Chapter 24
Batgirl peered over the edge of the building's ledge at the grounds of the Clocktower's base. There were too many guards there, from her vantage point across the street. Having heard Gabby's plan- and Batgirl had to admit that it was better than expected so far - she calculated the risk of going down to the sidewalk. She may have a better chance at it if Huntress were with her, but until then she would have to go around to the side of the Clocktower and clamber up the East side just as she had when she had chased Huntress that night that felt like so long ago. It wasn't a prospect she was looking forward to.
"Looks fun." Batgirl didn't jump at Huntress' voice.
"Yeah?" the redhead asked, not looking at the younger woman.
"What say you?" Huntress asked, noticing the hesitation. "Should we... uh...?"
"I'll wait for the report from No Man's Land or anything from within the Clocktower."
"The weird screech thing the Kid does can be heard everywhere on my way up here. It seems to be working."
"That worries me with all of the blues down there," Batgirl admitted.
"We can take 'em."
"I know, but we're supposed to be on the same side." Batgirl let out a sigh.
Huntress went quiet, and then she said, "I know your 'no kill' policy and I get it, but that clown doesn't care."
"I know," Batgirl said again.
"If she hurts you or the Nervous Tick - Hell, even the Kid, I don't know if I can stick to that policy-"
"You are if you're stickin' with me," Batgirl said coldly. "We can't stoop to that level Huntress."
"So... You'd rather risk everyone than to-"
"It's what separates us from them. We don't get to decide who lives and who dies. We have to have faith in the fact that justice will be served after we've turned in the wrongdoers."
The Huntress snorted, but when she looked away from the street long enough to see the piercing green eyes upon her, she swallowed. "Fine." A moment later she added, "Don't mean I won't be knocking a few heads in first."
"I expect nothing else, my dear."
The metahuman grinned and Batgirl returned the smile before the two of them brought their focus back to the street below them.
Gabby let her mind wander to her best friend over at the Clocktower. She wondered what her actions the past few days must have looked like to Barbara. Gabby realized, as she walked through the darkened Underground streets with her hand in Dinah's that her feelings for her new friend had, in the grand scheme of things, developed a lot quicker than she'd ever expected to fall for someone. Whether this was due to the dangers of the night life and for Dinah, teenage hormones or anything along those lines was uncertain. She wasn't sure if Dinah and she were even meant to be together, but the way Gabby was feeling right at that moment, let alone the way Dinah talked about the dreams she'd had with her in them, she wondered if maybe-
Gabby looked over to Dinah when she blue streaked blonde shook her hand until they were no longer connected. Dinah flexed her fingers and then said softly, "You think loudly," as an explanation. This made Gabby look down at her hand, and she realized that the glove of that hand had ridden down, leaving her wrist and a bit of her palm exposed. With Dinah's bare hand in hers, she realized that Dinah's touch telepathy had allowed her friend into her head and Gabby hadn't even noticed it. The small woozy static she'd felt before was overridden by her thoughts and the adrenaline of the night before.
"I- I'm sorry," Gabby said.
"I should be the sorry one, Gabby," Dinah responded, her tone not changing. Gabby hated that Dinah sounded so tired, and almost defeated. "I didn't know who you were all that time I'd been dreaming of you. All I knew was that I'd wanted so badly to meet you, to thank you somehow and live a normal life - hopefully with you as my friend. I think I was fourteen when I realized I must have wanted you as more than a friend, but I'd never had any dreams of us dating. So when you told me that you'd used me as a cover for your mom... it was the perfect opportunity. I wasn't sure it would happen again. I forget sometimes, that I have loved you for two years, and you had only days to feel anything for me one way or the other. You said we couldn't because we had secrets. Well, I know yours now and you know mine. Sh-Should we... survive the night, I'll do it right. I'll ask you out properly and we can go at any pace you like after that first date."
Gabby nodded as she took in Dinah's words. "After that second date," she said. At the blue streaked blonde's look of confusion, she said, "I'm considering McDonald's as the first date."
"Really?" Dinah all but whined. "That isn't a very romantic date."
"I dunno," Gabby said with a smile and a shrug, "it was a good first date. You held the door for me, I got a decent conversation from someone my age for once, and I got to know the real you a little bit for the first time."
"Alright then. Second date will be better than the first."
"I'm sure it will be. As long as this time we're open and honest without hidden meaning and vague talk of our lives, we could go anywhere and it would still be good."
"The New Gotham City Dump it is!" Dinah joked.
