Chapter 74
Clyde, Hakeem, and George all fall to the ground, tied up in a thick rope. Batwoman proudly stands above them, hands on her hips, "That was easier than I thought."
"Fences are always all bark, no bite," Montoya explains. She kicks one of the fences, Hakeem, "So, who're you selling children to? C'mon, spit it out."
"W-we don't know! They always wear masks, white masks. And they're always in nice clothes, and they pay through the roof-"
"Oh, would you shut up!" Clyde shouts, "You're gonna get us all killed!"
"Killed by whom, huh? Who're you so afraid of?" Montoya questions.
George, still out of breath from the fight, begins to speak, "...they watch you at your hearth...they watch you in your bed…"
Suddenly, all of the boys start speaking at once, "Speak not a whispered word about them, or they'll send a Talon for your head."
There's a smashing of glass as the Talon crashes through the window, landing on the ground with one knee bent. He rushes us, wielding the same two blades we'd taken off of the Talon before.
We all get out of the way, dodging the Talon's blades, but we realize that he wasn't aiming for us. Going to the three fences, he slashes Hakeem and George's throats, making a go for Clyde, who's cowering in fear.
Batwoman jumps him from behind, wrapping both arms around his neck. He throws her off of him, and turns around to face her.
"So...you're the girl who's been causing us so much trouble…" the Talon cracks his head to the side as he starts stalking toward her.
She chuckles, "Oh, so now the Talon talks?"
He lunges for her, slashing wildly. She dodges him, getting in one good punch to his stomach. He falters, but not enough to let him stab her in the leg. She cries out in pain, falling to her knees as he yanks the knife out of her, releasing a droplet of blood as her costume becomes stained with it.
"I was merely using it as a means for distraction. I also have a bit of a flare for the dramatic, I confess," the Talon flips his sword in his hand, as he stops just short of her.
"Don't think of this as anything personal Miss, I'm just the messenger," he raises his blade, "you've greatly upset my employer, and they...to put it simply...want your head. If you don't struggle this'll be over quickly, and I might not even have to hurt your friends."
He stabs down, but Batwoman rolls to the side just in time, hitting her cape. She rips the cape free from the blade, tearing a piece of it off. I work around behind him, kicking him in the knee. He stumbles forward, "Ladies, such uncivil tactics! If you had any kind of dignity you'd face me like men!"
Snarling, Batwoman tackles him to the ground, "You wanna fight like a man?! Fine!" she punches him across the face, a loud crunching noise sounding from his face. She punches him repeatedly until the Talon's head falls to the side, as he falls unconscious. Batwoman rips off his mask, to reveal a completely different man from the one we'd fought just last night.
She sits back, "...so there's more than one of these guys?"
"However many there are, this one's going away. I just called for backup. You two...probably want to get out of here," Montoya tells us, "Trickstress, here's your mask, I'll circle back to join the police."
I nod, before Batwoman and I fire our grappling hooks and zip up to the roof. Montoya tosses me my mask, before running out of the Flea.
From a nearby warehouse, we watch police cars pull up to the Flea. They bring out the fences, the Talon, but also the Flea residents. This doesn't surprise me of course, the warehouse may be abandoned, but the people staying there are doing so illegally. They may be clearing out the Flea now, but the people will come back. They always come back, the Flea is their home.
Batwoman sighs, before pulling off her mask to reveal the face of Barbara Kean, "Well, I guess our job is done here. I can't believe we've solved our first real big crime."
"I wouldn't say we 'solved' it, more like, we heard about an incident and swooped in to save the day," I point out.
She rolls her eyes, "Oh, don't spoil it for me! But, mystery or not, I'd say we deserve to celebrate."
"With what, exactly?" I ask.
"I don't know...what do you do for fun?"
That's a very good question. What do I do for fun? Well, with Ed, that would be playing video games and seeing who could pull out the most obscure Gray Ghost trivia...but somehow I don't see that being Barbara's thing.
"We could catch a double feature, two movies for the price of one, plus a cartoon in between," I suggest.
She shakes her head, "No, I could never sit through something as long as a double feature. How about something more exciting like...oh, I know, a concert hall!"
I stand in place, waiting for her to start laughing, or to give some kind of indication that that was a joke. But she stands just as still, a sincere smile across her face. I slowly begin to shake my head, "No, I prefer to listen to music at home on my records."
She sighs, "Yeah, I could never get Jim to go to one of those either. You know what? How about you just come over to my apartment for coffee and an early breakfast?"
