Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Wayne Legacy: Knightmare

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 21:

Wayne Manor

Kara caught up to John Blake on the manor’s front porch, just as he limped out the door. He had been training with Bruce, or rather Bruce had been training him. Blake wondered if he was getting better at hand-to-hand combat or better at taking a beating.

“John!” Kara called, running through the door behind him out of breath.

“Are you going to yell at me?” he asked immediately, not wanting to get into anything with her as tired as he was.

Kara rolled her eyes.

“No, I just wanted to speak to you about your car.” She told him, referring to his black, 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Fastback.

He had paid cash for it when he moved to Gotham. The car had very little refurbishing or restoration and had seen better days. The engine was loud and powerful, and it suited him fine. He didn’t care about the few minor dents, the faded paint job and the cracked windshield. It was the first car he ever owned, and he loved it.

“What about my car?” he asked carefully, wondering if she would make some remark about its beaten down state. Bruce had shown him the cars Kara restored in the garage and his didn’t quite compare.

“I want to buy it.” She told him.

Blake shook his head. “It’s not for sell.”

“Everything is for sell for the right price.” Kara said, quoting a phrase she had often heard Diana use.

Blake shrugged. “I’m not. Neither is my car.”

“I’ll give you twenty-thousand cash today plus you can go to any Ford or Chevy dealer in Gotham City and have any car you want, free of charge. We own all the dealerships. You won’t even have to pay for the tax, title or license.” She offered.

Blake raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I’m still not for sell but you have my attention when it comes to my car. Why do you want it? I bet you have restored dozens of Mach 1 Mustangs.”

“I need its engine and frame and I need to do the sale off the books.” Kara explained. “That means you lose the title, if you are ever asked you sold it to a private buyer for cash. The VIN number goes away, the car never existed.”

“You want to spend that much money on the engine and frame of a mustang? Why?” Blake asked, his curiosity elevated greatly.

“It’s a birthday present for Bruce.”

“You are getting Bruce an old, beat-up Ford for his birthday?” Blake asked, finding that hard to believe.

Kara nodded. “I’m going to upgrade the engine, give it over a thousand horsepower. The frame will be reenforced to handle the extra weight I will add to the car. It will be armor plated, the same glass as in our SUVs that can stand up to an RPG without cracking.

“It will be a very fast-moving tank with more tricks than his suit has. I don’t like him riding that motorcycle all the time. This will be much more efficient and safer for him to travel.”

“I’m guessing you are going to give it a new black paint job. Have you thought about putting a batwing spoiler on the back? Make it a real ‘batmobile’.” Blake commented jokingly.

Kara titled her head. “Cool name. Look, I can build my own car for him, but the parts will have to be ordered for the engine. I can’t do that off the books. I have enough parts here to upgrade your engine. I have armored plating left over from the last upgrades we made to our secure SUVs and glass. The frame and engine are perfect. So, do we have a deal?”

John remained quiet, pretending to think about it. Honestly, he would have sold it to her at cost if she really wanted it that badly. He was going to let her have it the minute she asked, and he knew it.

“Twenty thousand, huh?” He asked, feeling out her offer.

“And a new car. You can buy a new Mustang, or a Corvette.” Kara reminded him.

John shook his head. “That would be around fifty-thousand total I would make for a car that is worth maybe ten in its current state. I couldn’t live with taking that much money for free so how about a trade? If you want it off the books, let’s look at the cars you have in the garage.”

The two walked along the landscaped path towards the giant hangar at the back of the manor where it was currently hidden from their view. John had only been inside the cavernous building once when Bruce gave him a tour and it took his breath away. It was like a classic vehicle museum: cars, planes, helicopters, all in various states of restoration. Then there were the Waynes’ private fleet of cars, including Lamborghinis, Porsches, Audis, Jaguars and Mercedes luxury sedans.

Despite having seen it before, it still took his breath away when the large bay doors opened up.

“I don’t think I will ever get over this place.” He admitted.

“My cars are in the east corner. I mean my private cars that I drive… when I drive myself… which isn’t often. How would you feel about an Audi? I just got next year’s R8 model in early. The R8’s V10 engine is amazing. Would you like to give it a test drive?” She asked.

Blake winced, knowing how much that car cost. He subscribed to Car and Driver magazine and knew it was in the six figures.

