Chapter Text
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters and series, they all belong to DC Comics. Also, this story contains mild femslash (aka girl on girl romance) so if that offends you, I'd suggest skipping it.
Oracle and the Network
Prelude 1.0
Metropolis... it was considered by some the city of the future, but for Barbara Gordon it was the past. Here she had moved the Birds of Prey from Gotham, here she had discovered the heroine Misfit and here she had suffered one of her greatest failures. A madwoman had stolen a experimental weapon and fled, the Birds of Prey in chase until a accident lead to the detonation of the device. Her agents had faced her fury over their mistakes then she had faced Superman himself, the hero scolding her pointedly.
'And I let him run me off,' Barbara admitted, the redhead pushing her wheelchair into the elevator in their hotel base, rising up to her former home. She rolled along the halls then back to where her base of operations for Oracle had been.
Her confidence shaken Oracle lad the Birds through one error after another, moving them to Platinum Flats, fighting a criminal society with too little research, challenging a empowered Calculator and even facing the Joker in a rematch. All in all the last several months had not been her best, and her friends had suffered for it.
'But no more,' Oracle thought as she rolled back out into the apartment's open areas. In a day or less the equipment would be arriving, ordered through blinds and false identities, the best in computer and surveillance technology. In a few more days Oracle would be back on line...
The sound was like that of a rushing wind, but amplified by a thousand. He appeared in the room in a blur of red and blue, a imposing figure with black hair and eyes that were surprisingly kind. "Mrs. Gordon," Superman nodded.
"Mr. Kent," Barbara answered pointedly, deciding to take the offensive from the start.
Superman jerked a little, his eyes widening. "How did you...?" he started.
"You know my methods," Barbara quoted Conan Doyle with a smile. "Security cameras are a wonderful thing, especially coupled with the right computer systems."
"Understood," Superman nodded jerkilly. He frowned at her, "I understood you were leaving Metropolis for good."
"And now I'm back," Barbara answered calmly, "I look forward to working with you."
Superman crossed his arms as he stared down at her, "This is my city and..."
Barbara raised her eyebrows as she asked, "Did you borrow that line from Batman?" Cruelly she added, "Or from Luthor?"
That made Superman close his mouth with a snap. The tall, impossibly powered hero looked hesitant for a moment, his blue eyes dimmed just a little as he studied Barbara.
"That might have been a low blow," Barbara conceded. She turned her wheelchair and rolled toward the patio window, unlatching it and rolling outside. Superman followed her out as Barbara said, "I respect you immensely, and I'm well aware of your powers."
"But...?" Superman asked, sensing where she was going.
"You can't be everywhere," Barbara said simply. "You have responsibilities to the Justice League, not to mention responding to different disasters around the world. You might recall the Battle for Metropolis?"
Superman winced at that. During a battle involving a teen aged copy of himself Superman had been pulled away from the city long enough that a invasion of super criminals could happen. Only a ragtag group of heroes organized by Oracle herself was able to slow the villains until he could arrive.
Meeting her eyes Superman asked, "The last time you were here, people died. Can you promise me it won't happen again?"
"No," Barbara told him frankly, "and I'd be lying if I did. What I can promise is that I'll do everything I can to see that doesn't happen again."
Superman still didn't look happy, but on the other hand he wasn't arguing anymore either. "I'll be keeping an eye on you," he warned as he rose up into the air and was gone.
"That doesn't scare me much," Barbara murmured as she turned the chair around and rolled back inside. 'I'll need to get some furnature in here too,' she mused, 'and start calling people.' She suspected Helena would gloat and say I told you so, but Babs could live with that.
"Geeze, he didn't look happy," the redheaded teen noted as she stuck her head around the corner and gave Babs a grin.
"Charlie, what have I told you about listening in to conversations?" Babs frowned.
Charlotte 'Charlie' Gage-Radcliffe smiled back as she offered, "Don't get caught at it?"
"That, too," Babs laughed.
Since Charlie was a orphan Babs had unofficially took the girl under her wing, helping to train her and preparing her to be a operative. That had gone badly wrong on their last case in Metropolis, and Babs had taken her anger out on the girl. Not Babs was training the girl more slowly, and not sending her out into the field until she was ready once more.
"I'm glad we're back," the casually dressed redhead added, her jeans and long sleeved shirt giving her a quirky style. "Are we getting the band back together?"
"I think so," Babs said firmly, "once we get this place in shape, anyway."
