Battle of the Birds: DC Fanfiction

Commissioned by: @JMichaelF

Written by: writeddreams2reality / WritingNightmares

Word Count: 10,000 words (5 parts)

TW: Violence

Battle of the Birds (DC Fanfiction) Pt. 1

A soft mist drifts across the dark-water harbor of Cape Carmine. Water crashes and twists around the Gotham Docks in a fervor, spraying foam and water onto the sidewalks and rusting railings skirting the water’s edge. A large barge, half shrouded in the night, is moored along the docks. The towers of Gotham City are a backdrop to the boat and docks as the only light comes from a few streetlights and portholes along the ship’s broad side.

High above the crash of the waves and the grounds of the docks, Magpie sits in a crouch from her vantage point on an elevated transit line that crosses over the dockyard. The salt-heavy air pushes the white hair of Magpie’s bob cut wig into her face. A heavy layer of eyeshadow and mascara weighs on her eyelids and her teeth bit down on the dark lipstick of her lips, drawing the skin between her teeth as she waits, half agitated, half eager.

Tonight is the night that Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, AKA the Penguin, is picking up a handsome shipment. A long black car and a white van sit near the docks as workers busy themselves up and down the deck of the barge. The distant clatter of boxes and cargo being moved, the occasional shout, the ring of a bell punctuate the velvety silence.

Magpie twists her fingers, gently rubbing her pale knuckles. She is dressed in her usual outfit, a busty leather corset, black leather panties, knee-high high-heeled boots, and with a feathered cowl around her shoulders. Her midriff is exposed while her thighs, breasts, and upper body is covered in a sheer see through fabric, lending a gray sheen to her body. If not for her vibrant white hair, she could blend into the shadows themselves. But she was never one to take the quiet or unacclaimed route. She was here to steal from the Penguin and she wanted him to know it. There is something nice about a powerful man cursing your name…

Beneath Magpie and on the streets around the docks, several men and three women are pacing between stacked shipping containers, keeping an eye on the area. She will need to get through them in order to reach the Penguin and his shipment. A sailor yells from the ship and the various guards turn to look as a guard appears at the top of the gangplank with a cart and three other men. On the cart is a large bulletproof display case. Even from this distance, the glittering sparkle makes the item impossible to miss.

Magpie’s mouth slips open as she utters a small gasp of want. “Shiny, shiny,” she mutters. Inside the display case is a massive uncut diamond of over 3,000 carats. Only visible due to the reflections it casts from the streetlights on the ground below, the body of the gem must be a beautiful sight to behold. Magpie will make it hers. It’s the most beautiful thing she has ever seen.

With the diamond on the move, it is time to act. Magpie loops her hands on the edge of the transit line rail and drops to the ground with barely a sound. Between Magpie and the diamond is a small maze of stacked shipping containers. She stands up and walks to the first container, putting her back to the metal as footsteps echo from around the corner.

A man rounds the corner carrying a semi-automatic rifle and with a black gaiter pulled up over his face. He is dressed in black and wears light tactical armor. The gaiter has the white outline of a penguin’s head and beak on the fabric, marking him as one of Penguin’s men.

Before he notices Magpie, she flicks her hands, extending her lethally poisonous claws, and stabs them straight through the gaiter and slashes his neck. The man is simply walking by and then he suddenly falls at her attack. Magpie steps aside as he hits the ground, chuckling to herself.

“Good luck trying to slow me down,” she whispers. The man convulses on the ground in a silent panic. The curare poison works fast, immobilizing him and sinking in its teeth as the life fades from his wide eyes.

Magpie steps over the man and peeks around the shipping container she is behind. An empty streetlight stands at the long end of a path between the containers. Instead of walking where she might be seen, Magpie leaps on top of the containers and advances at a crouch. She comes upon another armed man who is facing the water. With the coast clear, Magpie drops down behind him and leaps onto his back. She wraps her strong legs around his middle and wraps an arm around his neck, pulling him into a chokehold. The man drops his gun with a clatter and reaches up to pull at her hands, but it is no use. His voice crackles and gasps as he is unable to draw a breath and he collapses to the pavement on his knees. Alight with the excitement of her power over him, Magpie tightens her grip until he stops fighting and slumps to the ground, dead.

Magpie steps away from the body and slaps her hands together to a job well done. She turns back to the shipping containers, ducking into a low run, when a single gun shot echoes near the transit line tracks. The crack of sound jars Magpie. She missteps and crumples to the ground in surprise, ducking out of habit at the gunfire. The first goon she took out, he must have fired in his final throes. She should have taken his gun away! Magpie knocked her fists against her forehead, stupid—stupid! She shook herself and went to jump back onto the containers when loud voices echo from the ship.

