Chapter Five
Twenty minutes later…
"We a go?" Static asked from between smoke stacks. He got a double click in his ear comms that everyone was confirmed in their positions. Temporarily, all comms were being routed through Red Robin. His self-designed wrist gauntlet computer indicated and managed the traffic he routed into his own earpiece.
"Doin' it!" Static began drawing power off of the generator clusters. The factory below began suffering rolling blackouts as the generators spun ever faster to try and keep up with the draw. But in the end their electric motors fused. Hand lanterns and flashlights were distribute d beside small arms within the factory walls. But the expected attack didn't occur.
Twenty minutes even later…
Nerves in the factory were fraying. Finally, three breakout attempts were made. Arrowette used an explosive arrow as her opening gambit to slow the southwestern escaper. Panic fire was the response she received. She and Devilina Dare used their bow and boomerangs to force the escapees back inside.
"Comin' your way, Rob," Arrowette called forth. She and Devilina held position in case of further attempts. Static leaned from the rooftop to observe the flight of panic driven teens and young adults. On the ground, down alleyways atop roofs, Red Robin, Flag Bearer, Girl Detective, and Raven Red waited to spot the leadership. But the main body broke into four clusters, two headed north and south before an eastern and western splinters broke off.
Finally, the group flushed by Arrowette and Devilina emerged and headed north and then east, opposite of the western splinter. Red Robin followed one group unaided and unsupported. Flag Bearer was joined by Arrowette when she caught up. Static joined with Girl Detective. Leaving Devilina to catch up with Raven Red and his pursuit target. Blue Streak alternated between following every group.
The clusters further split apart as they proceeded through neighborhoods, seeking and receiving shelter as they went. Only one group, pared down to five members, stayed together. They sought sanctuary in a Catholic Church. Raven Red and Devilina Dare staked out the entrance side streets. The others eventually reassembled.
"St. Andrews," Red Robin observed, "Makes sense. They have an attached orphanage. Anarky and his lieutenants may even have come out of the orphanage."
"Except the orphanage has become girls only," Catgirl told them as she'd concluded her business with Catwoman. Holly was with her.
"Of course!" Red Robin scowled, "How could I have been so blind. Anarky is a woman."
"A teenage girl who isn't old enough to drive yet," Catwoman explained, "She lives here. And you were right. The top members of her movement are fellow orphans from this location."
"I told you I could save you all time," Catgirl smirked.
"Then you know her ambitions," Red Robin didn't ask Catwoman.
"Same as yours were, Ulysses," Catwoman replied, "Kitrina let me know your past and why this is so important to you."
"There were my public ambitions and my unspoken ambitions," Red Robin explained, "I have to know what her unspoken goals are."
"And you think she'll actually tell you?" Holly snorted.
"She's dying to tell someone," Red Robin confessed, "I certainly was."
"Maybe she doesn't suffer from your ego," Catgirl retorted.
"Let me talk with Father Canlon," Catwoman offered, "Before you rip a church and an orphanage apart."
"You're softer than I was told," Red Robin observed.
"I would've been one of those girls. I don't want to see them all homeless," Catwoman said snidely.
Forty minutes afterwards…
A fourteen-year old girl came out of the church with Catwoman.
"Jesus! She's as young as you," Catgirl warend Devilina. Father Canlon came with her as well as Sister Teresa.
"I guess we parlay?" Arrowette ventured.
"Let me handle this," Red Robin said grimly. Blue Streak made her official appearance then and waited for the others to reach the street below.
"Not expecting this?" Blue Streak chided Red Robin.
"No one was," he unhappily replied.
"Red Robin, meet Nyssisa Kowambe. But you can call her 'Anarky'," Catwoman made the introductions.
"You scattered us. But you didn't try detaining anyone. Why?" Anarky asked.
"I wanted an introduction," Red Robin told her.
"Ever hear of email? Or social media? I'm on both," Anarky replied snarkily.
"I needed face time," Red Robin told her.
"Why?" Anarky asked.
"Because I was you. I was the first Anarky," he explained.
"You certainly sold out," Anarky accused.
"I saw a platform I could address change from. One people would listen to," Red Robin offered.
"They'll listen to a white boy like you. I'm not white and I'm not a boy. Or hadn't you noticed?" Anarky snorted.