“I was thinking something more classic. I’m kind of an old school guy when it comes to cars.” He told her.

She looked thoughtful as he looked over the classics along the wall.

“Whoa, that one!” He nearly shouted, pointing to an older model car and running towards it, Kara trying to keep up behind him. “This one. Straight up trade, my Mustang for your ’69 Chevy Chevelle SS with a 396 V8. Two door, hard top, black on black… this is perfect. It’s a shame it’s already in your name. It would have been perfect for your needs.”

Kara looked at the car doubtfully. “John… I haven’t done anything with this car. It needs work. I know the engine is clean, but I haven’t checked out the transmission, it’s going to need new tires in another ten thousand miles, the paint job is faded, and the bumper and fender have dents in them. I haven’t even checked the undercarriage.”

John shook his head. “I love it. My car isn’t in immaculate condition either. You want my car and I want this one. Even trade. Maybe… maybe if you ever get time and it needs some work, we can work on it. I know a little about cars, but nothing like you. If I’m learning to take a beating from your brother, maybe you can teach me a few things too… if you ever have the time, of course.”

“Uh… um… yeah.” Kara replied, stuttering slightly. “That would be fun. Look, I know I have been giving you a hard time about supporting my brother, but you are right. I’ve been doing the same thing and I’m glad he has someone like you watching his back.

“I just… I get upset when I worry, and I take it out on the people I worry about. I know I shouldn’t but…”

“Hold on… you worry about me?” Blake asked, surprised.

“Of course! You are kind of a bullet magnet.” Kara told him, a blush on her cheeks. “You’re a good friend to my brother. Bruce has never had many friends, not real ones anyway. I’ve never seen him bond with anyone besides Diana, but he trusts you. That means a lot to me.”

“He’s a good guy, doing a hard and thankless job. I’m glad to do what I can.” Blake said sincerely. “I should be going. You want to give me the keys to this one and I’ll leave my car here?”

“Of course.” Kara nodded, waving him over to a secured cabinet that she opened using a device that scanned her eye and another that verified her fingerprint. The cabinet contained keys of every type along with some other devices he couldn’t begin to imagine.

She took a set of keys, handing them to him and pocketing the keys to the Mustang. “The insurance information is in the glove box, and it is insured for the next six months. I can sign the title over easily enough… speaking of being Bruce’s friend, has he invited you to the Tower Saturday night? We are going to watch the fireworks over the harbor from the roof.”

Blake shook his head. “He and your sister mentioned it but that seems more like a close family friends’ event, and I have a feeling I would be out of place.”

“I’m inviting you. You have a place.”

Blake hesitated. “I appreciate that, but I have a night off and… since you have a boyfriend and talk about him all the time, I thought maybe I would see what all the fuss was about. I have a… date.”

Kara’s eyebrows furrowed. “A date? With who?”

“Uh… another cop. She is… great. She asked me out and I said sure. I got lucky to have a shift off on July fourth and thought why not, you know?” Blake was trying to remain calm as he lied through his teeth.

“What’s her name?”

“You probably don’t know her.”

“I might.”

“You don’t.”

“Try me.”

Blake swallowed nervously. “Uh… Renee. Yeah, Renee.”

“Does Renee have a last name?”

“Of course she does. Everyone does, except for Madonna… I heard Prince had a last name a long time ago. I don’t know too much about music.”

“What is her last name?” Kara asked, eyebrow raised.

“Uh… Bullock. Yeah, Bullock is her name. Renee Bullock. Anyway, we should get this paperwork done so I can go soak in a cold bath.” John said, shaking his head, wanting to escape as fast as possible.

An hour later, John Blake drove out of Wayne Manor in his new, old car. He had been surprised by Kara’s invitation and felt poorly about the way he handled it. Not even the roar of his new car’s engine could take his mind off it.

Kara had seemed disappointed, and he would have loved to have gone but he really had no desire to see her with Tommy. He had nothing against the guy, though he had a feeling Tommy didn’t like him very much for some reason. Seeing Tommy with her was just a reminder of the world she came from. He may be friends with her vigilante brother, but he was never going to be a part of the world she belonged to.

He dialed Cash and the man answered quickly. “Blake! What’s up, man?”

“I sold my Mustang for cash and bought a Cheville. You home?”

“Come on by, man. Some of the guys are ready to watch the game and we got plenty of cold beer. I thought you were teaching Bruce Wayne some more self-defense moves tonight?”

