It goes without saying that I do not own the characters used within (something which I'm sure we're all grateful for.)

Unlikely Detectives

6 - Crashing The Party

Power Girl whistled as she gazed through layers of brick and steel, peering down into the warehouse below them. The sun had set, and the streetlamps had switched on, casting spots of lights along the east coast of Manhattan. The warehouse on the pier seemed quiet on the outside, but she watched another two figures slipping in through a gate with their key cards, winding in between containers as they made their way to the main building. Already more than a dozen others were loitering inside, talking and waiting.

"Gotta hand it to our man, Banks," she remarked, blinking as her vision returned to normal. Kneeling beside her, Batman kept a keen gaze on the inside of the chain link fence. "He's got a lot of friends inside."

"And at least six armed guards outside," he added. She's caught sight of those, too. Not your run of the mill security contractors, she was guessing. Not unless they were allowed to carry semi-automatic rifles instead of handguns, these days. "Not that they'll be too much of a problem for – what?"

She frowned and patted herself as she felt something vibrating against her hipbone. Power Girl smothered the urge to cough awkwardly as she turned around and popped a small phone from her narrow utility belt. A quick glance at the screen and she sniffed. Of all the times to call, he chose then?

She took a quick glance over her shoulder to see that Bruce hadn't moved from his perch before her boots left the ground. She hovered a few feet away towards the other end of the rooftop, wetting her lips before she answered her phone in a hushed tone. "Ah, Frank? Not the best time, ki - hon." She squeezed her eyes shut, painfully aware of how close she came to calling him "kid."

"Hey, Karen! How are you? I tried calling earlier today – is everything alright? I heard you were on the news this morning."

"Yeah, no, things are… mostly fine." She frowned before leaning back, studying the curved, red tile in her hand. Her clever concealed communicator (or triple-c, as she liked to call it), behaved much like a Bluetooth for Karen Starr's personal cell phone when it was switched on. The handful of people who knew her best, knew that she had no reason to miss a call.

But Frank didn't know her best. He only knew part of her story. And what seemed like harmless, social fun for her alter ego suddenly felt draining to even consider.

Was it any wonder she screened his call at the hospital?

"Well, I was wondering, did you want to get a bite…? We have to make up for the other night, still."

"Last night," she reminded him. "And… sorry, but now's really not the best time."

"Oh… Okay." The tone she heard was something between a kicked puppy and general moodiness. "If you need help with something, I can swing by right now if you like?" And all at once, she remembered that Frank was a nice a gun. A fun guy. But he was a young guy, and as charming and polite as he was when they were together, he was just as insecure and needy when they weren't. Once again, she found herself measuring him against another man, older, mature, and honest, like Bruce. And it was a very one-sided comparison.

Power Girl privately wondered if dating an older, taller, busty, wealthy woman who had graced the covers of business magazines was something he just couldn't handle.

Actually, she was almost positive of it.

"Sorry, Frank. But there's nothing you can do to help here. Maybe in the future." It was a weak answer, and they both knew it. Or maybe he didn't just yet. But she cut the call before making any promise to phone him back. Either he'd prove himself more mature and take a step back, or he'd probably tell his friends that Karen Starr was too much of an old nerd for him. Sooner or later, however, he'd get the message.

"Sorry about that," she said as she hovered back over to the edge. Batman hadn't moved, but she wasn't silly enough to think he was clueless about her little exchange.

"Don't be. These things happen," Batman said, surprising her. And then, quieter, he added "sorry to hear it's difficult." Power Girl blinked. She expected him to ignore it entirely. Not offer his condolences.

Karen had no time for pity. She didn't like it, and she didn't want it. But she knew sympathy when she heard it, and nobody had sacrificed more of their personal life than he had.

It was funny, she thought. In some ways, she idolised Bruce Wayne's Batman. She never knew of anyone else who was so dedicated to fighting injustice. But the missions and moments they had together were few and far between, and since Alfred had invited her to the Batcave a scant day before, she was learning more about the man than the myth.

"Kal – well, Clark – he and Lois have been together for a long time now, haven't they?"

"Feels like forever," Batman agreed. "Clark decided to share his life with her. All parts of it. He's a braver man than I am."

"Now that's something I never thought I'd hear," she smirked. The swift look Batman gave her promised he would be quick to deny it if pushed. But Power Girl thought about what he said, and her face softened. "So stop me if I'm being nosy, but there's nobody like that for you…? No one who's known both sides of the bat?"

"Some," he said, surprising her once again. She expected him to brush the question away. But it seemed curiosity – and fortune – truly did favour the bold. "But never for very long. I'm not sure anyone outside of the League, and maybe only a handful of us inside it, knows quite what it's like. To have to choose."

