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Kate Kane schlumped down the stairs of the townhouse she shared with her dad, thankful that the large windows of the entry hall didn't face east. Her head hurt so much.How? How did it hurt so much? She had only had one beer last night, and had vomited most of it back up. Maybe that was a good sign; 16-year-olds had no business drinking, after all.Ugh. This was all Evan's fault. Last night had been fun, but it wasn't worth this. She reminded herself to slug him on Monday.But at least they seemed to have gotten away with last night's escapade. No phone calls, no police rides home, no ambulance trips. That was a relief.Jacob was waiting for her in the kitchen, standing at the island, working on his laptop. He didn't look up."Mornin', Da-""Explain this," Jacob interrupted, turning the laptop toward her.Kate looked at the screen.
Shit.
Onscreen was the Gotham Tattler website, open to a garishly-titled article: "Kane Kicked Out of Chez Neon With Brand-New Beau Blake!" It was accompanied by a blown-up photo from some local paparazzo here in D.C. One of her and Evan Blake, her supposed new "beau," striding down the sidewalk arm-in-arm last night, laughing in the unmistakable way only drunk people could.Her new beau. What a laugh. Like her, Evan Blake was as straight as a question mark. If that threw people off, though, so be it.Dammit. She had just wanted one night of being a dumb teenager. One, that was it, and Evan's invite to go club-hopping had been the perfect opportunity. But apparently even that was too much to ask.Still, she'd been caught fair and square, and she wasn't about to try and weasel her way out; she'd done wrong, and would accept the consequences. But maybe, just maybe, she could lessen the blow.She tried humor first. "It, ah... it looks like your laptop," she answered, taking a seat on one of the stools.Jacob slammed the lid closed and crossed his arms. "We're having this talk one way or another, Kate. It'll go easier if you stop being a smartass."Kate sighed. "I just... wanted a break, that's all. Just one. Just to try it out.""Mmm," Jacob nodded, unsurprised. "So it is true." He let that hang there a moment before dropping the expected phrase. "I'm very disappointed in you."Kate knew he would say that, but it still stung just as if he had slapped her. She bit the inside of her lip. "I only had one beer-""And are you old enough to be having beer?"She sighed again. "No.""Then why did you?"She shrugged, knowing there was no good answer. "Because I'm young and impressionable?""I don't know why you think this shit attitude of yours is helping your case, but it's going to stop. Now."Kate knew better than to press that tone. She looked at her lap."Was it because of this boy?" Jacob asked. "He pressure you into it?""No. I did it because I wanted to." It was true."Did he give you the fake IDs?""We snuck in. That's why we got kicked out." Also true."Oh, well, there's a load off my mind," Jacob sneered. "You're better than this, Kate. You're smarter than this."Again the words hung in the air. Kate wasn't used to getting a dressing-down like this, because it had never been needed. What was there for her to say?"This kid..." Jacob continued, "did he do anything else?"She took his meaning. "No, Dad. I swear.""You're sure? You remember everything?""I had one beer, Dad. I didn't black out, but it made me sick." Also true.Jacob snorted. "Well. Serves you right."Another heavy pause."Do you want to get into West Point?" Jacob asked. "Or did something change?""Yes, I still want to," Kate said. "But c'mon, Dad. They won't care about one time."Even she wasn't convinced by that."They will when it shows up in a goddamned tabloid," Jacob said. He sighed. "I can call our lawyers today, threaten to sue for libel. At least you didn't walk out with a bottle in your hand. We have some plausible deniability here. We'll squeeze them to put out a retraction. That might salvage things."Kate looked at her lap again."And all this?" Jacob continued. "That's just how it affects you, which is bad enough. Did you even consider how this might impact me? How do you think it looks when someone in my position can't even control their own kid? Keep them well-behaved? What does that say to those under my command?"Kate blinked. She genuinely hadn't considered that until now. But then, she hadn't expected to end up on a gossip site and making this conversation necessary.She looked him in the eye, sincere. "I'm sorry, Dad.""I know you are. But you also know there are consequences." He took a breath. "You're grounded for the rest of the month. Curfew is 2200 hours from now on until I say otherwise. That's in bed and lights off. And I don't want you hanging around this Blake twerp anymore. If he's... somehow your boyfriend, you're breaking up next time you see him. Is that understood?"Kate knew better than to protest or argue. And it wasn't that bad, considering, especially that "boyfriend" bit. But she still felt lousy.She spoke clearly but submissively. "Yes, Sir.""Good. If you had plans for this evening, they're cancelled.""Yes, Sir.""All right, then. That said..." Jacob rounded the island until he was beside her. He bent down and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad I haven't had to do this... well, at all, before now," he continued. "But that just makes this all the more frustrating, Kate. You're too good a kid, and you've put in too much work to throw your future away over something stupid like this. Yeah?"She nodded. He was right. "Yeah," she whispered.And she wouldn't.
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It was a Wednesday morning, and snow swirled against the windows of the penthouse. Kate Kane leaned on her kitchen island, the lights off and a fresh mug of coffee pressed against her forehead to soothe the ache. At least she had today off.Just over four months ago, she had resigned from the United States Military Academy; suddenly and to keep her fellow cadets safe and in the closet. She knew some people still thought of it as an insane decision, but to her it had been a no-brainer, even though it meant completely giving up her future.The first few weeks afterward hadn't been so bad. Interviews with Time and Good Morning America, getting set up in the penthouse (which had been intended as a graduation present and was now being used at least five years sooner than intended), and Catherine giving her a low but stable position at the Hamilton Rifle offices downtown. It was almost enough to make her forget she missed the Academy.And she did miss it, terribly. The new and sudden freedom she had was exhilarating in its own way, but it obviously lacked the structure and camaraderie of life on post. Being alone in the penthouse didn't help, and as the weight of what she had done finally settled on her, she had cried herself to sleep more often than not the past few weeks. When she slept, she dreamed of Sophie, and came to realize that might be the only time she ever saw her again.Eventually, Kate had started having a nightcap to help her sleep and not be bothered by those irrational thoughts. Not much; just a single shot of the Glenlivet Dad had given her as an apartment-warming gift. But since she was still several months from her 21st birthday, she didn't have the tolerance for even that yet. Served her right, she supposed, opening it early. Hell, Dad had even joked with her about that very thing when he'd given her the bottle, making light of a singular night of drinking she'd done in high school... was she just proving him right?In any case, this latest hangover sucked.Her phone rattled on the marble countertop, the sound like a bayonet through her brain. She looked at the number: Dad."H'lo?" she answered, voice still foggy."You see the news?" Jacob had an odd, upbeat note in his voice."Just got up," said Kate. "What happened?""They repealed it," Jacob said.Kate blinked, and her breath caught in her neck. "Repealed..."She had known it was in the works, even within the past few days, but had expected the signing to be months away still. Had she just not paid enough attention? Written it off?"You can serve again, Kate." She could hear her father beaming over the phone. "Re-enroll, or enlist, something."Kate sat on one of the island stools, still stunned. "Well... shit," she said."No," Jacob countered, reading her tone. "No. You are not doing that crap right now. You did the right thing leaving the Point, Kate. How could you have known about this happening so soon? Who knows how many cadets are going to make it to commissioning because of you? Don't you ever forget that."Kate sighed. "You're right," she said. "A little verklempt here, that's all."Jacob chuckled. "I imagine so.""I'm guessing I can't just... sign back up today or whatever.""Still has to be implemented, yeah," Jacob said. "But at least now you have something to look forward to if the alphabet agencies fall through.""Naaaah. I love being a mail clerk."Jacob chuckled again. "I won't tell Catherine you said that." He grew more serious. "You are going to rejoin somehow, right?""Oh, of course," Kate said. "I may have a chip on my shoulder from all this, but it didn't burn me.""Atta girl," said Jacob. "Be thinking on how you want to do it." He sighed. "Well, that's all I wanted to tell you.""I appreciate it, really. Thanks, Dad.""Okay. Love you, soldier.""Love you, too."They said their goodbyes, and Kate drummed her fingers on the counter, thinking. Such an easy but enormous piece of news to process. Perhaps worth celebrating.She turned to look at the whisky bottle, tucked in the corner of the main counter next to her knife block. Dull amber in the soft light.You're already getting hangovers most mornings, she teased herself. You really wanna be a pathetic day-drinker, too?She mulled it over a bit more.Screw it. This was a special occasion.She added a shot of whisky to her mug. Only one wouldn't hurt...