"Right now?"
She nods her head. While I am tired, it is the most agreeable thing she's suggested. I guess that while we make a good crime-fighting team, outside of our work, we're two very different people.
"Alright. Crime-fighting does make me hungry," I give a cheesy smile.
I drown my coffee with milk and sugar before drinking it. Barbara, donning a homely apron under her civilian clothing, brings out a tray of baked croissants. Her dark red sweater and black suit pants covering most of her wounds, although she still carries a distinct limp.
"I haven't baked in a while, most of my diet's been consisting of pre-made salad from the grocery store. I never have time to cook anymore," she tells me as she sets down the tray.
We're sitting in the living room in front of the fireplace. Everything in the house is just a little too neat, looking more like a furniture store than an actual home.
"I have one of those slow cookers at home, I just leave some fish and vegetables or soup inside before work so it's ready by the time I get home," I reply, taking another sip of my coffee.
She takes off her apron, sits down on the couch and folds her hands together, "Hey, Natalie, the reason I wanted to hang out with you is...because I haven't been completely honest with you."
"If this is about you and Renee having dated, don't worry, I've already figured that out."
She chuckles, "Oh my gosh, it's that obvious?"
I try my best not to roll my eyes as I nod my head, "...yeah. From how she immediately let her guard down when she found out your identity, to how her voice softens when she speaks to you...yeah, it's pretty obvious."
"Well, next time I'll try my best to be more discreet," she jokes, but her smile fades soon after, "but...that isn't what I meant."
She reaches behind her and takes out the Talon's two blades, "You see the words inscribed on the blades? They're part of an old nursery rhyme my mother use to sing to me when I was young. The full rhyme goes like this:
Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time,
Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch, behind granite and lime
They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed.
Speak not a whispered word about them, or they'll send the Talon for your head."
That's a rather morbid children's nursery rhyme, but so is "Ring Around the Rosey". Ah, the Middle Ages.
"So...you think that the…'Court of Owls' are the people that are coming after you?" I conclude.
"I'm almost certain of it. My parents, they…they warned me about them. And plus, the Talon and those fences said pieces from the rhyme, it can't be a coincidence."
I stare down into my coffee, "I have to ask: how would your parents know about the Court of Owls?"
She shrugs, "They're wealthy, connected socialites. If anyone knows about elite, secret organizations, it would be them, right?"
Fair enough, but something still doesn't feel right here…
A grunting noise comes from the other side of the hallway, as James Gordon stumbles into the living room, "Mhm...Barbara, why are you up so ear-"
He stops in place as he spots me, his eyes widening, "Barbara...what are you doing…?"
"Oh...Jim, you know Natalie, right?" she smiles, her tone suddenly becoming light and girlish.
He blinks several times, "How...how did-"
"We meet? Peter introduced us, they came to my art gallery...something you neglected to do," she counters with an almost passive-aggressive air.
"I...I was handling the Balloon Man case when it happened, remember? I was just...too busy, I'll make it up" he promises, before turning to me, "I think it's time you leave. I'll deal with you later."
I set down my cup of coffee, "I can see when I'm not wanted. Good day, Mr. Gordon, Barbara."
With Barbara and Gordon standing in place, I show myself to the door, closing it behind me.
Author's Note: Keeping up with this story has become very difficult, and I've been considering taking a break for a long time now. So, with the first season of Gotham coming to a close, there's a possibility I could rest and focus on school and my other stories.
But, I know there will be some level of opposition, so I present an alternative: if I get at least nine reviews on Fanfiction, and seventeen comments on Wattpad (including my own), I will stay on and release some bonus content I've prepared (hint: it's the origin story of how Natalie met Ed).
So, review/comment if you want BOAF to keep on its current release schedule, and if the goal isn't reached, I'll release Chapter 75 on the day of Gotham's finale and take a break until an undisclosed date. But maybe, I'll just get my normal numbers and get to take a break...maybe?
Erik-is-my-angel1234: Thanks, who knows, Montoya may become a more permanent member of the team! Or she could, you know, arrest them…
Narutoske: Thanks, I was sort of working with a Birds of Prey (DC's all-female superhero team) concept when writing their team-up
Since the Ed and Kirsten romance is a minor side plot, they don't get a lot of fleshing out, especially before Ed...does what he does
Langley: Awe, thanks, I put more time and effort into this than I should, but it's good to know it's making someone happy :) Oswald, a previously reviled character, now does have a strange appeal and I wanted to duplicate that. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks! :)