Power Girl didn't need an explanation. She was, without bragging to anybody, a genius. Karen Starr could think and react at speeds faster than light. She could imagine what happened when someone thought they snagged Gotham's most eligible bachelor, only to wind up discovering he was the Batman. And married to his work, on top of it. It was a hard act for a girl to follow.

Well, most girls.

"You know Diana better than I do," she began. "Are she and Steve still a thing…? That's playing life on hard mode." Although, she imagined some guys liked having a girlfriend that was taller, tougher and could crush heads with her thighs.

"If someone's worth it, they'll make it work," Batman hummed. And that was that. There wasn't much else to say, really. Certainly nothing smart that she could add.

Power Girl was happy to keep her past "romance" with Vartox a secret. It was a cheesy story to share with Frank, but she just didn't want to air that little embarrassment in front of Bruce.

"So – when do you want to crash their little party?" She peered over the edge, focusing on the armed sentries around the warehouse. Time had passed comfortably, and it wouldn't be long before Banks' supposed meeting was set to start. "I could grab those gun guys fast, but red, white and blue tends to stand out." She smirked and gave him a pointed look.

"It's your city," Batman remarked, but there was some defiant little tone of suggestiveness buried in there. After spending a day with him, she was sure that she was learning all the little signs and sounds that he communicated with.

"Well," she sighed, her boots touching the ground as she spun around and crossed her arms. "If you're going to put it that way, I suppose I'll just… eh?" There was a flapping sound, like a cape on the wind, and Power Girl turned back to where Batman had been standing a moment before. The rooftop was empty save for her, and as she glanced over the edge, she had to strain to see any sign of him. But she knew that the cape and cowl he wore was lined with lead, and not even looking here and there with her x-ray vision revealed his hiding spot.

"How does he do that?" she grumbled sourly to herself.

Batman watched as patrol patterns revealed themselves. It was standard and predictable. The only challenge he saw was in the firepower of the rifles. The body armour spread through his suit would stop a handful of rounds, but after that, he would be in trouble. And gunfire would draw the attention of the rest, including the gathering inside the warehouse. But the shadows were his ally, and he trained for years not to be seen when he didn't want to.

So, when the first guard ambled past, he never got a shot off before a gloved hand covered his mouth from behind. A swift boot knocked his legs out from underneath him, and it became hard to breath. Or look, or even think. He passed out a second later before Batman dragged him out of sight, allowing him to slump to the ground. A moment afterwards his rifle was deposited next to him, neatly disassembled, the pieces scattered about carelessly.

The second guard kept a lower profile, stalking back and forth in front of a shipping container. He glanced around a lot, not unlike a bird, and stealth was traded for swiftness. Batman perched above and dropped as the rifleman passed beneath him. Muscular legs clamped around his neck in a sleeper hold, taking him out as efficiently as the first. Batman allowed the body to carefully fall before he followed, once again dragging him away and out of sight.

On the rooftop above, Power Girl's eyebrows were up in her bob of golden hair. She'd watched Batman move before. He fought with speed and skill that at times seemed beyond human. Reactions were instant, and strikes were precise. But it was a rare treat to see 'Batman, the predator' in action. Watching as gun-toting maniacs began to disappear one by one, pulled helplessly into the shadows before losing a fight they had no chance with, was pretty damn satisfying to watch.

'Okay, maybe I need a night off,' she thought, realising that she was entirely too close to jumping and cheering "yeah!" as Bruce connected a series of strikes to the fourth guard's ribcage and jaw. Just an evening to unwind. Maybe meet somebody for a drink or a meal…

Then she remembered Franklin and the thought soured. With how long it had been since she had a real relationship, maybe it was time to dial back a bit. Perhaps she just needed a night in with Netflix, pizza, her cat and doing her nails, instead. 'Which is pretty sad when you're an invincible knockout rich girl.'

Power Girl pinched the bridge of her nose. What she really needed was to find whoever organised a bomb to be sent to her office and slap them silly. For the sake of poor Charlotte in the hospital and her own sanity. Then she'd be able to get back to life as she knew it and worry about the other things later. Batman – Bruce – was right. One day she'll find the right person, and hard of not, she'd make it work out. Both Power Girl and Karen Starr loved a good challenge.

"We're clear," Batman announced from down below. She peeked about, finding that sure enough, the final two guards slumped against one another beneath a catwalk. Judging from the bent rifle barrel, things had gone from stealthy to surprising, and Power Girl pouted.

"Wow – I actually missed something from daydreaming," she mumbled to herself, hopping off the rooftop and swooping down to the dockyard. Her small half-cape fluttered as she pulled up at the last moment, boots crunching against wet cement as she landed. "If I look like I'm eager to hurt some bad guys, that's only because I am."

"You hide it well," he hummed. Power Girl was sure now that the next time she met Dinah Lance, she could cash in on their age-old bet – Batman did have a sense of humour. "How many are inside?"

