Back in Gotham that night...

Jason scratched his ear.

“You ever feel like someone is talking about you?” Jason asked.

“All the time,” Kara and Bruce said as they looked around and say all of the lustful gazes at them.

“Those gals want a three way with us,” Selina snickered.

Bruce looked Selina up and down. She looked rather elegant in the leopard print latex cocktail dress, black leather boots, and long raven hair up in crown pony tail. Kara smiled as she caught a glimpse of herself in the outfit Selina had gotten for her. White vinyl knee high go-go boots, black latex high waisted leggings, an oversized loose leopard print latex top with a deep v neckline front zip from her belly button to the middle of her sternum and a white vinyl seventies puff hat. Jason and Bruce were both in rather tame if well-tailored black suits.

“I want to apologies in advance to Kara,” Selina said calmly.

“Why?” Kara asked.

“You’ll see.”

*

Battrackers Discord log

AZo_0062: Sighting, two Ghostriders, heading north on Arbuckle between 8th and 10th street

IcU-6969: Any secondary source confirmation?

VT3x1l3: Confirm, two Ghostriders heading north on Arbuckle between 9th and 11th street

IcU-6969: Can anyone get pics?

Azo_0062: Lost power on phone when passed.

VT3x1l3: same, phone just restarted.

*

Secure.RegPressAssocReffLib.Org

Red X:

Person Unknown, individual or individuals are participants in illegal street races in and around New England and the North East US, believed to be based in Gotham Connecticut.

Distiguishing features: Black Moto-racer suit with stylized red “X” on chest, black moto-racer helmet with white skull on front, grey moto-racer gloves. Ride a custom motorcycle similar to Pourche prototype bike in black with white skull and stylized red “X” on front.

Status: Wanted by numerous city, and state police agencies for illegal street racing and reckless endangerment, felony use of a motor vehicle and assorted traffic violations.

*

“What the heck is going on with you Vale?” Alexander Knox said as he walked into the news room in his trademark Noir Detective Suit, “You use to be respectable.”

Viki turned and looked at her old friend.

“What?” Viki asked.

“I was out at Wayne manor to do a puff piece on the rich and generous and you were out trying to find the mad doctor that tried to bring Count Dragula into the world,” Knox degenerated into a cartoon vampire accent before putting his hand in front of his face so he fingers formed vampire fangs, “Blawh, blawh, blawh!”

Viki rolled her eyes at Knox.

“Weren’t you the one that told me the Gargoyles are real?” Viki asked.

“One I did, two they are,” Knox put his hands at his side before throwing them out, “And because of it I am Alex Jone’s crazy uncle! Can you believe that? I am like half his age. The nerve of people.”

“Alex,” Viki giggled, “Didn’t you see what I got on camera? Dragula is real and I put it on live TV!”

“Yeah Viki, I know, I know…” Alex said looking around the news room, “What are you looking at Murphy? Don’t you have a women’s health segment to do? Viki… I can handle being the nut job and the odd ball… look at how I dress. But you? I know you are meant for the top and I don’t want to see you burned out as a conspiracy nut like me, or Jones or Maddow.”

“Don’t worry,” Viki said, “Right now I am just chasing ghosts like everyone else. And if you are concerned, when I get the big break, I will be sure to let the world know Alex Jones is twice your age.”

“Thanks.”

*

“I told you that you would like the show that goes along with dinner,” Selina purred in Bruce’s ear.

To everyone else, Bruce was looking Selina in the eyes. To Jason, Selina and Kara they could see he was watching Oswald Cobblepot and Nasty Luthor sitting across the table from Arnold Stromwell.

“I can tell they are smiling daggers at each other,” Jason observed without looking at the table across the dance floor, “But I can’t read lips at this angle.”

“Ozzy is boasting about he is going to elimate the Stromwell family unless Arnold retires and turns over all his rackets to the bird,” Kara said, “Oh and you are cougar bait Jason. Over there at the table with the three women in the red dresses.”

“They are kind of hot,” Jason said sneaking a glance from the corner of his eye.

“Not them, their mom in the blue Dress,” Kara smirked.

“The grandma?” Jason almost reacted visibly.

“She is wondering what your hot dog and cream tastes like,” Kara teased.

