Chapter 18
Laboratory Fight
Barbara was cleaning her mother's grave, removing weeds that had taken root. When that was done, she brushed off the dirt that had accidentally fallen on the stone's smooth surface. Sighing, she placed the flowers for her mother down before grabbing the pile of weeds and standing. The grave looked beautiful thanks to her hard work, even if dimmed from Gotham's typically grey clouds. She smiled sadly at it, imagining her mother's ghost thanking her.
"Thanks." Barbara flinched, turning to the owner of the voice. Jim approached slowly. He couldn't help but notice her reaction and the immediate, wary frown on his daughter's lips. After placing his flowers on the grave, he faced Barbara's disdain. "I was planning to clean it, but you beat me."
The redhead clenched fists around the weeds. She came early so she might avoid meeting Jim and not have her moment of mourning interrupted. Why was he early, too? Not wanting to risk exploding in front of her mother, Barbara held herself back, turning away silently.
"Wait." Jim pleaded.
Barbara started walking away. Just hold it in. Hold it.
However, her self-control threatened to boil over when her dad caught her arm. "Wait!"
Barbara forced her arm out of Jim's hold and threw the weeds in his face. As the weeds fell, she glared at him and started walking again.
"Please? I don't want things to be like this." Jim pleaded again. Barbara paused at that. She didn't want things to continue this way either. Seeing hope, Jim said, "Can't we...start over?"
"...Starting over won't solve the core issues," Barbara said. "And it can't change what you've said."
"I've come to grips with your alter ego. I had forgotten how talented you are."
The redhead looked over him before landing on something in his eyes and turning away again. "You suck at hiding your uncomfortableness. You say I'm talented but clearly don't trust me."
"What? I trust you."
"Really? Because that wasn't what you said last time." Barbara said as her eyes began to water slightly. She turned away and walked off, holding back her tears until she was out of earshot.
Jim kneeled to his wife's grave.
"Oh, Sarah, I wish you were here right now. You wouldn't have made the mistakes I have. You always knew what to do. I've said something to Barbara that I shouldn't have said." He admitted before wiping away a tear. "I promise you, Sarah. I will do whatever it takes to make amends with our little girl. Even if it's the last thing I do."
Lana was in her workshop, adding the final touches to one of the dresses. She overheard a conversation about her alter ego as she cut the thread.
"She's amazing," exclaimed a woman. "The way she took down those crooks."
Lana smiled to herself, feeling a little prideful.
"I can see why Superman likes working with her."
Her smile slowly faded. He had been on her mind for the last few days. Ever since she saw that sparkle in his... she shook her head. "It's all in your head, Lana," she mumbled.
She stepped back and examined her work. She slightly adjusted the mannequin to make it straighter. She smiled, content with her work. Then, something outside caught her eye. She looked out to see a man snatch a woman's handbag. Without a moment to spare, she quickly removed her work attire, revealing her sleek matte silver suit beath, and then she flew out the open window.
The thief hid in an alleyway, digging through the stolen handbag for valuables.
"They say you can tell a lot about a woman from the contents of her purse..."
He looked up to see Superwoman hovering behind him.
"...but maybe that's not what you had in mind."
"No, you misread the situation." The robber fibbed, slowly backing down. "I found it lying around. I was looking for a piece of I.D. to return to its rightful owner."
"Likely story." She sarcastically stated.
"All right, you got me." He said, reaching for his back pocket. "It's not mine... but this is!" He whipped out his gun and fired two bullets at her. Quickly, she destroyed them with her laser vision. Before the robber even had a chance to run, she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and held him in the air.
A few minutes later, the police arrived, and she handed him to them.
"There you go, madam." She handed the woman back her purse.
"Thank you, Superwoman."
"Don't mention it."
Superwoman was just about to head off when a news reporter approached her with a camera crew.
"We're here live with the newest hero on the block, Superwoman, after her first solo crime fighting." The reporter stated before addressing the redhead. "Superwoman. How does it feel to have your first solo victory under your belt?"
"Amazing. Only a small-time thief, but still."
"Do you think you'll be moving to bigger crocks soon?"
