ORACLE DD Chapter 13

Lady Shiva stands out on the Gotham sidewalk at night, rain pouring from her umbrella. Lights and neon swirl and blink in the puddles as pedestrians splash along without the faintest idea who they’re walking past. She’s not especially tall, and she’s not the only woman in Gotham with a slim frame, but no one else moves like she does. She pauses in front of a tourist shop full of T-shirts and caps with tasteless symbols like pictures of the Joker and bats. She smiles at a black tee with a yellow bat on it.

ORACLE

Alfred stands in the Cave, lit by green as he leans on the Computer with both hands. Behind him, the glass case containing the tattered remains of Jason Todd’s costume gleams under white lights. He’s deliberated long enough. He straightens and climbs the steps to the armory, where he lifts a plastic case onto the bench and opens it, revealing a rifle.

ORACLE

“What am I smelling?” Dinah Lance asks in delight as she enters Barbara’s apartment. She dumps her duffel on the floor and follows a costumed Spoiler into the living room.

Barbara sits in her chair, Viti Saxena paces restlessly, and Kate Kane leans on the kitchen island behind a slow cooker full of cocktail wieners in barbecue sauce.

“Hey,” Kate says, looking her up and down. “Stone wash, huh?”

“Shush. You had to be there,” Dinah says, smoothing her jeans self-consciously. “Hello, beautiful.”

“My friends call me half-track,” Barbara says wryly. “No fishnets? You’re breaking Kate’s heart.”

“I brought the suit. I’ll put it on if you feed me.”

“Help yourself.”

“Where’s Huntress?”

“She’s coming,” Kate says.

Viti stops pacing. “You’re the Black Canary.”

“And you are?”

“Police Commissioner Saxena.”

“Sure you want to be here?” Dinah asks.

“Safest place she can be,” Barbara says, eating another wiener. There’s a chessboard on a small table by the window. She gazes at it as she chews.

“Not if Shiva’s coming. I can’t beat her,” Dinah warns. “Best I can do is buy you time.”

There’s a knock at the door, and everyone stiffens, but Spoiler waves a hand. “It’s Huntress.” She lets her in, and the tall woman enters with a duffel.

“That was funny down there,” she says. “I just walked in. I thought there’d be an army of cops.”

“It’s better this way,” Barbara says. “We don’t want more dead cops.”

“She’s just a woman. I could have a dozen snipers on these windows,” Viti says, but her heart isn’t in it. She keeps staring at the costumed women. Finally, her eyes come to rest on Kate. It’s quiet for a moment.

“You’d just have dead snipers,” Barbara says, but Viti isn’t listening.

Viti licks her lips and points a finger. “The gray Batgirl came back until the attack on GCPD. And then you two showed up.” She turns in a circle. “And you’re just so chummy with everyone in a cape. You aren’t the right build to be her. But maybe the one in black and red. But you…” Viti turns back to Barbara. “Jesus Christ. Batgirl is mayor of Gotham.”

Barbara doesn’t even react. She just toys with a white pawn. “Silly idea. Batgirl’s way more beautiful and glamorous and perfect than I am, Viti. It’s not even close.”

“You aren’t afraid I’ll tell?”

“Tell who?” Barbara replies without looking up.

ORACLE

The little motel room is appalling. Aria Falcone tries not to think about how this very motel used to be a spot for her legion of pimps. Girls worked in this room, and their earnings flowed into Aria’s pockets. Or they had once. She sits on the edge of a horrible bed, gazing at a horrible framed print hung on horrible wallpaper.

She doesn’t even flinch when the door bursts open. This was inevitable; she was so short on men she trusted that when her last attempt to secure an exit went overdue, the matter was settled.

“It’s her. It’s her,” a man says, and she finds herself staring down the barrel of a pistol.

“Anyone else here?”

“No, it’s clear.”

“She got any money?”

“Would she be here if she did?”

“Get her hands.”

Aria’s arms are jerked behind her back, and zip ties are pulled tight.

ORACLE

The hot dog stand is a source of fascinating smells, and the tired-looking woman behind it wears her depression like a heavy coat. Shiva shakes the water off her umbrella under the awning, considering the menu.

