Batgirl Begins

Chapter 10

Chapter 10


Three months have gone by since my realization, but it only feels like a day has passed. My graduate project has taken over my life, or rather I have taken over the project. While to the University it may look like I have been researching computer databases and what makes the best one, I really have been using this information to create my own that is untraceable and state of the art.

I've been using the program I've nicknamed Oracle to hack into systems all around the world, testing my system before I go for the real challenge: Batman's transmissions. This afternoon, I received my PhD in Library Sciences, but tonight the real work begins.

I've spent hours in the GCPD's camera system, recording and monitoring the activity around the evidence room for when I make my move. I've edited snippets of footage so when I go in for real, on camera it will look like I'm in my stepmom's office cleaning and left to throw out some papers in the dumpster.

I text Sarah to make sure she's home. I get a text back, thanking me for helping her with cleaning. Almost too easy. I grab my new iPhone before I leave, which will be key for remotely monitoring everything. I sit in the coffee shop across the street for a few minutes, setting up the footage to stream. Everything looks good.

I sling my backpack over my shoulder and head into the Gotham Police Department. I grab her trash bin and clear all the papers she told me to clear, and take a few other officers' bins. I walk towards the door by the evidence room, put the trash bins down, and check my phone. So far so good, I'm on the camera like every other day.

I glance at the evidence desk. The officer monitoring the room is asleep, as usual. I quietly sneak past and make my way through the shelves to the very back of the room. These are the Batman files. I reach behind the boxes and feel the fabric. I pull out and shove it in my backpack. As I do, a lone box catches my eye, labeled "Leverage." I take it out, being sure to keep the label to my chest. I make it past the sleeping guard, empty the bins, and slide the box and my backpack onto the passenger seat of my car. Phew. I got it.

I quickly change the footage back to real time and drive home. I park and race up to my apartment, setting the box and my backpack on my bed. I double check that my door is locked, and my blinds are closed and make my way back to the backpack. My heart is racing. I can't believe it.

I unzip my backpack and let the fabric slide out. I carefully pull it out and lay it out on the bed. Wow, just wow. I gaze at the makeshift black and yellow logo on the chest. It looks like it's all one piece. It is almost all navy blue, with the exception of the yellow boots. I take a deep breath as I bring myself to put the suit on.

The material feels a lot like underarmour, but it it seems a lot sturdier. Jeez, who ever thought about making this one piece? It seems very inefficient, and I doubt Batman uses a onesie... I giggle as I try to shove images of Batman in footsie pajamas out of my head while zipping up the suit. I pull the mask over my head, slipping my hair through the opening in the back. I click the yellow belt around my waist and look up in my mirror.

I barely recognize myself but am filled with a sense of purpose. The box on the bed drives me out of my thoughts. Leverage... what could be in here? I take off the top and start looking through the various files. Jackpot. All of these files are connecting Thorne to Pauling's appointment and the Batman framings. He must have kept all these files in case Thorne wanted to get rid of him... and I know just the person to turn this into.

I grab my phone and use a voice distorter and call the one person I can trust. The call will come up blocked on his end, but I have to be quick to get off in case he tries to run a trace.

"Hello?" My father answers.

"James Gordon, I can get you your job back."

"Who is this?"

"A friend. Meet me on the Finger Bridge at 10:00 tonight."

I am about to hang up when he asks a question I have to answer. "Why are you doing this?"

"Justice needs to be served, and you are the only one who can preserve it, Commissioner."

I quickly hang up and open the false drawer in my desk. I smile as I carefully pull out my box of gadgets. Because my dad has worked so closely with Batman in the past, I have to be prepared in case he crashes the party. I open my box and load my belt with smoke pellets and small collapsible batarangs based off the design of the ones they've been finding around town. I place a voice distorter device in my ear that I created from a Bluetooth device.

After the files are copied to a blank thumb drive, I put it in another container on the belt, climb out the window, and race across the rooftops towards the bridge leading to the park. As I get close, I duck behind the stone railings along the river. I turn the voice distorter on and take the drive in my hand.

I get up and walk towards the bridge, seeing another figure walking towards me as well. By the way he's walking, I instantly know it's my dad. I stop and wait for him to come to me, making sure I'm not too far on the bridge or I won't have much room to run.

"Alright, I'm here, what do you want?"

"Here." I slide the thumb drive across to him. As he picks it up, I continue, "It's a digital copy if all the files Pauling has against Rupert Thorne, the man who put him there."

"Why give this to me?"

"Because you have a connection to someone who has been on the case."

"Batman."

"See that he gets the information."

I throw a few smoke pellets on the ground and run back towards the park, I hear someone behind me and drop two more. I hear him coughing and quickly climb up a nearby tree, being careful not to make any sound.

I hear him curse as he realizes he lost me. I look down to see the familiar red and yellow suit.

"I lost her."

A man in black swoops down beside him, "Well, her information is just what we need to take down Pauling. We should get going."

The woman from the bank joins them, "Sorry I'm late, what did I miss?"

Batman uses a device to soar far away, leaving just the Canary and Robin.

"There was this girl... a bat girl."

"Using your suit to get girls? Not very classy, Robin."

"No, no, no that's not what I meant. She was dressed in a Batsuit."

"Well, whoever she is, I'm sure we'll see her again."

She goes out of view as I hear him say, "I hope so."

I smile as he flies away. You will see me again. That I am sure of. I sneak back to my apartment and climb back through my window. As I hang up my suit, I can't help but get attached to the name Batgirl... it has a nice ring to it.