Post by adrini on May 27, 2015 11:35:59 GMT -5
Birds of Prey
Chapter 15: Reformed
By Adrini
“It’s not like Gotham slums, its worse.” Jade said, pacing, as Roy listened. “You don’t believe that, and I don’t blame you, but it’s true.”
The wedding coming fast Roy was getting ready for his excursion into ‘Haven. With the paperwork in order they had clearance from the League to grab Tommy and they weren’t wasting any time.
“Okay, look, I get that it’s bad. But I saw terrible things in the Gotham ‘hood. As bad I’d believe, but not worse-“ The red headed man was learning but not believing what he was being told.
“It’s worse.” This time it was the Industry leader spoke, sparing his wife the effort. “Remember when I went to the street parties? I saw it. Everything they say about ‘Haven is true.”
“The hardest part will be not helping.” Di said, slightly winded. She wasn’t very far in the couple’s first pregnancy but her lung capacity had been hit early. “There is cruelty and indifference everywhere. If you really want to sell yourself as a native then you don’t care. If it’s not you, it’s not your concern.”
“Exactly, and getting involved puts a mark on your head.” Jade agreed.
“What? Is there evil in the water or something?” Roy was getting disturbed by what he was hearing. His fiancée laughed drying.
“Almost.” Di said. “In Gotham people do evil things for a reason, not a good one, but a reason.”
“In ‘Haven they do things for fun, it a sick game.” Jade finished the thought.
-BOP-
“Am I interrupting?” Jade looked up to see the door open slightly. Di was standing there, her mini me behind her. Mia was getting better but still highly codependent.
“Could use the help, sure.” Mia rushed to pieces of the rounded plastic kid table that Jade was putting together for Tommy’s new room, picking up and reading the directions. Kid still thought she had to earn her place.
“Word from Kate.” DI said softly, not wanting the house to hear. Mia, by virtue of being around so often, had heard most of their secrets already. Neither of them saw her spilling anything. The woman sat down in a nearby chair, the floor wasn’t a good option now. “Her Dad is stiffing around. I had to put in security, a few cameras. My gut says he’s going to make a move soon.”
“I’d believe it.” Jade said, less depressed by the sight of the blonde kid excitedly putting the paper down and getting to work on the pieces, she seemed to have a handle on it. “She’s pretty far gone now, should we just grab her now?”
“Just over eight months, no flying permitted aside from emergencies. I talked to Renee. Kate’s Mom actually had her a little early, they’re hoping that happens again.” Di explained. “They’re also looking at other locations, more remote ones.”
“They don’t want to lead her father here. That’s fair, I hate it, but it’s fair.” Mia looked up at the conversation.
“Is Mr. Kane or Ollie richer?” She asked, thinking.
“We are, but it’s not a matter of money Little Bit.” Di leaned over and explained. “Mr. Kane has fewer rules about what he’ll do then we do. If we take Kate in he could very well come after us, and he’s very good at going after people. We’re willing, but it’s also a risk that they have to live with as well.”
“What’s the plan?” The teen was still working on the set, and making good progress. Jade noted, in future, to just ask her to do it.
“Wait for the phone call, or even them just getting here as a surprise. I ordered the room put together just to be paranoid but right now it’s up in the air.” Jade nodded at the information. It was up to Kate now.
“What does Tommy like?” Mia asked, finishing the table and setting it right. She had done it. “Digs and I are updating the shopping list. I put on juice boxes and stuff but every kid has stuff he really likes. We thought he might like Thai like you, but we weren’t sure.”
Mia looked confused as Jade lost it, but Di shook her head with a small smile. Mia calmed down, moving onto the next box. They had a kid to get ready for. Di was holding her friend but someone had to finish the furniture.
-BOP-
Her face hidden by a large hood Renee leaned on the wall and waited. Downtown ‘haven wasn’t where she wanted to be but it was where the contact was happening. She only hoped this worked, and if nothing else she did want to meet this person. Make sure he was alright.“Bus is down, hear it’s the brakes.” She heard a new voice. Glancing over she saw a man with red hair and tan complexion. He looked like a bum.
“Heard they might have been cut.” Renee replied, this was him. “How’s everyone?”
“Good.” He couldn’t help smiling for a moment. Renee noticed that he hadn’t removed the wedding band from his disguise. Maybe Jade had finally gotten a good one. “The birds said you knew the way in.”