“Hi there,” the woman says.

Shiva smiles at her. “I’ll have one of those.”

It takes only a moment. The hot dog is surprisingly big and heavy, wrapped in several thick napkins and piled high with toppings. Shiva looks around with interest, then picks up her umbrella and moves on. As she waits on a corner, she takes a bite. The hot dog smells better than it tastes, but it’s good to try new things. She dumps it in the nearest trash can and wipes her mouth, then tosses the napkins. The light changes, and she starts across the street, stepping aside as a man runs past, splashing water. A lot of people here seem to be in a hurry.

ORACLE

“Sweetie, close that window. It’s raining. Do your homework.”

But Valeria Flores isn’t interested in the fourth-grade math textbook on her desk. She repositions on her desk chair, which squeaks, and lifts her binoculars again. She’s interested in the men in black who appear to be climbing the building across the street. She pauses for a moment to take an important sip of Dr. Pepper, then raises the binoculars again and squints. The men and women too, by the look of it, have masks on. And things strapped to their backs. Valeria counts at least a dozen.

“Mom?” she calls out.

“Yeah, sweetie?”

“Doesn’t the mayor live across the street?”

“What? Oh. I guess.”

“There’s ninjas on her building.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“There’s ninjas.”

“Sweetie, do your homework.”

ORACLE

The Batman stands in front of what was once a Baptist Church in the Narrows. From the outside, it looks like a ruin. The inside will look different.

He raises a gloved fist and pounds; his knocks boom through the sanctuary. He breathes deeply and waits. After a full thirty seconds, a bar is moved and the doors open, revealing a man of about fifty in dark clothes. There’s a detailed file on him in the Cave; he’s been leading the Gotham chapter of Lady Shiva’s followers for almost ten years. He could be a world-class MMA fighter or make a fortune coaching. Instead, he trains homeless youth and maintains this temple to Shiva.

Batman looms over him.

Two more figures in black step into the light, and swords are drawn from sheaths worn on their backs.

“Not very hospitable,” Batman says.

The head priest is silent, but he doesn’t reach for a weapon.

Batman looks past him at the sanctuary, where several more armed men and women are concealed. “I must have made a mistake,” he says, turning away. “Have a good night.”

The doors close behind him. A bar thuds into place. Rain pours on him.

Shiva’s followers looked surprised to see him, and they’re here. They don’t even know that she’s in Gotham. Shiva is the best in the world, but she’s mostly human. Like any other assassin, she needs support. Building plans. Transportation. That’s why she tolerates these cultists; they’re useful to her.

But she isn’t using them. What does it mean?

ORACLE

Shiva considers the towering building. She appreciates the scale of these things in a detached sort of way. Gotham’s gothic stylings and gargoyles are a little dramatic, but they have their own charm. She shakes off her umbrella one last time and pushes through a revolving door into the welcoming, orange glow of the lobby. She puts the umbrella in a basket and smiles at the man behind the desk.

“Evening,” he says.

“Good evening,” she replies in English, gliding to the elevators. She pushes the button, which lights up with a chime. As she waits, she savors the stillness of the lobby, her dark figure reflected vaguely in the marble tiles.

ORACLE

“If this is a bad time, I can come back,” Dinah offers as Viti glares at Barbara.

“Why are your clothes still on? What are we paying you for?” Spoiler asks.

“What do you want, Viti?” Barbara asks.

“I don’t know. How about a law-abiding citizen as mayor of my goddamn city?”

“Bitch, you don’t even get to have a law-abiding citizen for a wife,” Spoiler says.

Viti’s fists clench. She can’t seem to find words.

“Definitely a bad time,” Dinah murmurs. She sighs and picks up her duffel. “I’ll just look around until I find a bathroom, I guess. And then die for you. Don’t mind me.”

“Thanks, babe,” Barbara says, finally looking away from the chessboard. “Viti. Whatever you’re thinking, it doesn’t matter. A lot of things in Gotham aren’t the way that they should be. A lot of things are like that in the world. Kids on the other side of the world shouldn’t have to worry about genocide. Kids in Gotham shouldn’t have to worry about paying for their school lunches. We don’t live in should. We live in reality. You aren’t upset because of who I am. Your ego just hurts because you didn’t see it sooner. Get over it quick, because we have bigger things to worry about.” Barbara turns back to her chessboard.