“He learned enough tonight. I’ll see you soon.”

It wasn’t long before Blake was in the driveway of the house Aaron Cash shared with two more cops on the same shift as him. They worked the same days and hung out at times when they were off. Blake’s apartment was small, so the house had become a regular hangout for him.

All the guys had greeted him on his arrival, wanting to see his new ride. After appreciating the engine on his car, Cash’s roommates stepped inside, but Cash stayed outside.

“What’s bothering you, bro?” Cash asked. “I hope it’s not about us partnering up again.”

Blake shook his head. “After so long on my own, it will be nice to have company on patrol again. Nothing is bothering me. I guess… I don’t know. I think I did something stupid, and I knew it was stupid while I was doing it, but it shouldn’t bother me because it really doesn’t mean anything in the long run or even the short run…”

Blake stopped talking when Cash slapped the back of his head.

“Ow!”

“You were babbling. Cops don’t babble. Ex Marines don’t babble. You’re not a babbler. You hardly speak. It’s one of the qualities I love about you. So what the hell did you do that’s got you so worked up?” Cash asked, obviously amused by the expression on his face.

“Kara Wayne asked me if I wanted to watch fireworks from the top of Wayne Tower Saturday night.” Blake said all in one go.

Cash whistled, eyes wide. “I thought you were just friends with the rich brother. Didn’t know you were tight with the sisters, especially Kara. What did you say?”

“I told her no… then I told her I had a date so she wouldn’t think I was a loser for planning to hang out with guys in a park drinking beer.” Blake said, annoyed.

“I should take offense to that, but I feel the same way about hanging out with you guys. So, you told her you had a date. Tell her you cancelled it and go to the Tower.” Cash suggested. “She’s hot.”

“She is hot.” Blake agreed. “She is beautiful, smart as hell, kind, elegant, has a temper I really love, and she’s taken. She has a nice, rich, well-groomed and well-mannered boyfriend she brings up every time I’m near her.”

“Tommy Merlyn? Everybody knows he has been a playboy his whole life. Word is he’s cleaned up his act around her but he ain’t special. Besides if she is that into him, why would she invite you?” Cash asked, genuinely curious.

“Maybe she knows I’m a loser whose social life revolves around hanging out and drinking with other cops on my days off when I’m not teaching her brother how to fight like a Marine.”

Cash shrugged. “Whatever, man. I think she is into you if she invited you. She probably brings up the boyfriend all the time to make you jealous. Besides, if you weren’t into her, you wouldn’t feel guilty about lying to her in the first place or bothered to come up with a lie to make her jealous.”

“I’m not trying to make her jealous!” Blake insisted.

Cash shook his head. “A million reasons you could have given for saying ‘no’ and the one you go with is a fake date. Yeah, whatever.

“Come on inside. The game is starting, and you need to do some self-reflection with cold bottles of beers and pretzels.”

---

Gotham City Museum of Natural History, the next night

The Wayne sisters, Steve and Dig, walked the red carpet into the Natural History Museum for the Egyptian Exhibit opening.

Diana was in her element, smiling for the cameras, ignoring questions from society reporters, her glittering blue and black evening gown reflecting the flash of the cameras, as if she were constantly sparkling.

Kara was behind her, wearing a dark red evening gown, her hair flowing freely down her back, her blue eyes sparkling and her bright smile, lighting up the night. She appeared calm and at ease, having learned to hide her anxiety of these events behind a veil of confidence and beauty.

At Sam’s party, they had arrived at the back of the hotel before the guests, so she had avoided the cameras. There was no avoiding them tonight.

She was also irritated that Tommy had turned down the opportunity to accompany her, claiming he needed to be asleep early for work the next morning. She had told him she understood, but she really didn’t understand what was going on. Tommy had competent employees and no longer had to be there at six to open, even though he always was. It wouldn’t have killed him to take one night off.

Once inside, her concerns went away, and she was captivated by the scenery. Kara had always loved museums. When she was growing up, Diana had organized several private tours for the two of them to take through different museums. She saw everything multiple times, even the collections behind the scenes that were never displayed.

Despite the long history of this museum, there hadn’t been an Egyptian Exhibit since 1983. Tonight would be the unveiling of an amazing collection of Egyptian artifacts and even a mummy. Diana had concerns that the mummy might attack her considering what she had gone through a few months ago.