“What was that?!”

“Go check it out! We’ll take the diamond!” Footsteps burst into a scurry and the sharp tap of heels echoed between the shipping containers. Magpie leaps up and grasps the edge of a shipping container when a blonde woman appears at the other end of the container.

“Hey—you!” she shouts. The woman, dressed head to toe in black, lunges in her direction, grasping Magpie’s waist. Magpie yelps and let’s go of the container’s edge and drops to the ground, tumbling away from the woman. Magpie rolls to her feet and without looking, whips her leg into a sharp roundhouse kick, taking the woman off guard. The woman falls backwards and Magpie follows, landing on her chest and straddling her. Magpie delivers one, two, three kick hits to her temple and the woman falls back unconscious.

“Some back up,” Magpie mutters. She needs to move quickly before the diamond is taken away. She can’t believe she’s botched this simple mission. She was so close! Magpie gets up and sprints towards the ship. She pumps her legs and extends her arms with her claws out. As she breaches the end of the stacked shipping containers, another woman appears before her with a throwing star tucked between her knuckles.

“Halt!” the woman snaps. She has dark red hair tied back in a ponytail. Her brown eyes narrow at Magpie as she pulls her arm back to throw her weapon. Magpie ducks and rolls across the ground, spinning out to take out the woman’s legs. She collapses with a yell. Magpie leaps up and stomps on the woman’s hand, knocking the throwing star away, slicing her slender fingers in its departure. Magpie whirls around then stomps her chest, the woman crying out in pain. Magpie’s cowl and feathers lift up as she spins, tickling her cheeks and necks in the fast-paced moment. She breaks into a big smile and lands another heavy kick on her opponent, quickly knocking her out. Magpie steps over her and runs out onto the sidewalk of the dock just as the back doors of the white van are slammed shut and the black car is already pulling away.

“No!” she exclaims. Magpie lunges into a sprint but another throwing star whips through the air, nearly slicing her nose. Magpie backpedals and faces the assailant, a woman with short black hair. The woman smirks at her.

“Did you think I would let you go anywhere near the boss and his belongings?” the girl asks. Magpie snarls.

“You should if you know what is good for you. No one is stopping me from getting my shiny-shiny.” Magpie lunges and engages with the woman. Her first blow is blocked and her recovery kick is swatted away. The woman laughs and launches a spinning kick at Magpie then follows up with a quick flurry of punches. Magpie ducks and bobs around the attacks, looking for an opening in the high-speed dance.

“Not a chance—you’ll never steal from him,” the woman says. She pulls back for a knock-out style punch but Magpie spies the wide opening she leaves in her confidence. Magpie side steps then swipes her claws at the woman, narrowly missing as she stumbled back. Expecting this, she followed and landed a solid kick at the woman’s middle and knocked her to the ground. Falling back, there was a solid crack as her head hit the sidewalk and a small smattering of blood colored her chin and lip as she accidentally bit her lip on the impact.

Magpie turns from the fight to see the dockyard now empty. Both vehicles, with the diamond, are now gone.

“No!” Magpie yells. “Dang it!” She shakes out her claws and slashes the air in frustration. She was so close to getting the diamond. How could she have messed this up?

A weak laugh comes from the sidewalk. The woman is still conscious. She looks up at Magpie with squinted eyes and gritted teeth. “Did you really think you could steal it?”

Magpie jumps onto the woman and holds her claws before her eyes. “That diamond was mine. Where is it being taken?” she demands.

The woman chuckles. “It’ll be all over the city but I’m sure boss will take it back to his hideout. He likes to keep his prized possessions close.”

“The Iceburg Lounge?” Magpie asks.

“Nooo, of course not. That’s an honorable establishment,” she says. Her voice twists into a lick of sarcasm. Almost as if she is daring Magpie to try to go into the lair of her boss and all his goons. It looks like she knows what she is doing tomorrow night.

Magpie stands in a shadowed doorway across from the famous Iceberg Lounge. A large entryway has the blue neon lights depicting the club’s name. A stream of cars pull up to the front and expel well-dressed couples as guests hand their keys to valets and press cash into the palms of doormen, other guests, and workers.

Dressed in her usual black leather outfit, Magpie knows she cannot walk right inside. Nor does she want to pretend to blend in. Sneaking around and surprising her enemies is more her style. Nothing is better than the surprise on a target’s face as her claws close in around their jugular.

Magpie slinks across the street and disappears down an alleyway. Her fight the night before went sideways from her original expectations. She thought she could intercept the diamond in such an open area, but now, after it has been presumably shuttled around the city to erase it’s route to the lounge, she hopes it is finally in the Penguin’s hands.