"Good," Charlie said before adding, "are you still going to call us the Birds of Prey?"
"Huh?" Babs looked at her in surprise.
Charlie shrugged, "I mean, with Black Canary gone there's not even a bird in the field team any more..."
Babs nodded reluctantly, "I'll have to think about it."
To be continued...
Notes: This is my reaction, more or less, to the end of Birds of Prey and Babs leaving to mope, pretty much. It seemed to me completely out of character for her to shut the team down the way she did and abandon her teammates, not to mention leaving Charlie without a family or a home. The intro was originally going to be shorter, but I wanted to work the full Superman/Babs talk in there as well as work in all the back story.
Oracle and the Network
Startup 2.0
Zinda Blake wasn't one to mope. In all honesty the blond pilot was more known to party and fight, and since coming to Gotham City had done both. The dive bars in the city were fine for a good scrap and she had even found a job flying a copter for the Gotham police department. Even though she missed her time working with the Birds she kept herself busy, and even better had found a man she was interested in.
"Hey, Zinda," the secretary grinned as the leggy blond walked by, "I don't think he's busy."
"Don't tell him I'm here,." Zinda winked as she quietly walked to the closed door.
Commissioner Gordon was a dignified older man with steel gray in his hair and a strong, handsome face with character. While not Zinda's usual type he had impressed her when they had gone on a night time emergency call, Jim handling her flying like a pro when they caught up to the madly flying Roxy Rocket.
"Hey, Jim," Zinda grinned as she sauntered in the office in a leather top and matching short skirt, white stockings on her legs and black boots finishing the look.
Jim looked up then his eyes widened like saucers. "Zee?" he said weakly.
Zinda stalked over to the desk and sat on the corner, flashing him a good look at her thighs. "How do you like my new outfit?" she wondered innocently.
"It's...," clearly poor Jim had no idea where to look, gazing up at her thrusting breasts then down over her hips to her deadly boots as he croaked, "very nice."
'He's so cute!' Zinda fought back a laugh as he blushed furiously. Keeping her voice mild she asked, "I was wondering if you wanted to grab some lunch?"
"Lunch...," Jim blinked as he tried to get his mind on track again, "right, lunch. Let me see if I need to be working..."
Zinda reached out, tugging gently on his tie and letting it run through her fingers as she murmured, "You can take off every now and then."
"Zee," Jim blushed, yet also looked pleased by the younger woman's interest.
Zinda was about to undo his tie when she felt her pager buzz against her leg. "Damn it," she growled, looking at the scrolling message.
"Reforming the group," the text said, "meeting at Aerie in Metropolis tomorrow. Oracle."
"Hot damn!" Zinda yelped as she bounced to her feet. Joyfully she grabbed James and pulled him close, kissing him vigerously. "Sorry Jim," she said as she let him go, "gotta go out of town for a few days, See you then!"
Jim Gordon blinked, gazing after her like he'd been hit on the head. "But what about lunch?" he managed weakly.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Helena Bertinelli really rather enjoyed being a elementary school teacher. The children were young enough to listen but still old enough to start getting more complicated concepts. Not to mention they could be so cute at times, too. This, however, was one of those days she did not look forward to.
"Miss Bertinelli," the teen breathed out, her red hair falling around her face, "please, go out with me!"
"Alex," Helena said gently, her own long black hair flowing down over her shoulders, "I'm complimented, really."
"You're so beautiful," Alex added eagerly as she stood beside Helena's desk in the maze of offices, "and smart and..."
"Easy," Helena reached out to gently pat the earnest girl's hands. 'Was I ever this young?' she wondered, trying to remember if she had been that passionate as a child.
Alex looked sad as she murmured, "I'm too young, aren't I?"
Helena kept a straight face as she nodded to the fourteen year old, "A bit, yes."
Alex's cheek's went red as she blurted, "I'm sorry!" With that she rushed out off the room, leaving a bemused Helena in her wake.
After a moment Elyssa looked in, the gym teacher giving her a fond smile. "Everything all right?" the brown haired woman in the usual skirt and heels asked.
"Well, I think I broke her heart but...," Helena shrugged awkwardly as the other teacher came inside and sat down across from her.
"It'll happen," Elyssa advised mildly, "and trust me, it's not your fault."
Helena nodded, "Oh, I know that but... I still feel bad."
"She'll recover," Elyssa reassured her with a smile. "Hell, I think I had my first crush on a woman at that age," she added.
