Terrible Tuesday

Kara looked over the text book and sighed. She shook and stretched her body. Her legs squeaked and plopped as her latex leggings clung to themselves as she rubbed her legs together. It didn’t take her super-hearing to hear the snickering from the doorway.

“Here we have the Kryptonian female in her natural habitat,” Dick narrated in a fake British accent, “Relaxed among all the old dusty books.”

“Funny Dick,” Kara called out, “Don’t you have erranting to do young knight errant?”

“The system is running all the video footage from Arkham to see who was entering Crane’s office,” Dick said as he came into the library.

“Anything so far?” Kara asked knowing the answer already.

“It will ping us once it has all the entries,” Dick smiled as he leaned over the back of the couch.

“Great,” Kara said, “So you don’t have anything else you could be doing besides bugging me while I’m trying to study?”

“Nope, nothing what so ever,” Dick smiled.

“So I get to the delight of Dick being a dick?” Kara rolled her eyes, “Great…”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Dick smirked.

“You are the lucky one,” Kara reached up and tossed Dick’s hair, “You don’t have to deal with yourself.”

Both their phones dinged.

*

Midtown Gotham

The Falcone Family and the Thorne gangs decided to not wait for Stromwell’s funeral. Now there were firefights outside a few of the Stromwell front companies. Gordan had left his office to look at the mess in front of one of the delis that Stromwell’s people had run.

“What do we know Yin?” Gordon asked the Detective in charge at the scene.

“Commissioner,” the tall thin Asian woman pointed at a few of the corpse as she spoke, “These three and those two have files and are known associates of Stromwell. Those two are unknown. Could be innocent bystanders that came by to get some food, we don’t know because we don’t have files on them.”

“Looks like they got some shots off,” Gordon said looking around at the spent cases on the ground, “Any witness statements?”

“People across the street are saying that at least one of the gun men was hit and dragged back into the car,” Yin said, “We put out an all points for the vehicle.”

“Very well,” Gordon said before turning to the patrol car, “Which scene is next? O’Hallagarn’s?”

“No sir,” the uniformed sergeant said, “Tankenson’s is the next one.”

“Drive to O’Hallagarn Sergeant,” Gordon intoned, “I don’t have the patients for dealing with Tankenson.”

“Right Commissioner,” the sergeant agreed.

*

Gotham Academy

Jason sat with Raven. Megan and Rose sat together across from them.

“I don’t know who my father is,” Rose said, “My mother won’t admit it, but I am sure she was a hooker when she had me.”

“I knew who my parents were,” Megan sighed, “But I am like Kara Wayne.”

“How so?” Rose asked.

“I came to the US as a refugee, after my family and village were killed,” Megan said, “But unlike Kara, I wasn’t adopted by a billionaire, I found my uncle.”

“Your uncle?” Rose asked.

“Yes,” Megan smiled, “Uncle John, he is a nice guy.”

“What about you Racheal?” Rose asked.

“My father was a manipulative bastard and my mother was a poor judge of character,” Raven shrugged, “She fled him and I avoid him at all costs.”

“Abusive?” Rose asked.

“A real demon,” Raven confirmed.

“What about you Jason?” Rose asked.

“Druggies and crooks,” Jason shrugged, “Ended up on the street and was picked up by the law. There I was offered a choice, I ended up being taken in by the billionaire.”

“What was the other choice?” Rose asked.

“Not sure, I didn’t take it,” Jason shrugged, “As it was I figured a week or two in juvie would mean a full belly for the time… turns out it lead to Bruce taking me in.”

“Must have been a god sent for you,” Rose said.

“There are times I miss being able to do what ever I want, like I could when I was on the street,” Jason admitted.

“But you live with Bruce Wayne, billionaire,” Rose said, “You can do what every you want.”

“Not really,” Jason shrugged.

“No,” Raven groaned, “English Butler, built in virginity alarm system…”

“So…” Rose smirked.

“Cock blocked at every chance in or around the manor,” Raven rolled her eyes.

“And good luck getting laid with Miss Star around,” Megan shrugged.

*

“What’s wrong Alfred?” Bruce asked as he looked over the papers that were brought up to him.

“Ever have the sensation someone is talking about you?” Alfred said as he pressed the suit jacket.

“All the time,” Bruce noted, “What is this?”

“Our Liability evaluation from the legal team,” the lawyer said.