After digging through some research and contacting some of Gotham’s unwanted, Magpie discovered the identities of the three woman who were working with Penguin’s guards. They were Jay, Raven, and Lark, the Penguin’s loyal henchwomen. Ladies like them are not just given their roles for no reason so while they were easy to beat last night, Magpie hopes she can avoid them during tonight’s mission.

In the darkness of the empty alleyway, Magpie turned to the outer walls of the lounge stretching high above her. It’s time to find a way inside. Nimble, she started to climb the side of the building, grasping window ledges, gutters, and more. Making her way to the top of the building, she found a roof made entirely of skylights and glass. A shimmering blue light reflected on her skin and forearms as she peered into the windows. The view of the rooms below were blurred but this must be the main room of the lounge below her.

Magpie removed a small cutter from the bodice of her corset and sliced a hole into the window. She carefully palmed the glass and removed it, giving her a hole big enough to slip into without being noticed. Upon opening the hole, a wave of music and voices floated outside. A brass band was playing a blues piece and the distinct barking of an animal could be heard.

Directly beneath Magpie was a third-floor deck within the lounge. The large room was ringed by three levels, all lined in railing and full of tables and guests eating dinner. The bottom level, the ground floor, had a large dance floor and a pool of water at the very center. In the pool was an island of rock where several fat seals slept or barked at the crowds. Interesting.

Magpie slips through the hole and positioned herself in the metal rafters above the third floor. She perches as the music swells and blue and white lights flash around the room. Every surface was a peri-winkle blue or purple color. The table clothes, the flooring, the pillars, and the walls gave the lively lounge the appearance as if they were all inside an actual iceberg.

The band, playing out of sight, falls silent and a wave of applause erupts around the room. A seal on the island looks up and stares in Magpie’s direction.

“Thank you, thank you. Up next, we have the talented Tanya Smith singing, ‘Hold me Tight,” an announcer says. More people applauded. Directly below Magpie, a table of people got up from their seats to lean over the railing and probably catch a glimpse of the famous singer. Other tables did the same and suddenly, a clear path opened up for Magpie to make her descent.

Magpie crawls through the rafters and then drops to the ground behind the diners. Cheers and whistles rise into the air as a microphone crackles and a velvety voice lifts to fill the entire room. The third-floor dining area has no doorways or exits except for a single swoop of stairs going along the wall to the second floor. Magpie quickly hurries down these and darts into a hallway she finds on the second floor. Not exactly sure where Penguin’s office is, she hurries on, driven by her need to capture this shiny diamond. Turning a corner, Magpie comes face to face with a guard. The goon has his arms crossed over his massive chest and a gun slung across his shoulders.

He wears a suit but has a penguin stitched into his lapel. Magpie skids to a stop and breaks into a toothy smile.

“Hi dear, I’m afraid I can’t find the bathroom. Can you point me in the right direction?” she asks. She raises her chest, and shrugs, accentuating her generous cleavage before the man’s eyes. His gaze dips over her body with a look of confusion. She is not in a gown and pearls like the other women visiting the lounge.

Before he can react or raise an alarm, Magpie cracks her fist across his nose. The guard buckles over to grab his nose but she brings up a knee and smashes it into her face. Next, Magpie unleashes her claws and scratches them down his shoulders and arms, pushing the deadly poison directly into his body.

“Never mind,” she teases. “I think I found it.” He drops to the floor with a thud. Magpie retracts her claws and smiles at the set of double doors sitting at the end of the hall. With this man out front, this must be an important place in the lounge. Crossing her fingers, she opens the door and steps inside.

Magpie opens one of the doors and steps into an office. The room has beige carpeting, blue paneled-walls, a potted palm sits next to the door at her feet and two armchairs sit in the middle of the room, before a large desk and chair. Behind the desk is a short and portly man. His back is turned but his black top hat and three-piece suit instantly makes him recognizable as the Penguin himself.

Upon stepping into the room, Penguin pauses with his hands extended into a safe that is built into the back wall of his office. Inside the safe, the massive diamond Magpie missed at the docks the night before sits inside. The glittering gem reflects and splatters shimmering light all along the inside of the safe, twinkling across Penguin’s jacket and along the desk behind him. Magpie swallows and shakes her hands, just itching to touch that gemstone.

Penguin removes his hands from the safe and shuts it. He locks the diamond away and turns towards Magpie with his arms wide open and with a smile beneath his long-pointed nose.

“Hello, sweetheart. To whom do I owe the pleasure?” Penguin asks.

Magpie’s skin crawls. Penguin is calm, almost as if he had been expecting her appearance. “What’s the code to the safe?” Magpie asks. Penguins lights a cigarette at the end of his opera holder. He smirks.

“You think I’ll just tell you? This bird keeps his secrets.”