"Fourteen – twelve on the ground floor, and two exits including a boat slip around the back." Power Girl waited until they arrived at the main doors before she put her lips together, puffed her cheeks and blew. Within seconds, a thick sheet of ice had formed over the locks and handles. "And now it's just one way out. Not counting windows and fragile walls."

"I'll leave the walls in your care," he replied. Power Girl watched as he withdrew a grapple gun and fired upwards, hearing it find purchase around some rigging before it drew him upwards. She snorted as his cape vanished over the edge of the rooftop.

"Oh, no you don't," she said, taking to the air. Within seconds she floated above the warehouse, watching Batman kneeling against the edge of a window. "My city, my lead this time," she told him with a coy look.

"By all means," he said, turning his attention back to the ensemble below them and pointing. "So long as you handle those two first." She followed his eye, finding another pair of patrolling guards on an upper catwalk. Both were armed to the teeth.

"Only because you said 'please,'" she smirked, swooping away to the other side of the building before he could argue that he hadn't. Because after the last day of working together, she wasn't sure she could help but argue back that he had – only not in so many words.

Power Girl hovered outside of the east wall, scanning over the crowd within with her x-ray vision. It was such an odd assortment. They all seemed very typical – dressed down, a little scruffy. Nothing too drastic for an average New Yorker. But as she focused a little harder, their skeletal profiles revealed just how weathered they all were. Most of the men had old fractures scattered across their limbs. Some had a plate or pins, and one even had an artificial hip. She hazarded a guess that if she were to peel back the onion layers, she would find signs of drug abuse or alcoholism.

"Power Girl." She was so busy scanning over the gathering that she hadn't noticed a new figure stepping out from an office at the stroke of nine, broad and bold with a straight spine. Batman's voice continued to echo quietly in her ear. "I know that man. I believed he was dead." She dialled her vision back, inspecting the figure. He was tall, almost statuesque, with a shock of white hair and black robes. But a quick glance beneath the skin revealed nothing more than average human anatomy.

"Who is he?" she asked, her eyebrows knitted together. He seemed like some ordinary older man, albeit confident with the way he carried himself.

"Deacon Blackfire," Batman answered, and there was a note of bitterness in his voice. "A self-styled evangelist. Years ago, he converted the poor of Gotham into a cult following. Many people died in his name. I had always believed that his followers took his life when they learned of his deception."

"Stranger things have happened to us," Power Girl remarked quietly, as Blackfire's figure stood above the assembly and raised his hands. Immediately the crowd below fell silent, gazing up at him with reverence.

"My children," Blackfire began, oozing charisma and affection. "I am so proud of you. For last night, a brave soldier took the initiative in trying to rid our world of a true demon." He spoke with an airy voice, striding back and forth like he was performing for a late-night cable channel.

Karen wanted to punch him already.

"This child came to me, pledging his services. He liberated several of the parts from the wicked Bruce Wayne. Sinful elements not made of the Lord's hand. But when married with the baubles taken last week, we conceived the tools of their destruction!" A round of applause erupted from below, and he raised his hands, calming the crowd below.

"Silence, my children! Yes, it is true. The Lord God works in ironic ways, delivering the fiery brimstone of hell to the evil faces of our assumed masters. For when death came calling last night for one Karen Starr, it came in the form of a tool made from her own consumerism, carried to the top of her ivory tower on angelic wings!"

Power Girl narrowed her eyes, clenching a fist at her side. Charlotte lay in the hospital while a rip-off preacher crowed about it. If she were alone, she might have taken half the warehouse down with a swat of her hand and shaken Blackfire until he had whiplash. But she remembered what Bruce said months ago: "Kara – you're one of the best."

It was cheesy, but it made her want to live up to that ideal. It kept her from lashing out in anger just yet. But only just. "I want to hurt this man, Bat," she whispered.

"I know," he answered." But men like Blackfire are compelled to reveal as much of their plan as possible. "Wait just a little longer."

He was right, of course. Batman always was. Deacon Blackfire once again lifted his hands, and a hush fell over the gathering. "My children, it is true that the she-devil dodged God's justice last night. But a mere delay will not postpone her judgement forever. For too long, the so-called 'elite' have used their wealth and their decadence to lord over us. But know that in this very house of God, we will build the tools to topple their empire, with their own sordid creations!"

"Power Girl." Batman's voice echoed in her ear. "We've heard enough. Take him." A flush of excitement and pride coursed through her – something was empowering in the way Batman spoke. He was a natural leader, after all.

And it was about time she showed off some of her skills.

Deacon Blackfire raised his hands and looked towards the heavens, crying for the blessings of God. An instant later, she exploded through the wall, a blur of white and red and blue. Power Girl hovered for a moment as every eye trained on her. And then she moved. First to her left, battering an armed guard away with a careless backhand. Then across the other side, crushing a rifle in her hands before it had begun to train on her.

