I go into Linda's room and see the set of drawers on the other side of her bed. When I walk around it I run my fingers against the sheets. I crouch down and pull open a drawer. This one has pajamas in it; mostly cotton. I grab a pair of black, cotton shorts and top then close the drawer. I unzip my dress. I'm not wearing a bra underneath and hope Linda doesn't mind. Once I'm comfortably clothed, I try to fold my dress while walking back to the living room. Before I turn the corner, I hear Linda talking to someone.
"Yes, she's here. Is that a problem? ... I see… Never mind, Sawyer. Now what exactly do you want?"
Why is Maggie calling Linda this late at night? Wait, this must be involved with Intergang.
"That is interesting. How soon do you want me to be there? ... Understandable… I'm sure Kate won't mind… Okay, see you soon, Sawyer." I can hear Linda's phone snap shut, then her sigh.
"Hey, Kate. Are you dressed?" I wait a few seconds then come out of hiding with a smile on my face.
"Yeah, I'm dressed. Um, I didn't have a bra underneath my dress. I hope you don't mind."
"No, it's okay." Linda takes a breath and holds it. She slips her phone in her back pocket and come towards me. Slowly, she takes the dress from me, folds it properly, and sets in on the back of the couch. It isn't until then that she exhales. "Look Kate, I've got to go." I feign surprise and ask her why. "Work. There's been a break in the Intergang story. I need to go and meet a source. Are you okay with staying here by yourself?" She finally looks me in the eyes. I nod. "Cool, I'm going to head back to my room and get changed. After I leave, you can hang out here and maybe read a book. I'm sorry I don't have a TV."
"That's okay." Linda smiles and kisses the top of my head.
"You're fantastic, you know that, Kane?" Linda rushes to her room to get dressed. Five minutes later she runs into the living room changed and with all her gear. I hand her the toasted cheese sandwich and she's out the door. I wait another five minutes until I grab my stuff and what I think is the spare key to the apartment.
I want in on this Intergang case and it's about high-time I do some investigating. I lock the door and head to the elevator. When I get downstairs I slip past the doorman and beeline it to my car. I'm so glad I keep an extra Batwoman suit in the trunk because I'm going to absolutely need it tonight.
XXX
Getting changed was easy. It was finding out where Linda went that was another thing entirely. I had a hunch to where she was going, and it also helped that I put a tracker on her jacket before she left. I watch her from behind a shipping freight as she enters the warehouse she met Black Canary in a week ago. As soon as she disappears into the building, I run across the dock and aim for the same window I went in earlier. I slip through it and step lightly onto the balcony. There are more boxes up here from before.
I creep up to the banister and look down. I don't like what I see. Maggie is lying on the floor unconscious. I'm about to jump over the rails and help her when Linda shoots out of the dark.
"Maggie!" She gets down on both knees and checks Maggie for a pulse. She must have found one because she starts looking over her body. "Come on, Maggie. Wake up, come on."
"She won't wake up." Linda gets up on one knee then pushing herself to stand, turns to face who spoke. I can't see them because they're hidden in the dark. Linda's back is to me.
"You?" It seems Linda can see and knows who did this to Maggie.
"Hey, girl." Linda shakes her head and moves towards the voice.
"But why?"
"I need to do this, Linda. I need to protect them." She takes another step and places a hand on her heart, I think.
"I can protect them, or Connor, or somebody."
"I didn't have a choice." I can hear the desperation in this person's voice.
"There is always a choice," says Linda.
"Not this time." What happens next, takes place in slow-motion.
The firing of the gun, the bullet ripping through Linda's body, Linda falling by Maggie's feet, the look of terror and surprise on her face; everything moved like it was going through water. Then there's me screaming and throwing a bat-a-rang into the dark, hoping it hits its mark.
XXX
"Miss Kane?" I stop pacing and look up to see a doctor dressed in scrubs. "I'm Doctor Robin. I can safely say Miss Danvers is fine. The bullet went straight through except for a fragment we eventually extrapolated. We were able to stop the bleeding, but she'll have to stay overnight. Detective Sawyer is still knocked out from the drug but she should wake up soon."
"What about the person who did this? I heard Batwoman brought them in." A look of surprise splashes across Dr. Robin's face.
"How…? Never mind. Yes, Batwoman brought them in. She did a real number on them too. Right now, the person is in custody of the GCPD and no, I will not tell you where they are being held."