Gabby tapped Dinah's stomach with the back of her hand, eliciting a small giggle from the metahuman. This made Gabby feel better. Dinah's comment about surviving the night didn't sit well with her. Her mother asking whether she would return also worried her. The idea that not just her own life but the lives of three women if not all of New Gotham depended on the ideas and plans she had that night scared the shit out of her, and the anxiety of it was making her insides bubble up again. She was glad for the easiness of discussing dates and mundane things like that so that the idea of getting herself, her love interest and her friends killed wouldn't freeze her in fear. She'd made a promise to Barbara that the redhead's death would NOT be because of her, and she was determined to keep that promise.
Gabby looked up when she saw the small light green door. She knocked four times and waited. There was almost a full minute of silence save the shifting from one foot to the other. Then, a male voice asked, "Passcode?"
"Roomie-" Dinah said. Even before the end of that name, the door clicked open. Gibson looked from Dinah to Gabby. He took in a small sniffled breath before he tilted his head. Gabby looked between Dinah and Gibson in shock.
"Get in you two," he said, ushering the two blondes inside. "You never take the back way, but seeing as all Hell has come to New Gotham tonight, I am glad you did. I must admit, though you're the same age and by all intents and purposes it makes sense that you'd know eachother, I never expected it would be in this way."
"Gibson, how have the others been fairing at the club?" Gabby asked. She fiddled with the mask until it came off. She rubbed her eyes. She then looked to the young man as he lead them through the darkened hall and up some stairs.
"Tugboat's tone cuts through the- whatever it is that has people running 'round out there. A few minutes ago, a pulse could be heard in the area and people seem to be calming down. It sounds like your tone, actually, but I wasn't sure how that was until now."
"Yes that was-" Gabby stilled when they entered the underground club for metahumans and nearly bumped into Wade Brixton. She gasped and on instinct ducked her head and tried to put the mask back on.
"Too late," Wade said, his tone light. Gabby looked up guiltily. The counselor nodded to her as he took in her costume and seemed to put some more of the pieces together. "How's the limp?"
"It doesn't hurt," she admitted. "How-? Why-?" she tried to ask.
"My brother owns the place. I come by to help some of the students if they don't know about other metahumans," he said. The brightness of his eyes never dimmed as he spoke.
"Gibson's your brother?" Dinah asked.
"You didn't know?" Gabby asked her.
"No," Dinah said.
"My dad's Brixton, his father's Kafka. Our mother is metahuman."
"Why did you let him get locked up in Arkham?" Dinah asked sternly.
"That, my friend, was my choice. Remember, I have heightened senses with the inability to forget any of them," Gibson said behind them. "Though this city is comforting with how many metahumans are out there, the city is still a city and very overwhelming for someone with my abilities, especially during puberty when my powers were evolving. I couldn't handle it, and I know many people went to Arkham so I asked to be placed there."
"I was in the military at the time, but I knew as well that it was best for him. Of course I took him in as soon as he told me he felt ready to come home."
"And... Your metahuman ability?" Gabby asked.
"I can take in anything with my senses, remember it and copy it. It's... like having a photographic or eidetic memory for all of the senses with the added ability to recreate any and all of them."
"Wow," Gabby said. She looked to Dinah. "You know Gibson from Arkham?"
"Yes." Dinah looked back to Gibson. "I knew you had a brother, but I didn't know he worked at my high school."
Gibson only shrugged. "We all have our secrets," was all the young man said to this.
"That we do. Less and less these days it seems," Gabby said, then, "Well, as you can see, the city's not doing so hot-"
"Aunt- I mean Dr. Quinzell, Gibby. It's her. She is really the girlfriend of The Joker, and she's trying to get him out," Dinah cut in.
"Gibby," Wade said with a smirk. Gibson pointed to his brother.
"Dinah's the only one," he warned. He turned his attention back to Dinah. "Oh Dinah, please tell me you had no part in whatever she's up to."
"I wish I could. I didn't know everything, but it doesn't excuse what I've done. Is Tugboat still here? I know you said his tone cut through the area for a little while."
"Yeah, he's playing some fighting game in the den since he offset the crazy in the club. C'mon, I'll take you to go talk to 'im."
The four walked into another room, where two teenagers were tapping rapidly on their game controllers. One of the teens looked up. "Hey Dinah. Who's your friend?"
"Batgirl?" asked the second teen while his eyes remained glued to the TV.
"No, Batgirl's a redhead. And older," the first teen corrected.
"Well you'd know, fanboy.
"This is- What IS your name?" Dinah asked, turning to Gabby.
