"Hello?... No, you didn't wake me… Okay, maybe you did… I'm fine, I had a fit and tore up my room but other than that I'm good… I never said that… What about Kate?... Shouldn't she join us?... Oh, I beg to differ… Good… Bye, see you then.
I stretch out on the bed and feel for the body I was lying next to but it's gone. I open my eyes and give the room a once over. The entire room was cleaned, obviously while I was sleeping. No more clothes strewn everywhere and no broken pieces of bed on the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, the alarm clock—surprisingly still plugged in and in good shape—says 6:13 pm. I've been asleep for a little over six hours. Wow.
I throw the sheets off my legs to find I'm still in my jeans and blouse, but someone took off my socks, shoes, and jacket. When I swing my legs around, my feet land on my shoes with the socks neatly folded inside. My jacket is next to them. Linda must have done this. Speaking of, where is she? I hear a few clinks, probably from the kitchen, and get up to check. As I walk down the hallway towards the living room, I hear Linda speaking with someone. I pause for a second and listen in.
"Are you going tonight?" I don't peek around the corner in fear of being seen, but the voice is male and sounds vaguely familiar.
"Yeah, you?" says the voice of Linda. I don't hear anything in reply, so maybe the man gave a non-verbal reply. "Good, I think you need to get out of your head for a little while."
"I'm surprised Bruce even wanted me there. I thought he would cut me out for sure." The only Bruce they could be talking about is Bruce Wayne.
"He knows if he cuts you out you'll go off and investigate on your own. Inviting you is his way of keeping an eye on you." The man chuckles and there is the sound of a cup being set on a counter top.
"Good to know. Look, Linda, I've got to go. I'll see you later tonight, okay?"
"Okay." There's a silent pause until the sound of Linda's front door being open interrupts. "Be safe, Oliver. And try not to do anything stupid until the meeting."
Oliver… as in Oliver Queen?
"I'll try, mother." Even though he's joking with Linda, there's sadness in his voice.
Her door closes, and I hear the lock then a sigh. After a few seconds, I step around the corner and see Linda sitting on the floor with her back on the door and her head in her hands.
"Linda?" She jumps in her position and wipes away some tears before looking at me.
"Kate…" She pushes herself to stand and walks into the kitchen. "I didn't hear you coming down the hallway, how long have you been there?" Her voice is filled with worry and a little fear, something I've never heard before.
"Just long enough to know you and Oliver Queen are going somewhere tonight. And that Bruce Wayne is going to be there." Linda was leaning over her counter, her shoulders tense and her hands gripping the edge of the table top. She relaxed as soon as I gave her my answer.
"Good… good…" She whispers under her breath. I don't know if she knows I can hear her and I don't think it matters either way. I sit at the counter and wait for Linda to turn around, but she just stays there and doesn't move. "Kate," she finally says. "I think you should leave."
"What?" is all I can get out. Linda turns around but keeps her eyes on the floor.
"I need to be somewhere tonight, and it requires a little… well, you just can't be here." I want to ask her for the specifics as to why I can't stay with her, but I get it. Sometimes it's best to go your separate ways for the time being.
"Okay, Linda." I slide off the stool and gradually make my way to the bedroom to get my things and leave.
XXX
The entire time I was in her apartment, from waking up to getting my socks and shoes on, grabbing my purse, and leaving, Linda's didn't look directly at me once. A part of me wants to blame myself for her attitude. The fact I saw her at an extremely weak moment, and took the liberty of putting her to bed and holding her in my arms until I fell asleep could have freaked her out, but the other part of me disagrees. The other part of me knows this has everything to do with Black Canary getting beaten up and raped. There is also a small part of me that wants to know why Linda is meeting with Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne tonight, but that is going to have to wait.
Not long after I leave Linda's apartment, Barbara calls me and says all of us are meeting in the Cave at 9 pm. Since Batman and the rest of us don't meet before 10, this has to be important. It is 8:50 when I pull into the Cave. I see I'm not the only one here. Nightwing is here from Bludhaven, Tim Drake from wherever the Teen Titans have been, Huntress who I thought was with the League, and a fourth motorcycle I don't recognize but it's all green. I get off my bike and go up the stairs to the main floor where I am met by a large group of people.
"Good, Batwoman is here. We can begin," says Oracle. Batman is clearly irritated that one of his own—if you can call me that—is the last to arrive. I resist the urge to roll my eyes and stay at the back of the group. This gives me a chance to see who is here.
Starting all the way from the left and closest to Batman is Nightwing, Red Robin, Green Arrow (the fourth motorcycle), some chick wearing traditional Samurai armor, The Question (I didn't think Renee worked with people other than the Birds of Prey), Huntress, Batgirl, Robin, and Supergirl. Barbara is manning her usual role as Oracle in front of the computer and Bruce is standing next to her.