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The crowd in Crest Hall was hushed as they watched DPE personnel tend to Alex Gancio, flat on the canvas and blood dribbling from her nose. Her gloves and headgear lay strewn across the ring where they had been tossed.Sophie Moore crouched respectfully in the corner opposite her defeated opponent, also stripped of her helmet and gloves, and not a single mark on her. These weren't celebratory circumstances anyway, but doubly so considering her mood.It had been over seven months since Kate Kane, her former girlfriend, had resigned from the Academy due to DADT allegations. Had resigned in part, she had told Sophie, to protect her and any other closeted cadets from being outed in a more extensive investigation.She and Kate had known when they had begun their secret relationship that it was a huge risk. And they had known being away from each other was going to be a likelihood upon their graduation and commissioning, maybe even earlier depending on how Branch and Post Nights would have gone. But neither had expected either to happen so soon.It had been graceful, their breakup. And necessary. Intellectually, Sophie knew that. Knew there was no way for them to progress, at least not until her service was done or DADT was somehow repealed. That was, in a horrible way, somehow comforting; the fact that their split hadn't been full of drama and yelling and other nonsense. Kate didn't believe in coincidences, she had reminded Sophie that day, and tied that to what had become their relationship's mantra of sorts: if they were meant to be, they would be. And maybe they still would.But of course, that didn't temper Sophie's anger much.She wasn't mad at Kate then; she couldn't be. And she wasn't mad at her now. She wasn't even mad at the Academy, or the Army, or the military in general, since the damned policy that had caused this mess in her life, this mess she had no one to scream to about, wasn't that popular on the ground, as it were. All she could be mad at was a metaphorical piece of paper that had taken one of the best people she had ever known out of her life, maybe forever.The weight of it all had rested on her for months, worse than any rucksack ever had. It meant no more classes with Kate, no more football games, no more staff meetings, no more making her laugh, no more of their sly midnight trysts where they took turns whose bed they shared, no more just... staring at her and wondering how she had managed a romance with someone so wonderful.It meant the possibility of them selecting the same post was out. It meant never being able to find each other after tossing their caps to exchange the biggest bear hugs in the world, having succeeded, together, in even more ways than an outsider could know.And, perhaps most selfishly, it meant she wouldn't get a chance to officially avenge herself against Kate at this year's Brigade Open. A relatively trivial matter, but it had proven a potent sink into which Sophie had channeled over half a year's worth of anger and frustration. A suitable symbol for all that Kate's departure and absence meant to her. It was as if she were draining a clogged pipe into a rusty bucket.Tonight, all of those pent-up emotions had poured from her fists into poor Alex Gancio, a first-time boxer who had simply wanted to give it a try on the Academy stage in her final semester. Sophie broke her nose within 30 seconds, and before the first minute of the fight had passed, Gancio was laid out on the very spot she had been for the last two minutes.It didn't feel good, winning like that.Early in their last fall term, Sophie had challenged Kate to box bare-knuckled in the basement of Arvin Gym; just the two of them, skirting the rules alone. It was her way of taking Kate up on an offer she had made to Sophie after beating her for the middleweight title: an early rematch before the next Open, anywhere and any time.In the final seconds of that private bout, Sophie had sent Kate sprawling on the ropeless tumbling mats they had used as a "ring", laying her out with the strongest left hook she had ever thrown and hurting her fist in the process. A win, as much as such a ridiculous event could said to be won. But considering Kate held three plebe boxing victories over her, as well as the Academy championship? Well, Sophie had felt pretty good that night, even if tempered by senior-year stress.Kate had been, as always, a good sport about the whole thing. She'd joked about her jaw being "out of commission," which it most certainly had not been later that night after lights-out, as Sophie lay on her bed with her boxing trunks around her ankles, mussing the sharp part in Kate's hair. Kate had also quite rightly called the entire affair "half-assed," a phrase that, for some bizarre reason, Sophie had actually found funny as she felt their bare chests rise and fall in against each other in the dark, both spent by their traditional post-fight lovemaking.Yet even that half-assed "win" of hers felt more legitimate than this one. Gancio was a decent enough classmate, friendly and soft-spoken. Hardly someone who deserved a one-sided beating done out of anger. At least if it had been Kate in the blue corner, she and Sophie would still be slugging it out right now, bloody and snarling. It would actually have been a fight.Sophie shook the irrational thought from her head; if Kate were still here, then she wouldn't be using her current feelings against Kate, now would she? How could that be? No, it would have been a much more positive night for her. Nothing more pressing than a good, hard fight to finally beat Kate in the ring and become the new champ, the way she fully believed she could. The way she had seen it happen in dozens of dreams and daydreams since that February night.And Kate would have been in the red corner.Dammit, Sophie thought, frowning. She had fouled her mood even further, reminding herself of what she no longer had, no longer could have, through no fault of her own... nor of Kate's.Finally, Gancio was standing, aided by the officials. Sophie was glad to have her mind occupied by something else, but even more glad Gancio was okay. She stood and joined the audience in applause. As it died down, Coach Barone, the perennial referee for the Open, gave her a small jerk of the head toward Gancio's corner; not an order, just an acknowledgement that now was a good time. Sophie nodded and made her way over.She was surprised when Gancio hugged her first."That was awesome," she said, her Floridian drawl muffled by a towel.Sophie returned the hug. "Uh... great," she said. "You're not mad?""Naw... I watched your fight last year. I knew what I was getting into," said Gancio. "I didn't want this to be easy." The DPE officials were trying to lead her from the ring."Good to hear," Sophie said, forcing a smile. "And you're okay?""Aw, yeah. I play volleyball, I've had my nose busted before. I'll be fine."Dammit, Sophie thought again. Why does she have to be a sweetheart?"Well..." Her turn to give a hug. "Get better soon. And good fight.""You, too... Champ."She smiled a warm and genuine smile, and then ducked through the ropes to leave with the officials for a more thorough exam.Champ, Sophie thought, suppressing a twinge in her face. She had called Kate the same thing last year. Yeah, I guess I am now.She trudged back to Barone so he could raise her arm for the official announcement, her mind still plagued with what could have been.