“No, we will pay out as much as needed,” Bruce shot down the idea, “Wayne biomedical made the stuff. Our people might not know what they were doing or how it would become criminal, but I am accepting responsibility for what happened.”

“But,” the lawyer was clearly thinking of the dollar value of such an admission.

“Don’t worry,” Bruce said, “We will have a review to screen out fraudsters. Police already have a tight lock on the number of people affected by this incident.”

“Mister Wayne?” a young woman from the Public Relations department said as she stepped in, “They are almost ready for you in the lobby.”

“Thank you,” Bruce said, “How is my tie.”

“Looks perfect for a funeral,” Lucius noted as he looked up from the papers in his hand.

“That is the idea,” Bruce said standing up.

“Here you go,” Alfred helped Bruce into the suit jacket.

*

There was a light snow fall as the clock in the distance struck ten. Selina Kyle walked out on the balcony of her penthouse apartment. Kara was on the roof top across the street. Batman silently landed on the balcony behind Selina.

“You know, one would think that having masked vigilantes running around the city would dominate the news,” Selina snicked, “But the news is obsessed with Bruce Wayne’s press conference tonight stud.”

Selina turned and hugged Batman. Kara noted that Batman didn’t resist the kiss. Holly came out holding two sealed travel mugs.

“Make sure the kids each get one,” Selina smiled as she broke the kiss.

Maven came out with another pair of sealed travel mugs. Kara squinted and saw the yellow bat cartoon silhouettes on the black mugs. She chuckled to herself.

“I will send them by in turn,” She heard Batman intone, “We have a lot of people fighting over the remains of Stromwell’s cartel. Come on over and get yours Batgirl.”

*

It was half past midnight. At first the call seemed like some of Stromwell’s people were counterattacking… but it turned out to be so much worse… Nightwing and Oracle were down at the docks, Robin was handling some kids on mission hill. Even with the bag on his head the man trashed around waving the knife wildly.

“Help! Daddy killed mommy!” the girl screamed on the phone in the closet.

Kara flashed the hand gesture, as if she was spinning the volume dial way up. Batman shook his head no.

“You are going to die, I am going to die! We will all die together!” Alberto Falcone screamed from under the burlap hood as he thrashed about with the knife.

Kara looked at Batman. Batman closed his eyes and she felt the power dampeners turn off. Kara levitated off the floor and floated over to the flailing man. With a delicate touch she grabbed the mans head and tossed him across the room into the fridge. The man’s body slumped. In an instant Kara was on him and had him cuffed up in a hog-tie. A quick look showed no broken bones or brain bleeds. The pair quickly fled the scene. The regrouped across the street on another roof top. Down below the police cruisers were pulling up to the entrance of the building. No-one stopped them as the cops went inside.

“Alberto lost it,” Kara noted.

“His wife isn’t going to make it,” Batman intoned.

“I could…” Kara was about to say when she realized what Bruce was actually saying…

Both of them wallowed in the long silent pause.

“Who was the girl?” Kara asked.

“Alberto’s daughter Kitrina Falcone,” Bruce’s voice whispered.

“Kid is going to need a lot of help,” Kara noted.

Bruce kept watching, Kara noted. He kept watching until… Corporal what’s her name… Montoya, Bullocks favorite driver, got the brown haired girl to open the closet door.

“There is a shooting on fifth street,” Batman spoke again, “Deal with it.”

“Right.”

*

Dick leaned back in the chair. He held the cold compress to his forehead while Kara looked at his leg with her x-ray vision.

“So the lesson of the day for the criminal masterminds,” Dick started.

“Don’t give them too much credit dear,” Barbara groaned.

“Do your vehicle maintenance before you go to do a drive-by,” Dick groaned, “Or your Drive-by will be a pull up, shoot and break down.”

“And that turns into a general firefight. And those turn out bloodier than a drive by,” Barbara adjusted herself in the next chair.

“Nothing broken in the leg,” Kara noted, “Can’t say the same for the head.”

“Har har…” Dick muttered, “That was a real bloody mess. Used most of our gas grenades to cover for our intervention.”

“You two did well,” Bruce smiled, “You all did well considering what we were against today.”

“Alberto really go full pyscho?” Jason asked.

“Yeah,” Kara breathed.

“Alberto Falcone has been charged with the murder of his wife,” Alfred noted.

“What is going to happen to his daughter Katrina?” Kara asked.

“I don’t know,” Bruce intoned.