ordered Selina to get into the car with us but she refused, telling us to leave before the transformed Eduardo gets us. I watched him in horror as he easily rose from the ground and stood straight as if the car didn't hit him less than a minute ago.

"Go," Selina urged, and Lee drove away.

"That's Eduardo Dorrance. He worked with that Walker bitch. The one who planted the chip in your and Nygma's head," I said in one breath. Lee sped up towards the Sirens. It is probably the safest place rather than the precinct. Then I saw a radio transmitter at the drink compartment. It must be connected with the one in the station. I grabbed it and radioed, "Hello? Anyone?"

"Muffin?" came the reply from the other side.

"Bullock. We just escaped from the hospital and on our way to Sirens," I informed. "And uh… You had to congratulate Jim, because he has a beautiful healthy baby girl."

There was a pause. "Will tell him." I could tell from his voice that he is ecstatic about it. I even imagined him running towards Jim to tell about the good news. "We're good here. And the reunification will start in no time."

I asked Lee to drop me off near my apartment before they went to Sirens. I dashed up the stairs to my family, when suddenly a blast could be felt. One blast followed by a few others. The situation made me remembered when Jeremiah blew up all the bridges. It felt like warzone again. I continued my rushed steps and barged in my apartment. My husband and the kids were watching out the window and all of them snapped their heads towards me.

"Babe," my husband uttered. And he hugged me. "I thought the reunification is happening. But why are the armies attacking us?"

"W-what?" I was utterly confused.

Then my son cried out at the crumbling and sounds of explosion. I darted to him and picked him up, hugging him close. And then I looked out at the window, locating the smokes and fires. Helicopters were hovering above the city and firing missiles to the other turfs.

"They didn't attack the Green Zone. But I think that Walker is still responsible for this," I surmised. "Because I saw Eduardo. He's still alive. So that means that all of this is on Walker."

"Should we stay here?" Hassan asked.

"I think we need to go to the GCPD. There's a underground path there. We should be safe." He nodded at my suggestion. "Okay, kids. Pack up light. We're going to the GCPD."

The following morning, the GCPD was packed with citizens. Since the armies had been blowing up buildings, the only safest place they know is the Green Zone, especially the GCPD. My family is already in the building since midnight. The officers were busy and Hassan and I had to help them.

I helped the medical team to examine a number of injured citizens. Jim told me that he had not received any updates from Barbara and Lee. Jim informed that all of this madness is a revenge and continuation of what Ra's Al Ghul's deeds. His daughter, Nyssa (or Walker as I know of her), is responsible. Since Barbara helped with the murder of her father, she wants to hurt her as well.

Alfred was severely injured, after fighting against Eduardo last night to save us. He is still unconscious in the ME lab. Bruce and Selina are with him at the moment. I kept on checking the kids, who were sitting by a bench near the empty water dispenser, when walking back and forth checking the injured people.

Once the medical team is not hectic, I withdrew myself and marched to the kids. "Everyone okay?" I asked. All of the nodded weakly.

"We're gonna die," Sean shakily whispered.

I stopped breathing for a second as I was shocked by his utterance. Before I get to say anything, Troy stood and suddenly grabbed him by the collar.

"Troy!" I reproached, holding his wrist. I had noticed that there were tension between the two of them while I was looking at them from afar. Troy kept on glaring at Sean.

"I am sick of you," he snarled at the terrified blonde. "Nothing has yet happened to us and you kept on saying we're gonna die."

"Open your eyes and look outside!" shrieked Sean. Tears fell down his cheeks. "We're losing! We're gonna die."

I forcefully separated them, causing Sean to plop down on the bench and Troy took a few steps backwards. "Enough," I spat. Fighting back my own tears at their fight, I sat down next to Sean. "We are not going to die. Not if you're giving up. Don't ever say that again."

Troy was still in fumed so he moved a bit further away and leaned his back against the wall. I returned my gaze to Sean and patted his back. He wiped his tears and muttered his apologies.

"You have the right to be scared of all this. But please don't give up. I love all of you and I don't want to lose any of you," I softly said.

He wrapped his arms around me and wept on my shoulders. I guessed Dee Dee was feeling the misery too and wanted to join in the hug, so she climbed on my lap and I hugged both of them. I took a glance at Rue, who was walking towards Troy. Then they hugged too. Meanwhile Kid just sat by herself, staring into space. I let go of the two kids in my embrace and went to her. She looked at me curiously as I sat beside her.

"Don't hit me. I'm gonna give you a hug," I told her, slowly enclosing my arms around her back and pulled her small body to mine. Then I let her go, smiling slightly. She was still in her usual manner: curious.

"Muffin?" A deep baritone voice called my name. I shifted my gaze to the Alvarez. "Captain ordered everyone to go to the east wing, to get ready to go underground."

I nodded. "Okay. Are you showing us there? I don't know where it is."

"We're moving the injured people first. And then the others. The officers will start calling soon."

"I'll go help the medical team." Then I stood up, pulling Alvarez with me, away from the kids. "So what's in Jim's head?"

"Bring everyone to the bunker, distract the army, get General Wade and undid the invasion order."

Why shouldn't I be surprised?

"And save Lee, Barbara and his daughter," he continued.

"There's still no updates on them?" I was bewildered. "Someone has to go there. I can."

"Selina Kyle is already on her way there."

Okay. That eased me a little. I hoped they are all right.

While on my way to the captain's office after assisting the injured people to the bunker, I saw Oswald walking into Jim's office. Unexpectedly, I was happy to see him. He didn't leave Gotham using the submarine. But Nygma is not with him. I wondered if they had a fallout.

I called the children to wait at the east wing and to wait for instructions from the officers.

"What about you?" Troy asked.

"I'm helping them with what I can."

"I want to help…. too."

"You're helping me by taking care of the others. While I'm not there; while Hassan's not there; take care of them," I pleaded, patting his arm before going back to the main hall.

All the frontal officers were geared up and to my surprise (again), there's Nygma there with Oswald, holding a huge firearm.

"Hey."

I turned around to face my husband. "Hey. The kids are at east wing," I said. I caressed Malik who was sleeping in the baby carrier strapped around my husband's body.

"He's tired from the nonstop crying," he whispered. I placed a chaste kiss on my son's head. "Please don't go with them."

I know what he was referring to. The enemy had entered the gate and on their way to our barricade so Jim is ordering a group to hold the enemy off. I scoffed in my mind: How could I join them? I couldn't even properly fire a shot. "I won't," I responded. "I'm staying here."

Citizens kept on coming from different parts of the city and some of them were not doing well. Then, we got a group of people coming to the precinct. The one who led them here was Lee.

"Lee!" I rushed to hug her. "Where're Barbara and the baby?"

"Taken," she shakily replied. Then she gestured to the people behind her. "These people need help. The Narrows had lost."

"Let's get them in. I'll alert the medical team."

We helped the newcomers inside and checked on them. Most of them inhaled too much of the smoke and there was no severe injuries. I was passing them water, when the lights suddenly went out. Then I saw Bruce and Selina running out of the precinct. Bruce was holding a duffel bag and I noticed a familiar blue from the opening.

I saw Lucius and Lee so I approached them. "Did I just saw Bruce taking away Jeremiah's battery?"

"They are using it to blow Wayne Tower," Lucius answered.

I could only express my concern and surprised with my face because I was speechless.

"They know what to do with it," reassured Lee. "It had to be done to slow down the army."