Snowday

“You know, as much as I love my dad,” Barbara mused, “I really need to look at moving out, either into the mansion with you or getting my own place.”

“Yeah… I have been thinking about moving out as well,” Kara added, “But there are pros and cons, no twenty-four seven Alfred.”

“Is that a pro or a con?” Barbara asked.

“Both…” Kara giggled, “I mean, laundry is always magically done seemingly as soon as I put in the hamper, there is always cooked breakfast… But on the down side, any really interesting games of dress up get squashed by the virginity alert.”

Both girls laughed… and it was in stark contrast to the Oracle and Batgirl swinging from roof top to roof top following a suspected mugger that was running across town tonight. The pair tag teamed the pursuit while maintaining the phone call to engage in “Girl Talk”. Barbara had found indications that Mercy Graves, Luthor’s personal agent, was trying to crack into the Wayne family’s phone systems… Which presented a problem, while it looked like Kara, Jason and Dick had Wayne Tech made phone that they got from the service provider, they really carried around secure systems connected to special Justice League communications networks built by Lucius… and checking with the Tele-coms would turn up no activity, and that would be very suspicious…

“So when are you going to take your new boytoy back to his place?” Barbara asked.

“Seems to be ‘take a slow and steady’ approach as the most appropriate,” Kara retorted coyly.

“Too soon to tie him to the bed?” Barbara giggled.

“As much fun as that would be,” Kara snickered, “When dawn comes, he would wake everyone as he runs off to find a dozen priests when I untie him.”

“Well alright, I have to go, later Kara,” Barbara said.

“Night Red,” Kara responded.

Kara landed and tapped the disconnect button built into the side of her cowl. Kara removed the face seal that kept the noise of the leaping throw the night from being heard by the microphone on the side of her cowl’s mouth. Batgirl, looked over to Oracle who was crotched down. Oracle used their sign langue to tell her to ‘look up ahead, carefully!’ Batgirl low crawled along the roof to get a look at what Oracle had seen… The Mugger was catching his breath on the fence of the Lex corps distribution center. Trying to be as subtle as possible, she reached up and swept her finger along the side of her cowl, activating the POV camera and turning off the power dampening ear rings.

“Hay you!” a security guard called as he walked over to the fence leaving his partner, “Clear out!”

“Yeah, just a minute, I need to catch my breath,” the suspected mugger said.

The Lex Corps Security Group guard walked to the fence and looked at the suspect.

“I got the stuff for you,” the suspected mugger pulled a roll of cash and slipped it throw the fence to the guard.

“Bus station,” the guard whispered as he took the money and tossed a key throw the fence, “Now get out of here. Go on.”

The Mugger stepped back from the fence and acted like he was stretching and picked up the key and then started running off again. The guard returned to his partner and stated that the twit thought claiming he was jogging would justify hanging around on their facility.

“I got this,” the whisper came over the cowl’s secure comms network.

Kara gave her partner a thumbs up and went off and shadowed the mugger.

*

Bruce stood by the door looking out into the blowing snow. Kara stomped her boots as she walked back into the kitchen from the garage. Alfred glared at Kara as she came in.

“Classes are canceled,” Kara stated, “But I made sure Jason is there for his detention…”

“Going back to sleep?” Bruce asked.

“No,” I figured I would go hang out in the conservatory and soak up some light,” Kara said, “Call Dick on the commercial phone maybe?”

“What about your friend in the embassy?” Bruce asked.

“She is on vacation, no phone reception under the sea,” Kara shrugged, “Besides, if she wasn’t she would still be working all day.”

“Imagine that, having a full-time job,” Alfred added from the sink.

“You know,” Bruce said, “You could retire at any time Alfred, I am grown up, Kara and Dick are adults…”

“And we all know the place would be destroyed in a week without me here,” Alfred retorted, “This isn’t a joke young lady!”

Kara couldn’t help but giggle.

