"I need a favour." Barry said.
"Uh okay. First though, who's this and why did you bring them into my secret lair?"
Barry glanced at Mineko who bowed respectfully at his friend. She was still wearing the Hello Kitty sweater Barry had procured for her.
"A warehouse that you bought with your boss' money is not a secret lair. That's Mineko. She's a samurai."
"Neat." Nightwing dropped himself into his comfy leather chair, propped his feet up onto his computer server and rested his hands behind his head. "It's a cool lair, right?"
"Can you do this thing for me or what?"
"Geez, alright alright." Nightwing rolled his eyes. Barry found it hard to see Dick Grayson as anything but a kid, but he was going on eighteen now. He recently dropped the Robin mantle and chose to become Nightwing, inspired by some kryptonian legends Clark had told him about after his falling out with Batman. "What do you need?"
"We just discovered that Poison Ivy was working with a new rogue in Central. I need to know where she's been and who she's been dealing with."
With a chuckle, Nightwing crossed his arms. "Okay...nice try, but I can't help you. Gotham isn't my turf anymore and even if it was, I'm not him."
"Yeah but you studied under him and worked for him for like eight years right?"
"Would you say Wally is as good as you?"
"No."
"Exactly."
Barry grimaced. "Come on, you're not Wally."
Dick sighed and stood up, walking over to Barry as he said "I seriously wouldn't hesitate to help you if I could Barry, but I haven't been to Gotham in months. A city like that changes every day; I don't know it anymore. Besides, no one knows it the way he does."
Barry, still dressed in his Flash gear, gave one final and pleading look towards him. "I... really don't want to ask him if I can avoid it."
"Dude," Dick said, grasping his shoulders supportively, as if he had been in the exact same situation. "you can't avoid it. He's not the world's greatest detective for no reason."
Mineko had thought that the following few hours would be simple after hearing Dick's suggestion. However, instead of listening to him, Barry had dragged her to yet another secret hideout located within the top of a clock tower.
"Please." The Flash begged, forcing his best puppy dog look towards a girl draped all in black. "You're just as smart as he is... you could find them, couldn't you?"
"I could." The young woman replied, adjusting her fiery red hair over her shoulder and turning to face both him and Mineko. "If I had access to his hardware. All this stuff is a toaster compared to Bruce's baby."
"So what you're saying is that I have to go to him."
Batgirl turned back to the table laden with gadgets that she was tending to before Barry and Mineko arrived. "Well. Yeah. Aren't you guys friends or something?"
"Colleagues." Barry said with a smirk.
Barbara Gordon kept tinkering with her gear, leaving Barry on the edge of his seat. "I'm smart, but not smart enough to make a billion dollar supercomputer with student loans to deal with."
Barry was about to ask if she got his little pun before she quickly added "Yeah colleagues because you're in the Justice League together, I got it."
"Oh. Good. You are smart."
With a smile, she dropped the tool she was holding and sighed as she turned to face Barry. "Come on, you guys have been through a lot together. Didn't you fight a giant purple starfish or something?"
"Giant purple alien starfish. And that was mainly me, Arthur, Diana, J'onn and Hal. Clark showed up at the end to finish it and Bruce pretended to be important."
Suddenly, Barbara only just noticed Mineko skulking around in the back. "Oh. Who's your friend? She is with you, right...?"
"This is Mineko."
"Oh. Hi." Barbara greeted awkwardly. "Nice sweater."
"She's a magical samurai I met in feudal Japan when I accidentally time-travelled there chasing a guy from the future who has my powers and calls himself the Reverse-Flash."
Batgirl scrunched up her face then shook her head. "Man...how do you deal with all of that crazy stuff? I can barely handle a middle-aged British man with a machine gun umbrella." She began to walk away until she froze in her tracks and looked back at Barry with a confused stare. "If he's reverse you, is he slow, a healthy eater and not excessively arrogant?"