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Leaning against the plinth of an enormous angel statue, Maggie Sawyer supposed the latest edition of the GCPD Charity Ball was going well. She hadn't been to many of them, but it was little different tonight than it had been the previous few years: pleasant enough, but boring. A soft baroque music sorta deal.Oh, there were a few celebrities about: Dick Grayson, a ward of Bruce Wayne, no doubt here representing him; a model from the last Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue; a local radio host or two. But most of the attendees scattered about the main hall of the Grand Arms Hotel were Gotham's upper crust, and old. Not exactly the most exciting of places. No one was even dancing as this supposed ball. She almost wished one of the city's freaks would start acting up.She drained her glass of champagne and set it on the tray of a passing waiter and scanned the room. Maybe she could chat up that model...A small murmur near the entrance stairway drew her attention, and she saw Kate Kane, local socialite, descending the steps. Wearing a sharp tux, just like Maggie herself.Well, well, she thought. Forget the model.Maggie didn't follow celebrity gossip, but Kate Kane had been in the news enough the past few years that she'd gathered some things. Her West Point dismissal, of course, as well as how bad things had gotten for her afterward. Hadn't she been missing in Europe for a year or something a while back, doing God-knew-what? Maybe.But now, she looked perfectly respectable, not like her popular tabloid image at all. Just the fact that she was here, at a stuffy police gala on a Friday night, went totally against that narrative. There were dozens of bars and nightclubs she could be in right now. But she was here.Maggie pondered this a moment. It was not a matter of trying; you miss all the shots you don't take, and all that. It was instead a question of whether a potential relationship with Kate Kane of all people would put her shared custody of Jaime, her daughter, in jeopardy. James, her ex-husband, was petty to a fault, and would use anything he could against her. Dating an irresponsible, rich airhead simply wouldn't do.She decided it was worth the risk. If Kate turned out to be some kind of vapid tabloid fodder after all, so be it. She'd call it off in that case. In the meantime...While Maggie had been thinking, Kate had rushed over to a black-haired woman in a purple dress who had been chatting to Commissioner Gordon. Trying to get her attention. The woman had turned around in confusion. Mistaken identity, perhaps.She and the Commissioner moved away, leaving Kate standing alone, looking a little embarrassed. Maggie made her move."Nice thing about a tuxedo..." she said, and Kate turned her head. Maggie noticed a small nick on Kate's left cheek, but ignored it. "...you don't feel bad when other people show up wearing the same thing."Kate turned to face her, her expression warming."Maggie Sawyer," said Maggie. "Nice to meet you."Kate held out a hand. "Kate Kane." They shook; Maggie noticed Kate's grip. Firm and strong, not overpowering.Good start, she thought.Maggie feigned ignorance. "Kate?" she said. "Not Kathy, Katherine, Kathleen? Not Katie?""Maggie?" Kate replied with a friendly smirk. "Not Mags, Margie, Marjorie? Not Margaret?"Ooh, she's sharp, Maggie thought. No ego, either. Good, good."Touché," she said. "It's Margaret, actually, but you call me that, I'll arrest you." She noted a flicker of Kate's eyes at the word "arrest"."My stepmother's a Catherine," Kate said. "Insists on calling me Katie. You're GCPD?""I'm the Captain of the Major Crimes Unit.""Seriously?""You sound surprised.""A little, maybe," Kate said. "That can't be easy.""Days when you go up against Two-Face or Scarecrow, no, it's not.""That wasn't exactly what I meant.""I know," Maggie said. "Would you like to dance, Kate?""I would indeed, Maggie," Kate replied, smiling.They headed toward the orchestra, which was now playing a soft waltz, and stopped in what had informally been designated a dance area. Besides the two of them, still no one had yet taken that dive.Since Maggie had asked, she took the lead; it was done smoothly, without any questioning. With her right hand on Kate's back, Maggie couldn't help but feel the thick muscles there, even through her shirt and jacket.
Damn.
They danced for several moments without speaking, letting the music carry them. The steps came back to Maggie as they always did at these sorts of things; she was hardly a professional, but knew enough to avoid looking foolish. Better to be prepared for inevitable weddings and, well, events like this one. Kate kept pace with her effortlessly, gliding through box steps and closed changes and natural turns like she could do it in her sleep. Another mark in her favor.Maggie found herself being drawn into Kate's eyes, such a lovely green and ringed with smoky eyeshadow. If she read it right, Kate was being charmed by her, as well.Damn, Sawyer, don't you dare fuck this up, she thought. Smart, funny, beautiful, athletic, good personality--"We're offending my stepmother," Kate was saying.That jogged Maggie a bit. "Is that a problem?" she asked.Kate gave a soft chuckle. "You kidding? I live for it. You don't mind if people stare?""I've been out a long time," Maggie said. "Anyone in the department with a problem with that knows better than to say so to my face.""Fear of broken teeth?""Fear of Gordon's zero-tolerance discrimination policy." Though she'd be lying if she hadn't considered decking a few folks in her time for exactly that reason. Back in Metropolis, she actually had, knocking a homophobic firefighter flat on on her ass during one of the annual Guns 'N Hoses events."No wonder so many lesbians become cops," Kate said."Known a few, have you?""You're my second.""What happened to the first?"A sad smile from Kate. "She left.""Sounds like you miss her.""I do. What about you? Special someone?"Ooh, curveball. If Kate was asking her own probing questions..."For a long time, yes," Maggie said. "But it ended a couple months ago."That wry smirk again. "Sounds like you miss her.""I do," Maggie said. Land's sake, they were already repeating each other. But at least they could both relate to having exes. "She's in Metropolis, I'm here. The long-distance thing killed it.""I'm sorry.""That's kind of you," said Maggie. And it was, though Toby wasn't such a raw spot for her anymore. "I suppose the upside is that I can ask for your phone number without feeling guilty about it."Kate chuckled and bit her lip. Squeezed Maggie's left hand."Heh," she said. "You can ask--""Mind if I cut in?" said a man behind them. British.Kate's eyes narrowed as she and Maggie stopped dancing and faced him.Tall, with graying hair mostly concentrated in a band at ear level. Fur coat. He was flanked by a tough-looking platinum-blonde woman in a high-collared white suit, no jacket, and another man in a blue suit, rather nondescript apart from a pearl stud in his left ear.Mob? Maggie thought. Oh please, no."If I did," Maggie said, "would that stop you?"The man seemed to notice her for the first time, looking at her the way someone might look at a bit of mud on their shoe. "I'd let the lady decide for herself," he said.Kate held up a pointer finger. "You get one dance."The man nodded. "More than fair."He flicked a hand, and his entourage backed off five paces.Kate looked at Maggie, apologetic. "Sorry about this," she whispered. "We can continue in a bit, if you want.""Yeah... no problem."Still puzzled, she sat a nearby table, just out of earshot, and watched Kate and the man as inconspicuously as she could. She was still a detective, dammit, and this was suspicious as all hell.Kate and the man danced for a few measures, then stopped. She was clearly irritated with whoever this was. But he didn't seem hostile based on his body language, nor did Kate seem intimidated at all.So maybe not the mob. What the hell is this? As she looked on, Kate went from having her arms crossed, defiant, to softening her stance and holding her chin in thought. The man looked... concerned now. Almost scared, but keeping a tight reign on himself. Suddenly, Kate seemed to realize something, and looked at the man in shock. He nodded, grave.A young blonde, tan woman approached them, and handed Kate a cell phone. She dialed, looking progressively angrier as she spoke. Then shocked again.She hung up and spoke briefly to the British man, then tossed the blonde woman her phone and stormed toward the exit, followed by the mystery trio.Maggie stood to intercept her. "Everything okay?" she asked as Kate approached.Kate gave a small and not very convincing smile. "I'm sorry... business thing, I really have to leave. But first..."She held out a business card between two fingers."I'd like to see you again, Maggie Sawyer," Kate said. "Next week?"For the first time this evening, Maggie found herself tongue-tied as she took the card. "Well... that depends of my schedule, of course," she said. "But yes. Absolutely."She kept ahold of Kate's card as she produced her own from her inner jacket pocket.Kate nodded as she took Maggie's card and put it in her own jacket. "Call me when you know," she said. "This was fun." She winked.And with that, she marched out at double-time, still flanked by the trio.The previous couple minutes still had Maggie's head spinning. What a bizarre way to end things. Who were those people? Was it worth it to try and find out?And how had she actually managed to get a billionaire's number?She might as well leave and get to bed early. Even in Gotham, nothing as eventful was likely to happen to her for the rest of the night.