"You're...?" Helena asked, smiling slightly.
Elyssa laughed as she confessed, "I know it's a bit of a cliché, being the lesbian gym teacher but I get by." She leaned a bit towards Helena, "I hope it doesn't bother you?"
"No," Helena answered as she admitted, "I've been attracted to a woman once or twice."
Elyssa's eyebrows went up, "Do tell?"
Helena blushed and was about to speak when she felt her pager buzz. "Excuse me," she said as she unclipped the device.
"Reforming the group," the text said, "meeting at Aerie in Metropolis today. More details follow. Oracle."
"You have the goofiest smile on your face," Elyssa noted, "good news?"
"Oh yeah," Helena agreed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The Aerie was both what Cassandra Cain expected and not. The slim, black haired Asian woman noted that the rooms were still mostly undecorated, only a few chairs and other items having been hauled in. On the other hand the hidden sections for Oracle and her team hummed with life, new equipment replacing old as screens blazed and data scrolled.
"The woman is a slave driver," Charlie complained good naturedly as she sat on a rolling chair not far from where Babs typed away, "you wouldn't believe how much of this I had to carry in."
"You have superhuman strength," Babs noted without turning away, "besides, it's not like I could without special equipment."
"It was still mean," Charlie pouted.
Cass hid a smile at the obvious affection between them as well as hading a familiar pang. She had never known real family like this, and she longed for it in a bittersweet way. "Why am I here?" she addressed Babs, "I decided to cease being Batgirl..."
"I know," Babs agreed, "and passed the identity to Stephane Brown." Cass looked surprised and Babs turned to her and grinned, "I am Oracle, remember." More seriously she added, "I know Steph is your friend, but I'm not sure she's ready for this. Still, I'll help her where I can."
Cass nodded seriously, "So again, why am I here?"
"You've stopped being Batgirl," Babs acknowledged, "but does that mean you've given up the fight? Just because you've hung up your costume doesn't mean you've stopped being you."
"True," Cass conceded.
"Besides, in or out of costume you're unstoppable," Charlie noted enthusiastically.
Not long after they had met Charlie had sparred with Cass and had been utterly defeated. No, to be honest Cass had destroyed her! To Cass' surprise that hadn't gotten the redhead down, in fact she seemed even more enthusiastic about learning to fight.
'People are strange,' Cass thought wryly.
"Here they come," Babs smiled as she saw two women appear on the security cameras and hug each other unselfconsciously. She buzzed them in then turned to the two teens, "Let's go meet the rest of the team."
To be continued...
Oracle and the Network
Startup 3.0
The city of Metropolis was a very different animal than Gotham, Helena Bertinelli noted as she waited for her friend. You couldn't stand around on a street like this waiting in front of a hotel, you'd be just asking to be mugged. Or suspected of being a robber. And anyone so obviously new in town would be conned, too, with some 'helpful citizen' offering skills as a native guide only to manage to sell you one of the major Gotham bridges.
"Helena!" Zinda Blake grinned as the tall blonde nearly tackled the shorter woman, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Been awhile," she said as she hugged her.
Helena laughed as the black haired woman struggled free of her grip. "Take it easy," she grinned, "it's good to see you, too."
Zinda put a arm over her shoulders as they both looked up at the hotel. "Here we go again," she noted cheerfully, "you ready?"
"As I'll ever be," Helena answered, her voice conveying her mixed feelings. On one hand she was glad to be back here with her friends, but she was also more than a bit irritated at Babs disbanding the team without giving any of them a say.
"Aw, cheer up," Zinda lead them, across the lobby to the elevator, where she used her key to activate the route to the penthouse.
The upper floor had a bare look to it, apparently because furnature still had to be ordered in. There were chairs and a table in one room, a bad or two in others, but that was nearly it. But when they opened the hidden door they discovered Oracle's sanctum had been restored to it's former glory, and if Helena was right it had even been upgraded a bit.
"Helena, Zinda," Barbara Gordon turned in her wheelchair, a warm smile lighting up the redhead's face. She rolled toward them, hugging a slightly startled Helena first, then Zinda.
"Hey, boss," Zinda grinned at her warmly as she hugged her back.
Babs looked up at both women as she surprised then again by saying, "I'm sorry."
Helena looked mildly stunned, "Huh?"
Babs smiled wryly, "I should have talked to you both before I decided to shut the team down. I certainly owed you both more, but I was so caught up in my own problems I totally lost track. Will you forgive me?"