Huntress puts a comforting hand on Viti’s shoulder. “You think this is bad. You should’ve seen her when I slept with her boyfriend.”

“This is disgusting,” Viti snarls. “Your little private club up here. The rules just don’t apply to any of you. You smug, sanctimonious assholes. You’re doing this while it’s supposed to be my job to enforce the law? What law? It’s not a law if we aren’t following it! It’s just a suggestion!”

“Some of these assholes have fought and bled for you,” Barbara says.

“One of them gave you your job,” Spoiler adds.

Dinah emerges in her costume, chunky combat boots clunking despite the thick carpet.

Kate whistles appreciatively.

Dinah ignores that. “Hey, guys. Are we in trouble yet? Because there’s about thirty ninjas on the roof. Also, Gotham is not the right city to have a skylight in your bathroom. Literally the number one city in the world for weirdos running around on the roofs. You’re just asking for someone to watch you pee. Seems like something Catwoman would do.” She examines her fingernails. “I’m more of a dog person.”

“Did you say ninjas?” Huntress asks.

“Swords, guns. Disturbingly cool masks.”

“Relax,” Barbara says with a yawn. “Those are Eiko’s people.”

Spoiler balks. “What?”

“She’s protecting her investment.”

ORACLE

Shiva emerges from the elevator without a sound. She looks up and down the silent corridor, lined with tall, elegant doors. It is remarkable how quiet things can get, even in a big city, when it’s all beneath one.

But that’s a dangerous road—thinking that one is above things. Every day, Shiva walks a tightrope between twin pits of complacency and arrogance. She’s slipped more than once. Those moments are what make her human. Humanity annoys her, but it also gives life its texture. Nothing would have any meaning if she were like Superman or the other metas with boundless power. Sometimes she even resents the jade pendant she wears to protect her from magic.

She savors the quiet and fingers the pendant for a moment, regretting the bite of hot dog that she ate. Curiosity is part of that texture that makes life living, but it’s double-edged. What she would really enjoy right now would be some tempeh. There’ll be time for that before her flight.

She strolls down the door and extends one finger with one perfect nail to press the doorbell.

ORACLE

Everyone shuts up at the sound of the doorbell. They all turn except Barbara.

Spoiler starts to move, but Dinah stops her.

“I got it.”

Kate moves in front of Viti, who swallows.

“Do we have enough room to work in here?” Huntress asks quietly, readying her crossbow.

“We’ll be fine,” Spoiler assures, squeezing one fist. Her glove squeaks from the barely-contained power in her grip.

Dinah goes to the door and does not hesitate to open it.

Alfred looks taken aback. He carries a covered basket, and there’s a long duffel slung over his back. He holds up the basket. “Ms. Lance. A pleasant surprise. Refreshment?”

ORACLE

Summer Gleeson ties her robe shut and answers the door.

The woman in the hallway is a stranger. She’s slim and tidy in an untouchable, put-together, minimalist way that Summer sometimes sees in Asian women that she can never hope to replicate. Looking at someone like this always makes her feel like a big, clumsy troll.

“Hi,” she says. “Do I know you?”

“No,” the woman replies, stepping inside so swiftly that Summer can’t react. The stranger closes the door. “And you will be tempted to remember me. You will believe that I am responsible for your suffering.”

“What the hell?” Summer stumbles back. “Are you here to kill me?”

“No.” The woman advances on her. “But there is someone who believes that it will hurt Mayor Barbara Gordon if you never walk again. That is your enemy, not me. I’m merely a woman who knows the proper nerve strike.”

Summer hits the couch and trips, falling to the rug. She can only stare as the woman raises a hand with two fingers outstretched.

“There will be no pain. You will feel nothing,” the stranger assures her.

ORACLE

Aria is yanked violently out of the back of the car. She stumbles as they **** her down the hillside and to the pier that lies in total darkness. Everything is soaked by the pounding rain. The salt of the bay and industrial waste mingle, making her eyes water. The men drag her through the shadows and slam her to her knees.