"I understand the anger behind this," Red Robin explained, "But you can't do it."
"I've been doing it better than you ever did," Anarly retorted.
"You can't do what it is you're really planning on doing. the thing only those five other girls know about. The secret plan you keep from your followers. That's what you can't do," Red Robin told her.
"Like what?" Anarky didn't deny it.
"Like killing the mayor, the commissioner, the DA, and keep on killing every new one put in the job until they just give iup trying to replace them," Red Robin noted that Anarky's dark skin paled, "I had the same plan. Someone talked me out of it. I'm here to do the same for you."
"And if I don't listen?" Anarky quietly asked.
"You're the brains. Which makes you the snake's head," Red Robin said very quietly. Quietly enough everyone else had to strain to listen in. Anarky gave a thumb's up. Gunfire rained down from orphanage windows and the church's bell tower. Anarky ran for the church building. Red Robin didn't even attempt evade gunfire. He simply sprinted after her.
Catwoman got Father Canlon and Sister Teresa under cover, "What the futz?"
Teresa crossed her herself but Canlon simply stated, "I agree."
Young Justice scattered and sought shelter. Blue Streak was noticeably missing.
"Is that young man going to kill Nyssisa in my church?" Canlon asked Catwoman.
"I think so," she said grimly.
Through the rectory, Anarky reached the civilian exit from the priest's quarters. Blue Streak was waiting for her.
"He's going to kill me," she protested.
"I know. Don't care," Blue Streak shrugged, "People die every day."
Anarky spun to find Red Robin waiting for her.
"You won't be able to live with yourself," she warned him.
"I've done worse. It's what I'm trying to stop you from doing. If you can't be reasoned with…" he shrugged.
"Wait! Let's talk! For real!" Anarky pleaded.
"You're just desperate, not swayed," Red Robin told her, "You think you'll escape the nightmares that'll haunt your every dream. But you won't. I'll spare you that and bear it myself."
Blue Streak's hand vibrated through Anarky's chest and withdrew. To an autopsy it would like her heart simply exploded of its own accord.
"Why?" Red Robin asked her.
"Talk, talk, talk, Blah, blah, blah," Blue Streak shrugged, "Shitty plan."
"She might've finally listened," Red Robin argued.
"Tell self that all you want," Blue Streak was indifferent, "Now, you not know what I going to do. So couldn't stop me. Problem is, will you report me?"
"No," Red Robin decided, "You're probably right about her. She just got so scared she had a heart attack."
"Cool," Blue Streak grinned. Footsteps could be heard.
"Get into character," Red Robin advised as he knelt down and began trying to resuscitate a corpse. As Catwoman led the clergy, Blue Streak shoved Red Robin aside and rubbed her hands at super speed. Then she used the static electricity to jolt Anarky's chest. Three attempts later, she back off after Red Robin had provided emergency breathing between attempts.
"No good. Is dead," Blue Streak decided.
"What's the futz just happened?" Catwoman snarled.
"She clutched her chest and keeled over," Red Robin explained.
"Your story?" Catwoman demanded of Blue Streak.
"I behind her. Not see clutching. But girl fall and then die. That simple," Blue Streak explained, "He try to save"
"I can't believe your English is really that bad," Catwoman grated.
"Believe what you want," Blue Streak was still indifferent.
"She's dead and you don't care?" Sister Teresa asked in horror.
"I only survivor of fifteen cadet cadre," Blue Streak said coldly, "Lady Flash only survivor of Blue Trinity. Death every day. Life harder."
"I think we should concentrate on calling the police and ending the gun fight upstairs," Father Conlan suggested.
"This isn't over yet," Catwoman promised.
"Is for you," Blue Streak replied coldly.
"You two will be separated. I don't want you rehearsing your stories," Catwoman decided.
"No story to tell," Blue Streak pushed past her.
"What about you?" Catwoman asked Red Robin.
"She just unexpectedly died in front of me," he confessed. He said with such conviction that either Ulysses Armstrong was the most persuasive liar in the world or he wasn't the killer. She refused to believe it was simple accident.
Since metas were involved, and Anarky in particular, even after the lieutenants were persauded to lay down arms, Gotham's Special Response Unite under Det. Lt. Renee Montoya had jurisdiction. But it took hours before the SRU was cleared to investigate. It took half as long for Holly to learn why.