"This getup doesn't have one. I wasn't even s'posed to use it more than once," Gabby said. Dinah shrugged when she looked back to the teens.
"Where's Tugboat?" Gibson asked
"Crapper," the second teen said, still not looking up from the game. On queue, there was a flush, the running of water, and then a small boy of about nine exited the bathroom, flicking off the light behind him.
"Hey Tuggy, we need more of your boom blast," Gibson said to the boy.
"The crazies back?" Tugboat asked.
"Kind of," Gibson told him. "Dinah needs back up. You think you're up for it?"
"Of course," the boy replied. "Where?"
"We're going to the New Gotham Clocktower. There are a lot of cops around, so we all need someone on the ground while Dinah and I get inside." Gabby said.
"If the cops are everywhere, do you think that you'll all be okay?" Wade wondered.
"Honestly..." Gabby began hesitantly.
"Then I'll go with you. Military training and a childhood obsession with tacky martial arts movies combined with my powers should give you a little bit more leverage. Besides, who can expect a bunch of kids to bring down a bunch of bad cops on their own, no matter how awesome the powers? I'd worry if I didn't go with you."
"That makes me feel a little better," Gabby admitted. Wade put a hand on her shoulder.
"We'll take my truck. Someone'll have to ride in the back."
"I can," Gabby offered. She felt this would be her chance to get Batgirl and Huntress up to speed without anyone hearing her that didn't need to.
"Me too," Dinah said a moment later.
"Sure," Wade said easily. He reached into his pocket and showed off his keys. To the youngest metahuman, he said, "Looks like you get shotgun. Let's go."
"I guess I'm holding down the fort here," Gibson said with a sigh. He kicked his brother lightly on his thigh. "Don't get cocky. I'll see you later."
"See you in the morning at the latest," Wade agreed.
"Bye Roomie. Be careful out there. I know you adored Quinzell, but... That isn't your family. We are. Remember that." Gibson said.
Dinah nodded with tears misting in her eyes. "Bye Gibby."
Gabby followed the rest of the group towards the front entrance of No Man's Land Collectibles, where she placed a finger to her comm earring and said, "Oracle status: We've got backup and a ride to the Clocktower. It isn't much, but I prefer not too many innocent people get involved anyway. I feel bad enough. Batgirl, Huntress, are you still in view of the Clocktower?"
[Affirmative.] Batgirl replied.
"I know you both scaled the Clocktower once before. You think you can do it again?"
[Yeah. What do you have in mind?] Huntress asked.
"Batgirl?" Gabby asked when she didn't hear from her friend right away.
[Yes.] the redhead replied, though hesitantly.
"If you don't think you can safely, give me a few minutes to think of something else-"
[No, tell us your plan, Oracle.]
"I'm thinking a surprise entrance to get Harley Quinn off her guard a little bit. Shake things up, since she seems to have things all planned out. You and Huntress weaken the clock face with a bat bomb and use the cable to bust on through."
[I like how you think, NT.] Huntress said.
[It's not bad. And you?] Batgirl asked.
"We don't have the luxury, so we're using Dinah and Tugboat's powers to move through the police on the ground to get to the Clocktower that way. Alfred."
[I'm here Oracle.]
Gabby sighed before she continued on. "I'm going to need you to hack into the Clocktower's security feeds for the elevator and loop the feed to look as if it is empty. Unless you can also turn off the lights announcing the elevator's movements, we'll still be spotted and detected, but I believe a good TK blast from Dinah will help us," Gabby said.
[How did you come to this plan?] Batgirl asked.
"I combined a few things from the show Tech Men," Gabby admitted as she climbed into the truck bed with the help of Dinah. The teen Oracle heard a chuckle from her friend in her ear.
[Never have I been more glad that you watch TV after school instead of doing your homework.]
"Since some of the roads are blocked, it is uncertain what our ETA will be. Normal ETA is about ten minutes by car, but it will for sure be longer."
[We'll get into position at the clock face and wait for further notice.] Batgirl said.
"Sounds good. Oracle out," Gabby said. Se touched her earpeice again out of nervousness. When she looked up Gabby locked eyes with Wade, who was looking at her with interest.
"I figured you were a newbie to Batman's group, but I didn't know you ran the whole operation."
"I don't. Not yet. I'm still in training," Gabby said somewhat sheepishly, "hense the limp." Wade nodded and then got the driver's side door open and climbed inside.
As the truck's engine turned over, Dinah stared darkly ahead of her, and once the vehicle was in motion, she said, "Ready or not, Harleen, here we come."