Dinah ducked the thugs fist, before rising again, driving her left hand upward into his gut. His eyes widened and he exhaled suddenly, keeling over.

"Don't think I've just forgotten what you did to me last time." Kate snapped, spinning on her heel and slamming her shockstaff into the knees of two other men trying to jump her from behind.

Manhunter, Kate Spencer, had found her way home the day before.

"I should hope not." Dinah quipped. "Not after the trouncing I gave you." She stepped back, lightly, easily slipping out of range of another attackers attempt to grab the collar of her jacket.

The thug stumbled, and grimaced, as if expecting what was coming next.

Dinah smiled, inhaled, and let out a brief, but focused, sonic cry.

The melee in the alley stilled for a moment, the gang dumbstruck as their companion sailed backward into a dumpster. Even Kate stood mid-strike.

"You didn't do that last time."

"Was feeling generous." Dinah turned to face her, shrugging casually.

"Ouch." Barbara intoned over the comms. "Still haven't got that sorted."

"Sorry, Babs." Dinah smiled, adjusting the comm in her ear.

"Now look, the rest of you might just be fine with this-"

"Cops inbound." Barbara interrupted. "Move it, ladies."

"You'll all just wait here till the police arrive, right?" Dinah turned back to the few gang members still standing. "We've got less than a minute but I'm sure I've got time to knock a few more of you about." She cracked her knuckles, grinning.

"No, we're good." One managed, raising his hands defensively.

"Cool." Dinah adjusted the sleeves of her jacket and jogged toward an old ladder leading to roof of a nearby building. "C'mon." She waved back at her companion and started to climb.

"Unbelievable." Kate muttered, before following.

"Oracle, we're at the location." Huntress reported, looking around dubiously. Lady Blackhawk was stood by her side, equally tense.

"One moment." Barbara replied. "Cops inbound. Move it, ladies." She said quickly, into another channel.

"Trouble?" ZInda ventured.

Barbara sighed loudly.

"Kate is not making friends." She muttered. "And Dinah is not helping."

"You know they need to just hash it out." Helena replied. "Otherwise it'll stew and put us at risk on a mission."

"She keeps baiting Kate, it's so…" Barbara groaned. "Nevermind. Just stand by, stay alert."

"So, who's the contact? What did they want?"

"And why meet in the city park?" Helena murmured, casting another wary glance about.

The main paths were some distance away. The two had crossed into a slightly wooded area, mostly obscured from prying eyes.

"Trap."
"Trap." The two women said at the same time, sharing a look.

"Possibly," Barbara said, trying to remain in control. ", so just stay alert. I can't see anything where you are."

"So, this 'contact', Oracle…" Helena began.

"Well, bear with me, but it might be-"

"Huntress, that tree moved." Zinda said quietly, peering curiously at it.

"Zinda, move!" Helena threw herself into Zinda, sending them tumbling aside as the tree actually bent forward and crashed into the ground where she'd been standing, before folding upright again.

"Helena, are you two alright?"

"Ivy. It's Ivy!" Huntress growled, instantly on her feet while Zinda struggled up behind her, slightly dazed.

Roots shot out of the trees around them. Helena rolled, drawing her crossbow and shooting through several of them. Zinda managed to kick one aside and draw her gun, but one of them wrapped around her wrist, causing her to drop the weapon. Another set of roots quickly shot forward and wrapped around her torso, pinning her other arm to her side and lifting her off the ground.

"Grabby sonsa…BITCHES!" She yelped as she was tugged sideways and pinned against a tree.

"Helena? Zinda! What's happening!"

Helena turned to try and help her friend while jumping over another root, realising too late another two were waiting for her, one latching onto her arm, her crossbow slipping from her grasp as it did, and a second wrapping around her waist. She cried out in pain as it squeezed. Her stomach lurched as she too was tugged sideways and pinned to another tree.

"Helena? Are you alright?" Barbara continued, more insistently. "Come on, talk to me."

"...nnggrr…trap…" Helena managed, as the roots tightened their grip, leaving her short of breath.

"Two birds with one stone? Lucky me." A redheaded woman stepped out of the bushes, her skin had a noticeably green shade and was followed by some very oddly-behaving foliage. It drew a strange contrast with the fact that she was wearing a fairly normal pair of weathered old jeans and a dark-green tank top.