"Not for a while. I'm still new to this."
"Superwoman, are the rumours about you and Superman true?"
"Rumours?"
"The one's about you two being an item."
"Superman and I are just co-workers, nothing more," she firmly stated.
The reporter turned back to the camera.
"You've heard it here, folks. According to Superwoman, she isn't Superman's girlfriend."
A glass bottle shattered the screen as it hit the television.
Lethal sneered, her yellow eyes burning with fury and her teeth bared like an aggressive Alsatian.
"That..." She screamed in frustration. After several unsuccessful nights trying to get the Supers to come to her, she finally lost her patience.
A goon was about to enter the room, only to back away after seeing the fried TV set. He knew it would be wise to avoid making her angrier, especially with the friction between her and Joker growing. Several times, the two psychos had fought, arguing about who was in charge.
Lethal stormed off to her private closet-turned-office, passing a few goons who backed away from her. The other night, one of them had asked why she didn't just call for Superman to lure him out, but that only ended with him getting a broken nose. It was partly because Joker had destroyed her cell phone but also because she could not control her chuckling whenever she tried to practice.
She slammed the closet door and sat down at her makeshift desk.
"There must be some way to get them to come to me." Lethal pondered. She picked up a newspaper and noticed a picture of Commissioner Gordon on the front cover. "Wait a sec."
She began to connect the dots in her head. If Clark was Superman, then Kara must be Supergirl, and if she was Supergirl, then the woman she was dating had to be Batgirl, which meant...
A wicked smirk formed on her face as an idea worked through her twisted mind.
"Maybe I've been using the wrong bait." She chuckled. "Maybe I need to get someone close to him. I need to get Supergirl to come to me, and who better than Batgirl to bring her to me." She chuckled. "And I know just how to catch her." She drew a red circle around the picture of the commissioner... and two X's in his eyes.
Lana, dressed in her work attire, was back at the museum. She had recently finished talking to the event organizer and was heading back to her workshop when she saw Clark walking towards her.
"Afternoon, Lana." He greeted.
"Hi, Clark." She replied. "How's it going?"
"Pretty good. I'm just off to my next interview. What about you? I saw the news earlier."
"Oh, ya. First solo job."
They went silent momentarily, neither knowing what to say to the other.
"I should be heading off." He stated. "I don't want to be late."
"Yeah. Me too. I've got a lot of dresses to finish."
"I'll see you later tonight, then."
"About that. Mr. Willaims asked me to work late tonight. They've got more people attending than they thought." She explained. "I'm going to have to take a rain check."
"That's all right." He said. "Say, would you like me to walk back after work? You know, to save a bus ticket."
"That be wond... I mean, yes, please. Thank you, Clark."
They parted ways, and just as he was about to turn a corner, he looked towards her. A low sigh escaped his lips as he shook his head before continuing to walk.
Kara observed Barbara. Her partner was making dinner, but the process was not as enjoyable as before. The blonde had noticed this a few days ago. Barbara was holding in some scary emotions. Kara could tell by the sharp sound the knife made whenever Barbara cut ingredients, the burnt smell in the air, or the bandages cradling her partner's fingers. These were not mistakes Barbara usually made, and not this frequently. Tonight, the redhead was stabbing the cutting board so loudly that it made the blonde cringe every time. Barbara seemed especially upset right now. Eyeing the bandages on those precious fingers, Kara felt she needed to speak up.
"You seem to be having a hard time. How about I cook this time?"
"It's dine." Barbara paused at her mistake.
Kara blinked and wisely chose not to address the grammar error. "No. You've been working hard."
"It's...fine."
"Honey, there's no need to push yourself. It's been hard for you since you had that fight with your dad. I can-"
"I said I'm fine!" Barbara yelled frustratedly, cutting the lettuce like the blade of a guillotine. Half of the poor green landed on the floor with a thud, the only sound before an awkward silence.
Kara flinched again. "Are you sure? If you want to talk about it-"
"Talking is what started the problem. Clearly, that isn't the best idea here." Barbara took the lettuce, briefly looking at it with a glare before throwing it carelessly in the compost bin.