"You boys have been very naughty," she announced to the warehouse. Her knuckles cracked loudly as she glared at the dumbfounded cultist. "So, I'm just going to have to take away your toys and ground you all."

"Demon!" Blackfire cried accusingly. "Pretender! Listen not to the words of this heathen! Take her, my children!"

But whatever sway he held over his audience seemed to wane as they weighed their chances with the woman who was able to fly and shatter walls like tissue paper. They looked about themselves, trying to determine where to go and what to do next.

"Be not deceived by her sinful figure!" Blackfire cried, pointing towards her. "The false-God takes the form of temptation itself!"

"Hey – I can't help my figure, creep," Power Girl sneered. She turned and tensed before a ribbon of superheated light fired from her eyes. The catwalk was neatly cut up one side and down the other, sending the crying preacher tumbling to the floor below. "And I'm not greedy," she announced. "Feel free to join at any time." The startled gathering looked about with confusion. Had the she-demon really issued a challenge to them…?

But whatever anxiety they had tripled as the window above them shattered. A monstrous, black creature dropped down from above, leading one of the men to scream.

"She's summoned a devil!"

"You wish," Batman growled, landing in a crouch before rising to his full stature. "I'm much worse."

Hell erupted in the warehouse as the gathering shouted and jumped. With the metahuman, the stuff of legends, they were mostly confused and frightened. But Blackfire had been sure to condition them for a fight with Batman. Whether they thought he was human and easy, or a creature of evil, they found the nerve to strike.

But Batman was Batman, and he swung a right hook strong enough to send teeth flying out of his nearest assailant's mouth. Two more followed suit as he moved like a wraith, connecting a fist and a boot to each of their ribcages and sent them scattering. Another had managed to put his hands on a metal bar and rushed forward with a scream. The Bat's dark figure slowly turned, and the acolyte steeled himself to strike down the wicked bat.

But he was unprepared for "divine intervention" as Power Girl appeared in front of him at the last second, reaching up and neatly catching the pipe in her palm. "I don't think so," she warned him, yanking it out of his hand and crushing the head. The weapon was tossed away behind her shoulder, and she gave him a weak punch, sending him flying backwards into a pair of panicking men. All three were down and out before the pipe bounced and rolled away in the distance.

Together the heroes worked in tandem, a flurry of blue and black fists. Dedicated or fearful, the gathering of "brothers" was soon left slumped on the floor. All that remained was Deacon Blackfire, who gazed up at the pair with a chilling look on his gaunt face.

"God truly favours me if he delivered you here tonight, Bat," he whispered. Batman reached down and grabbed the preacher's collar, lifting him up with a grunt and leaving him dangling above the floor.

"You have a warped sense of fortune, Blackfire," he snarled. But the cultist grinned wide, spittle spraying from his lips as he shook his head.

"Arrogance is your undoing," he sighed. "For last night was Starr's turn, but tonight? The world of Gotham's most insufferable parasite ends." The deacon formed a thin-lipped smile as he whispered one word: "Wayne."

"Bruce Wayne isn't some random rich guy," Power Girl huffed with her arms crossed. "I'm pretty sure he can handle a nutcase in a bathrobe like you."

"Overconfident succubus," Blackfire spat. "Did you think I hid away all this time…? This has been in action for months, now. Tonight, that egotistical symbol – Wayne Tower – burns like a candle in God's house. Wayne either perishes tonight or will wake to find himself another of the many he's stepped upon."

Blackfire's lips curled into a tight grin before Batman's fist collided with him, knocking the preacher unconscious and dropping his form without ceremony. An instant later he was touching his ear within his cowl, activating whatever private link he had to Alfred in the Batcave. "Penny-One – phone Lucius. Tell him to evacuate Wayne Enterprises immediately, then organise a police patrol to secure the docks here. At least twenty people are ready for incarceration."

"Batman." Power Girl frowned. He didn't show it, but she heard the faint increase in Bruce's heartbeat. Saw a glimpse of his nostrils flaring. The minute signs of anxiety.

If there was one constant in the world, it was that Batman was in Gotham City. Even the Green Lantern Corp – the actual space police – considered it a black hole on their maps. And she had dragged him away from it. Never mind that when the city was in danger, he almost always preferred to handle it alone. "Manhattan's my responsibility – you should get yourself back to Gotham as soon as possible." Silently, she hoped he would forgive her.

But, like so many other things in the past twenty-four hours, he surprised her yet again.

"I will. But even with the Batwing, I'll lose time I don't have." He looked at her, and even without seeing past his cowl, she could almost feel an intense look coming off of him. "I need a favour."

Power Girl felt her heart skip a beat. "Name it."