Birds of a Feather (Oswald Cobblepot)

The Talon and the '66 Standalone Special

   Sitting at my desk, the phone next to me suddenly starts ringing. I pick it up, "...hello?"

"Natalie, it's Barbara. Can...can you visit me? Are you free? I know you must have just gotten back from lunch but...we need to talk."

I glance around. Ed's off working a forensic case, and Montoya and Allen are still on their lunch break. So no one should notice if I slip out.

"Yeah, just give me your address, I'll be right there."

   I ring the doorbell to what looks like a deluxe apartment complex. It's strange, I didn't know there was an apartment in the Gotham Bell Tower, I'd always thought the singular light coming from within was just to illuminate the clock at night.

Barbara answers the door, her expression giving away no emotion. I've gotten so used to seeing her as the enthusiastic, energetic Batwoman, that seeing her like this instantly has me worried.

"Did something happen?" I ask right away.

She bites her lip, "Well...hello to you too."

I back off, "Oh...sorry. Where are my manners?"

"It's fine, I get it," she nods, "...would you please come in?"

I walk into the grand apartment. A stylish sitting and dining area with a fireplace. Modern art accompanied by classy lighting, this place looks like it's straight out of a magazine.

She gestures for me to sit down on their soft, plush couch. We sit together, and she begins, "Our apartment was broken into by Don Falcone's men. I think they were planning on using me as a bargaining tool for Jim. I played the part of the scarred girlfriend, until Jim came to the rescue. Good ol' Jim."

I smile, "That...sounds horrible. But it's good that he got there just in time."

"Yeah, but now he wants me to leave town. Take the train out to Metropolis where I'll be safe," she explains.

"Well-I mean...that does make a lot of sense-"

"But I can't!" she cries, standing up, "I need to be there for Jim, to protect him! I'm Batwoman! I have a responsibility to not just him, but to the city! To take out the mob!"

I jump a little in surprise, clasping Barbara by the shoulder, "Woah, slow down. I thought you said you just did the Batwoman thing for kicks?"

Her eyes redden, as she slumps back down onto the couch, "I...I thought it was just for kicks too. But...I've come to realize, it's about more than that. The mob has always pushed my family around...they've pushed everyone around, and as kids... heck, even as adults we just had to put up with it. There was nothing we could do, or say that would change things. But now...now I have a way of fighting back."

I silently nod, I wouldn't think that the mob would target rich families, but when you think about it, it makes sense. They have the most money out of everybody, of course the mob would want a piece of the action. And all the money in the world can't stop things like dark secrets, questionable deeds, or legal loopholes the mob could use as a means to extort and manipulate.

"So...what's the plan?" I ask.

She lays her finger on the first of a pair of train tickets sitting on the glass coffee table, "This is the ticket Jim gave me to go from Gotham to Metropolis tomorrow morning," she moves her finger to the second ticket, "this is the separate ticket I bought that will take me on the next train back to Gotham."

"So, you're just planning on doing a roundabout?"

"Yes, but I won't be able to come back here, lest Jim know I'm still in the city. I can't take my Batwoman costume with me for fear that he'll see it. Once I check into a hotel room, can you deliver the costume to me?"