Hippolyta didn’t help matters when she assured Diana it was unlikely though not impossible. Lyta had decided to stay at the manor, preferring to maintain a low profile for now.

Kara dragged Dig all over the museum, pointing out displays and artifacts that fascinated her. Dig smiled at her enthusiasm while also keeping an eye on the crowd.

Diana and Steve were bombarded with well-wishers, most of whom were people looking to gain favor with her through flattery. Diana had little patience for those people, but it did not stop them.

They were finally left alone, perhaps the crowd picking up Diana’s irritation subconsciously. She had a glass of champagne and wandered along with her fiancé in peace.

The peace was interrupted, but pleasantly so, by the archeologist who had discovered the pieces of the collection.

“Miss Diana Wayne and Captain Steve Trevor. I am Dr. Barbara Minerva. I am so happy that you could make it tonight.” The vibrant woman greeted them in a distinctly British accent.

She was wearing a figure-hugging, sleeveless, silver dress that had wide, over-the-shoulder straps. The dress was perfect in the way it set off her tanned skin against her long, dark hair and light blue, almost grey-colored eyes.

Diana nodded, smiling. “You have a great talent, Dr. Minerva. Your pieces are most impressive.”

“Please, call me Barbara. May I call you Diana?”

“Of course.” Diana replied, intrigued with the woman. “May I ask who sponsors your digs?”

“I sponsor them. One of the benefits of having a wealthy family as you can understand yourself.” Dr. Minerva replied playfully with a cocky smile. “I do have another adventure planned soon. If you would like to be involved, I am always interested in mutually beneficial partnerships.”

“That sounds fascinating. Where will this adventure take place?” Diana asked.

“Africa is all I can tell you at the moment. I am looking for a tribe that has stayed hidden from mankind and is said to possess mystical objects of great power. I have gained several clues to their location and hope I can barter with them for some of these so-called mystical items. Does that pique your interest, Diana?” The archaeologist inquired. “It could be a fun trip.”

Diana laughed softly. “It sounds like the kind of adventure my sister would really enjoy but neither of us have the time to do so. I wish we did. It sounds much more exciting than sitting in boardrooms and on conference call for hours a day.”

Barbara nodded. “I understand, but if you ever change your mind, look me up. My family’s estate is in Nottinghamshire England. The two of us could have a wild time together. I hope marriage doesn’t make you too tame.”

“I don’t believe either of us will try to change the other. We get along just as we are.” Steve told her in a candid tone.

Barbara winked. “Bravo. This one has fire. Enjoy the night. It was good meeting both of you.”

Diana and Steve watched her walk away, both feeling a little stunned.

“I’m not sure if it’s the accent but does she seem more full of herself than the average archeologist?” Steve asked.

Diana just shook her head. “Archeologists spend their lives digging in the dirt to find a past that cannot be changed. They are all strange in my opinion, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We now live with a fossil so perhaps it is we who are strange.”

Steve laughed, imagining Hippolyta’s reaction at being called a fossil. Kara joined them with Dig on her heels.

“The exhibit is amazing. If we could have come in the back and all these people weren’t here, this would be a perfect night.” The blonde remarked. “Speaking of people who aren’t here, how did Sam get out of this?”

“She promised Ruby a movie night since it’s her birthday weekend.” Diana told her. “How did Tommy get out of this?”

Kara frowned. “He said he wanted to go to bed early because of work. It’s an excuse I’ve heard a lot lately. It doesn’t matter. As long as I have Dig, I am never lonely. Right, Dig?”

“My feet hurt.” The bodyguard replied grumpily.

“There’s that positive attitude I love about you.” Kara told him, happily. “I’ve seen everything. Can we go home?”

Diana nodded, tiring of the night already. Home sounded good, no matter how strange it could be lately with Hippolyta there.

---

The Narrows

Batman drove quickly through the winding, one-way streets of the worst part of Gotham, hoping tonight would cause a huge blow to the international organized crime syndicates trying to get a foothold in Gotham in the absence of local organized crime.

He had picked up chatter that China White, the middle woman who did logistics for several drug cartels and human traffickers, was having a meeting tonight in the Narrows with three people. These three were highly placed members of various cartels and all three, along with China White herself, were wanted by Interpol.