"Okay," Kara said, looking at the trashed lettuce with pity before returning to her girlfriend. "I'm just a little worried that the way you're venting is a little...vicious, and talking is good at expressing those upset feelings. So maybe I should cook, and you can talk-"
"I don't want to talk," Barbara growled, cutting the lettuce still on the cutting board with increasing speed, making Kara even more worried about her.
"Please don't be stubborn!" Kara pleaded.
"I'm stubborn?!" Barbara exclaimed, angrily chucking the lettuce into a steel bowl before turning to Kara with a glare. "What about you?! I've made it clear that I don't want to talk! Why are you still pushing me?!"
"Because I don't want you to chop your fingers off!" Kara quickly grabbed the knife from Barbara's hand, floating a little to keep it out of reach. The redhead started using her agility to take the knife back, but the blonde wouldn't allow it. Suddenly, the girls were playing the superhero version of keep-away.
"Give it back! I need to cut the tomatoes!" Barbara said as she used the couch to jump to Kara's level. But it didn't work as Kara floated away from the living room and back to the kitchen.
"No! Not until we talk through this!" Kara cried out, floating out of the kitchen and back to the living room when Barbara tried to grab the blonde's ankle. "It's too dangerous for you to hold a lethal weapon!"
"And what do you want me to say?!" Barbara yelled, frustrated. Catching Kara was like trying to catch a bird. "That my dad's hate and stubbornness finally drove us apart!" The redhead tried to use the TV remote to knock the knife from the blonde's hand, only for the latter to quickly bring the steel to her chest and rush back to the kitchen. "That I gave up on him!" Barbara jumped onto the kitchen island, using it as a stepping stone to try and jump Kara again. The alien dodged again and retreated to the living room. "That I had to work with him, and it was the most awkward thing we ever did together!" Barbara jumped onto the kitchen island again and propelled herself into the living room. "That he started talking again, and I snapped at him again!" Suddenly, Barbara had no more energy, and she started to cry. "That I can't seem to have a normal conversation with him anymore. That I can only hear the worst every time he opens his mouth..." The tears began to fall faster as she fell to her knees.
Kara stopped moving away, turning to her girlfriend and her breakdown. Those wails were heart-wrenching for anyone to hear. Quietly and gently, Kara approached Barbara, landing and sitting beside the redhead in an act of comfort. "You can be so stubborn sometimes, you know that?" Kara leaned her head on Barbara's shoulder. "You don't have to force him out. You can still give him a chance. Just be mindful about it and take it easy."
The redhead looked into her girlfriend's eyes. "I don't think I can." She admitted. "Every time we talk, I feel angry. I don't... I don't know if we can."
"You can try. You don't want your last conversation with him to be where you fight." Kara said as she wiped the tears from Barbara's cheeks. "Once he's gone, he's gone. If you don't make amends soon, you might never be able to."
"But... but what if it's too late? What if I pushed him away for good?"
"Does he act like he wants nothing to do with you?"
Barbara shook her head.
"Then I think there's a chance for you two to make amends." Kara comforted. "Now, can I make dinner? Just to give you a break."
Barbara nodded. Kara returned to the kitchen as the redhead got up and sat at the dining table with much on her mind as her eyes drifted to a photo of her and her father at her graduation.
Bruce was on a call with his beloved in his hotel room, who had just finished her show.
"How was your day?" He asked as he sat on the bed.
"Quiet mostly. Just been practicing for most of the day," She stated before taking a sip of water.
"Did your show go well?"
"Naturally. By the way, did your meeting go well?"
"Well, it wasn't exciting, but at least we're getting somewhere."
"I'm guessing you're glad about that."
"That's an understatement. Hopefully, if all goes well, I'll be back in Gotham by the end of next week."
"Speaking of which, Have the girls given you any updates on the Lois case?"
"Kara told me they've been doing it on the side since the Livewire incident. Their top priority is finding the Gotham Killer."
"I read about that in yesterday's paper. Do they have any leads?"
"Nothing. Nothing is connecting the victims. Besides Livewire, none were famous."
"So, it's just a random killing spree?"
