BAE Chapter 95

Viti Saxena looks almost too pretty in her pale blue pantsuit, seated with great propriety in the armchair across from Summer Gleeson.

The bright lights of Gotham Insider shine on them both as the commercial break ends.

“And we’re back,” Summer says to the camera before turning her attention to Viti. “I’m here with Gotham City’s District Attorney, Viti Saxena. Ms. Saxena announced an intention to run against Mayor Hill and has now filed paperwork for her campaign. Before the break, we learned about her work in Star City and how she met the woman she would go on to marry at a Wayne Tech expo here in Gotham. Now, Ms. Saxena—you’ve become well-known for threading the needle in the role as Gotham’s DA. You supported legislation and action from the Wayne Foundation to move ahead with various soft-on-crime policies such as reduced sentences for small possession charges and initiatives to expand needle drop-offs, safe injection sites, and other things that some of your voting base appears to have expected a harder stance on. Is this influenced at all by your history in Star City? Does the Green Arrow play a role in it?”

Viti smiles. “I don’t take policy cues from costumed vigilantes, Summer. But crime and poverty are two different things while also enmeshed,” she goes on, lacing her fingers together. “I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I want to do my best to remember that there’s a difference between people who are in bad situations and trying to survive and people who deliberately prey on others. I know that I can’t please everyone. I know that it’ll always be messy. Gotham is a dangerous city, but that’s all the more reason that we can’t forget about compassion.”

“Ms. Saxena, you are of course, married to the lovely Aki Aramaki of Wayne Enterprises,” Summer says warmly. “Your wife isn’t well-known to the general public in Gotham, preferring to stay out of the way while wielding enormous influence within the company. Meanwhile, there’s been chatter about Lucius Fox potentially having designs on the mayor’s office himself. There’s still plenty of time for him to put together a campaign. You claim to represent the interests of the people of Gotham while your wife represents the interests of Bruce Wayne. How would that work for a Mayor Saxena?”

“My wife has her career and I have mine, and I would fight hard against a Lucius Fox candidacy. While I have allied myself with the Wayne Foundation in many ways, Wayne Enterprises is interested in profits while I’m interested in making Gotham safer. But Wayne Enterprises is an important part of Gotham, and strong ties between the mayor and these crucial institutions is a strength, not a weakness.”

“Speaking of institutions unique to Gotham, since you did bring it up, what about costumed vigilantes? Mayor Hill has allowed GCPD to work with them to a point, and you put a stop to that when you made it clear two months into your term that your staff would not run cases including evidence collected with the assistance of civilians.”

“Jim Gordon trusts the Batman. And I trust Jim Gordon,” Viti says firmly. “But a man who takes the law into his own hands has no place in our court system. I’m not going to complain about the Batman stopping criminals, but I will not prosecute anyone who hasn’t been brought to justice by lawful authorities. The loopholes that my predecessors have exploited to make evidence provided by the Batman admissible in criminal proceedings—this practice is completely unacceptable. Look, Summer. The Batman is as much as a fixture in Gotham as Wayne Enterprises at this point. But he’s gone. And his war on crime has brought us mixed results at best. It’s time for something new.”

BAE

Lit by the red glow of the Gotham sky, Barbara gets to her feet, drawing her grapple from the holster in the small of her back.

She kicks in the balcony doors with a crash. Glass shatters as she fires, aiming for Talia’s calf and intending to yank her off her feet.

A flash of blue strikes too fast to follow with the naked eye, severing the line.

Talia looks over her shoulder, eyes curious.

Selina’s eyes widen when she sees Barbara’s silhouette, then there’s a look of disappointment when she sees the size of her and realizes that it isn’t Batman.

Glass crunches under Barbara’s boots as she enters the apartment. Without a sound, Katana emerges from behind the pillar just ahead, taking three lazy steps to put herself between Barbara and Talia. She squares herself, holding her sword by her side.

It wasn’t Waller behind the breach at Wayne Tower, it was Ras Al Ghul. Barbara doesn’t need the details; Ivy’s biochemical miracles are an easy match for Ras Al Ghul’s obsession with immortality. Him wanting her blood is no surprise. Elite Pride. A former member of Task **** X. Ras Al Ghul has never been as bombastic as some of the others, but this emphasis on discretion is interesting.

“Fly away, little detective,” Talia warns. She still grips the whip that’s **** Selina.

In reply, Barbar snaps out a Batarang and throws it at the whip. Again, Katana effortlessly deflects it and lunges forward. Barbara rolls out of the way, but Katana is just as fast as she is. The blade flashes and Barbara’s barely able to block with another Batarang, sending blue sparks flying as the impact sends her tumbling across the floor. She rolls to her feet and Katana notices the stun grenade on the floor and turns away the moment before it detonates with a bang.

Shaking her head, Katana straightens up in time to take both of Barbara's boots in the chest.

Barbara’s fluttering cape and graceful aerial kick are reflected in Selina’s eyes.

Katana reels backward, crashing through the plate-glass window and onto the balcony. Babara kicks the fallen sword away and turns on Talia only to cartwheel out of the way as gunfire fills the apartment. Barbara puts her back to the same pillar that Katana hid behind as Talia advances, her smoking pistol outstretched in her hand.

Barbara draws her last Batarang.

Target the gun? Or the ropes tying Selina?