All Bruce had to do was catch them, bind them and wait for Gotham PD to take them. Blake was on duty tonight and Gordon had assigned him and his partner, Aaron Cash, to the area in case things went badly.

The three cartel heads were in no way a physical threat. Once he had cleared the room of gun toting thugs, Gotham PD could surround the place and take them safely into custody.

China White was a different story. She was known to be a blade master, carrying all types and sizes. She could cut through multiple police officers with no problem if the stories were true. He would have to take out the thugs, incapacitate the three heads and then chase after China White. Once he caught her, he knew he would have to be on his A-game… things would get very interesting regardless.

He watched from the top of the roof of a steel factory that had been closed for decades. The roof was sheet iron but had many missing areas that allowed him to see his targets. The iron made it difficult to remain silent, but the suit’s boots were materially exceptional and his time in the League had taught him to move like a shadow, as silent as a whisper on the wind.

“Alfred, do you have visual?”

“Yes. Commissioner Gordon is moving units within striking distance but far enough to not cause suspicion. He told me to remind you they will need probable cause to rush in without a warrant since the building is still owned by Gotham Electric and Construction.”

“Don’t worry, when they hear my signal, it will give them plenty of probable cause. Blake have another cop with him?”

“Officer Cash.”

“Good. He’ll need someone to watch his back until other units arrive. How close is he?”

“Three blocks away, waiting for your signal.”

Batman shot a zipline from the roof to the far wall. He took a Batarang out and used it as a handle, flipping it over the line, and jumped, sliding silently above the crime lords meeting below until he reached the wall on the other side and slid to the floor quietly.

Hiding behind a pressing machine, he sent a sonar ping out and found no other guards beside the ones he was seeing now, a lucky break to have them all grouped together.

Batman stepped from behind the large machine, still covered in shadows. He threw Shuriken into the dim lights above, plunging the already dim room into darkness and activated his night vision.

Batman took out the larger Batarang and threw it around the room, pleased to see it operated in the real world as well as it did while practicing with it in the cave. It circled silently, striking the heads of the guards who formed a circle around the table and coming back to his hand.

Those at the table were confused, not knowing what had just taken their guards down. Guns were brought out, voices were raised, and China White was already backing away from them. Though a deadly fighter, she did not seek out fights that she could run away from. Tonight, she wouldn’t have the chance.

He tossed the Batarang towards her, but she had drawn a katana and cut it in half before it struck her. Bruce cringed, knowing Kara was not going to be happy about that.

She attempted to run, and he threw two bolos at her, wrapping her feet and arms, causing her to land face first.

Bruce moved quickly. He jumped onto the table and began kicking, sliding around and punching those present. As they fell, gunshots began to go off wildly and one struck the center of his suit in the bat symbol. The pressure pushed him off the table, but he never lost his breath, the shock absorption of the suit working perfectly.

Rather than jumping back on the table, he slid under, taking out goons’ feet and knocking them unconscious as they hit the ground.

The gun fire stopped, and Bruce stood up. His night vision saw three men, no doubt the heads, running towards the entrance of the factory.

He grinned in satisfaction, taking a round explosive from his back and connecting it to a Shuriken. He threw it high above the men and when it struck the wall, it exploded, slamming the retreating heads back and blowing a large chunk of the wall and entrance into the street.

“Is that a big enough probable cause?” Bruce asked Alfred, grinning smugly. “The enemies are down but guns are everywhere on the ground. I don’t have time to collect them all. Move the officers in quickly and warn Jim.”

Batman turned to where China White had fallen and was not surprised to see she was gone.

He grappled himself to the top of the roof and was pleased to see John Blake and his partner had already driven through the hole his explosive had caused and other officers were close behind, circling the building.

Batman tossed his remaining Batarang, the one with the sonar into the air and as Kara promised, it flew far and wide, sending a sonar image to the projector on his forearm and then returned to him.

He had her.

He shot a grappling line in the direction she was running and soared over buildings, landing just as she reached a motorcycle, most likely not hers, judging by how old it was.

The woman showed surprise when he landed in front of her, then anger, quickly figuring out that this was the man responsible for her meeting being disrupted and her biggest customers most likely being arrested.

“Who are you? What are you?” She demanded.

Bruce walked closer to her, keeping his eyes locked on hers, waiting for her to give a sign that she would move.