"Seems to be." He said.
"By the way, how are the lovebirds doing?"
"Kara's doing fine. She told me to say she said hi."
"Well, tell her I said thanks," Zee said.
"I will."
"And Barbara?"
"From what Kara told me, she and her dad are still on bad terms, to put it lightly."
"Oh boy." She decided to change the subject. "Have you heard about Superwoman?"
"I read the story Kara wrote about her. She seems to be a fan of hers."
"And Clark?"
"She told me he already knew her in high school."
"Oh, an old friend of his?"
"Not exactly."
"Oh, old flame?"
"Yep."
"Wow. It's just bad news and awkwardness over there..." Zatanna said, feeling a little stumped after being unable to bring up a more positive conversation. "I hope that storm doesn't hit us too-! Oh!"
Bruce tilted his head at the sound of realization. "Zatanna?"
Zatanna let out a nervous laugh. "Am I screwed? I might be screwed."
"What's wrong?" Bruce asked, eyes narrowing.
"The storm will be upon us..." Zatanna ran a hand through her hair, pacing and muttering nervously. "Can I even beat her? Can I get away?"
"Zatanna, please calm down and explain," Bruce said, trying to break her from whatever fear was taking over her. "We can figure it out together."
"Why do you have to be so charming?!" She suddenly exclaimed. "Because you're so perfect, I will have to fight off Wonder Woman!"
"...What?" Bruce's initial confusion was soon replaced with rationality. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm not-"
"No, you're fine! But she won't be!"
"Calm down Zee, I'm sure she'll understand." He reassured her.
"But what if she doesn't? What if we get into a fight? She's the strongest woman in the league. There's no way I can bet her."
"I'm sure she'll listen to what you have to say."
"And if she doesn't?"
"I'm sure you know a spell or two that will make her." He joked, earning a soft chuckle.
She glanced over at the clock. "I've got to be going. When can we talk again?"
"I should be free next Wednesday night."
"I'll keep a time open."
"Night, Zee Zee."
"Night, Brucey."
They hung up. The magician let out a sigh before getting up. She decided to take an evening stroll to calm her nerves.
Zatanna walked down the quiet streets with only the sounds of her shoes touching the pavement to keep her company. She headed into a beautiful park with several large trees, beautiful flowerbeds and a crystal-clear lake. She was lost in her thoughts as she strolled the orange stone path. She paused at a street lamp and looked up at the moon in the tranquil night air, admiring the natural beauty.
"Magical, isn't it?"
A voice broke her out of her thoughts. She turned around to see the owner of the voice. The famous heroic Amazonian stood under a tree not too far away. Zatanna silently breathed out before she spoke.
"If it isn't Wonder Woman." She said, trying to hide her nerves.
Wonder Woman walked up to her. "I'm surprised you're not at the hotel."
"I just need a walk after the show. But, how did you know..."
"I have a flyer of your tour stops."
"Oh. Are you the only one?"
"To my knowledge."
"Ok. So, what brings you here?" Zee asked.
"I've come to get your help." She explained as they walked back down the path. "There's a situation with Cheetah."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't you beaten her single-handedly on multiple occasions?"
"Yes, when she's on her own. However, she got assistance on this occasion."
"Who?"
"Volcana and Star Sapphire." They walked off the path. "They were witnessed robbing a laboratory specializing in animal genetics."
"Do you know what they're looking for?"
"Not sure, but knowing Cheetah, she's probably going to try and use their research for her nefarious plans."
Zatanna carefully chose how to word her next question. "Why did you choose me to help you instead of someone else?"
"You were the only one available. Admittedly, you weren't my first choice."
"I see." She replied uneasily. Then, a thought dawned on her. "Wait, you said that Cheetah had two people helping her?"
"Yes."
"So how are the two of us going to take on three of them?"
"Who said it would only be the two of us? I managed to get Batgirl to help out." Diana stated as they arrived at the invisible jet.
"Won't Superman need her in Gotham?"
"He's on a mission of his own."
"So Supergirl is the only one looking after the city."
"She'll be fine. She can handle Gotham on her own for a while."
"I'm sure you're right."