"Boss, we both knew you were under stress," Zinda smiled warmly at her, "it's okay."
"This time," Helena said with a half smile, "but if you do it again, I'll kick your ass." Somewhat more seriously she asked, "Understood?"
"Fair," Babs nodded, "come on, Charlie's waiting and I have a recruit I want you to meet. She's a old friend of mine and Dinah's."
"Sounds interesting," Zinda noted as she walked beside Helena and Babs into the meeting room just off of the computer center. A round table had been installed with comfy, space age chairs, one of which was occupied by a old friend.
"Hey Zee, Helena!" Charlotte 'Charlie' Gage-Radcliffe yelled as the redheaded teen bounced across the room, getting a friendly hug from each of them. "About time you got here," she complained, "the old lady has had me assembling computers all week."
"Poor thing," Helena said with mock sympathy even as she scanned the room. After a moment she was the Asian woman standing off to one side, her black clothes and quiet manner seemingly making her invisible.
"Cassandra Cain," Babs gestured her forward, "I'd like you to meet Helena and Zinda."
"We've met," Helena said with a great deal of respect.
Cassandra Cain was the daughter of Lady Shiva and was raised by the deadly assassin David Cain, made into one of the most deadly women alive. After her first kill Cass had been so horrified she fled Cain and the life he planned, living off the streets for years. Curiously she had ended up as a 'irregular' working for Oracle during No Mans Land, the time Gotham city had been written off by the American government as unsalvagable. There she stopped one of her father's assassinations then joined the allies of Batman, eventually becoming Batgirl.
"It's been a while," Cass bowed slightly, her face nearly expressionless.
"I know about the whole going bad thing," Zinda noted cheerfully, "but that was all Deathstroke, right?"
"Something like that," Cass sighed as Babs rolled by to the table, "it's complicated."
"I'd like to invite Cass to join our organization," Babs said as she activated a monitor built into the table, "but not without your agreement."
"I vote yes," Charlie said cheerfully. "Cass has offered to train me!"
'I don't know if that's good or bad,' Helena admitted. Aloud she answered, "I agree, she can join. We could use a fighting expert of her level."
"I'll make it unanimous," Zinda agreed as the pilot walked over to the fridge. "Got any beer in here?" she asked, peering inside.
Babs sighed, "Later. We have a few ideas I'd like to run by you..."
"Really?" Helena asked as she, Cass and Charlie sat down too.
Following that Babs gave them both a general briefing on how she wanted the team to act, as well as expanding her roster of agents. "The people in this room will continue to be my primary team," she finished, "but I intend to have experts available to assist us on operations where needed."
"Like who?" Charlie asked as she munched on some cheetos.
"I'm feeling out several contacts now," Babs shrugged, "including a Gotham PD officer or two, an agent of Checkmate, as well as several others."
"It isn't Spy Smasher, is it?" Helena asked warily, having had more than enough of the overly driven woman for one lifetime.
"No, not Katrina," Babs shook her head as a flicker of concern appeared in her eyes, "she dropped off the radar recently."
"You aren't actually worried about her, are you boss?" Zinda asked, shaking her head. "The woman's a nutjob."
Babs shrugged as she said, "She was a friend, once."
"So," Cass asked mildly as she decided to change the subject, "where will be operating?"
"Where ever we're needed," Babs answered her briskly. "I've got our plane Aerie One and our helicopter Aerie Two being refitted now, and I've hacked into the JLA teleporters for any emergency jumps," she smirked.
"You hacked the JLA?" Charlie blinked, a cheeto falling from slack lips.
"Again," Helena sounded more amused than shocked. "I'm surprised they didn't bring you in for computer security at least," she noted.
"They probably should have," Babs admitted. "Though Batman is no slouch."
Privately Helena rather suspected that Black Canary, the former third member of the Birds of Prey, had been rather uncomfortable calling in Babs. Considering that Dinah had left the Birds to spend more time with her adopted daughter only to promptly lose said daughter and join the JLA... it must have felt kind of awkward.
"Looks like we're about ready to go," Zinda noted with a grin.
"Just about," Babs agreed, "and not a moment too soon."
To be continued...
Oracle and the Network
4.0 Action
Oracle watched the screens as she talked over her headset, multitasking with a ease that almost surprised her. It had been months since Barbara had worked with a team of agents like this, yet it all flowed back with ease like she had never left.