"I wasn't asking."
"No, but it is on your mind. And I thought I should put a stop to any ideas you may have before you do something you'll regret."
"Trust me, doctor. I have no desire to dish out revenge. I simply want to make sure Maggie and Linda are safe."
"Call me, Richard," he says with a grin that would make most women swoon. "That's good, and they're fine. I would let you visit Detective Sawyer, but Detective Bullock is already in there."
"I thought you said she was asleep?"
"She is." Dr. Richard Robin—who is totally a McDreamy type—smiles again and walks away to take care of whatever else he needs to do. I don't want to continue pacing but I do want to see Linda. From being in the hospital so many times, I know where the ICU is. I just need to get there without being spotted or stopped.
XXX
After dodging several doctors, nurses, and a few members of security, I make it to Linda's room. I have to open a few curtains until I reach the last enclosed bed. Linda has to be there.
"What are doing?" Oops. I turn and find a very agitated, fat nurse tapping her foot with her hands on her hips. "I'm going to call security if you don't answer my-"
"Oh shut-up. I'm here to see my friend, Linda. I know I'm not supposed to be here, but I wanted to see her." The nurse is a little shocked at my outburst, but then gets mad.
"Look here, missy. Miss Danvers was just brought in here and put in that corner to rest. I don't need you trying to cause anything-" She stops I the middle of her chastisement of me for one reason; a very empty hospital bed and no Linda.
XXX
As Kate Kane, there is not much I can do about the missing Linda. But as Batwoman, I have access to a lot of tools that can do the job. I pull into the Batcave on my motorcycle and see Barbara is on Oracle duty, tonight. I would have called in but I didn't want Batman, Robin, or Batgirl to catch wind of what I was doing. I don't fear being caught because I know they are all on patrol. I shut off my engine and jog of the stairs that lead to the main computer.
"Hey Barbara, I need-" Barbara stops talking and turns to me with a raised eyebrow. Next to Barbara is Supergirl, dressed in civvies and eating a cookie.
"Hello, Kate. And how are you this night?" asks Supergirl. I open and close my mouth a few times then mentally shake myself out of my freeze and speak to Barbara.
"Barbara, I need your help. Tonight-"
"I know." I guess as Oracle, there isn't anything she misses.
"Good because we need to find her."
"No, you don't," says Supergirl after finishing her cookie. I glare at her and grit my teeth.
"Why not?"
"Because she is safe with me." I'm confused. Barbara laughs and grabs a cookie from the plate sitting on the chair next to her.
"Supergirl is dressed like this because she needed to sneak into the hospital incognito. If she had retrieved Linda through the window then Intergang's spies would have seen her."
"Right," interrupts Supergirl. "But dressing like this allowed me to get in and out without being seen."
I stop Supergirl there. "Okay, I get that you can get in and out without being seen because of your super-speed, but what about Linda? It's not like moving her would have been easy." Barbara and Supergirl smile at each other but don't say a word. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"
"Probably not," says Barbara with a mouth full of cookie. I roll my eyes and walk over to Supergirl. Grabbing her by the arm, I drag her away from Barbara, so I can chat with her privately.
"On a serious note, how is Linda?" Supergirl smiles and leans against some piece of machinery.
"She'll be fine. The doctors did a good job of getting control of the bleeding. Right now she's recovering." With Supergirl dressed in civilian clothes, her attitude is more casual than normal.
"And let me guess, she's doing this with the help of your magical mix." Supergirl narrows her eyes and crosses her arms.
"It is not magical, it is a scientific formula created by Kryptonian doctors to heal those suffering from blunt-force trauma." I didn't expect Supergirl to get riled up at my comment and relish in the pout on her lip.
"Whatever you say, Supergirl." As I shift my feet to go back to Barbara, Supergirl reaches out stops me.
"Kara, call me Kara."
Huh. There is this look in her eyes I've seen before, in Linda's. A look I still can't place yet. In that moment, I give Supergirl a look over. She's dressed in dark blue-jeans, a green t-shirt with a black leather jacket, and black sneakers.
"Batwoman, Supergirl, come here. There is something I need you to see," yells out Barbara. I walk away from Kara to the computer. I've seen that jacket before, it's Linda's. And now I'm beginning to understand what Jimmy meant by Kara being lucky to have Linda.