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Visiting hours at Gotham General had long ended for the night, but a bit of charm and star power went a long way. Flirting with the head nurse to get access to Bette's room had felt wrong to Kate, but seeing her cousin right now was more important. The situation resembled her current predicament in small-scale.She still had Bones's cigar smoke in her hair and on the pajamas she hadn't bothered to change out of before throwing on some pants and a coat. He and Agent Chase had escorted her to the waiting DEO car before disappearing into the night in their own ride.Assholes, the both of them. Smug, blackmailing pieces of shit.Most disconcerting about the whole thing - apart from how the hell they had gotten access to her private elevator - was how easily they had read her. Kate didn't consider herself particularly complicated, but the way they had weaponized her familial loyalty and sense of duty against her still had her head spinning.It was good to be known for those sorts of admirable traits, she supposed; better that than all the crap the tabloids wrote about her. But it sure didn't feel that way.
As long as you find those kids, it'll all be worth it.
Hopefully that was true.Bette, at least, seemed peaceful in the darkness of the room, lit by soft snowlight outside and the machinery keeping her alive. Face perfectly placid, hair splayed on the pillow.The DEO driver had given Kate a rundown of Bette's injuries, and they were horrific: gutted open like a fish from near her groin up to her sternum. Kate had gotten a brief, ugly image of the hook, or blade, or whatever it had been catching and grinding on the bone.But right now, the only external mark Kate could see was a small, stitched cut on Bette's right cheek. It was a miracle she was alive at all. Especially considering the DEO had held her in custody for almost a day with only basic, ad-hoc medical equipment.Dammit. If only she hadn't gotten so mad, if only they hadn't fought...No, she thought. No. Don't you dare do that. Even this has a purpose.She figured that was true. No coincidences. With access to DEO resources, her current case might very well go much more smoothly. But it was a steep price.And an apology was necessary regardless.She rubbed Bette's left hand, careful not to disturb the pulse oximeter. "I'm sorry I blew up at you like that," she said. "And I don't blame you for slapping me. I want to tell you that in person, okay?" She bit her lip. "There are just... so many other opportunities for you, Bette. You don't have to settle for my life."The soft beeps and hisses of machinery were the only response."Speaking of opportunities..." she continued. Sighed. "Bette, I turned down Batman. I think I found a better gig. I wanted you to know."It didn't sound convincing to her."This is a mistake, Katherine," said someone behind her.Batman. Bruce.
Speaking of people who have broken into my apartment...
She wasn't surprised by such appearances any more. But how long had he been here? How did he know she was here? Was he watching her place? Who knew."Working for the DEO will inevitably put you at odds with me," Bruce continued.Kate had a brief flash of rage. She wanted to turn on him, grab him by the lapels of his cape and shake some sense into him. This isn't about the DEO! she wanted to shout. Or me! Or you! For God's sake, your cousin's in a fucking coma, Bruce!But she didn't, of course. What good would it do, blowing up like that and revealing sensitive info for the whole floor to hear? Or even just that she knew who he was? Besides, she knew Bruce was just on the job, and either was already mourning or would mourn this in his own way.Still, would it kill him to offer a word of condolence, even through the charade?She spoke softly over her shoulder: "I'm just using them to find the missing kids. I know which lines never get crossed."Ordinarily, she didn't add."Bones will test that at every turn," Bruce said. He slid open the room's only window, silently. "Eventually, he's going to force you to make an impossible choice."And with that, he leapt into the night.She looked back at Bette. Not a change, not even a flicker beneath her eyelids."I'm sure he'll be around to see you out of costume," Kate said. "Uncle Jake and Aunt Catherine, too. I'll be by as often as I can... though I can't promise how much that'll be."She stood and bent down to Bette's face."If there's one thing you are, Bette Kane, it's stubborn," Kate said, with a melancholy chuckle. "You're in there, and you can kick this thing's ass."She kissed Bette's forehead, and stood tall."Don't do it for me," she said, "but for you."
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The taxi only dropped her at the front gates of the Rogers Yacht Basin, so Julia Pennyworth had to find the Sequoia, the Kane family's superyacht, on her own. It was not difficult to spot, being by far the largest ship docked in the marina. She made her way there at a brisk cadence as the harbor lights began popping on with the sunset. Her wheeled suitcase clacked on the boards, and the zipper on the duffel bag across her back rattled.She was here to assist Kate Kane in tracking down and halting the spread of a new bioweapon called, amusingly, "Monster Venom". It sounded like something from a cartoon, not a horrid concoction that... well, that turned those exposed to it into monsters. Literal ones.Such exposure was not permanent, but the danger was not in its direct use against innocent civilians; rather, it was more akin to a suitcase nuke. Portable, undetectable, able to be used by a single agent, and highly destructive. Part of her briefings and preparations over the past few weeks had been compiling a list of likely buyers. It was a distressingly long list.Regardless of how daunting this mission might be, it would be good to get out of Wayne Manor for an extended period... and hopefully not just into another chair. That had been a frustrating feature of her time in Gotham, whether working with Batman or as one of his plants in the GCPD; always sitting, rarely out in the action herself.But she also had another mission aboard the Sequoia: reporting on Kate's activities to Bruce Wayne. Without her knowledge, of course. Julia didn't much care about why. If Bruce wanted to be paranoid, let him. All Kate had to do was her job, and there'd be no issue. According to Julia's dossier on her, that wouldn't be a problem; Kate had an impressive record.Julia marveled at the size of the yacht as she got closer. Over 120 meters long, easily. Four decks, a helipad at the stern with a parked executive copter of some sort. She could see lights on throughout the ship in spite of the tinted windows, but no signs of life."Hello!" she called. "Permission to come aboard?"On the third deck, Kate leaned over the wall."Granted!" she answered, and disappeared from view.Julia lifted her rolling case and leapt onto the lowest portion of the ship, the stern helipad, and made her way fore. Kate, dressed as if for a jog except for a lack of shoes, met her on the third deck landing with a handshake. Julia noted a casually strong grip, aided by large hands and thick forearms filling out a lightweight jacket.Behind her aviators, Julia made a more detailed appraisal of Kate. Tall, of course, even in bare feet; at least a few centimeters taller than her. Well-muscled, lean and dense. Auburn hair buzzed to military length. A nose just slightly off-kilter from an old fracture. A good smile.Wonder if she's single, Julia thought absently. The mission was the main thing, of course, but if she was going to be cooped up on a ship with Kate Kane of all people, potentially for months... well, a warm bed would be a welcome bonus. But that was a very big if. Kate seemed decent, regardless."I don't know if you remember," Kate said, "but we've actually met... sort of. Few months