ORACLE DD Chapter 11

“Is Ivy secretly controlling the city?” Barbara takes a deep breath. “What would that look like? What do you think that she would do?”

“How about getting rid of the competition? Like the Falcones?”

“Vicki, you aren’t even trying. Dr. Isley has never been in the organized crime game. She’s gone after money, but only to pursue an environmentalist agenda. She doesn’t care which crime family controls what, and Aria Falcone didn’t approach Dr. Isley. She approached me. If Dr. Isley’s agenda is happening through me, then it’s a popular agenda that’s going to lead to a higher standard of living for everyone in Gotham. But that’s absurd. There is ample evidence that I am who I’ve always been. I’m guessing that people are starting to dig up all the papers I wrote in college, long before I met Dr. Isley. For better or worse, it’s my agenda that you’re seeing. But Dr. Isley has a lot of power that can be used for good, and everyone knows we’re already on very friendly terms. It’s not going to come as a surprise that I’m willing to deal with her to get what I want, and one of the things that I want is the untapped potential of her power for medical applications. My father was police commissioner for almost twenty years. When you say there are people out there who don’t like the idea of working alongside someone with a background like Dr. Isley’s, I get it. But if Dr. Isley held the cure for a disease that my loved one was suffering from, I would not be standing on principle.”

“Ends justify the means, madame mayor?”

“The means, in this case, are treating Dr. Pamela Isley like a human being—like any other offender in America, where we have to choose to believe that she can change. Does that bother you, Vicki?”

ORACLE

The interview could have gone better, and so could the operation, but on the whole, it has been a series of smashing victories. Aria is lying low and all but powerless. The other organizations are making moves, but the body count is at the low end of Barbara’s calculations. She doesn’t like any loss of life, but this is the difference between her and Bruce. She will not let risk paralyze her. She doesn’t like feeling paralyzed.

There are statements, memorials, and meetings with families. Barbara benefits from the historical pattern of people liking a decisive, wartime leader—so long as the perceived enemy is unpopular. And people hate the Falcones every bit as much as they hate Ivy. Many more people have been touched by the Falcone crime family during their decades of rule in Gotham than Ivy’s various schemes.

The board at Wayne Enterprises is understandably antsy, but they’re satisfied at the moment with Barbara’s ability to toe the line.

ORACLE

“What would you do?” Barbara asks between kisses. “If you were mayor?”

They’re naked in Ivy’s bed, and it’s dark. Ivy is just a shape in the gloom. Her tongue and fingertips strike without warning.

“Ah!” Barbara runs her fingers through soft hair as Ivy sucks her nipple.

“Whatever it took to be popular,” Ivy replies, kissing her way down Barbara’s belly. She has to move Barbara’s legs herself, and that always makes Barbara blush and try to squirm. Ivy spreads her and gets her shoulders in, settling down with her face in front of Barbara’s pussy. She breathes deeply, then blows gently, making Barbara shiver. “Because I can’t do anything as mayor. Nothing that matters on a scale that I would care about. I’d use it to get the presidency. Then we’d see.”

Not quite the answer that Barbara expects, but she’s not surprised.

“Or I can put Harley on TV and use vines to **** her while I fingerbang her until she pees,” Ivy muses. “She’d like that.”

Barbara laughs, and that turns to a sharp gasp when Ivy wraps her lips around her clit.

“Oh my god,” Barbara moans.

Ivy pauses and kisses Barbara’s inner thigh. “You’re pretty hot when you’re kicking ass. Poor Vicki.”

“Keeps her humble,” Barbara pants.

“Who keeps you humble?” Ivy asks, slipping a finger inside.

“Ah!” Barbara squeezes her breasts and pulls her nipples. “Right there.”

“Here?”

“Ah!”

ORACLE

“You’re doing a good job, Ms. Gordon. Maybe even a suspiciously good job.” Amanda Waller doesn’t sit; she stands with her coffee, glowering at Barbara in her office.

“It’s sweet of you to say that. Your team did pretty well out there.”

“You demanded no kills. They killed someone.”

“They killed a Maroni hitman who was firing in a crowded restaurant. I can live with that,” Barbara says.

“That’s refreshing. I hope you aren’t going to try to leverage this success you’re having, or that technical detail, to get out of your end of the deal. You owe me, Mayor Gordon.”

“I plan to deliver.”

“If you can’t?”

“Then we’ll go back to the original agreement, and I’ll allow you to do your outreach for the Suicide Squad with inmates of Blackgate.”

Waller is skeptical. “Things that are too good to be true usually aren’t.”

“I don’t know if good is the right word for what you and I do. But it’s necessary.”

“You got balls, kid. Want me to put someone on you for protection? You have to know they’re coming for you. They’re all going to be coming for you.”

“Can I have the shark guy?” Barbara jokes.

“I was thinking of something lower-key.”

Stephanie enters the office and catches Barbara’s eye.

“We’ll circle back to that,” Barbara tells Waller with a smile.

The older woman lifts her cup and leaves.

Stephanie shuts the door. “I’ve never seen anyone get along with her like you do.”

“Compromise makes the world go round, Steph. Bruce knew that; it’s why he never settled things with Ras. It’s why the Falcones lasted so long. But sometimes his pride would get in the way.”

“Good thing you don’t have that problem. Bruce stands up to Waller for the exact same reason you stood up to Aria.”

Barbara snorts. “I know. But don’t expect me to admit it to him. What do you have?”

“Eiko Hasigawa wants to meet with you.”

“In person?”

“Of course.”

Barbara sighs. Her willingness to deal with people of ill repute is opening doors, but it’s a double-edged sword. The best case is that Eiko wants to determine exactly what sort of arrangement would allow her organization to coexist with Barbara’s office. The worst case is that she wants Barbara’s support. There’s only one way to find out.

Barbara’s phone is ringing. It’s Alfred. She grabs it and shows the name to Stephanie, who will understand.

“Barbara Gordon,” Barbara says.

“Ms. Barbara, I thought it would be of interest to you that about ten minutes ago, security cameras captured an image of a woman at Gotham International. The Computer has concluded that it is almost certainly Lady Shiva.”

Barbara sighs. “Good to know.”

“Do take care, Ms. Barbara.”

“You too, Alfred.” She hangs up. “Shiva’s here.”

“Oh, shit.” It’s the first time Stephanie’s looked uncomfortable since Bruce came back. That’s interesting, especially given the guesses that Barbara has made about what’s going on with her.

But Shiva just got off a plane. Barbara has to deal with the Yakuza now.

Meet with Eiko?

Or refuse the meeting?