“Focus,” Bruce sneered behind a smile.

“Madame,” a senior waiter came over and intoned in a formal Russian accent, “Your cavier and calamari, let us refill your glasses.”

Selina ordered herself another martini in Russian and a virgin one for her alchololic boytoy. The waiter agreed and smiled at the kids. Jason tried to order a cranberry and Vodka only to be slapped up the back of the head by Kara, Bruce and the waiter.

*

Everyone agreed that computer forensics and hacking was Barbara’s strong points, and maybe one day, she would retire to the digital battlefield… but for now, Oracle was very much a physical part of Gotham’s night life. She was tracking a “Frigidy Frost Catering truck” as it made it’s way across the Gotham business district. Frigidy Frost was one of Penguin’s “Legit” companies that gave him a slight hint of respectability. This particular truck had been reported stolen two days ago to the police. Oracle was following it from the roof tops and shadows.

*

Selina was dancing a seductive tango with Bruce while a nice college student named Ian had asked Kara to dance. Turns out Ian wasn’t that bad, a dancer or a person. College student, young republican, but he donated his weekends to help out at animal shelters and a nature preserve. Of course Kara and Bruce were only half paying attention to their dancing and dance partners, they also were keeping their eyes on Cobblepot and Stromwell’s dinner. Stromwell had made a number of threats against Penguin’s fronts, legal and illegal alike. Nasty more than Oswald was the one laughing them off. She seemed rather confident that Olswald’s birds would be able to eliminate Stromwell’s crews. That made Kara wonder, what and why would Luthor provide in support of “The Penguin”?

“I must say,” Ian said, “You are a lot nicer than your friends from high school implied.”

“Which friends were those” Kara asked.

“Maybe friends wasn’t the right word, but Lori Luthor,” Ian said.

“Yeah,” Kara smiled, “Frien-amies is the better term there.”

“Well to be honest,” Ian leaned in close, “I would much rather be your friend than hers.”

“Back off,” Bruce said as he spun Selina past Ian and Kara.

Kara giggled as Selina purposely pressed her body as close as their clothes would allow to Bruce’s.

*

“Hay Vale,” Alexander Knox grabbed Viki’s arm and stopped her in her tracks, “Why is a catering truck in front of a restaurant?”

“What?” Vale asked as she looked down the sidewalk, “Wait, that’s Stromwell’s restaurant…”

The back of the Frigidy Frost Catering truck opened up and four goons carrying machine guns stormed into the Italian Restaurant… Instinctively Knox stepped forward and pushed Viki back so he was in front of her. Glass and bullets went flying into the streets every which way. Viki pulled out her TV station issued smart phone while Knox grabbed his own phone and a camera from his pocket.

“Hello? 911?” Knox said as he dialed the police.

“This is Viki Vale live at…” Viki started to livestream the fighting in the restaurant in front of them, “Where are we Alex?”

“Yeah, ‘The Die Il Resturante’ on Arbuckle between 50th and 51st,” Knox told both the police operator and Viki.

“Live at The Die Il Resturnate… the the the restaurant? Really?” Viki realized the name.

“Four guys with guns ran into the place and now there’s gun fire coming out the front window!” Knox ignored Viki’s questions.

“Four armed masked men just ran into a restaurant and now the place seems to be engulfed in a firefight! We are live on the scene as it is happening, I am here with Alexander Knox who is calling in the police as I speak,” Viki narrated for the livestream.

The lights on the block went out and a series of firecracker sounds came from the side of the catering truck.

“Oh god, power out on top of this?” Viki asked.

“I think this might be a Gargoyle attack… Eyes peeled folks!” Knox shouted to Viki and her live stream, “Yeah, the block just lost power here between 50th and 51nd. Seems like something is going on. Police are on their way Vale. They want us to back off.”

“Like hell,” Viki said.

A dark figure flashed across the sidewalk between the catering truck and the restaurant front. A series of lights and booms disoriented Viki and Knox outside the building as more windows around shattered. One figure flew out the shattered and glassless frame of the restaurant’s front window and slammed into the catering truck’s side. Another figure tried to run out of the place but something seemed to grab him and yanked him back into the building out of sight of the reporters. The man then flew across the sidewalk and crashed into the side of the catering truck too and slumped to the ground. A thing was tossed out of the restaurant and Knox instinctively took pictures of it.