back?""Oh, I remember," Julia said.On the night in question, several members of Gotham's vigilantes had all been at some sort of business gala, and Alfred, her father, had been the night's driver. Mostly for Bruce Wayne, but on call for any of them who wanted to slip away from the festivities early, no questions asked. Julia had gone along mostly to keep her father company, as well as to monitor the police band for any dire emergencies that required all hands.That night had been thankfully quiet by Gotham standards, but then Kate had called Alfred around to deliver her date back home; the poor lady, Rachele, hadn't been able to hold her liquor, and made a fool of herself. At the time, Julia had figured it was fortunate she was there, so Rachele wasn't alone in a limo with a strange man. As if Julia herself wasn't a stranger to her.But then, a block away from her apartment, Rachele went from not being able to hold her alcohol to actively spiking it onto the ground.Kate winced. "She puked on you, huh?""Right in my damn lap."Kate chuckled. "Sorry for that. Hopefully the second impression will be better. C'mon, I'll give you a tour."She lead the way through a door immediately behind her to her left. The bridge. Roomy, but fairly standard-looking. Too chilly for Julia's tastes in the T-shirt and sweats she wore."You got anything still on the dock?" Kate asked. "Anything else you need to do?""No.""Then we're off." She turned a pair of ignition keys, one at a time. The ship came to life beneath them with a soft hum, and seemed to rise a little out of the water. She raised the anchor and eased both throttles forward, then tapped a screen.A box onscreen lit up: AUTOPILOT ENGAGED.Julia took mental notes of it all."We're underway," Kate said. "First waypoint is Caracas.""So she really doesn't need a crew?""Not strictly," Kate said. "It's just harder this way. But we'll manage."Julia looked through the windshield. The Sequoia had already turned out of and cleared the harbor, and the sky before them was dark."She rides smooth," Julia remarked."She damn well better, as much as she cost."Kate ran through a whole list of other features on the bridge: the short- and long-range radar; the AIS; how to switch the displays to backlit red for night use; holographic display options; the dual ship radios, one of them dedicated to the international emergency frequency; the cubbyholes along the ceiling for storing various flags; the launching system for a trio of bat-drones; radar jamming and cloaking systems; missile defense. And more."I know it's a hell of a lot," Kate finished, "but you'll get it. And we can get more detailed later."Julia nodded toward a large red button underneath a cube of locked, hinged plexiglass. "What's that?"Kate glanced at the button. "Oh. It changes the yacht into an airship."Julia blinked. "It... transforms?"Kate shrugged. "Apparently, this yacht has been a secret bit of Colony tech for... well, years. Ever since we got it.""Huh." Julia didn't know what to say to that. "So... how's it work? The transformation.""I don't know the specifics," Kate said. "Some sort of nanotech assemblers. What I do know is that pretty much everything else has to be cleared out for it to work.""Doesn't seem like the most efficient thing.""It's not," Kate said. "That's what the helo's for. More to see, c'mon."Down a small stairway to the interior of the second deck. A long row of doors met them."Cabins," Kate said, gesturing to the hall. "I'm at the end, all the way aft. You've got free choice otherwise. They're all identical, and pretty typical. Go ahead and leave your bags if you want."Along with her glasses, Julia tossed them in the nearest starboard cabin, noting the features inside: queen-size bed, private bathroom, closet, desk, TV.A common salon-type area followed, and after that the galley and dining area, all of it done in attractive light tile and dark wood. At the pantry, Kate mentioned that, for just the two of them, there was easily a year's supply of food."Not that it'll take that long," she added.Next, a quick jaunt to the top deck via the yacht's elevator. They arrived in a cozy lounge; minibar, flatscreen, pool table, and large windows fore and aft. Almost an observation deck.Below the waterline next, to the engine room and the other ship systems. Julia was surprised to see radiation warnings spotted around the bulkheads."Don't tell me she's nuclear," she said."Yep," Kate said. "We theoretically have infinite range. And we're sealed up tight enough to not need dosimeters." She pointed to an alarm on the wall. "Something goes wrong here, that'll tell us."A vehicle bay next: skidoos, motorbikes, a Humvee, a Jeep. Mechanic stations and appropriate tools. Just below on another deck, down a set of stairs, a 75-meter shooting range with four stalls and a selection of rifles and pistols behind glass.Back up to the system deck. At the end of the hall, they came to a thick door locked by retinal and fingerprint scanners."Here's the fun stuff," Kate said. She nodded at the scanners. "You unlock it.""I'm not even going to ask," Julia sighed. "Though I can imagine." Somehow the system had been keyed to her eyes and fingerprints despite her never being here.Once the scans cleared, the heavy door slid sideways with a hiss. Inside were the most mission-critical items, Julia supposed: A half-dozen spare batsuits for Kate, and a bank of six supercomputers linked to a workstation... with the most horrendous screen Julia had ever seen."What in the hell is that?" she exclaimed. It was a monstrosity of a thing, almost two meters across and shaped exactly like the symbol on Kate's suit."Bruce's idea," Kate shrugged. "I mean, I get it, branding, but c'mon.""Mental," Julia muttered, shaking her head. "Bloody mental.""Anyway, it's the same sort of setup you're used to," Kate said. "Again, more detail later. Lots left to see."Some minutes later, after winding their way throughout the rest of the yacht, Kate lead them through a door simply marked GYM on the first deck."Last but not least," she said."'Pretty typical,' I assume?" Julia replied. It was partly a joke, but there didn't seem to be anything very fancy going on.The gym was about 40 feet square, almost the whole width of the ship. A 12-foot boxing ring in the center, racks of weights along the port bulkhead, various punching bag stations starboard. A treadmill in one corner, a pull up bar in another, a tall metal cabinet in a third. A door marked SHOWERS directly across from them."Yep," said. Kate. "What you see is what you get." She paused, thinking, then jerked her head toward the ring. "C'mon," she said. "I wanna test the cut of your jib."Julia raised her eyebrows. She knew from Kate's file that she had been an undefeated champion boxer at West Point. Julia herself hadn't been in the ring since her days at Sandhurst, so she welcomed a good bit of fisticuffs now, especially against that sort of pedigree. But surely Kate didn't want to do this bare-knuckled. Julia herself certainly didn't."Gear's in there?" Julia asked, nodding toward the cabinet."Oh, we're just grappling," Kate said, ducking through the ropes. She grinned. "But we'll duke it out sometime, if you want."She removed her jacket and tossed it aside, exposing long, sinewy arms and round shoulders. A couple tattoos and even more scars."You're on," said Julia, kicking off her shoes and stepping into the blue corner opposite her. "For both."The ring was cramped, and Julia thought about the best sort of techniques to use here. She was rusty after all, but least dressed appropriately."Okay, best of three," Kate said. "Stretch first."They did so in silence for a minute or so, loosening their arms and legs, necks and hands."Ready?" Kate asked, getting into a low stance.Julia copied her. "Ready."As soon as the word left her mouth, Kate rushed her, and Julia was almost forced into her own corner.
