"Watch out!" Jason grabbed Helena, yanked the car door open, and pushed her inside.
Before he could follow her, a storm of bullets crashed into Jason.
He screamed and crumpled to his knees.
"Jason!" Helena cried. She grabbed his jacket and dragged his limp body into the car's cab. She clambered into the driver's seat.
Although stunned, Jason had enough wits to close the door behind him. Bullets peppered the chassis and windows of the car, but they did not penetrate. His Challenger wasn't quite a Batmobile but wasn't vintage stock.
"Jason!" Helena yelled. "Are you okay?"
"Fuck," he groaned in pain. "That's not gonna buff out."
"Stop whining about your fucking car already! You just got shot!"
"Relax," Jason chuckled weakly. "They're bug bites. Pretty sure I wear the same ballistic fabric as you."
Helena patted his torso down, brushing the bullets off his jacket. Most clinked down to the floor, but her gloves returned stained with blood. "Some bullets still got through."
Jason looked at Helena, his dizziness taking a moment to subside. Her mask didn't have lenses, so he could see her green eyes were constricted with adrenaline. Fight, flight, panic... or was that worry? Didn't matter; her eyes were just beautiful.
"We need to get out of here," Helena said. "Do you have the keys?"
Jason reached over and jostled the gear shift in a rhythmic pattern. The lever clunked, and the engine turned over.
Helena wasted no time. Her feet danced on the pedals, punched the gear shift, and the engine roared. Jason's face smacked into the dashboard as the car reversed out of the garage. Goons dove out of the car's way. Some didn't succeed and rolled over the trunk and back window.
"Buckle up," she said, "We're in for a rough ride."
Rubbing his forehead, Jason briefly regretted trading in the helmet for the cowl. He heaved himself back into the seat and strapped in, then drew a gun and loaded a fresh magazine. "Let's go!"
As Helena whipped the car around in a smooth, but screeching, K-turn, Jason rolled down the window and picked off a few goons to clear a path.
The Challenger sped down a lane, only to be cut off by a pick-up truck rolling in its way, two gunmen on its bed. Helena swerved around it, almost hitting it. Jason's bullets smacked into each of their foreheads, sending them reeling. Unfortunately, on the other side, every lane was blocked by more cars or covered by more armed thugs.
"Fuck! They're boxing us in!" Helena cursed. "This car can't jump, can it?"
"Only with a running start," Jason said. "Do you have Barbara on comms?"
"Of course."
"What channel?"
"Nine."
Jason poked a few buttons on the stereo and rolled up the window just in time to catch a spray of bullets. "Babs, we're pinned and need a diversion. Call in the cops."
"Couldn't help yourself, could you?"
"Coincidentally, the gang you and Helena are fucking with stole my damn car!"
"Okay, don't worry, the Cavalry's coming," Barbara said. "What side of the depot are you on?"
"Southside, I think."
"My drone is coming into position... Damn, the whole lot is surrounded, ready to shoot you like fish in a barrel. You guys find out what they want to guard so badly?"
"Drug distribution," Helena answered. "Using cabs and show cars to smuggle heroin and dirty money around town. When's the backup getting here?"
"Any minute now. Just hold tight."
"Jason, can't you suppress them to buy us some time?" Helena asked. Cracks were appearing in the windshield as bullets continued to pepper the car.
"Suppress them?"
"With your guns, lunkhead!" She looked in the backseat and saw only fast food trash and dirty gym clothes. "Where are your assault rifles and grenade launchers and shit?"
"Who the fuck do you think I am? Deadshot?"
"I thought guns were your thing! Tim and Damian said you love shooting people!"
"Yeah, with low-velocity rubber rounds! Non-lethal!"
"You don't kill people anymore?"
"That's right."
"Because of my father?"
Jason pulled off his cowl, revealing a red domino mask underneath. He looked at her, dead serious. "Fuck Bruce. I have plenty of good reasons not to kill anymore."
Oooooo... Eeeeee...
"Hear that?" Jason asked, peeking over the hood. The enemy gunfire had waned, and some of their attention turned away from the Challenger, scanning the lot. "Those are sirens, right? Cops are here."
Oooooo... Eeeeee...
"It's a siren, alright," Helena said, smirking. "The Cavalry's here. Turn on your ANC." She poked something in her ears that lit up.
"ANC?" Jason asked, confused.
"Active noise canceling!" Helena yelled urgently. "On your comms! Turn it on now!"
"It's all in my cowl. Why?" Jason said, fumbling with it.
Oooooo... Eeeeee... Whomp!
"Shit," Helena cursed.
Jason heard a crash behind him. He whipped around and saw men flying through the air like ragdolls.
A motorcycle tore into the lot, its engine roaring and a shockwave rippling in its wake.
"Screeee..." Whomp!
"What the fuck is that?" Jason asked.
"Damn it!" Helena shouted. "Jason, open your mouth! Brace yourself!" She slapped her hands on the sides of his head.
Jason's eyes widened. The motorcycle wasn't the source of the sound.
It was the rider.
A blonde woman in fishnet tights and a leather jacket.
"Is that..." Jason begin.
Black Canary locked the front brake of her bike. The back end catapulted her into the air above the thugs. With her arms spread and mouth wide, she unleashed a sonic boom.
"SCREEEE!"
WHOMP! WHOMP!
BOOM!
Notes
Okay, I know this is an AU, but how could I not include the Birds of Prey? Once I decided that Barbara was helping out Helena, I knew Dinah would have to be the one to train her. How do you guys like the action scenes?