They flew off to Gotham to collect Batgirl. Zatanna sat in the back, looking out of the window.
"How's your tour going?" Wonder Woman asked to break the silence.
"It's going well."
"What's been your favourite stop so far?"
The magician silently gulped. "The one from two weeks ago."
"Not a surprise." Wonder Woman whispered to herself.
"The audience there loved the show."
"Oh, I think one member loved more than just the show."
Zee decided to bite the bullet. "I take it you're referring to Bruce."
"I am. I can't say that I'm not bothered by it," she admitted. "But if you two are happy together, I will accept it."
There was silence for a moment before Zatanna spoke. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
Batgirl and Supergirl were on top of a building, and the former was finishing a conversation with her communicator. She turned to her girlfriend.
"What's is it?" Supergirl asked.
"Wonder Woman needs my help along with Zatanna, which means that you and the other Supers will be working on your own until I come back," Batgirl explained.
"I'm sure it will be ok." she teased.
Batgirl smiled, then planted a kiss on the blonde's lips. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Say hi to Diana and Zee for me," Kara called out as her girlfriend headed to the meeting spot.
Kara sat atop the building, looking towards the horizon as the sun set along the horizon. Her red cape danced softly in the light breeze.
"Mind if I join you?"
She turned to see her cousin.
"Sure."
He sat down next to her. The two supers in blue looked over the city in silence before she spoke.
"How'd it go at the museum?"
"Good." He said. "I've got the last few interviews next week."
"With who?"
"That's classified."
Supergirl thought for a second and then asked. "Did you see Lana there?"
He looked away from her. "Sort of."
"What do you mean sort of?"
"I briefly saw her in her workshop." He stated. "She told me she'll be working late tonight so she won't join us on patrol."
"Ok." She said uneasily.
She looked at her cousin, his face gloomy and shoulders slumped. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to know what was happening.
"Clark, what's been bothering you?"
"Nothing it's just stre..."
"DON'T SAY IT'S STRESS!" She yelled. "YOU'VE BEEN SAYING IT'S STRESS FOR THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS!"
"It is stress." He retorted. "Work's been..."
"OH, GIVE IT A REST CLARK! THIS ISN'T ABOUT WORK!" Her eyes were close to glowing red. "IT'S ABOUT LOIS!"
"It has nothing to do with her!"
"It has everything to do with her! Every month, you two have an argument or something. Every time I see you... when any of us see you, you're unhappy." Her eyes became teary as her voice became sorrower. "Please, Clark. Tell me, what's been going on between you two?"
Superman exhaled, but before he could tell her, he got a call from his communicator.
"Superman, here. What's the situation?"
"Superman. Batman needs your help with a robbery. And before you ask, I've checked, and everyone else has other obligations."
"I'll be there, A.S.A.P." He stated. He turned to his cousin. "Will you and Batgirl be able to look after Gotham alone for a while?"
"Batgirl's on a mission with Wonder Woman and Zatanna." She explained. "Don't worry, I can handle Gotham on my own."
"All right." He reluctantly said. "But call me the instant something bad happens to you."
"I'll take my..."
"Kara."
"All right, I promise."
He turned to leave.
"Clark, you will tell me what's bothering you when you return."
He hesitated. "I will."
They parted ways, with Superman zooming across the red sky to the west while Supergirl went east.
In the large laboratory, Cheetah and her assistants continued their frantic search. She grew increasingly frustrated as she continued to dig through the file draws. Her two associates, on the other hand where getting tired.
"Can we go already?" Star Sapphire asked with a groan. "We've searched every inch of this blasted place."
"Not until we find those documents." The feline woman snapped. "They are the key to my next plan."
"Plan for what? Cloning mammoths and sabor-tooth kitty cats?" Volcana jibbed, earning a laugh from Carol.
"This isn't a joke!" Cheetah hissed, holding herself back from clawing them. "If I don't find those..."
"You won't."
The three villainesses turned to see the mighty heroine walking into the room, her sword and shield ready.
"Wonder Woman. What a pleasant surprise." The feline evildoer sarcastically snickered.