The drug lab they were raiding was near Suicide Slum, but despite being in a bad side of Metropolis it looked practically clean compared to parts of Gotham. The drug itself was not technically illegal, so new it wasn't even banned yet. But while the police couldn't act on the drugs their team could, and in the process help the cops act too.
"Cass," Babs said briskly, "how's the scouting?"
Cassandra Cain, once known as Batgirl and a former assassin-in-training, calmly made her way down the street. The slim Asian woman had learned the first trick of scouting long ago, to act like you belonged and utterly self confident. The few guards out there assumed she lived in the neighborhood or had some legitimate reason for being there.
"Three guards out front, carrying concealed," Cass said calmly into her throat based microphone, "one at each side, but near enough to call for help."
"Misfit, the back?" Babs asked, even as she watched the police band and kept a eye on a certain major reporter.
Charlotte 'Charlie' Gage-Radcliffe looked like a normal teen in her casual clothes, but the young redhead was anything but. Apparently born with the ability to teleport and some enhanced strength she had decided to become a superhero, originally impersonating Batgirl. Some guidance from Babs and others convinced her to call herself Misfit, and had become a mascot/ward/helper to the team.
Charlie hung from a fire escape, apparently playing one building over as she said, "Two guards in back, and guys watching the windows. Looks like they're carrying concealed too."
High above the building the near invisible helicopter Aerie Two hovered, Zinda Blake keeping a wary eye out for any unusual flying objects. Sitting in the back Huntress adjusted her mask as she asked, "Do we know for sure it's Intergang?"
Babs called up another screen, scrolling through data on a police server then bringing up the files. Almost instantly she answered, "Not confirmed. The weapons the cops got in a bust of a few members of the gang are Intergang issue rayguns, but this kind of job isn't their usual style."
"They usually work towards a larger goal," Cass noted thoughtfully. "Does dealing this drug help them?" she wondered.
"Could be they're trying to get back on their feet," Zinda said casually before asking, "It don't matter much, right?"
"She's right," Babs agreed, "we can sift through the evidence later. Cass, you move first."
Cass was wearing clothes fitting the neighborhood, basically a t-shirt and jeans, and while not classically beautiful she was attractive. She casually sauntered up to the man guarding the west side of the building and smiled charmingly. He smiled back, looking like he won the lottery as she stepped close and murmured, "Sorry."
"Huh?" he started before the first punch hit.
Using knowledge of nerve clusters Cass silenced him, then swiftly knocked him out away from the vision of the other guards. "Misfit, here," Cass ordered.
Misfit teleported in just as a guard moved to see what was going on. The redhead leaped, her cape flapping as she cried, "DARK VENGEANCE!"
"Distraction is go," Babs hid a smile as Cass and Misfit were soon engaging the guards up front and conveniently drawing the attention of the rest of the building. "Zinda, move out."
Silently the Aerie Two swept down to the top of the building, Huntress leaping out onto the roof before it even landed. Watching them on security cams Babs was already in the system overriding the security, popping open the roof door as Zinda landed the helicopter and got out dressed in her black leather Lady Blackhawk gear.
"Where's the lab?" Helena asked tersely as they hurried down, the crossbow mounted on her glove loaded and ready.
"Power usage says fourth floor," Babs said as she checked over data and images on several screens, "and it looks like Cass and Misfit have broken through the guards out front. Calling the police about a disturbance now."
The six story squat tower was well guarded by wandering gang members, but they were clearly unprepared for super heroes. The two groups pressed inward breaking through and past guards, clobbering men larger and theoretically more powerful than they were.
"Dark," Misfit punched a man in the gut as Cass kicked another aside, "Vengeance!" She grinned as they reached the first floor stairs and ran up to the second. "Couple more ray guns on the guards," she noted as they ducked to avoid fire, "a few rifles too."
"Be careful," Babs ordered.
"Always," Misfit answered as she poofed out, teleporting up the hall to appear right behind the stunned guards.
"Aaah!" one man yelped as she appeared and she kicked the gun out of his hand, the five men scrambling to recover.
Almost as fast as Misfit's teleport Cass sprinted up the hall, the guards so distracted they weren't even firing on her. She swiftly tore into the men after Misfit, even as they heard the first sirens in the distance. "Should we withdraw?" Cass asked as she calmly dropped the fifth attacker.