Her breaths through her nose sound loud as she gazes at the surface, broken by the rain, but still hazily reflecting the Gotham skyline. The muzzle of a gun feels cold against the back of her head. She knows it’s Sal Maroni’s finger on the trigger.

She smiles. Nobody beats a Falcone and gets away clean. Aria might have lost, but Barbara Gordon did not win. Aria made sure of that. She closes her eyes.

ORACLE

Batman sprints to the edge of the roof and launches himself out into the rain. A thirty-story drop yawns in front of him. Lightning streaks across the sky as he fires his grapple and steers into a wide swing that takes him straight into the plate glass of Summer Gleeson’s floor-to-ceiling windows. He lands on his feet, his boots sliding on wet carpet and glass shards.

Summer lies on the floor, shaking. A second form lies limp beside her.

Batman straightens, fixing his gaze on the small figure standing over the two women. Cassandra Cain’s face is fully hidden by her full facemask, an accessory affected by Helena after the quake. It’s been a while since she’s worn her black Batgirl uniform. There’s a cut on her flank, and blood. Her posture signals that she has a concussion, and the way that her right arm hangs tells Batman that it is broken in three places.

But she’s still on her feet, and Lady Shiva is out cold. Summer is clearly traumatized, but otherwise unharmed.

Batman doesn’t have to ask the question because he knows the answer; he also doesn’t have to verbalize it because Cassandra can read him. She gestures concisely in ASL: “Barbara told me to wait here.”

Rain pours through the broken window. Summer sniffles and looks up at him.

“I don’t understand,” she says, then screams as her door is broken open.

Batman does what he has been doing for a long time, and controls his emotions. Face stony, he listens to the footsteps as three people enter the room. Amanda Waller is flanked by Captain Cold and Killer Frost, the latter wearing an unnecessarily glamorous raincoat.

“Don’t even think about it, big man,” Waller warns, looking pleased. “She’s mine. We had a deal.” She holds up a folder.

“With Gordon?”

“Who else?” she asks as Captain Cold uses a sophisticated set of electronic handcuffs on Shiva, then covers her head with a black bag before stepping back and freezing her from head to toe.

Waller watches Batman. “Please. You don’t have anywhere that can hold her.”

Batman doesn’t reply.

Captain Cold picks Shiva up with a grunt.

“Good work, kid,” Waller says to Cassandra. “And don’t worry about Aria Falcone,” she adds. “Gordon tipped me off to follow Maroni’s people. They had to pop Maroni and a few of his boys, but that’s no great loss, and we got Falcone alive. We’ll see what she can do for her country for a change. Go,” she says to Cold, who leaves with Shiva, followed by Killer Frost. She looks down at Summer. “Summer. I love the show. You do a great job. You’re a smart reporter. Too smart to mention this to anyone.”

“Is that a threat?” Batman asks.

“You were away for a while, big man. Anyone can lose a step. Ain’t none of us getting younger. Don’t beat yourself up.” Her gaze turns unfriendly. “So go beat up someone who didn’t have rich parents. That’s what you’re good at.”

ORACLE

Barbara looks at the text that she has just received. “OK. It’s late. I’m going to bed.”

“Sure. We’ll just stay out here and protect you from Shiva,” Spoiler says through a mouthful of Alfred’s homemade scones.

“And the ninjas,” Huntress adds.

“Someone tell the ninjas they can go home,” Barbara replies.

“How do you know?” Dinah asks.

“Hey,” Viti says, blocking Barbara’s path away from the chess table. Her eyes are on the pieces. “You lived alone here before you brought me and Kate over.”

“Yeah?” Barbara smiles up at her tiredly.

Viti is pissed, but also at a loss. Barbara knows that she’ll be better tomorrow. They all will. It’s been a very long week.

Viti gestures at the board, staring at the black knight that stands apart from all the other pieces. “Who are you playing against?”

Barbara sighs and sweeps the room with her eyes. Alfred, wiping smudges from the mirror. Spoiler, mask half-up, chewing. Huntress, pacing. Dinah, pretending to meditate. Kate, staring at Dinah’s legs.

She meets Viti’s eyes and forces a smile. “Everyone.”

THE END

(Of Oracle: Deal with the Devil)