Harley Quinn Romance 3

Chapter 5: Investigating

Years ago, Harley had learned how to narrow her focus to a single thing and ignore nearly everything else. Despite knowing the technique, she had yet to master it and wasn't always successful in silencing the voices demanding for her attention.

As she put on her Batwoman costume, Harley thought about her conversation with Bruce in the car. She loved him dearly for his support, but she'd needed time to sort through everything in her head before she could explain things to him. Since what she needed to tell him was currently snared in a rat's nest of conflicting emotions and twisting, entangling lines of thought, she set it aside on one of the many cluttered shelves in the back of her mind to deal with later. Her mind centered its focus, as well as it could, on the mission ahead.

Leaving the changing room, she entered the main part of the cave to join Batman beside his high powered car. Cloaked in black, he was a pillar of shadow under the glare of the overhead lights.

"Ready," she announced.

Batman said nothing, merely opening the batmobile by sliding the canopy forward over the elongated engine compartment. She didn't take offense at Batman's silence for she knew the reasoning behind it. To truly become Batman, he had to get into character and stay there until the job was finished. She knew she wouldn't see Bruce again until to tonight's mission completed. Having dealt with her own multiple personalities, she understood Bruce and his alter ego.

Climbing into the passenger seat, she belted in and waited eagerly for the fast drive to their destination.

Batman turned on the engine, making the entire batmobile rumble and shake with barely restrained power. Dropping the batmobile into gear, Batman smashed an armored boot down on the accelerator. Batwoman whooped with excitement as they became a rocket, exploding out of the cave at tremendous speed. The surrounding tunnels were nothing but a blur of dark colors and the occasional flash of a light mounted to a support pillar.

The current city of Gotham had been built on the previous versions. Older settlements had either failed or been covered over and forgotten as time marched on, and it left an empty underworld below the city streets. Subway tunnels, even former highways, long abandoned and sealed up provided the perfect thoroughfare for Batman's high speed transit from one side of the city to another.

Pressing a control on the center console, Batman activated a short range transmitter. The receiver, built into one of the many exit hatches Batman had constructed over the years, turned on a motor, pulling the hatch open and clearing the way for the batmobile to roar out of the tunnel system and into the streets of Gotham.  Batman pressed the switch again to close the hatch behind them, disguising the opening once more so no one else would find it.

Rather than examining all the places on the list where the tracking device had gone, they'd decided to check the ones determined to be the most probable base of operations for the representative's employers. Batwoman chuckled to herself as she thought about "their decision". What it had really been was Bruce made up his mind and Harley chose not to argue. She knew he was better at the mind-numbing detective work, so she was more than happy to let him take the lead and assist in whatever way she could when they got there.

"When we arrive, don't pay any special attention to the car if it's there," Batman advised.

"I remember what you said about making the tracer from different components than your standard gear," Batwoman replied. "If we pick up the bug, it will tell anyone watching Batman's working with Bruce Wayne."

"Sorry, Batwoman," he apologized. "I know you know this, so I shouldn't have to say it."

"No worries," Batwoman dismissed, easily accepting her different name when in costume. "If our identities were revealed, it would be a threat not only to us but to everyone we care about. It's understandable having concerns. Don't worry. I won't let you down."

Batman silently nodded his thanks, but considering how few words the Dark Knight said, Batwoman considered it a standing ovation.

The batmobile drove through the open gates of the old factory. Crumbling concrete walls and towering smokestacks, the factory looked unused for everything except where the occasional graffiti artist had practiced their craft.

"Nice of the owners to leave the gate open for us," Batwoman said only partly in jest.

"Either someone was careless," Batman suggested.

"Or, they're expecting company," Batwoman finished, looking at Batman from the corner of her eye.

As the engine powered down, Batman and Batwoman sat in silence for a moment, looking over the area for potential ambush points. Making a decision, Batman pulled a lever, and the canopy unsealed, sliding forward and out of the way. The two crime fighters hopped out, their long capes draping around them.

Ignoring the parking lot, Batman and Batwoman split up, choosing different entry points. Batman headed for the front door while Batwoman pulled out her grappling hook and fired a line up to attach on one of the support beams under the maintenance catwalk stretched between two smokestacks. It was all Batwoman could do to keep from shouting with glee as she was pulled off her feet and sent soaring toward the roof.

Something Batman had taught her when she'd first started being Batwoman was security usually diminished higher up on buildings as no one expected anyone trying to enter from up there. Proving his lesson true, she found the roof access door unlocked.

The interior was dark, so Batwoman switched on the enhanced optics of her cowl. Lenses dropped down over her eyes, and her suit's sensors rendered her surroundings in shades of icy blue.

Platforms and catwalks of metal gratings composed much of the upper levels, and Batwoman kept her grappling launcher in hand on the chance the old and rusty structures proved incapable of supporting her.

A screech of metal drew her attention, but when she looked in the direction, she found it was Batman entering the building, having picked the lock on the front door. The doorframe was slightly twisted and caused the door to scrape against the concrete floor when opened. Instinctively, both she and Batman froze in place, senses straining to detect any movement or sign someone else was around and waiting for them in the darkness.

When they heard nothing, Batman and Batwoman continued their exploration of the factory.