"Head for the roof via the stairs," Babs ordered, "the attack gives the police the excuse they need to enter the building, and a search will find the drug lab."
A officer with the Metropolis PD blinked as his blackberry chimed, signaling he had a new message. Calling up the screen while his partner drove he blinked as the building they were going to came up on the screen. A interior picture appeared of what looked like a drug lab, then some text. "Fourth floor, back side," was printed, "from a concerned citizen."
"Everyone all right?" Babs asked as they came up on the rooftop camera with no one limping or looking hurt, at least.
"We're good," Zinda said as everyone loaded up into the helicopter and they were off.
Babs sat back in her wheelchair in satisfaction as the copter faded to invisibility, then watched on security cams as the men with clearly illegal weapons were found on the street. Teams hurried inside to make sure no one was hurt, probable nicely covered, and soon found the lab based on her tip.
'They were a little rusty, but things had gone surprisingly well for a first outing,' Babs decided. This probably wasn't a major loss for Intergang but any hit to that organization was a good thing in her books, and it made a fine test run, too.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"I still think that was a test run," Misfit said as they descended to their headquarters, a hotel that had been converted to house the computers and other gear Oracle needed to operate as well as ample room for them all to stay.
"So what if it was?" Zinda asked as she guided the 'copter down with barely a shake or quiver. "It was good work and worth doing," she said as she shut the copter down.
"Besides," Cass said calmly as they all got out of the copter, "we also need to practice working together more."
The four women headed into the building, all relaxing visibly. "Got that right," Helena agreed as she took the Huntress mask off, wincing as the gum pulled at her skin. "And we have to get used to being a team again," she admitted.
Inside the set of suites that were the penthouse new furnishings had been moved in, couches and chairs set up. The place still lacked a lived in feel, probably because Babs still spent the majority of her time in the computer labs. Still, Charlie was living there full time and had put a dent into the general cleanness, and Cass had apparently taken a room too.
The group passed through the hidden door into Oracle's lair, the walls covered with screens and Babs sitting right in the middle, typing away one handed as she talked to someone over her headphones. "Thanks," she was saying to whomever was on the phone as she waved them to the meeting table, "I think we can manage a fair trade for information, Sasha. Just don't forget who you're dealing with, please. If I catch the Thinker sniffing around my systems again, you won't get him back."
As Babs disconnected Helena had to ask, "Who was that?"
"Sasha Bordeau of Checkmate," Babs said casually as she rolled over to the meeting table, "I've hammered out a information sharing agreement with her."
"And Thinker?" Charlie wondered, the girl perching on one of the chairs casually.
"An artificial intelligence who's sort of my opposite number at Checkmate," Babs admitted, "he's a supposedly reformed criminal who joined them via the Suicide Squad."
Getting a beer from the fridge Zinda noted, "When you said they wouldn't get him back, you weren't gonna kill him were you?"
"Not kill," Babs smiled unpleasantly as she said, "but I could build a virtual maze it'd take years for him to get out of."
"Cool," Charlie said cheerfully.
Cass had watched the conversation passing, her expression a mix of remote and amused. "Did the police act as expected?" she asked.
"Yes, about what we figured," Babs agreed, "the police are still searching the building, but monitoring back and forth conversations they've already found the drug lab." She frowned, "And a fair sized armory, too."
"Armory?" Helena sat up, her eyes narrowing intently.
"All conventional arms," Babs reassured her, "but they had a mix of machine guns, sub-machine guns and assault rifles, nearly three hundred of them."
Zinda took a pull of her beer then growled, "What the hell does a crime syndicate need with those weapons? That's military hardware."
"Protecting the lab?" Charlie guessed.
"Too many weapons, not enough people," Cass shook her head, thinking.
Helena sat forward in her seat, frowning thoughtfully, "What does that new drug they're peddling actually do to people?"
"Didn't read the briefing?" Babs teased as she called up the data on a screen.
"So I missed a bit," Helena read the screen, "drug induces a powerful high followed by a rapid crash, including severe pain and violent tendencies." She shook her head as the pieces came together, "They were gonna get the junkies high, arm them and unleash them once they crashed?"
"Then go out and pick over what was left," Zinda mused. "I thought these guys were more like gangsters trying to expand their territory?"
"Maybe they have a new boss," Charlie shrugged, "either way this is bad news. How many drug labs like this do they have, you think?"
Babs pulled back from the table as she said, "I'll notify the JLA, JSA, the Titans and Batman. I don't care how many of these bases they have, once everyone knows we'll stop them."