Barry was almost offended until Barbara flashed a smile. "Yeah, ha ha. Real funny. You're almost as funny as Grayson."
"That's offensive. Anyway stop procrastinating and go see Bruce already. I'm sure it'll be fine when you get there."
"That's what you always say..."
Batgirl's eyes fell onto Mineko once more and she suddenly furrowed her brow. She motioned at Mineko's casual clothes, clearly taking issue with how Barry had outfitted her for combat.
"What...?" Barry asked, clueless.
"Are you seriously taking her crime-fighting in that?"
"Well...yeah?"
"Is she a meta human?"
"Well...no...but she has a sword."
Barbara scoffed and hovered over to an armour case in the corner of her room. "You're such an asshole. I'm pretty sure I have a prototype lying around in here that'll keep her safe."
Mineko quickly tried to turn down her charity. "That won't be necessary. Armour may restrict my movement."
"Oh don't worry babe, this stuff's designed with flexibility in mind." Barbara said, pulling a black suit from the case and passing it to Mineko. "Try it on."
Minutes passed with Barry awkwardly staring into a wall at Barbara's behest to maintain at least some of Mineko's privacy. Soon enough she was fully suited up.
"This fabric...what is it?" Mineko asked, flexing her joints and testing the elasticity of her new duds.
"Titanium tri-weave. It moves and breathes like fabric, but it can stop knives and small arms fire."
Barry finally turned around and saw the matte black suit Mineko was snugly fitted inside. It looked very similar to Batgirl's tight costume minus the bat symbol. On her face was a mask that was much like Batman's only without the pointed ears.
"I appreciate the gift. But perhaps you can keep the mask." She confessed as she pulled the thing off and handed it back over to Batgirl.
"Are you sure...?"
"Yes."
"Can we go now?" Barry sighed. "I wanna get this over with."
Regardless of his many protests, Barry eventually ran them to a third and final hideout. This one was much darker than the rest, and was chiseled to look more like a cave than a base of operations. In the distance there was a man behind numerous computers, typing in a constant loop without ever having to glance down at the keyboard.
"Master Allen." A voice spoke that made Barry jump a few feet in the air. Alfred had snuck up on him... yet again. That man seemed to come out of nowhere whenever he visited. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"
"I uhh..." Barry started, rubbing the back of his head hesitantly. "We've come to ask for Bruce's help..."
Alfred cocked a curious eyebrow in their direction, but lead them deeper into the cave nonetheless. "You have visitors, Master Wayne."
"Mm." He grunted in response, which seemed to be enough for Alfred. Bruce Wayne turned in his chair, eyes narrowing at the sight of Mineko. "What is she doing here?"
"Don't worry, Bruce. She can be trusted." Barry tried to reassure him.
"That's my call." Bruce snapped back with an angry frown.
Barry was starting to get a little peeved. Dick kind of grounded the cynical loner; he lightened him up a bit. Now that he was gone though, Barry almost immediately could see that Bruce was more of a jerk than ever. "I found Pamela Isley running with Savitar in Central City."
The Flash pulled Poison Ivy's mugshot from his pocket and slapped it onto Bruce's keyboard. "You never drop the ball with monitoring these criminals. More often than not you know where they are but you just wait for the best time to strike, which means you knew she was dirtying up my turf and you said nothing about it. Are you still going to give me a lecture about trust, 'Batman'?" Barry pressed sternly.
Bruce paused, grimacing the way he usually did when someone saw through his web of intrigue.
"We have a situation. I'm not doing this right now." Barry continued. "Mineko wasn't the only one who left that year in Japan."
"...They're behind Savitar and Ivy?"
Mineko found it to be the time for her to enter the tense conversation, and she did so with unfaltering calmness. "They were definitely under the influence of Yan."
"Telepathy?"
"Magic, actually." Barry said in a condescending tone.
"Correct. Yan is a dangerous ronin, master of using the mystic arts to warp the minds of those untrained. Knowing the kinds of remarkable individuals that populate your society, Barry and I believe that it is only a matter of time before she snatches a member of your League." Mineko explained.