Hell, fast.
She pushed back against Kate's shoulder with her own. They were mirror images, left arms clasping the back of each other's neck while the right tried to pull the left arms away. Kate's breath was hot in her ear.They circled like that for a bit, then Kate dove in to try a double-leg takedown. Julia sprawled out to avoid it, leaving Kate planted on all fours on the mat and Julia leaning on her upper back, her arms wrapped under Kate's.
Still got it, go for a choke-
But in a blink, Kate pressed up and shot her legs forward, catching Julia's left leg in her right arm, and Julia's right leg between her own. The momentum rolled Julia onto her back, leaving Kate in a dominant side control position.And then Kate's forearm was pressed across her windpipe. Julia tapped the mat.Immediately, Kate released the choke and sat up. "That was some good defense there," she said.Julia snorted. "Lotta good it did."She sat up as well, head spinning. That first match couldn't have taken more than fifteen seconds. Maybe not even ten."Well, reset."Kate stood and offered a hand. Julia took it, and they went back to their corners.Julia began the second match more aggressive, managing to spin around to Kate's back and heave her hard to the mat. She scrambled into a mount position, but Kate bucked her hips up into a bridge, throwing Julia forward and forcing her to catch herself on the mat.Julia sat back up, and Kate caught her right forearm against her lower torso with both hands. At the same time, she trapped Julia's right foot with her left.Rolling right, Julia thought, and threw her weight to her left to counteract that move before it began, her free hand planted on the mat.In another blink, Kate answered, throwing her hips up again and rolling to her right. She planted her left foot against Julia's hip and pushed, which extended Julia's right leg. She finished the move by catching Julia's foot with her arm and wrenching it down.Again, Julia tapped.Lasted longer, at least, she thought, lying back."You're pretty good for being out of practice," Kate said. "I expected a lot less, honestly.""That's something, I guess." Julia sat up, leaning back on her arms."I'm interested to see how you fare with your fists... but that's for later.""Heh," Julia panted. "At least then I can bloody up your nose for my trouble."Kate chuckled and drew in her knees, holding them. Her expression fell slightly."Not to pry," she said, "but what's that scar?"Julia looked down. The tail end of her impalement scar, just below the center of her rib cage, peeked out from where her shirt had ridden up."Reason I'm here, I guess you could say," she said."Hong Kong?""Mmm-hmm.""I hear ya." Kate lifted up the right corner of her own shirt, revealing a relatively fresh scar next to... bloody hell, were those claw marks?"League of Shadows," added Kate. "Why we had to postpone this a bit.""You have another one too, don't you?"Kate pulled down the collar of her top to mid-chest, exposing a thin slice of a diagonal scar cutting down across her sternum from her left."Knife to the heart," she said."Hoo," Julia breathed. "That's well hard, even by the rest of your lot's standards."Kate shrugged. "Just part of the job. We'll have to swap stories sometime."Julia nodded. "That'd be all right."A silence fell, awkward only in its placement."Well," Kate said at last, standing, "depending on how busy we are, I expect we'll be in here a lot. I know you're mostly in the chair, but I don't think someone like you needs to be told the benefits of keeping sharp. It'll be good for both of us.""Fine by me," Julia said. "I'm always up for a good scrap."Kate grinned. "That's what I like to hear. C'mon, let's get some food.""Actually... how 'bout we go three? Just for the hell of it?""Oh, you're on," Kate said, backing into her corner. "Loser fixes dinner.""Winner does the washing up," Julia replied."Ooh, hard bargain." Kate lowered herself. "I like it. Ready?"Julia bent down as well. "Ready."They charged.
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Julia Pennyworth's nose and lips mushed into her face as Kate Kane stung her with yet another of her long and powerful jabs."Don't let those hands fall now," Kate warned, peering from behind red gloves and matching headgear.They were four weeks into their mission aboard the Sequoia, the Colony airship disguised as the Kane family superyacht, and four days out of Los Angeles, bound for Barranquilla to follow a lead. As of tonight they had sparred the same number of times, rotating through grappling, boxing, and MMA-style matches. "Friday Night Fights," as Kate jokingly called it, to Julia's irritation.She was getting better, at least. She could now get a single pin or tap for every dozen or so of Kate's. She had yet to beat her in boxing, but could now manage to leave the ring without blood clogging her nostrils and misting from her mouth at every breath. That was something, even if she was still nowhere near Kate's level.Another jab, square into her face.Dammit! Improvement didn't mean getting punched wasn't still annoying or didn't hurt. Especially when Kate had a nasty method of twisting her fist into a vertical punch at the last moment before impact, cutting though the cheeks of an opponent's headgear. Julia countered with a good cross, but Kate just took it and nailed her with a classic left-right, fluid on the balls of her feet as if they weren't five rounds in already.C'mon, you made her bleed last week. Do it again. Julia could easily recall the lovely cross-counter that had done it... but she also couldn't help but remember that Kate had decked her through the ropes immediately after.She threw a combo of her own that bounced off Kate's raised forearms.
Bollocks.
Almost parallel with the sparring sessions, Julia had also been growing restless over the past month. She had hoped this mission would give her an opportunity to be out in the field for a change, to get her hands dirty, but she found that she was once again stuck behind a screen. She didn't even have any leads on her own cases yet. The main mission was worthy work, but not quite enough.And personal matters had only added to her frustrations, comparatively minor as they were. It had been a fantasy of hers upon joining this mission, that it would come with certain... side benefits. She and Kate were attractive, had similar skillsets, and were both single... so why not? It didn't even have to be serious, or last longer than the mission did. And she knew they were both grounded enough to not let such things get in the way of the job. They were both, if not literally professionals, then professional in their attitudes. Focused. Dedicated.Kate, however, had turned out to be almost too dedicated, or at least enough that Julia's attempts at flirting over the weeks had all fallen flat. Reciprocated, certainly. But nothing beyond banter. In both work and leisure, Julia was finding herself hitting a wall. Kate beating her up every week was just the capper.Julia knew it was ridiculous to be upset with her about all that, yet there it was. She almost wished for a proper excuse to enact Batman's "Plan B" protocol on Kate, just for some change of pace.Kate threw a combo, which Julia managed to block and counter with her own, a pair of shots to the ribs.Kate made distance with a shove. "There you go!" she said, and threw a wide left hook. It was loose, almost floaty, and yet Julia still saw stars when it connected clean across her jaw. Kate could hit like a heavyweight even when she wasn't trying.Julia stumbled as Kate snapped her head backward with a big right, and then she was leaning against her own blue corner, dizzy, the pad whooshing at her back. First blood to Kate once again, she realized, smelling copper and feeling warmth on her upper lip. Perfect.Kate looked out at her from deep in her head gear, slowing her movement. "You okay?" she asked."Just some blood," Julia replied, raising her fists. "C'mon."Kate lowered her own hands. "Not that. You seem off, is all."Julia rolled her eyes. "I'd rather be getting socked in the face than this psychoanalysis shite.""Too bad," said Kate. "You're sure you're not distracted? Nothing's... on your mind?""How about you just say what you mean?"Kate cocked her head at her. "All right. I'll ask you direct."In two slow, easy steps, Kate fully backed Julia against the corner pad, framing her arms on the top ropes to balance herself. She leaned in, almost nose-to-nose, her green eyes unwavering."Do you wanna just fuck and get it over with?" she asked.Julia blinked, confused. Was this really happening?"Julia?" Kate said.Words wouldn't form. "I... I don't kn-""Julia, are you okay?"Julia blinked again, and the scene had changed. Kate, her gear off and her forehead speckled with sweat, was leaning over her, a worried look on her face. Past her head was the ceiling of the gym.With a mix of disappointment and relief, Julia realized what had just happened. Bloody hell, she hit me good."Congrats," Julia said."There you are," sighed Kate. "I think I went too hard on that last one. Sorry.""S'alright," Julia groaned. "'Least I didn't fall out this time." Her head still spun a little, though whether that was from the punch or the vision she'd just had... hard to say. Maybe her hallucinatory Kate had been right, if only partially.Kate chuckled. "I guess that's better, yeah.""I remember I'm on the Sequoia, by the way," Julia added, along with the day's date. Kate would have to do a concussion check, so best to get it over with quick."That's good." Kate said. Can you sit up?"Julia did so."You feel sick at all?""No." Julia snorted, pulling blood back into her sinuses.Kate handed her a nearby towel. "Close your eyes and count to ten."Again, Julia obeyed, holding the towel to her face with a glove. She already knew she didn't have a concussion; it was a rather distinct feeling. But it was good of Kate to rule out as much as she could."Open," Kate said, and looked into her eyes when Julia did. It was so similar to Julia's hallucination that her breath hitched in her neck.