"I'll give you one chance, Cheetah. Surrender now and come quietly."
"Surrender? Let me think. Hmm, no. After all, you seem to have us at a disadvantage. There's three of us and only one of you."
Diana glared harder at her adversary and got into a defensive position. Suddenly, Cheetah leapt towards the mighty superhero, her claws bared. Wonder Woman shielded herself in time as her foe viciously clawed wildly, leaving deep scratches in the shield.
Volcana prepared a fireball and was about to throw it when Batgirl swung in, knocking her to the ground.
"Two against three." Sapphire was about to attack the young woman when she was hit by something. She turned to see Zatanna.
"Make that three against three." The magician stated.
With that, Volcana and Sapphire began their fights with their respective opponents.
"Watch it," Batgirl said in frustration.
"Oh, sorry, but I'm in the mood for fried bat."
The two redheads battled it out, Batgirl trying to avoid the rapid-fire punches. A spark nearly landed on her hair, and she felt the heat of the flames on her skin.
Sapphire and Zatanna used their powers to create shields and attacks on each other.
"Surprised you didn't bring your boyfriend with you." Carol teased. "You could use his help."
Zatanna paid no attention to her and just cast another spell. The woman in dark pink dodged the oncoming attack. Carol created a spear using her powers and hurled it towards her opponent. Zatanna managed to avoid the spear as it hit the wall.
Wonder Woman swung a fist towards her opponent, who dodged at the last millisecond. Cheetah ran towards the wall and then pushed herself towards Wonder Woman. Diana managed to get her shield up in time as Cheetah landed a hard kick, knocking her back a bit. The Cheetah landed on all fours before lunging forward. Wonder Woman evaded her cat-like attack and managed to swipe her with the tip of her sword, leaving a small cut on her upper arm and causing her to stumble. Cheetah looked at her wound before turning to her rival and letting out a fierce hiss, barbing her sharp, long, white canine teeth. The two began to circle each other, waiting for the other to make their move. Then Cheetah did a surprise attack, managing to claw Wonder Woman's shoulder, leaving four red marks.
Zatanna continued to use her magic shield to deflect Star Sapphire's blasts. She quickly got behind a table just as Sapphire let out another blast, missing her by an inch.
"Zee. Get us out of here." Diana demanded.
Zee quickly teleported them into another room. They hid behind a table, Batgirl checking that the coast was clear.
"All right. We're safe." She told the other women.
"I don't know about you two, but I think we need a new tactic," Zatanna said, creating a bandage around Diana's wound.
"Thanks," Diana said before her tone turned serious. "Any thoughts on what to do?"
Batgirl noticed a few sprinklers and pointed to them. Wonder Woman quickly formed a plan.
"I've got an idea." She stated to them. "Batgirl, try and lure Volcana under those sprinklers. They'll be set off if she can create enough heat."
"Got it." The redhead said.
"Zatanna, can you make the water level rise?"
"I know the perfect spell."
"Good. I'll handle Cheetah. When I say 'now,' I want you to turn the water to ice and put fire-proof cuffs on Volcana."
"Got it," Zee said. "What about Star? She'll be flying."
"Batgirl, have you got your grappling hook?" Diana asked the younger woman.
"Naturally."
"Can you pull her down once Volcana is out of action?"
"If Zee can distract her."
"Good. All right, you know what to do?" She asked, earning a nod.
Batgirl peeked behind the table just as the door was blasted down.
"They've found us."
"Then let's go," Diana stated.
"Wonder Woman, come out, come out wherever you are." Cheetah creepily whispered. "Don't think you can hide from me."
Wonder Woman and her teammates exited their hiding spots, ready for round two.
Cheetah chuckled before she and her associates charged at their respective opponents.
Batgirl lured Volcana under the sprinklers. The younger redhead dodged every fireball that was thrown at her.
"Hold still." Volcana gritted her teeth.
"What's the matter? Can't hit a moving target?" She teased. "Or maybe your balls are too small."
"Maybe you're right." Volcana grinned. Using both hands, she created an enormous fireball. The heat reached the sprinklers and they released water, causing Volcana to become soaked and extinguishing the fire. Batgirl gave her a roundhouse kick in the stomach, knocking her to the ground, then gave a hand signal to the magician that told her to cast the spell.