"…your…rrgghh…pun…sucks…" Zinda struggled against the roots.

"Sorry girls." Ivy gave them both a smile. "Got a lot on my mind. Need to have a word with your 'Oracle'."

"Helena. Don't toy with her." Barbara warned.

"Yeah…" Helena struggled to turn her head, glaring at the notorious criminal."…that…nrr…doesn't happen."

"No?" Ivy crossed her arms, her smile turning into a smirk. The roots tightened again.

Zinda cried out this time.

"Damn it Helena-" Barbara cut off suddenly, mid transmission.

"I know your boss is probably listening in so let's stop fooling around already, I arranged this little meet up because I need…your help."

"Got…that straight, sister." Helena snarled through gritted teeth as her hand at last managed to squeeze past the last root and reach her utility belt. She managed to fumble her fingers into opening one of the catches and sliding out her goal.

It was an ornate Swiss-army knife, beautifully crafted and one of a kind. A gift from Batman, many years before.

It also held a number of insanely sharp blades.

She whipped out one such, using it to slice through the root pinning her waist to the tree. Ivy visibly recoiled, as if in pain at her action. She swiftly cut another, crushing her other arm and as she did, the others fell away, inactive.

She dropped into a crouch, gracefully, pocketing the knife and drawing a series of sharpened discs.

"Blackhawk!" She called, throwing a couple. They sliced through the thicker roots holding her companion and the blonde fell to the ground, if a little less gracefully.

"Thanks." She drawled, leaning on the tree to steady herself.

Ivy appeared to be a little stunned. She and Zinda closed in on the retreating criminal, when Barbara's voice abruptly cut back in.

"-bit of trouble, but I'm back, what did I miss?"

"Ivy is about to get a Gotham Handshake." Helena smirked, cracking her knuckles.

"Alright, stop." Barbara ordered, curtly. "Give her the spare comm."

"C'mon, can't we just-" Zinda began.

"We've wasted enough of our time." Barbara said, impatiently. "I just want to know what this is about."

Ivy had regained her composure, and stood defensively as the two approached.

"Okay, maybe we got off on the wrong foot."

Helena said nothing, but tossed over the earpiece. She put it in her ear, cautiously.

"Oracle, right?"

"Right."

"Disguised voice?" Ivy sighed, mock-hurt, grinning as the two heroes glared at her. "I suppose that's fair."

"What do you want?" Barbara asked, trying to remain calm. "I don't like putting my agents at risk for no reason."

"Oh I have good reason." Ivy explained, suddenly quite reticent. "Harley. I'm looking for…uh…my girlfriend."

"I'm a lot better now." Kate argued. "Been training a lot more."

"Just as well." Dinah threw her a smile before going back to enjoying the view. "You definitely needed some."

"Some of us don't have 'powers'." Kate snapped back.

"Poor excuse, honey." Dinah turned to face her, arms crossed in front of her. "Didn't get as good as I am without hard work."

"Alright, I've had it." The woman stalked up to her. "I've had it with you thinking you can just swan on back here like you own the place, like you're something better than the rest of us."

"I don't think that." Dinah replied, calmly.

"Like hell." Kate shoved her back. "You and me, rematch. Settle this now."

Dinah sighed, melodramatically, inwardly enjoying how much more that seemed to frustrate her companion.

"Oh very well." She stretched her neck and flexed her fingers. "If you insist." Dinah grinned, raising her fists and dropping into a combat stance. "You can use your weapons if you want, just to make it fair." She added, giddy with glee at the furious look on Kate's face.

"You-" Manhunter snarled, tossing her shockstaff aside. "You need to be taken down a peg."

"You gonna do it?"

"Di, did it work?" Barbara's voice sounded quietly in her ear.

"Oh I think so." Dinah murmured, as Kate set aside her gear and readied herself for the fight. "She seems very angry with me."

"Well you do have that effect on people." Barbara chuckled. "I'll keep this private channel open, sound off if you need anything."

"You got it Babs, give my love to the others."

She heard Barbara scoff briefly before the transmission cut off again.

"Okay Canary," Kate cracked her knuckles. ", let's go."

"After you." Dinah smiled, making a 'come at me' gesture with her fingers.

Kate leapt at her with a roar.


ONOES. A TWO-PARTER.