"Gotham police department, too," Zinda called as Babs headed to the computers again.
"Why don't you call them?" Babs called back before adding, "I heard how close you and the commissioner are, after all."
Helena blinked as Zinda went pale, "What?"
Zinda gulped, "I think Babs knows I'm going out with her Dad."
There was a moment of dead silence as ALL the others looked at her. "WHAT?!" Helena and Charlie blurted, while Cass looked on, interestedly.
To be continued...
Oracle and the Network
5.0 Interlude & Updates
The Justice League of America met in the new Watchtower, a satellite orbiting high above the Earth, connected to the Hall of Justice and other bases through a series of teleportational doors. Dinah Lance aka Black Canary was the current leader, and the black clad, athletic blond looked over the group seriously.
"We've gotten an update from Oracle on Intergang activity," Dinah said, feeling uncomfortable discussing her former team even though she kept it off her voice and expression, "they're hawking a new narcotic, a powerful upper that leaves the user nearly insanely violent once they crash."
Batman spoke up calmly, "The Outsiders followed up on a tip and found a similar lab in Gotham, along with a arsenal like the one in Metropolis." He didn't mention that he had several friends checking others towns, deciding that what the JLA didn't know wouldn't hurt them.
Superman nodded as he casually told them, "I found another base like it in Kansas City while I was passing through." He didn't mention that he had passed through visiting his parents in Smallville, because his teammates didn't need to know.
Black Canary suggested, "I think we should spread the word via our allies, search every major city if we can."
"It makes sense," Geo-Force nodded.
"Why not just rely on Oracle to do it?" Hawkgirl asked, Kendra leaning up casually against the round meeting table.
"She likely is notifying other heroes," Black Canary answered patiently, "but I think we need to make sure."
"Will do," Firestorm nodded, the young hero nodding vigorously. He was the second hero to become Firestorm, and was a member of the team because Batman didn't trust letting him run around on his own. Not that the rest of the JLA minded him joining, but most of them did think it was a bit high-handed of Batman...
"Oracle is as sharp as ever," Vixen agreed. The young woman had been part of the Birds of Prey in the past, and had recently received a invite to join her new Network as well. It was a invitation she was seriously thinking of accepting, her only worry being it might conflict with her JLA duties.
"If we have no further business I would like to go," Red Tornado said calmly, the red clad android's cape fluttering, "I wish to ensure my wide and daughter's home town in safe."
"Meeting adjourned," Black Canary nodded, the heroes filing out to teleport away or taking off under their own power.
Wonder Woman walked over to where Black Canary stood and gently touched her arm. "You are troubled, sister," she noted quietly.
"I should have guessed you could tell," Dinah conceded as they walked out of the meeting room together. Out in the hallway she sighed quietly, "I just... it feels like there's unresolved stuff between me and Oracle."
Princess Diana smiled gently as they stood by the view port, gazing at the Earth turning below them. "I though you parted on good terms?" she asked.
"We did," Dinah nodded, "but I left the group to raise my daughter, or at least that was what I had planned to do..."
Diana nodded, "I understand."
Dinah had adopted a child, a little girl named Sin who was meant to be a future Shiva, a super-assassin. Sin had been targeted by the League of Assassins, and while Dinah had done her best to save the child Sin was slain by the League. In the aftermath of that chaos the Justice League had pulled together facing a crisis, and Dinah found herself a member once more.
Diana squeeze her shoulder gently, "It isn't your fault that destiny pulled you into the league again, Dinah. I am sure that Barbara would understand."
"My brain agrees with you," Dinah said wryly, "but my heart..."
Diana laughed softly as she conceded, "I've noticed the heart and mind often confuse one another here in man's world."
"Is it different on Paradise Island?" Dinah had to ask.
"Yes and no," Diana admitted wryly.
Back in the meeting room Superman moved towards the exit as a voice calmly said, "You shouldn't have kicked them out of Metropolis."
Superman looked over at Batman, frowning slightly as he said, "That's a strange thing to say, coming from you."
Batman nodded, silently conceding the point. He was known as a perfectionist, hard on his allies and friends, and he had even driven away one or two of them, temporarily. "If it's your city, like you claim," Batman said flatly, "you should have been there. If you weren't, you have no right to second guess the people in the field."
Superman paused, then nodded slightly. "The truth was, I was scared," he admitted, "the Birds could have been killed, that time. If things hadn't worked out just right..."