He saw her hand drop, her fingers unflex and knew she was going for the gun on her hip. He rolled into her and stood up, uppercutting her and taking the gun from her hands as she fell back into the bike, knocking it over.

She pulled her foot free from the bike where it was trapped and drew the katana on her back, swinging in an overhead strike. Bruce blocked it with his forearm and slid his blades down, cutting the katana in half.

China backflipped from him and launched two bladed stars of her own. Batman caught both easily then attacked. A series of kicks and punches were blocked until he overwhelmed her with his speed and strength, not to mention the pounding her body was taking from his armored fists, arms, legs and feet.

Her defenses dropped and he struck her chin, spinning her around before sweeping her leg and dropping her to the ground. Batman jumped on her, tying her hands behind her back, then stood and kicked her knee, dislocating it.

“Who are you?!” she cried out once again, anger and pain warring with each other.

Bruce didn’t answer. Instead, he wrapped a wire around her feet and dragged her to the nearest light pole, tossing the cord over and lifting her up by her feet, high enough she could get no leverage to free herself.

He checked her and found six more stars, five smaller blades and a gun strapped around her lower leg.

Batman modulated his voice to a deeper pitch. “Police will be here soon. They are going to take you to the police station where you will wait for agencies around the world to fight over who gets to lock you away. I will be watching. If you don’t play nice, I will put every one of your blades into your body. Do you understand?”

The woman tried to spit at him, but he clamped her jaw shit before she could.

“That is what I meant by misbehaving.”

“You treat a lady this way, you masked freak?” she asked, hatred in her eyes.

“A lady, no. A woman who has one-hundred and fifty-two confirmed kills and is the kingpin over most heroin and slave trades here and overseas? You are lucky I am letting you off so easy.”

Batman pressed a nerve in her neck, and she was unconscious in seconds.

Bruce asked Alfred to put him through to Gordon.

“Do you have her?” The commissioner asked as soon as he was connected.

“Tenth block of Wester. You will notice her. Make sure she is very secure at all times. Let your guard down for a second and she will kill someone. I’m going to follow your officers in the event she tries to escape.”

“We know how to take in a prisoner.” Gordon reminded Batman, a hint of irritation in his voice.

“Not one like her.” Bruce told him. “The people I told you about… those in the world who are a different kind of deadly… she is one of them. She is a smart, vicious psychopath who can kill a man with her finger in a second. Be careful.

“Is the factory secure?”

“Yeah, but these guys are screaming about being attacked by a man from the shadows. Your alter ego isn’t going to stay secret for long. Blake has been scrambling to secure the scene while scooping up pieces of some broken boomerang and your sharp little bats before CSI arrives on scene.” Gordon told him.

“As long as I am not publicly acknowledged, it will be alright. China White isn’t going to talk to anyone about anything. By the way, she is unconscious, has a cracked jaw and a dislocated kneecap. I did that for police protection. Do not take her to a hospital.”

“I get it, she’s Hannibal Lector. We got this. Good work tonight. You made a hell of a mess, but my officers would have been mowed down if they raided this place. I see a hell of a lot of shell casings. You get hit?” Gordon asked, concerned.

“The suit held up.”

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m good, Jim.” Batman assured him. “Come get her before she wakes. I’ll be watching her.”

In the warehouse, Jim hung up his phone and rejoined his officers who were taking the wanted international criminals into custody. This would be a huge win for the Gotham PD so one of two things would happen.

The first and preferred response would be the criminal world gets the message that Gotham was off limits to all organized crime, not just the local organizations that had been taken down and stay out of his city.

The second was the global crime syndicates could see this as a challenge and start a war.

Either way, Gordon wouldn’t have let this type of activity go on, so if a war is what they wanted, his officers would be ready. He knew Diana would provide the department with whatever was needed to keep them safe and well-equipped.

He also had the Batman who had access to information his officers couldn’t get, so hopefully Jim could head off any coming war before it could start.

A few minutes later, he pulled up behind Blake and Cash’s squad car.

He stood next to the men as Blake and Cash tried not to laugh, seeing the platinum blonde wrapped in wire, hanging upside down from a light pole.

“Anonymous tip?” Cash asked dubiously.

“That’s what I understand, right, Commissioner?” Blake asked.