*

The ringing of her phone got Kara to end her round of Beat Saber and put the VR helmet down.

“What’s up Dick?” Kara asked.

Bruce walked into the family room looking around.

“What’s wrong? Did she say why? So what are you planning on doing?” Kara asked, “Well he is right here… I don’t believe it is a coincidence either, Do you want to talk to him? Ok. I will let you handle that. What are you going to do?”

Bruce was checking a book in the medical section of the book cases on the back of the family room. He didn’t seem to be listening in, but Kara knew he was.

“We got your back no matter what you chose to do,” Kara said, “Call me back later, bye.”

“I will wait for Dick to call me and give me the news,” Bruce intoned.

“You know there is a rumor going around,” Kara said putting her hands on her hips, “You go around…”

“And implant listening devices inside people’s skulls?” Bruce finished for Kara, “Do you know how inefficient that would be? Better to sew them into the back of the ear.”

Bruce closed the book in his hand and pulled another one. Kara didn’t say anything for a long minute as Bruce pulled out another book and looked for a passage before closing it and putting it back.

“It was a joke,” Bruce stated.

“What was it that Clark said? Oh, yeah, ‘Do the world a favor and buy a sense of humor Bruce.’ Seriously, if you tell anyone else that they would accept it at face value,” Kara said before walking to Bruce, “What are you looking for?”

“Doctor Palmer had a run in with a gang being handled by the Clue Master… He used a very particular phrase… I swear it was in one of my father’s old medical texts…” Bruce said.

“Is there any truth to the story of you climbing on top of these book cases to read as a kid?” Kara asked.

“Alfred’s old story?” Bruce didn’t answer the question.

“Ok… how about this,” Kara asked, “Where are your dad’s books and where are your grandfather’s books?”

Bruce stopped, looked up, cocked his head and then snapped the book in his hand shut. Bruce put the book back before reaching up three shelves and pulling down another one. Kara looked at the book that Bruce pulled down.

“A history of Humors and Miasmas, Allen Halsey School of Medicine, Miskatonic University…” Kara read the tittle aloud.

“I am sure if you go back far enough into Kryptonian history, their medicine was as much based on myth and religion as ours was in the dark ages,” Bruce said.

“So that’s what you have?” Kara asked.

“A medical history text book about the religious and mythical nature that governed medicine ages ago,” Bruce confirmed, “Here we are…”

Kara stayed silent as Bruce read the passage and then grabbed a thin book marker and slipped it between the pages.

“Did this Halsey guy write that?” Kara asked.

“No, Doctor Halsey died fighting a Typhoid outbreak,” Bruce said, “So they named the medical college after him… although there were stories of him being found after his death engaging in cannibalism…”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Kara said, “So grandpa Wayne went to this Miskatonic University?” Kara asked.

“No, Grandpa Kane did… After his death, my mother got his old medical books and put them here,” Bruce said.

“Because this is where mom put the personal books,” Bruce looked for something else, “The originals from the University Publishing offices get put in the library… that reminds me, Alfred got a notice that you have a package due today that is held up by the weather.”

Kara raised an eyebrow.

“On a similar note,” Bruce continued, “The sets of books published this semester by Brown and Cal-tech are also overdue for the same reason.”

“What a coincidence…” Kara started sarcastically.

“Coincidence hell,” Bruce said as he looked for another tittle, “Today is the sixth, feast of the Three Kings. And you didn’t get a gift from Lois for Christmas, so this is her last chance to do a Christmas Gift before being completely too late,” Bruce intoned, “Ah, there it is.”

“Of Beans and Bacon,” Kara asked.

“Selina wants one of Alfred’s Recipes… This is where he got the one in question from,” Bruce noted.

“A book where Alfred got one of his secrete recipes, and it isn’t locked up next to the kryptonite?” Kara asked.

“Hardly, it is where I got the inspiration from,” Alfred smiled, “Call on line three Master Bruce.”