“Corner shop, we order a coffee and sit down. I pulled a contact who will meet you there, but don’t keep him long.” She said and the man, Roy, nodded.
“Undercover.” He said and they walked over, posing as the casual hook up. The café was as much a dive but they and down and drank some truly terrible coffee.
“Just to be clear. Tell me.” Renee said and the two spoke softly. Acting flirtatious was easy after her own time undercover.
“It’s a dash and grab, keep it as simple as possible. I work to gain access, signal for evacuation and get out of there.” Roy said, reciting orders. “Till then I play the role and do my job.”
“What’s your contact?” she asked, cells would be collected. Roy pulled out a pack of cigs, and opened the back to expose a small transmitter.
“Actual cigs, Jade says I have to smoke them here but the second I get home that’s over. But it will sell the cover.” He didn’t look thrilled at the thought.
She saw the undercover cop at the door and nodded slightly. The man understood the signal and began to act gruff, offended that someone was with his girl.
“Okay, good luck. And get home safe.” Renee said as the man got closer. “You made a promise.”
“One I’ll keep, let her know I got here safe, okay?” He was scared, he did know what he was facing.
“First thing.” She ran out of the Café as she watch the cop start a fight with the VP. He fell fast, just like he was told.
-BOP-
“Ollie?” The man heard his name from the kitchen, not an uncommon place to be called around meal time. “Help?”
He rushed to see his now visibly pregnant wife looking at a box of pasta just barely out of reach and walked over to grab it. She thanked him with a kiss before getting back to dinner. He walked over to the table to look at his portion of the mail. They didn’t say anything, worried. But it was a shared worry, over a friend.
“Got word today, from Renee.” Di said as she set the pots to cook. “He’s in, that’s the hard part. Might not be too much longer.”
“That’s in as in-“ He asked and she nodded, not entirely happy. “Is he okay?”
“So far, nothing he didn’t expect.” It wasn’t a happy reality, but Roy had wanted to go. And no one had had a better idea about how to get the kid out. It didn’t stop the rest of the house from fearing the worst. Her husband didn’t respond, continuing to read the statements and contracts. He had been like this since Roy left, helpful but mostly silent.
She accepted the distance and continued to focus on the meal when she felt him behind her, the intensity she wasn’t used to.
“How many more?” Oliver said, his voice without humor. “How many more of these rescues are you going to need?”
He was standing there, stern. The humor lost from his eyes. She understood why, it was fair. She had come clean about Jade’s role in the League of Assassins. His best friend was alone and helpless in ‘haven. The woman he openly hated might be showing up to stay at any minute. It was rhetorical, he didn’t want her to respond.
“I will always be thrilled to keep you safe, but I didn’t sign up to free your entire family.” He continued. “And whether Jade was open to telling me or not I needed to know who she was before I backed setting her up with Roy. That was basic information, Di.”
“It wasn’t mine to tell-“ He cut her off.
“When she’s staying in my house and sleeping with my best friend, yes it is. That she had a kid would also have been important information.” He stood and looked at her for a moment. “To say nothing of where that kid was.”
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to lie.” It was a weak defense, but all she had. She had sworn not to tell, her hands were tied.
“You were keeping a promise. But which promise, Di? You can’t keep both.” He was stern, serious, and she felt her heart fall through the floor. Worst of all she had brought it on herself. “Above all others, that was the deal. I’m not seeing that here. I need that, it’s not optional.”
He sighed, walking closer. When she hesitantly reached for his hands he didn’t pull away.
“You’re right.” He leaned in to hear, his wife was almost afraid someone would hear. “Always you, I swear. No more secrets, they’ll have to understand. Just don’t-“
“I’m not going anywhere, but we are.” Maybe scaring her with the thought of leaving was needed. Standing up he turned off the stove he then rest a hand on the increasingly round stomach. “We’re taking the night, two if we need to. But I get to hear it all, our promise above all others. No exceptions this time. We’re having a family, that has to come first.”
Far from fighting him, Di melted as he led them to the stairs. They’d need bags to take with them.
“You always were bad at sharing.” He heard her say as he walked the stairs. “Thea told me.”
“Well, that should have been a warning.” He was grinning a little again. “My Pretty Bird. Kate can get weekends. Maybe.”