"Retaw tnemegralne!"
Soon, the water increased, reaching over the ankles.
Wonder Woman and Cheetah battled each other like there was no tomorrow. Cheetah swiped her claws at her face but missed. Diana landed a powerful punch on her archnemesis's stomach, sending her flying. Cheetah hit the wall and fell to the ground with a splash.
Zatanna and Star Sapphire continued their battle, the latter unaware of Batgirl sneaking up from behind, keeping out of sight.
"Do you think a little water is going to stop us?" The villainess stated, gaining the upper hand.
Before she could unleash her next attack, Batgirl managed to lasso Ferris by the ankles with her grappling hook and pulled her down to the ground with a mighty splash as she, Diana and Zatanna got on top of some tables.
"Now!"
"Retaw ezeerf! Erif foorp sffuc!"
In no time, the water froze over, trapping the villains while two fireproof cuffs appeared on Volcana's hands, preventing her from using her powers.
Cheetah let out animalistic growls of frustration as she struggled to free herself.
As the three villains were loaded into the vehicle, an officer spoke with the heroines, congratulating them.
"Don't mention it. Glad we could help." Wonder Woman said.
As the authorities left, she turned to her allies.
"Thanks for your help again tonight."
"You're welcome," Zee said. "Are you okay?"
"That? It's fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. She's done worse to me." Diana jibbed.
"I still think you get it checked, just in case."
"I'll keep that in mind." She said before making her an offer. "Would you like a ride back?"
"That's ok. I'll use my magic." She politely declined. "It will save you an extra trip."
"All right." Diana turned her attention to Batgirl. "Guess it's just us two then."
They returned to the invisible jet while Zatanna teleported to her hotel room.
"Thanks again for your help tonight." Wonder Woman said.
Diana noticed Barbara's melancholy expression.
"Is something wrong, Batgirl?"
"It's noth..." She signed. "I've just been having a rough day."
"What's happened?"
"My Dad and I's relationship has been getting worse. We've tried to make amends, but everything seems to be deteriorating."
"Is he not giving you a chance?"
"No. I haven't given him a chance." She confessed with a sigh. "Every time we talk, I just feel... so angry."
"I know how you feel."
"You do?"
"I have to work with someone I'm not fond of because of recent events."
"Zee?"
Wonder Woman nodded. "Promise this stays between us."
"My lips are slied."
"When I heard about her and Batman, I felt so furious that I thought I was going to break a statue or something."
"Really?"
"Really."
"But you worked with her just now. How were you able to work with her without exploding?"
"Because despite how I feel about it, we're still friends at the end of the day."
"But that's not the same as being family."
"How so? You two see each other every so often." Wonder Woman just raised an eyebrow. "Batgirl, I may not have had experiences with daddy issues, but I know what it's like to have a fallout with someone close." She stated. "When I was about your age, I fell out with one of my sisters. We didn't talk for weeks." A tear formed in her blue eye. "One day, she was... gone. I never managed to make amends with her."
"What was sister's name?"
"Sandra."
"What was she like?"
"She was one of the kindest people I ever knew. She was always helping, always putting other's needs before her own."
Barbara thought carefully about how to word her next question. "How did you two end up fighting?"
"I don't remember," Diana admitted as a tear rolled down her cheek. "But I regret it to this day."
They reached the invisible jet. As they got in and took off, Barbara looked out the window, thinking.
Commissioner Gordon walked out of the police station with his head hung low. He rubbed the back of his neck as he exhaled loudly. When he got to his car, he reached into his pocket for his keys. That was when he noticed that one of his tires was flat.
"How..." He groaned in frustration.
He bent down for a closer inspection. At the bottom of the hubcap was something written in red. Squinting his eyes, he was able to read the words.
"SURPRISE COMMISSIONER."
Something hit his head hard, knocking him out cold. The last thing he saw was two purple heels belonging to a blenched woman.
Author's note: Special thanks to Pure Red Crane for helping write some the scenes.