“What is that?” Viki asked.

“Looks like a fancy gun!” Knox stated the obvious.

Another flash and boom further disorientated the pair outside of the building. They couldn’t imagine what was happening to the people inside.

“Look,” Knox told the police operator, “Hurry up! We have a full on Gargoyle attack in progress!”

A burst of automatic fire rocked the catering truck causing Knox and Viki to scootch back.

*

Kara could here the gun fire, she had her power dampers set to a degree. She looked at Bruce and he understood.

“Excuse me,” Selina said walking over to Ian and Kara, “Mind if I borrow her to go to the little girls room?”

“Sure…”

Kara and Selina went to the club’s ladies room.

“That stall,” Selina said pointing to one next to a window.

Kara went in and quickly made her exit while Selina started fixing her makeup and talking to the stall she knew was empty, offering advice on how to seduce the young man.

*

The sonic boom knocked Knox and Viki off their feet. And almost instantly the night went silent. Shadows flew off into the night’s sky.

“Did you get that?” Viki asked.

“No,” Knox said, “You?”

“My phone was knocked from my hand, I have to see.”

Police sirens and lights came rushing down Arbuckle. Knox got up and took pictures of the gun being careful to not get too close and contaminate the scene again.

“That doesn’t look like any gun I have seen in my HEAT training,” Knox said.

“Me neither,” Viki said as she brought her phone over, “This is one of the guns that was just used in the attack. It is of an unknown type at this time.”

*

Bruce sat at the table with a disappointed look at Jason. Selina and Kara strutted back as if they were cool, calm and confident that they would seduce all the men and ladies in the club.

“What did you do this time bro?” Kara asked taking her seat.

“Someone thought it would be funny to switch my drink with Selina’s,” Bruce said.

“Cute kid,” Selina smirked, “next time tell the waiter I asked for a kicker and pour that in Bruce’s drink.”

“Oracle managed to break up an attack on The Die Il Resturante by some of Pengiun’s freelancers,” Kara whispered as she took a drink of her soda.

“And Luthors is dropping the bombshell right now…” Bruce observed the other table.

“Why is it called the the the restaurant?” Jason asked.

“Stromwell’s dad and father in law opened the place together,” Selina said, “The Father in-Law was Italian and had an Italian menu… Stromwell’s family was German so they added German deserts and added the in German to the name of the place.

“And that would be someone calling in the attack to Stromwell,” Jason said seeing Stromwell pulling a phone out of his pocket.

“How many?” Bruce asked.

“Fourteen were DOA,” Kara said with a much more pleasant smile than the knot in her gut justified.

“Take Jason with you and go play with Patsy… That will allow you to call it relatively early,” Bruce instructed.

“And you?” Jason asked.

“Kid,” Selina whispered as she picked up her martini glass, “I am not getting laid tonight.”

*

Tula, Patsy, and Raven were all dressed in matched up vinyl corseted cyber-goth dresses with coordinated colors schemes. Raven’s was Black and Blue, Tula’s was Black and Green and Patsy’s was Black and Yellow.

“So Selina popped dinner on us,” Kara explained, “She insisted it be a family one.”

“She auditioning for the role or Mrs Waye?” Tula asked.

“No, she wanted to put on a hell of a pitch for us to drop a few grand for a wildlife preserve in Canada,” Kara said.

“As if the cat themed dinner attire wasn’t evidence enough?” Jason pointed at Kara’s latex leopard print top.

“I think that suit looks rather nice on you Jason,” Raven blushed.

“GO, play!” Kara almost shoved the pair off to the dance floor.

“She is a nice girl,” Patsy said, “Shy but a nice kid. Bit of a darkside to her.”

“You have no idea,” Tula chuckled.

“Come on Love,” A musician waved, “Come on stage for this set!”

“Go,” Kara urged Patsy.

Patsy ran off and Kara waited for to get on stage before talking to Tula.

“I know that look,” Tula said, “How bad?”

“Pengiun is going to get a personal visit from THE Gargoyle,” Kara whispered.

“Oh boy,” Tula said, “Come on, let’s dance.”