Batman nodded, having suspected it was something like that. Superman might be the most powerful hero on Earth (arguably) but deep down he cared far to much for his fellow heroes. It was possibly his one fatal flaw, though no one would probably tell Superman that.
"They can take care of themselves, Clark," Batman said quietly, "trust them."
Superman nodded slightly, "I'll try."
Deciding it was best to change the subject Batman went back to the topic of the meeting and said, "I'll have Nightwing put the word out to the Titans, can you have Conner pass it along to the Teens?"
"He and Robin, yes," Superman agreed. He looked thoughtful, "We'll need to check out the cities without prominent heroes, too, like Opal City."
Both knew that former villain the Shade also operated out of Opal, but neither mentioned him. Batman because he didn't trust the former villain, and Superman because he knew suggesting contacting Shade would upset Batman. On such compromises were long standing friendships maintained...
"Should we notify the Doom Patrol too?" Superman asked as they headed out.
"Not as long as they're affiliated with the Oolong Island villains," Batman shook his head as they headed for the teleporters.
Back on Earth, the network that Oracle was establishing spread out it's threads. The woman called Gypsy smiled slightly as she invisibly followed the robber, her esper ability making him and his gang ignore her. They were raiding STAR labs in New York, apparently hoping to steal advanced weapons or other technology. Just as they were about to penetrate the vault Gypsy flipped a fire alarm, the sirens whooping loudly and panicking them men.
"What the hell?" the leader yelped.
"Shit, the cops and fire guys will be here soon! Run!" another man yelped.
AS they bolted Gypsy invisibly tripped the third man, the other abandoning him. Before he could recover she knocked him out, then hurried after the others. Hidden by her power she dropped the second man, leaving only one running crook to deal with.
"You gotta be kidding me," the man panted as he ran up the stairs, heading towards the exits in the vain hope of escape.
"Hi," a cheerful voice came from nowhere.
"Shit!" he cried as he drew his gun, wheeling around to try to find his attacker.
Calmly Gypsy chopped him across the back of the neck, then punched him when the first blow didn't quite drop him. Casually she used a length of cord to secure his hands and hurried off, knowing the police would be arriving soon.
Escaping the building herself Gypsy let go of her invisibility, revealing a black haired young woman in a loose skirt and t-shirt, with a leather jacket over top. From the street she watched the police hauling the men away, and hoped the cops would hold them for awhile.
Taking out the card Oracle had sent her with a updated email and phone number Gypsy mused, "Maybe I should take up her offer." She smiled wryly, "It might be nice just to have some company on these missions..."
Back in Gotham City, new District Attorney Kate Spencer frowned as she studied briefs on the latest cases, trying to put the invitation she had received out of her mind. As the superhero Manhunter she had worked on her own and as a agent of the DEO to fill in where the law failed, if needed killing criminals who escaped on technicalities.
As time had passed she began questioning her actions, and now Kate was determined to try to stay on the right side of the law. That meant that she had to convict her opponents fairly, so that a hero like Manhunter wouldn't be needed.
'Or like the Birds,' Kate frowned, checking over the details of the Metropolis bust.
The bust was a good one on weapons charges, at least, but the drugs were a whole other story. The narcotic itself wasn't illegal, yet, so they couldn't bust the criminals for that. Kate made a note on another point, realizing they could get a similar lab on chemical safety and pollution laws, too.
A knock on her door made Kate look up and she smiled as James Gordon entered. "Comish," she said with a smile,. "what brings you here?"
"Just checking in on the Intergang mess," Gordon admitted, sighing. "Do you have a angle we can use if a lab turns up in Gotham?"
"Actually, yes," Kate smiled, "I think we can get them on hazardous materials charges, if we turn up a drug lab."
"Of course!" James nodded, the older man smiling, "good work."
"Thank you," Kate smiled, satisfied. A smirk appeared on her face as she teasingly asked, "What's this I hear about you and a certain pilot?"
James Gordon actually blushed, which was surprisingly cute on a man of his age. "Well, I mean...," he stuttered.
Kate grinned, "It's okay, I shouldn't press." She looked amused as she asked, "Is Zinda coming back tomorrow?"
"We're supposed to go out for lunch," James admitted. "She's a bit... overwhelming."
"Good luck," Kate grinned. She was tempted to suggest he take plenty of viagra, but decided it'd be in poor taste.
To be continued...