For God's sake, get a hold of yourself.
Kate nodded after a moment. "Good. Now, follow my finger with just your eyes."She traced a star shape in the air, and Julia tracked it."Okay. Now stand up." Kate herself did, and waited for Julia to join her. "Still not dizzy?" she asked."Still yes," Julia sighed. "Mostly just cross."Kate started undoing the velcro of Julia's right glove. "You are getting better," she said. "This was the first time you made it to round five, right?"Julia sighed again, wriggling her hand out and taking a better hold on the towel. "I suppose.""Exactly. Not to brag, but there aren't many people out there who can go five rounds with me. And I think you've met them all.""Just... tired, I think," Julia said. "Not full up tonight." It wasn't a lie, at least.Kate removed the second glove. "Well, I think you're probably good to turn in early, if that's the case. Just let me know if you start feeling worse.""Right." She gave a final wipe of her face. The towel came away streaked with red, and she let it hang on a top rope."Test your nose for me," Kate said.Julia pinched the bridge and moved it side-to-side. "No pain," she said, and began removing her headgear."Okay," said Kate. Julia noted the concerned tension release from her body, and felt it when Kate offered a strong sporting hand. "Good fight."Julia snorted. "Nice of you to say."Kate inhaled, as if she was going to respond directly to that self-deprecation, but seemed to change her mind. "I'll clean up down here and get things all set for the crossing," she said. They would pass through the Panama Canal in the morning."See you then," Julia said. She thrust her headgear at Kate, harder than intended, and ducked through the ropes once Kate had a hold on it. What a way to end the day. Best to sleep it off and start tomorrow in a better mood.She was almost at the exit when Kate called her name. She turned.
ask to join me invite me over please something please
"You okay?" Kate asked.Julia's skin prickled at that. Tell her, she thought. Tell her.She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Like I said, just tired." She turned back around with a wave. "G'night.""'Night."Julia put her shoulder to the door. Another thing blocking her path, but at least this one moved.
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The Cauldron was, mercifully, not living up to its name tonight.As one of Gotham's worst neighborhoods, the area was usually heated with the sounds of gunfire and emergency sirens, the occasional shouts and dog barks, and even, rarely, an explosion. Ever since Julia Pennyworth had moved in to one of the district's ratty apartments to lay low, such events had been a regular occurrence. But now, on a chilly Monday night in spring, everything was quiet.She hoped this was a good omen for her sudden ghosting three months ago, after she had helped Kate Kane stop the Red Plague from decimating the city and had sicced Batman on her immediately afterward. Going dark seemed to be the right thing: wait things out somewhere inconspicuous, and slowly reintegrate. It was similar to what she had done during some missions for the SRR, so this was nothing unusual. It was even safer in many ways.Julia had toyed with the idea of staying in England. The night she betrayed Kate, she could easily have flown their Colony airship across the Atlantic, double-backing to London after returning Safiyah Sohail, the former pirate at the nexus of the whole mess, to her famlial estate near Istanbul.But she couldn't. She had hauled Safiyah into a private boathouse at the marina an left her there for Kate to find, then flown to the northernmost tip of the city. For better or for worse, Gotham was now her home, and hiding out in the city felt less like running away, even though she had already done that part.Julia had no illusions of staying hidden for much longer. She had called both her father and Bruce, just to let them know she was all right, but sooner or later one of them would find her. Besides, her emergency bank account wasn't infinite. It should not have been a cause for dread, but the feeling still pricked the back of her mind.Currently, Julia stood in the darkness of the kitchen, bare of furniture like the rest of the apartment, sipping a mug of coffee and gazing out a window onto the street. With no TV, the only distractions the past three months had been exercise, newspapers, and street-watching, peppered with the occasional short conversation with food delivery people. It was starting to take its toll.She noticed a new dark sedan across the street. A Volkswagen, early 2000s, she guessed. The streetlight above it had gone out.Odd, she thought.A floorboard creaked behind her. Unmistakably a footstep.The kitchen light flicked on, and she was already whirling, throwing her mug through the dark doorway. All instinct.The mug clattered into the living room, and Julia was right behind it. In a flicker, she registered one of the windows, open just a crack.There! A shadowy figure.She swung, but was caught by the arm and heaved up and around into the door jamb hard enough to knock the wind from her. Loosened by the impact, paint chips from the flaking walls rained onto her head.She was face-to-face with the intruder.Tall, redhead, leather jacket.Julia's mind registered Kate right as her former partner clamped a large hand over her mouth and raised her up against the door frame. Just high enough that she had to stand on her toes, forcing most of her body weight onto the base of her nose where it met the edge of Kate's knuckle.Bloody hell, she's strong, Julia thought, wincing. They had grappled and boxed a bit during downtime on the Sequoia, but it was clear now that Kate and been holding well back all those times. And she had still won most of their exchanges.Julia tried to speak even a bare amount, but to no avail; Kate wasn't just covering her mouth, but actually holding her entire jaw shut."Shh," Kate said, her voice low. "I'm not here to ask for your apology, or to hear your reasons. Just to make you an offer."Julia furrowed her brow, confused. Has she lost it for good? Their mission to hunt down The Many Arms of Death had wreaked havoc on Kate's mind. Could she have recovered in just a few months?"I'm going to let you go now," Kate continued, "so we can talk like normal people. If you act up, I'm going to hurt you. Understand?"Julia nodded. Kate released her and stepped away three paces into the kitchen. Hands in her pockets, turning her back as she did - both small insults. She had grown her hair into a sort of fauxhawk since the last time Julia had seen her.Julia worked her jaw to relieve the soreness. "You couldn't have, I don't know... knocked, perhaps?" She brushed the paint from her hair."Would you have answered?" Kate replied."Yes, actually.""Well..." Kate shrugged. "Couldn't take the risk. That or being seen.""Oh, you're one to talk about that," Julia scoffed."And you're one to keep acting like that's what your whole deal was about," said Kate. "I said I'm not interested in your reasons, but I know they weren't just that. All I do know is that I've made amends for my mistakes. Have you?"Julia clenched her jaw. God, she's infuriating."So what is this, some kind of... redemption?""If you like," Kate said. "My sister, Beth... she's going to be living with me and getting outpatient therapy. Moves in this Friday evening. I'm going to need help.""And you want me?" Julia shook her head, confused. "I'm not a therapist, Kate.""Not what I'm asking," said Kate. "It'll be just like the Sequoia.""Babysitting," Julia spat.Kate smirked. "Different sister this time. But again... if you like. And maybe even some fieldwork, too."Julia paused. That last