“Just from her initial description, it seems this one is wanted around the world. We just got lucky to find her hanging from a light pole. I would guess she had something to do with the bust we just made.” Gordon replied lightly, holding back a smile. “Let’s take a picture of her for facial recognition. We can check Interpol’s most wanted to see if we can find a match. Despite her current predicament, let’s assume she is extremely dangerous… so be careful boys. If she is who I suspect she is, she bites.”

Blake and Cash waited for other units to show up and began lowering her to the ground after cuffing her hands and legs, then wrapping duct tape around her while several officers kept guns trained on the woman. The moment Gotham PD ran facial recognition on her, alarms went off around the world and agencies from all over were contacting the department.

Still unconscious, she was placed in a police van, Blake and Cash followed them to the precinct in their unit.

“Hell of a night, huh?” Cash asked.

Blake nodded.

“Pretty lucky, us being in the area to see that explosion and the Commissioner having so many cops nearby.” Cash continued to prod his silent partner. “What do you think happened in there?”

Blake shrugged. “Guys like that turn on each other all the time.”

“Huh… yeah, I guess you are right.” Cash responded, not believing a word of it. Throwing subtlety to the curb, he asked, “So what was with you stealing evidence and stuffing pieces of metal from the floor under your vest?”

“Look man…” Blake sighed, leaning his head back against the headrest not sure how to continue.

Cash stopped him after confirming his partner was covering for someone. “Hey, the way I see it, if you don’t tell me, I don’t have to lie about knowing. I don’t give a damn if you are covering for some Marine buddy who is working out his issues by dressing in scary clothes and taking out bad guys. I get it. I can cover for you to a point, but the less I know, the better for everyone involved. Just be careful and don’t get caught, alright? You might lose your job and your fancy new rich friends, the Waynes.”

Blake snorted. “I’d still have my low-class friends like you though, right?”

Cash chuckled. “I don’t know who else would have you… maybe that fake girlfriend you told Kara Wayne about. What was her name anyway?”

“Renee Bullock.”

Cash stared at him for a moment then proceeded to laugh all the way to the station.

---

July 4th, Wayne Tower

It was tradition for Diana and Kara to watch Gotham City’s July 4th firework show standing side by side on the roof of Wayne Tower. They would invite select friends to join them but the two always stood close together holding hands while the fireworks lit up the sky.

From this view, rather than looking up at the fireworks, they were even with the spectacular lights due to the height of Wayne Tower.

This year was a little different. For the first time, Steve was standing on the other side of Diana with an arm around her waist as she lay her head against his shoulder with Kara practically curled into her other side holding her hand as she usually did.

Behind them Alfred and Bruce stood apart, speaking quietly about the night before.

As Bruce had suspected, Kara was furious when she saw the state of his suit and realized he had been shot, multiple times. While relieved her tech worked, the idea of Bruce being shot at all had made her nearly vomit. She had kept the suit in her room to work on it, informing Bruce it would be several nights before he was able to go out again. When he had asked if she could possibly make a back-up suit, he barely made it to the hallway before her desk lamp narrowly missed his head and shattered against the wall.

He swore through his closed bedroom door to stay home over the weekend as Kara continued threatening him.

She had calmed as the day went on, but Bruce was still keeping his distance. He didn’t want to risk her getting angry again and dragging out the time it took to fix his suit.

Alex and Eliza, Andrew Garcia and his wife Rosa, Barbara and Jim along with Sam and Ruby were sitting on a blanket, chatting together while watching the light show. The helicopters had been moved to nearby landing pads at the airport and padded mats had been placed on the ground.

To Kara’s disappointment, Tommy had called and begged off, claiming a cold. Given he didn’t know about Kara’s new immune system, she could hardly argue with his concern.

She still found it odd. Something was different in his voice when he talked. He seemed to say as little as possible and the good-natured cheer she usually heard in his voice had changed, almost as if he was pretending. She wouldn’t let his absence ruin her good time though.

Harvey and Emily arrived right before the fireworks began and apologized for being late. Kara and Diana greeted them briefly before moving to their normal positions to watch the fireworks.

To Emily’s irritation, Kara had barely spoken to her, foregoing conversation despite Emily trying to initiate it, explaining that she and Diana always watched the fireworks together and they were about to start.

Emily scowled as she watched Kara take Diana’s hand and lean into her sister. Harvey noticed and took her hand, squeezing it. She looked at him and sighed, then followed him to sit on the mat.

