serinusniger | (no subject)

(no subject)

The drive to Gotham is always a risky one, traffic wise. But even without her Canary Cry, one of Dinah's remaining unsung superpowers is her ability to always find an open lane, whatever vehicle she's driving.

The other is an ability to always find the best restaurant within a five mile radius of any starting point.

She holds off contacting Oracle - holds off, holds off, until she reaches the Bludhaven bypass. Then it's time to check in with her best faceless galpal.

Time to sound the cavalry charge.

"Oracle?"

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When Babs voice comes back it sounds distracted, and if tone wasn't enough the fact that her first words are a question makes it truly obvious. "Canary?"

Oracle sounding distracted is not good. If only because Oracle never sounds distracted. Not when there's a job on.

"I'm thirty minutes drive from you. Can you hold?"

Please hold. Nothing sucks worse than a rescue mission that arrives too late.

Barbara takes a deep breath, eyes flicking across her monitors. Blockbuster's crew is about to make entry. She's ready for them. As ready as she can be.

She forces herself to sound more confident than she feels. "I can hold."

Y'know, Dinah's been taking orders from this computerised voice for about a year now. More than orders, they've shared.

You're not fooling this Canary, girlfriend.

"I've just realised," she says. It's part a genuine concern, part poking her friend to get the appropriate reaction. "I don't even know what you look like."

Her best friend in the whole of this Earth.

Barbara can't help a smile at that tone. It's a voice she's come to recognize well over the time they've worked together. It's the voice of a friend. A confidante.

And there was another reminder that it was long past time they met up. "Well, I'm not exactly at my best right now," she chuckles.

She watches her monitors as Blockbuster's lead elements run into the first of her surprises.

Her grin is genuine when she adds, "But you should see the other guy."

That grin in the voice was exactly what Dinah was aiming for.

"Attagirl. Canary out."

She needs to concentrate. She can probably cut her time to Gotham if she drives like a maniac and breaks all the traffic laws she can do safely.

She'll have the traffic violations waived. That's what JSA membership is for.

Barbara smiles. Help's on the way.

She turns her attention to her monitors. They've hit tier two. It's time to go mobile. She checks her rig and reaches up to clip herself to the rails she had installed.

Ten minutes and a bullet wound later Babs clicks her comm back on. "I want you to know it's not your fault."

Oh no. No no no no one gets to give up to Dinah. Especially not over the phone.

No.

"Oracle..." she says, trying not to sound too pleading.

"Don't blame yourself, Dinah," Babs insists. She couldn't live with herself if Dinah blamed herself for Babs' death.

Dammit dammit dammit.

"I got here as fast as I could."

Suddenly Oracle is not a victim to rescue, but the person Dinah always complains to when the shit hits the fan.

"It's not fair that..."

"Dinah," Babs interrupts.

"Huh?"

Dinah cuts the pity party short, remembering suddenly that Oracle might have other things on her mind.

"I'm in a bad way here, Dinah." Barbara shook her head to herself and added wryly, "I cut this one too close." Not 'miscalculated'. Not exactly.

But something like it.

Right. Rescue mission.

"Give me your location."

Oracle is still talking, Dinah still has a chance.

Babs can't help but smile at that. There's a reason she loves Dinah, and that attitude is definitely part of it.

"The old navy yard. Pier ten." The water's rising. She's almost out of room and air. Not much longer now.

"I'm twenty minutes away."

And she might be able to cut it down if she really pushes this baby. she might not get her deposit back.

Babs smiles wryly. Shouldn't have gotten her hopes up. Even the Black Canary had her limits.

"Too late, Dinah," she says softly. "I've got one last option." Her tone said what her words confirmed, "And it's not a good one."

"Oracle..."

But she knows from the buzzing in her ear that she's not just disconnected, she's not likely to be reconnected any time soon.

Dinah has to get to the navy yard.

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