"You are all aware the Intergang trials started last Wednesday. In two days the key witness will be brought to the stand to testify." Barbara brings up newspaper articles to verify what Bruce is saying, I feel more for his benefit than the groups'. "Through several undercover operations, we have verified that Intergang has located the witness and are planning an attack tonight. Right now, The Flash and Superboy are on a covert mission and are securing the area where the witnessed is located." Barbara brings up a picture of them in their covert gear. "We also have another checking out the perimeter." Batman gives a nod to Supergirl; she steps forward and begins to speak. I'm taken aback because the only people Batman ever allows to speak during a debriefing are Barbara or Nightwing.
"As some of you know, Poison Ivy has turned over a new leaf," she smiles at her pun, "and has been working with the Birds of Prey for several years now. For those of you who didn't know, she is using her plants to secure a large perimeter. If anyone crosses it, her vines will send a message to her, and in turn she will send it to Batman and me." I wonder how Kara got to be on good report with Poison Ivy. "So if a creeper taps you on the shoulder, don't freak out. It's just Ivy." Other than Damian, everyone smiles or chuckles at Supergirl's attempt at humor. Even Batman cracks a small smile. "Something you should keep in mind is our assassin Night Shadow. It is said he will be taking the hit himself, so each of you will be given a special device that can stun our dear Doctor Barns."
"How does it work?" asks Green Arrow.
"Simple," Barbara brings up a simulation of using the device while Kara explains, "there are two buttons and one switch. The main switch powers up the device and keeps it charged for twenty-four hours max. The two buttons are used to stun. The smaller one in the middle is a simple Taser that can be used on anyone. The larger button on the left of the switch is for Night Shadow."
"Why do I feel there is a 'however' in there?" says Stephanie while crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at Kara, a habit that came from not always getting the entire story. A constant happening when Stephanie first joined the Bat family, or so I was told.
"However… due to the amount of power needed for the device to work, one use drains the battery. Not even the Taser will work after that. The second however, is the light will only be effective if you are within twelve feet of Night Shadow, anything more than that will simply tick him off or cause temporary blindness that lasts no more than three seconds, give or take."
"A lot can happen in three seconds," remarks Damian, "but since this Night Shadow can travel within the shadows, how will we get him in the first place?" Batman hands the device, which looks like a flashlight with a few more buttons, to Supergirl who hands it to Damian.
"My intel from the reporter Linda Lee-Danvers states that Barns can't disappear completely. He sticks out some, and because of this we should be able to spot him moving. And if a human reporter can track him for a good fifteen minutes, then a group of highly trained humans and people with superpowers should be able to catch him, right?" Kara winks at Damian who smiles slightly and presses the Taser button. The crackles from the charge make him smile from ear to ear.
Boys and their toys.
Supergirl steps back to let Batman wrap up the debriefing. Suddenly, Barbara taps Kara's right arm and motions for her to lean in while Bruce speaks.
"With Ivy creating an area of ten square miles, there will be a total of six teams of two manning sections within this area. Huntress and Green Arrow will take the northern perimeter, Red Robin and Batgirl will take the southern, Nightwing and Flash west, Katana and Batwoman east, Supergirl and Superboy will take the sky, and Robin and I will be inner perimeter. All the information you need is being uploaded to your communication devices at this moment by Oracle. Any questions?"
"What about The Question?" Everyone's eyes fall on me, except for Kara's, who is having a very quiet yet heated conversation with Barbara.
"The Question has a separate assignment that was given to her earlier. She will not be joining us in the field."
"…for the last time Barbara, no!" Everyone's attention flips to Kara, who realizes that last part came out louder than intended. She stands up straight and crosses her arms, pretending she didn't embarrass herself. "Batman, are we done here?"
It doesn't take a genius to know the reason Damian is smiling is because Bruce turned and gave Kara his patented Bat-glare; which doesn't seem to be phasing her in the slightest. Bruce lets out a low growl and turns to scans the group to see if anyone is confused.
"Yes, we're done here." As soon as the words leave his lips, everyone disperses with their assigned partner. Meanwhile, Bruce takes Kara by the arm and leads her to edge of the platform and away from everyone else. Damian looks upset that he and Batman won't be the first to leave but he doesn't dare interrupt whatever Bruce and Kara are talking about.
"Hello, Batwoman." I twitch and find Katana—the Samurai woman—only a foot away from me. I take a blatant step back.
"Nice to meet you, Katana."
"You are the first person outside of the Birds of Prey I have worked with." So that's how she's involved.
"That's good to know." Katana smiles and waits for me to lead the way to the lower deck where my motorcycle is.
"I would also like to tell you my husband is excited to work with you as well."
Wait… husband? What husband?