New Earth: Batwoman

Chapter 45

"So, who's that you've got locked up in your interrogation room and remember, I'm your boss, so don't lie to me." Kate asked Sophie as she walked up to her, though she'd only been at Crows HQ to get the phone records for Arkham Sophie had promised her.

"Just your latest fangirl actually. Ryan Wilder. Apparently Batwoman saved her from some muggers a few weeks ago and since then, she has sort of become a frequent flier here." Sophie said.

"How so?" Kate asked.

"She's become a bit obsessed with finding Batwoman, going so far as to actually inflicting her own brand of justice on lowlifes, which honestly, she should not be doing considering the fact that she has a prison record." Sophie said.

"Yeah, her and half of all of Gotham. What did she do?" Kate asked.

"See for yourself." Sophie said as she handed Kate Ryan's file.

"Says here she was arrested for drug dealing, only to say that it wasn't her, it was her ex-girlfriend. It says that the only reason she pled guilty was to get a shortened sentence for a crime she didn't commit." Kate said, looking at Sophie.

"I admit, not our best moment." Sophie said.

"You're telling me. Let me talk to her." Kate said.

"You can't seriously be asking me to let Batwoman stroll into Crows HQ to speak to a prisoner." Sophie asked.

"I don't mean as Batwoman. Don't get me wrong, she will have a talk with this Ryan girl, but I mean as Kate Kane. I think that maybe I can give her a way to help people without getting arrested." Kate said.

"Okay, see what you can do, since honestly, I'm getting tired of having to arrest her." Sophie said as she let Kate into the interrogation room.

"Well, well, well, what have I done to warrant this kind of punishment?" Ryan Wilder asked as Kate Kane entered the interrogation room.

"You should be a bit more grateful to the person who just convinced Commander Moore to drop the charges against you." Kate said.

"And why would you do that?" Ryan asked.

"Because believe it or not Ryan, I want to help you." Kate said.

"Yeah right, since when do one percenters like you give a damn about people like me?" Ryan asked.

"Because I'm not like other one percenters. I actually care about the everyday people of Gotham. The whole reason I started Gotham Pride Real Estate was to provide affordable housing to the working class." Kate said.

"So what, you want to offer me a place to live for free in some slum? Not interested." Ryan said.

"I was thinking more of a job." Kate said.

"I'm not joining the Crows." Ryan said.

"I'm not asking you too. After the way they treated you, I wouldn't ask you to work for them. Hell, the only reason I bought them was as a favor to my girlfriend after my dad disgraced them." Kate said.

"You're dating Sophie Moore?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, but that's not relevant. What is relevant is that I'm offering you a chance to put your life back together. A job working for Kane Security. While I know time in prison may not be appealing to most employers, I see it as a potential skillset most other people don't have. You can see angles other security agents don't. It's decent pay, part of which will go towards paying rent for an apartment in one of my nicer real estate holdings. Interested?" Kate asked.

"I want a company credit card too. Money isn't exactly something I have a lot of at this point." Ryan said, though Kate could tell she was hooked.

"We'll work something out and you'll also receive full benefits, health insurance, dental coverage." Kate said.

"Okay then, but I have to ask, what's the catch?" Ryan asked.

"No more hunting for Batwoman. If I find out that you've been arrested for it again, this deal goes away." Kate said.

"So you actually hate Batwoman like your dad does." Ryan said.

"On the contrary, I actively support her. But I also know that looking for her is likely to get you killed." Kate said.

"Fine. Deal." Ryan said.

"Come to Kane Tower tomorrow morning for your first day. Don't be late." Kate said and Ryan nodded as Kate left the room, leaving Ryan to wonder how that had just happened.

"So, you think she's going to listen?" Sophie asked Kate.

"Not a chance. Which is why I need you to get me a location on her so that Batwoman can pay her a visit tonight and try to get her to back off or at least find out why she's so obsessed with finding Batwoman, since I've saved countless people as Batwoman, none of them have ever been this obsessed with finding her." Kate said and Sophie nodded in agreement.

"By the way, here are the phone records you asked for." Sophie said as she handed a flashdrive to Kate.

"Thanks." Kate said as she took it before heading out.

"You really think that giving this girl a scared straight talk will work?" Luke asked after Kate had told him and Helena about what was going on.

"I don't know, but I have to try. This girl is going to get herself killed if she keeps going on like this." Kate said, only to hear Helena chuckle.

"Is something funny?" Kate asked.

"Just that this sounds kind of familiar." Helena said.

"How so?" Luke asked.

"Because it sounds like this Ryan Wilder might be Kate's Roy Harper." Helena said.

"What do you mean?" Kate asked.

"How do you think Roy became Arsenal? Oliver saved him from being killed by a crazy murderer called the Savior and Roy felt like he had a purpose, which led to him searching for the Hood as Oliver was called back then, which then led to him becoming an informant and eventually one of Oliver's most trusted brothers in arms." Helena said.

"I don't think that things will ever get to that point with this Ryan girl." Kate said and Helena shrugged.

"You never know, but if you are going to do this, I think you should show up in a bit more style than your bike and honestly, there's something down here that's been collecting dust long enough. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised dad didn't take it with him when he left last time." Helena said.

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked, only for Helena to grab the sticky bomb launcher and fired it at a random wall of the Batcave, which to both Kate and Luke's surprise revealed a hidden passage.

"Helena is that what I think it is?" Kate asked as the three of them entered the room to find something that both Kate and Luke had believed was out of Gotham from the moment Kate became Batwoman in both realities.

"Yes Kate, that is my dad's pride and joy and probably the greatest example of Luke's father's genius." Helena said.

"The batmobile. I thought for sure Bruce had taken it with him when he left." Luke said.

"He left the rest of his toys behind, why wouldn't he leave his car?" But more importantly, maybe the current Bat would like to take it for a spin?" Helena asked.

"Absolutely. No offense Luke, but this is way better than a bike." Kate said.

"None taken, I completely agree with you." Luke said as Kate went to suit up before heading towards the Batmobile.

"But first, it might need a slightly new paint job." Kate said and both Luke and Helena knew exactly what she meant.

"Let's get to work." Luke said.