New Earth: Batwoman

Chapter 33

"So, are things all good with Mary?" Luke asked when Kate reentered the Batcave.

"Yeah, they are. But anyways, please tell me you've got a lead on Magpie that I can use to explain how I got a hit on where to find her." Kate asked.

"Maybe, but it will require reaching out to Sophie for some additional help." Luke said.

"What sort of help?" Kate asked.

"We know that the Crows can pull forensics from GCPD, so see if Sophie can get us any remnants from Magpie's grenades that I can then use to trace her location." Luke said and Kate nodded.

"I'll give her a call." Kate said, right as her phone rang and she was surprised to see it was Sophie.

"I was literally about to call you." Kate said.

"Well, I have a lead on Magpie that I thought you might want to move on." Sophie said.

"I'm listening." Kate said.

"I just got forensics back on Magpie's grenades and it appears that they are homemade." Sophie said.

"How?" Kate asked.

"She used explosive ink to 3D print them. I'm sending you a list of all known shipments of said ink." Sophie said as Kate's phone buzzed.

"Got it. Thanks." Kate said.

"You can thank me by agreeing to go out to dinner with me once this is over." Sophie said, surprising Kate.

"Are you asking me out?" Kate asked.

"Kate, do I really have to answer that?" Sophie asked.

"If there's any chance I'm going to agree to this, I need to hear you say it out loud. And I think that you need to hear yourself say it too." Kate said as she heard Sophie sigh.

"Will you go out with me Kate?" Sophie asked.

"It was totally worth hearing you say that and yes I will." Kate said as she hung up.

"Okay, what was that about?" Luke asked.

"That was Sophie both giving us a list of all known shipments of explosive ink and she asked me to get dinner with her." Kate said.

"Wait, she asked you out?" Luke asked.

"Yeah, I think that she might finally be getting ready to come out and if she is, then this might be a relationship I can actually do since unlike with Reagan, I don't have to keep secrets from Sophie. At least about being Batwoman. She can never know about Crisis." Kate said.

"On that we agree. The fewer people who know about that mess, the better." Luke agreed as he pulled up the list and found it was the same PO box as before.

"Okay, I'm going to go confirm the location, once I do, have Bruce and Helena meet me there." Kate said as she moved to suit up and Luke nodded.

"So, how did you find this place?" Huntress asked as she met Batwoman at the inn Magpie was using as a base.

"Sophie gave Luke and I a lead on how Magpie was making her grenades, we traced it to a PO box and I convinced the guy at the facility to give me this location." Batwoman said.

"Do I even want to know how you convinced him to do that?" Huntress asked.

"I let the guy take a selfie." Batwoman said and Huntress actually chuckled.

"Seriously?" Huntress asked with a laugh.

"What, you and Batman never posed for selfies?" Batwoman asked as they heard someone approach them.

"No we did not." Batman said as he approached them.

"I see your suit still fits." Batwoman said.

"Yeah, I have to admit, I did miss how it feels." Batman admitted.

"Anyways, let's get moving, Magpie could be back at any minute." Huntress said.

"Too late, I already am." A new voice said and the three of them turned to see Magpie standing on a perch.

"Did you really think I wouldn't outfit this entire place with motion detectors?" Magpie asked.

"That's new." Batwoman said under breath.

"3 against one, you really think you can beat us?" Huntress asked.

"I think you've miscounted. Don't you know magpies travel in parliaments?" Magpie asked as several hired goons approached.

"Okay, this is also new." Batwoman said to herself.

"I thought you were a solo act?" Huntress asked.

"I was, but then I heard that both Bats and the Huntress were on my tail, thought it might be useful to get some extra muscle." Magpie said.

"Fair enough. Now let's get this over with." Batwoman said as they engaged the thugs, who were honestly outmatched and before Magpie could get away, Batwoman used her grappling hook to restrain her.

"That was easy." Huntress said.

"Her thugs clearly weren't up to the task. Call the Crows, let them know we've caught Magpie." Batwoman said to Luke over the comms.

"They're already en route." Luke said.

"Great. You sticking around?" Batwoman asked her cousin.

"No. I don't want people to think I'm back for good, since I'm no longer Gotham's hero. You two are." Batman said as he walked towards the room all of Magpie's stolen goods were in, including his mother's necklace.