Barbara squinted at the screen, studying the images of Langstrom's hidden lab and several X-rays. "Alright...okay, lab notes, formulas, financial records, research into hearing loss...human experimentation and trials?" The pieces of the puzzle refused to come together as they were.
Tim stepped forward, his eyes darting across the words. "That looks like cash payouts to volunteers," he pointed at the screen, prompting Dick and Jason to crowd around them. Jason nudged Dick aside, his curiosity piqued.
"I recognize some of these jerks. They're all known gang members."
Dick stepped back as Alfred set down a fresh tray of tea, "So Langstrom was doing medical experiments on criminals," he remarked.
Babs swept her arms out and back. "You're crowding me," she asserted.
"Ms. Gordon...the holo-imaging system is back online as of this morning."
Taking the offered data pad, she walked to the center of the floor where metal grates enclosed a circular metal pad. As she approached, light emitted from underneath, revealing a 2-D head of Medusa in the middle. The intricate holographic display drew the attention of everyone in the room.
"Hey, I forgot how sweet your setup was, Babs," Dick chirped, swiping a hand through the translucent image.
She briefly glanced up from her data pad to the 'Loading Data' hovering below the face. "It's ancient, but it'll do for now," she hummed.
Alfred quirked a smile. "You and Master Bruce are the only two people in the entire world who would consider the Belfry's systems 'ancient.'"
"While researching Langstrom, I also called up all we've got on," she swiped an image from the data pad to the visualizer, "our party crasher." Talia al Ghul was frozen in mid-action, just about to pull her weapon, while her father stood opposite, drawing his own katana. The frozen image was a tense moment and the watchful eyes narrowed for a moment.
"Talia Al Ghul. She was a match for Master Bruce in more ways than one. Her presence in Gotham is concerning."
"So's the fact that she torched her old man's body. We sure that was Ra's Al Ghul?" Jason clenched and stretched his hand, momentarily diverting his gaze from the hologram to look at Barbara, his skepticism evident in both his words and actions.
"His DNA was all over the weapon she left behind," Barbara affirmed, it was a solid basis for the identification. It's not like they could sneak back into the GCPD so soon after Talia alerted them and burnt a body to a crisp while she was at it.
"I wonder why she didn't take the chance and use a Lazarus Pit to revive him." Dick stepped forward, the glow from Ra's image reflecting off his eyes, his curiosity unsatisfied. She had done it before so what changed?
Tim's head swiveled, seizing the momentary silence to offer a reminder, "Well, Batman... would just find Talia and ask her himself," emphasizing the straightforward approach with a wave of his hand. He didn't interject often but his words had quality.
"Good thinking," Alfred nodded appreciatively. Tim's observant nature was a quality Alfred both appreciated and took pride in.
"Yeah, I can double-check Talia's kunai for trace materials that we can track." Barbara presented an angle, working as quick and clever as a fox.
"We should also hit the streets, find out if anyone had any beef with Langstrom."
"Sweet, time to bust some skulls." Jason rubbed his hands together, tilting his head with a sly pull of his lip.
YOU ARE READING
Fowl tongue, have my words
FanfictionBriar was cursed. There's no doubt about it. Her father was cursed and when he died it only seemed fair inherited it. And when she was bit at 15, that was fine. She lived. And when Barbara asked her to help her in Gotham, well, there were some thing...