-BOP-
“Jade! Adrien!” Mia yelled as she ran to the office room. “It’s going off!”
Getting to the board she saw the bright red light going off, and the door slide open with the green response button showing. The two women appeared shortly. Jade pushed the button immediately.
“That’s the sign, move out.” Adrien said, Jade and Mia hurried to bang on the doors before rushing to get ready themselves. It was the call the whole house had been waiting for, they were ready.
Getting on the Arrow V Jade looked as Oliver helped Di into a chair and got her comfy, Mia close by as normal. Adrien, the kids and Ted were staying behind to keep an eye on the house. But sitting down herself she saw the boxes in the corner. Toys, clothes and supplies, all for a little boy who had a plane full of people to take care of him now.
The plane was in the air when both her and Di’s phone went off, the two sharing a look as they took the calls.
Okay, remember that thing where you take us in out of nowhere? That’s happening. Kate’s voice was stressed, panicked. He trashed the place, I swear it was some kind of revenge.
“Are you okay?” Jade stood up and walked over to Di, who was talking to Renee. “Is anyone hurt?”
That back passage saved our necks, good job having it there. We’ll touch down in about three hours, please tell me you were serious about that room. She was nervous, it was a new sound.
“So long as she behaves herself she can stay as long as she likes.” Oliver said, overhearing the conversation. He had the smirk again as he nonchalantly read his phone. “My house, my wife. She gets in the way of that we have a problem. Clear?”
Gah, fine. The ass. I’ll see you soon. You have Tommy yet? Kate asked, her zip code settled.
“Soon, we’re almost there.” The landing lights were turning on. “Hey, Kate. You know what this means, right?”
Never should have split. Roy is more than ready to get out. Good luck.
-BOP-
“No! No!” Kate and Di looked at each other at the sound, the painfully high scream of the recovering toddler resonating even from the hall way. Tommy let out a blood curling scream for his mother as the two winced, keenly aware they were doomed to the same fate.
Both of them round with their own unborn young they were none the less pouring over the information at the meeting table in the Quiver as they tried to get a handle on what exactly they were dealing with. It wasn’t ‘haven bad, but it also didn’t need to get ‘haven bad.
Curled up in a corner, Mia was doing homework. Other than looking up every few minutes to make sure her cousin was still alright she wasn’t interrupting much. Tommy did not have this skill.
Jade appeared with Tommy, who had been napping, wrapped tightly around her neck. Behind him Roy was trying to talk his newly acquired son into any number of activities but was being blown off.
“Don’t know how, but he knew I was leaving the room.” She said trying to calm down the kid. “Maybe once he calms down.”
“Next week?” Kate asked dryly, knowing how this went.
“Don’t be mean, he’s been through hell. He just wants his family.” Mia said and got up, looking at the little boy. “He had people to protect him, but he lost them. He’s making sure they aren’t leaving again.”
Tommy stopped fussing, and allowed the teen to pick him up. The two had a unspoken connection, even if it was sad. Meeting time near, and the others would be here soon.
Roy and Jade sat near the corner to keep an eye on Tommy, while Kate firmly took the seat to Di’s right, as the two started talking about the information.
The others filed in and took their places, the process only interrupted when Oliver cleared his throat signaling for Kate to give his place back at the head of the table and next to his wife. She just took the seat to Di’s left instead.
“We’re all here.” Adrien said, quickly taking roll. “Shall we?”
“Yes.” Oliver stood up and turned on the screen. “We have two crime circles, one crime lord and several reports from street contacts. The rest of us are running out of ideas so what do you say we let the Birds of Prey give their take?”
Jade grinned slightly, looking at Kate and Di before Kate stood up and addressed the others.
“These asses think they’re sneaky, they’re not sneaky. We are.” She said, the glint her sister’s knew in her eyes. “And the rest of you will learn to be to.”
-BOP-
The door was open, and the dark tendrils slowly reaching into the hallway beyond. Behind them the glass orb, thick and covered in incantations, was broken and shattered. Standing among the sharp shards the ghostly form of a man stood, outlines of a coat and sharp fedora. He spoke softly before fading away into the breeze that suddenly swept the room.
Vengeance will not be stopped, my friend. We both have our jobs to do.
Birds of Prey is continued in Gotham Kight and Green Arrow