Bruce's eyes narrowed. "The League could be compromised. And we wouldn't know who it is."
"You can apologise for being an asshole later." Barry said with a slight smirk. "Right now we have work to do."
Bruce scoffed, but turned back to his computer nonetheless. He typed and clicked away at the keyboard and mouse until the monitor changed. "There's been no mention of this 'Yan'."
"Of course not." Mineko stated. "She would avoid using her name at all costs. She would likely operate under a clan name instead."
Bruce's brow furrowed but Barry seemed to understand exactly what she was saying. "Are there any new gangs in Gotham? Ones that have recently grown their influence?"
Bruce's lips tightened into an even deeper frown, obviously this had hit a nerve. "They call themselves 'Danketsu'. They've practically wiped out most rival gangs."
"Danketsu was the name of Yan's former organisation." Mineko spoke up. "She almost took over the entirety of Japan and China before the Defenders caught her attempting to assassinate the emperor."
"Defenders?" Bruce questioned.
"Kind of like the Justice League of her era." Barry answered almost immediately. "But more secretive."
Once Bruce had heard this explanation he completely ignored the subject altogether. Instead, he returned to his computer screen and scanned the words that were displayed across it.
"There's been a lack of activity at Iceberg Lounge; the usual gathering place for Oswald Cobblepot's followers." Bruce stated as if none of this fazed him.
"Why the hell would she want a middle-aged, chubby British guy in her pocket?"
"Yan's criteria is influence, not physical strength." Mineko argued.
Bruce's eyes squinted in response to her statement. "Cobblepot is a wealthy socialite. He has plenty of that."
The man stood from his chair and walked straight passed the both of them. Mineko had thought to follow him once he'd disappeared around a corner but Barry stopped her. When he returned he was draped in his Batman costume, and fastening the cowl onto his head.
He marched towards the batmobile that was placed rather precisely on a massive turn table. He opened the door and it gave a satisfying 'click'. "You know the address. I'll meet you there."
"W-Wait!" Barry stuttered out urgently.
Bruce turned, and though the cowl covered most of his expression, he could tell that the man was becoming impatient.
"You know I...uh...don't really get the chance to ride in cars anymore. Especially ones as cool as yours..." Barry fiddled with his thumbs nervously at the blank reaction Bruce gave him.
Batman turned his back to the pair of them and vanished into the drivers seat of his car. There were a few moments of complete silence, so awkward that Barry couldn't fight the urge to mutter out "Is that a no?"
Suddenly, and very unexpectedly, the passenger seat swung open. Barry didn't need anymore encouragement than that, and in a literal flash, he was inside the batmobile. Mineko soon joined them, but she was far less enthusiastic about the vehicle than he was.
The engines of the batmobile roared as they sped down the streets of Gotham. Much of this city was close to the ground, the only few buildings that extended higher up were owned by the people with important family names; like Wayne Tower. The rest of it was run-down. Shops had their windows boarded up in preparation for a robbery, and houses had bars locked onto their windows to prevent break-ins. It didn't work, of course. The criminals in this city were much too determined to let that stop them.
Every now and then, though not nearly as often as in Central City, they would pass a few Christmas decorations messily placed around lamp poles and fences. A few houses had attempted to put up lights, but they had been crudely pulled back down by vandals. The only thing that seemed untouched was the large Christmas tree in the centre of the city, and this was largely due to the regular clean up they had to keep it presentable.
"Oh, are these more offerings to the Deer God?" Mineko finally chirped.
Bruce took a second to glance in Barry's direction as if waiting for an explanation on this sudden outburst.
"What are you doing?! Don't look at me, look at the road...idiot." Barry huffed and Bruce smirked. The dark knight took strange pleasure in scaring the shit out of people, especially if that person was Barry. "Firstly, Christianity was a fairly new concept in her time. There were a lot of misunderstandings... It's hard to find the time to teach her about this stuff. Secondly, Mineko, where on Earth did you get this 'Deer God' thing from?" He said, turning his head to face her.