bit was tempting. She had longed to get back into the field for good since her impaling in Hong Kong; the handful of such missions she'd been on afterward had failed to quench that desire, especially since she had noticed her skills slipping. A common thug getting the jump on her and smashing her face into the door of her own van, for instance. Or most recently, getting kidnapped. Her position aboard the Sequoia had only worked to increase the frustration she felt in that regard, once again stuck behind a computer.Still, she shook her head. "Not good enough.""Two hundred grand a year," Kate said, without hesitating.Julia blinked. "Sorry?""That would be your salary. Two hundred grand a year. With benefits. Plus your own apartment in my building, if you want one."Hell, she has lost it."And what if I say no?"Kate shrugged again. "You get to keep living... here, I guess. Maybe you'll eventually go back to the Batcave's comms... and not get paid for it. Again."Dammit, Julia thought. "Bruce won't like this.""I don't care," said Kate. "And I'll take that as a yes."She held out her hand, and Julia took it with a sigh."Friday, 6 PM," Kate said, reaching into her jacket pocket. "Here."She handed Julia a set of keys: two steel ones and an automatic car fob."That's a spare for the elevator, the apartment, and the Jetta parked across the street under the busted light," said Kate. "Take good care of her."Julia looked up. "So how're you getting home? 'Cause the taxis avoid this area, you're most certainly not spending the night."Kate raised her eyebrows: Are you going to stop me?But she quickly relented. "I'm taking the airship," she replied.Julia groaned. "That's how you found me." The last remaining Colony aircraft, which Kate had obtained in the Sahara after her rescue from Scarecrow's lab, and which Julia had later used to dispense the vaccine for the Red Plague, had been hovering above the apartment building for the last three months, cloaked. But apparently not well enough."Nuclear reactor was the tell," said Kate. "And I'd just hate for you to get in trouble for possession of government property."She moved past Julia to the open window, and Julia rolled her eyes, unseen. Whatever. She could put up with this for 200k per year."So... that's it?" Julia asked.Kate pulled a ski mask from another pocket and put it on, lifting the window as she did. "That's it," she said. She clambered through the window, pausing on the outside ledge."It was good seeing you again," she added. "I hope this works out. And don't let me forget I owe you a coffee."And with that, she began the ascent to the roof - three floors up.Julia watched her climb until Kate had swung her legs over the top ledge, then slammed the window shut.Damn it all, she thought. Why is the entire family like this?A low rumble resonated through the building as the airship took off. Julia picked up the tossed mug and returned to the kitchen, shutting the lights off for a better view. Like a haze, the cloaked aircraft drifted gently away toward the R.H. Kane building, until the natural smog of the city hid it from view.
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Kate yawned and stared at the ceiling of her cabin aboard the airship, hearing the hiss of one of the engines, separated from her by just a single wall. It was going on 4 AM. She knew she should sleep, but she couldn't. Her mind was too busy.Something big was happening back home.Batgirl - Barbara - had summoned her. Had summoned everyone. The dreaded red Batsignal had been lit in Gotham.Not for long, Barbara had said. But long enough. And red meant exactly what it sounded like: all hands needed.Kate was on her way to answer that call, but was still over eight hours away, and less than four out of Rio de Jaineiro, following up on one of Julia's cases from a while back. Another Religion of Crime cell, of course. She'd had to wrap things up quick, leaving behind some trackers and other bugs to resume that case another day. That uncertainty, mingled with this new unknown threat in Gotham, kept her up. At least the autopilot was smooth.A sudden alarm filled the ship. An incoming call.Kate sat up. Only three people had the ability to contact her here directly: Dad, Julia, and Renee.She twisted out of her bunk and switched on a nearby communications console built into the wall."Kate?" It was Renee, and she sounded absolutely terrified.Kate's breath caught in her throat. She had never heard that tone before. The only reason Renee had this number at all was for emergencies... after what had happened with Tahani. Was she in danger again so soon?"I'm here, Renee," Kate said. "I'm here. What's wrong?""Where are you right now? Still in Rio?""In the air, 'bout four hours out. What's going on?""Kate, listen. You cannot come back to Gotham. Bane has taken the city."Kate blinked. She couldn't have heard that right."Bane has?" she asked. "Bane? The entire city? How?""Kate, I don't know. Gotham Girl's working with him, that's all I know."Kate slumped back in her seat. "Oh." That was indeed a problem. Kate didn't know much about her, but had seen enough to understand she wasn't someone to have as an enemy. And she wasn't about to risk things by assuming Gotham Girl couldn't see through optical cloaking."Yeah," Renee said. "It's bad. And there's another Batman with him, too.""There's what?""I said I don't know!""Sorry, sorry," Kate said, rubbing her forehead. "God this is just a hell of a lot of news."Renee gave a bitter chuckle. "Tell me about it.""You're okay, though, right?""Fine." She was starting to sound calmer. "Me and mine are out, in Blüdhaven. Bane only cares about the island.""Okay, good," said Kate. "Beth? Julia? My parents?""Holed up at your estate, I think," Renee said. "I know they got out."Kate sighed. That was all good news, at least. And it made sense why none of them had called yet."Okay," she said, "I'll head there, th-""No, Kate," Renee pleaded. "Please. Bane said if he gets word of any Bat... anything in the city, he'll start killing people. Just... just don't risk it. Please. However small.""Dammit, I can't just do nothing-""Kate, if there was anything, anything, that you could do right now, I'd tell you to swoop in and kick that 'roided-out bastard's pimply ass. But there's not." She sniffled. "Not right now."Kate knew she was telling the truth. She propped her head in her hands. "Fuck."It hadn't been too long ago that she had faced a similar feeling of powerlessness aboard this very ship... one that had also involved Renee, though more directly.Damn it all."You have somewhere to go?" Renee asked.Kate thought a moment. If she was coming in from the south..."Atlanta," she said. "That's closest. We have an apartment there we keep for business trips. I can work out of there for now. Lemme get settled in, and I'll get back to you."Renee sighed in relief. "Okay, sounds good." She laughed again, somewhat warmer than before. "You're gonna have to send me a key so I can make sure you behave and don't try to sneak out.""Hell," Kate said, managing a small smile of her own, "I'll send it to you myself." She would, too.The mirth passed as quickly as it had arrived, and a heavy pause hung in the air."What a buncha shit," Kate said at last."Yep," Renee replied. "But we'll all get it figured out.""Hooah."Another pause."Well," said Renee, yawning, "guess I'll let you go, now that I know you won't be getting blown up over the harbor.""I do appreciate that," Kate said. "See you in Atlanta.""Can't come soon enough," said Renee. "Love you.""Love you, too. Stay safe."It was a moment or two before Renee hung up. When she did, the dull hiss of the ship's engines filled the room once more, a quiet and lonesome sound.