Bruce held the book for Kara to examine before turning to get the phone. Kara looked throw the book.

“There are no measurements anywhere in here,” Kara noted.

“Not one,” Alfred smiled.

*

January 6, 4pm, Mississippi Highway Patrol

Vehicle was found on side of the road outside of Moselle on I59 North Bound Lane. Driver was unresponsive and muttering. Ambulance was dispatched and preliminary toxicology reports some sort of overdose on a natural herbal substance that is unknown at this time. Driver was muttering about a “Sexy lady”. Forensics found a long red hair of unknown origin or age in the passenger seat…

*

Batgirl was patrolling the city, not so much looking for crimes, but to provide relief. All of the clubs were closed and Barbara would be checking in on her father at Police Headquarters in walking distance from her apartment, so officially Kara was spending the night at home in Wayne Manor, and frankly no one would question that tonight as the blizzard had picked up that afternoon. Batman and Batgirl had gone into the city by underground tunnel connections. Robin was grounded. It was quiet, most of the homeless had packed into shelters or a few secure places that night. The only ones on the road were the City and State police and Plow trucks. Kara fitted the mask over her Batgirl Cowl and started the connection to her phone at her desk back in the manor. The noise on the other side was chaotic in the background.

“Hay Kara,” Barbara responded.

“Hay Barb,” Kara smiled as she looked in to see a homeless couple with warm cups of soup someone had given them, “What are you up to?”

“Not much, just checking in on dad,” Barbara said with a tiredness in her voice.

“Yeah, we finished Blazing Saddles, but Saint Bruce kept looking out the window. Have you heard anything about power outs?” Kara responded.

“Not really, but I wouldn’t be surprised,” Barbara said, “Dad was going over a map while talking to the mayor when I brought him dinner.”

“I heard Bruce talking to someone earlier about lending out generators,” Kara said, “Hope people are doing alright.”

“Yeah, not surprising, the store was out of milk, eggs and bread this morning,” Barbara said, “This storm just seemed to come out of nowhere.”

“Do they think it is one of those whack jobs in a costume causing it?” Kara asked.

“No, I was there when Dad asked that of the weather service people, they just miss read the winds and it ended up turning into a blizzard instead of pushing out to sea,” Barbara sighed.

“So how long should this last?” Kara asked.

Batgirl peaked in on another building to see a family together watching the news under a blanket.

“Should clear up by the tomorrow afternoon,” Barbara said, “Any word from Selina?”

“She called earlier, she is fine, at home with her girls,” Kara said.

“Good,” Barbara’s voice carried the smile, “Have you checked in with J-P?”

“I talked to him earlier, he got the day off with pay,” Kara noted, “He was going to settle in with a video game.”

“He hasn’t called back?” Barbara asked.

“I asked him to call before going to bed, he is a guy so that will be about midnight when his controller’s batteries die,” Kara rolled her eyes.

Barbara chuckled.

“I think most everyone is staying home tonight,” Barbara added, “Speaking of, I am about to head home from the station. Dad has three cops escorting me because of the weather.”

“Be safe,” Kara said.

“Talk to you later,” Barbara said before ending the call.

*

Batgirl was on the roof top looking across the street into Jean-Paul Valley’s apartment. He wasn’t playing video games; he was working on an arm brace. She was about to set up the call, when across the street, something got Jean-Paul to look up and then look around his apartment. She kept her eyes on the events unfolding. Jean-Paul found his phone plugged in next to the couch and grabbed it. He looked at it and then went to the kitchen and looked at the microwave. Jean-Paul shrugged as he walked back into the main room and dialed his phone. Then Kara’s phone rang. She answered it.

“Hello?” Kara spoke up.

“Hello Kara, sorry, I lost track of time,” Jean-Paul’s voice came over the phone call.

Kara smiled under her mask.

“What are you up to?” Kara asked.

“I was just playing and then I got working on a side project,” Jean-Paul confessed.