Despite the beautiful fireworks, Emily’s eyes never left Kara. In Emily’s opinion, she stood by Diana’s side, the dutiful little sister who behaved exactly as Diana wanted her to.

Emily thought back to the swim meets where she had watched Kara. She remembered how all the parents had to remain in the stands, but Diana Wayne was allowed to stand right behind the starting blocks against the wall, only six to ten feet away from Kara depending on the venue. She was the first one Kara hugged after a win, and the one who held her after a loss. College was the only place Emily ever saw Kara without Diana present. Other than her classes, Diana was a constant presence, a looming spectre over her daughter’s life, making Kara dependent on her. Even alone in classes, Kara was surrounded by bodyguards who answered to Diana.

After the fireworks show ended, Diana turned around, her gaze swept over the group, confusion in her eyes. Emily couldn’t tell who exactly she was looking at as her eyes probed those gathered, but there was an intensity in her gaze, as if she were looking for someone just hidden from her sight.

After an unsettling amount of time, Diana smiled at Kara, then began saying good night to everyone.

Emily stayed behind Harvey as he made his goodbyes and the two walked away quickly. Once they were across the street in her apartment, Harvey spoke his mind.

“You can’t do that. You can’t look at Diana like you want to… I don’t know. You just can’t. She could see you.“ Harvey stated strenuously, obviously worried.

Emily acted as if she didn’t care.

“Em, I’m serious. That woman… she can read people like no one I’ve ever met. It’s like she is a mind reader. If she catches a hint of hostility from you towards her, she will tear apart your life looking for something to hang you with and ensure you are never near Kara.” Harvey told her.

“What could she possibly find? I went through thorough background checks to work at Wayne Enterprises. If there were anything to be found, she would have found it then.” Emily said, discounting his concern.

Harvey shook his head, frustrated. “Diana has a detective on retainer named Victor Sage. The guy was a big help to us in finding dirt on the mob and breaking it down by going after their money. He is very good, well paid and extremely loyal to her. He would find out about the year you homeschooled. You told your classmates when you returned to school you were in boarding school but ultimately, that’s a hole in your story. Once he finds that out, and he will, he is going to look at your records, probably find you stopped turning in work around the same time you had Kara. He may even go as far as taking your DNA without your knowledge and if he suspects any link with Kara, he will compare it to hers.”

Emily felt a chill. She knew Diana had the police and DA’s Office in her pocket. She didn’t know about a private detective as good as what Harvey was describing.

“Is that legal?” She asked.

“Do you think it matters to her?” Harvey countered.

Emily closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, fighting off the headache that was coming on. “How does she get away with this? Why do you let her get away with this? Is she really so untouchable that no one will challenge her, no matter how far she goes?”

Harvey sighed and had a seat. “Diana isn’t the bad guy, Em. She is protective of Kara. Yeah, she goes overboard but shouldn’t you be happy that your daughter has someone in her life that loves her that much?”

“Loves her?” Emily squeaked out, enraged. “She has made Kara reliant on her! Don’t act like you haven’t seen it, Harvey. Diana treats her like a pet!”

Harvey realized he was going to get anywhere with her in this mood. He pulled her to the couch and began rubbing her shoulders.

“You said you were happy just being in Kara’s life.” Harvey reminded her. “You need to be careful, Em. You have a lot of good things in your life. I’m not saying be Diana’s best friend but don’t get on her bad side. I know first-hand… it’s not worth it.”

Emily nodded and smiled, a fake smile but good enough to appease him. “Of course. Let’s go to bed. We can sleep late tomorrow. How about breakfast in bed?”

She was placating him since it now appeared Kara wasn’t the only one brainwashed by Diana Wayne.

Emily knew who Harvey Dent was before she met him, and she knew what he wanted. It was never an accident that their paths had crossed at that bar. She had purposefully placed herself in his path in hopes of gaining a sympathetic voice to her side along with further access to Kara.

She knew it would be easy to turn Harvey from Diana’s influence… Emily had ensured that the first night she had sex with him. It was something Diana Wayne would never do, no matter how much Harvey wanted the Wayne Enterprise CEO in his bed.

Emily would use that weakness of his to her advantage and worm her way further into her daughter’s life, regardless of Diana’s influence.

It was only a matter of time before Emily had everything her heart desired, no matter who she had to destroy in the process.