"By observing your customs." Mineko answered honestly. "You have idols made in his image, all surrounded by deer."
"... They're Reindeer."
"Is that not the same thing?" Mineko tilted her head to the side in confusion.
"No they're not..." Barry sighed. "Just forget about it. I'll explain it to you later."
It didn't take much longer to reach Iceberg Lounge. It's lights were still flashing bright but there were no outside scuffles, nor any of the usual screaming coming from inside.
Bruce exited the batmobile, followed quickly by Mineko. Barry, However, took another moment to admire the vehicle. His eyes darted from left to right in wonder and his fingers itched to press all the buttons laid out before him. He wasn't daring enough to try though... at least not with Bruce within view.
He sighed and jumped out of the car and the doors behind him gave a definitive lock.
For whoever saw them walk into that club, it was like watching a group of clowns strut into a therapy session. It just didn't look right. Especially given the fact that there was no crime to be seen in this place.
"Something's not right..." The Flash said lowly, looking around at the crowds of people all talking, laughing, and drinking. "This place is too normal. The last time I was here I got thrown out a window."
The Flash turned to face Batman... only he wasn't there. They were completely abandoned in the middle of the club. Barry tapped his ear piece and sighed "You know, you could tell me what you're doing once in a while instead of running off... Where are you?"
An answer came but not before a moment of dead silence. "I'm on the roof... Did you just walk in the front door?"
"Uhh... well it depends. Is it bad that I walked through the front door, if so, then no."
Bruce grunted on the other end. "... You're an idiot."
"There's no need to be hurtful." The Flash took another look around the room, only now noticing that no one had reacted to his presence. "Well, on the bright side, no one seems to notice that I'm here."
"Yan's influence." Mineko whispered.
"Take a look around. Meet at the back alley in ten minutes to discuss what we find." Bruce commanded before switching off his ear piece.
Barry shook his head. "This is why working with him is such a pain in the ass."
"He seems efficient. I like him." Mineko said honestly.
"That doesn't surprise me." Barry responded in a slightly joking manner. "You search upstairs for any clues, I'll circle around here for a while."
The woman nodded and vanished to the second floor where she found exactly nothing. No weapons. No secret rooms. No Yan.
She was beyond disappointed when she skulked to the back alley where Bruce was already waiting. Barry, however, was nowhere to be seen. Both assumed he was just running late, which wasn't out of the ordinary for him, but as time past they started to wonder what could possibly be delaying him.
Their answer came in a barrage of attacks that neither of them could see. They felt every single part of their body being punched, and jabbed, and kicked, but the perpetrator was practically invisible... or just too fast for their eyes to catch.
Mineko threw gusts of wind in every direction in existence, but even that didn't seem to slow him down. Batman had just reached towards his gadget belt before The Flash finally became visible. He was struggling against someone that was holding him securely in both arms... Kid Flash.
Instead of explaining exactly why he was in Gotham, the boy yelled "Hurry! I can't hold him much longer!"
Mineko immediately noticed his eyes that were engulfed in white mist. Yan had gotten to him.
The woman clenched her fist, preparing to knock him out cold, but before she had the opportunity his foggy eyes had met hers. For the first time in over a decade, she hesitated. Her entire body simply ceased to function, and in that moment she was left only with her thoughts. It was obvious now why she couldn't bare the thought of hurting him... She had developed feelings for him. The kind of feelings that she had blocked out for most of her life. The ones that she never wanted to have.
Whilst she stood there petrified by this realisation, Wally started to lose his grip on the speedster. Thankfully, before he could completely lose his grasp, Batman stepped forward and punched him so hard in the temple that there was a resounding 'crack' that followed it.
Barry was rendered completely unconscious, and Mineko was left mortified that she had put her own emotions in front of her duty.
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