“Won’t a penguin help a Magpie?”

“Not something as lowly as that,” Penguin answers. He puffs out a breath of smoke. It seems like Magpie will have to use her preferred methods of influence. In one quick bound, she launches herself across the room and aims a kick at Penguin’s head.

Penguin, remaining calm, feigns a smile as he ducks and latches a hand on Magpie’s calf. He grabs her tight and pushes her away, forcing her to land and roll beside his desk. Penguin grabs an umbrella that had been leaning against this desk and whips it towards Magpie, with its sharp point glittering.

“Nice little blade, you have there,” Magpie murmurs. She stands up, her hips swaying as she dusts herself off and settles into a ready-to-fight stance with her hands hovering before her face.

Penguin makes the first move. His eyes bulge a little as his sucks in a quick breath and jabs forward with his umbrella. Magpie easily side steps his attack and grabs his umbrella, crumpling its fabric in her grasp. She gives the umbrella one tug and wrenches it from Penguin’s hands. Magpie whirls the umbrella above her head with a cackle and slams the hilt right onto the side of Penguin’s head with a crack.

The old bird drops like a sack of stones and clutches a white-gloved hand to his temple. A spot of blood comes away to stain the fabric. His long nose dips over his scowl just as Magpie throws the umbrella aside and jumps onto Penguin. She grasps his collar and uses her momentum to knock him onto his back.

“Oof!” Penguin gasps. His head bounces of the ground with a thud and his legs kick up, finding only air, like a turtle caught on his back. Magpie pins him down. She straddles him with her long legs and winds up her arm, grinning as she does so.

“Did you really think you could keep your shiny-shiny away from me?” she asks. She smacks him across the face with an open palm. Penguin’s eyes squeeze shut as he yelps in response. Magpie hits him again, this time curling her hand into a fist and slamming her fist into his cheek, pulverizing his cheekbone.

Penguin kicks and squirms, one of his hands uselessly slapping Magpie’s thigh. She kneels onto his arms and shakes him roughly as blood trickles out of his mouth. A deep bruise is already coloring his left cheekbone.

“Cat got your tongue?”

Magpie hits him again and again, each time her knuckles impact with a resounding thud. Penguin begins to whimper and drool blood as he attempts to buck her off. Magpie hits him one more time before finally relenting. She stands up and kicks him solidly in the ribs, forcing the fool to curl up onto his side and tuck into a ball. Magpie places one more kick and then steps away, after her enemy has been handled.

The safe behind the desk is no larger than a microwave or a small toaster oven. Magpie touches the cool dial and spins it, listening to the ticking of the lock. Before long, the most beautiful diamond in the world will be hers. What shall she do with it when she has it? It’s almost too gorgeous to part with, once it is in her hands. She imagines the weight of it, the shine it must have. It will be incredible!

Magpie taps her nails on the safe, tracing the numbers along the dial.

“Hey, Penguin? What’s the code?” she asks.

He doesn’t answer.

“Penguin?” Magpie asks again.

Suddenly, a shadow moves on her right, and an umbrella swings towards her face with a long dagger extended from the tip.

“Ack!” Magpie leans backwards, barely dodging, as the dagger swipes past her face. She drops to the floor and tucks into a backwards somersault and springs back up in the middle of the room.

Penguin, bloody and panting, stands by his desk with one hand behind, reaching for a drawer. He must be looking for a weapon but his hand returns to the umbrella he is holding, and a calm confidence warms his face again.

“Are you looking for another beating?” Magpie asks. She licks her lips and stretches her hands into the air. The feathers around her collar ruffle and twist to tickle her face. “I can arrange that.”

Magpie jumps forward and leaps over the desk, vaulting towards Penguin. Penguin jumps away and runs to the middle of the room, pumping his arms as fast as he can in his escape. Magpie lands and bounces back over the desk, quick in her pursuit.

“You can’t get away that easy!” she yells. She runs up to Penguin and ducks low as he makes another stab. She twists her body as to wrap both arms around the umbrella and easily takes it away again. Magpie whacks Penguin with his own weapon and then kicks him square in the chest, sending him head over heels onto the floor.

Magpie walks over to Penguin and stabs his umbrella straight down, between his legs and into his tailcoat and the flooring below. Penguin yelps and visibly swallows as a bead of sweat trickles down his face.

Magpie kicks him again. She digs her boot right into his side and kicks until he is spitting up onto the floor. She crouches down and grasps his round neck in her hands and forces him down onto his back. His eyes bulge, following her every move, as she holds her right hand over his face.

“Now, we can do this the easy way—you tell me the code,” Magpie suggests. She stretches her fingers and with a flick, extends her razor-sharp claws. Penguin whimpers. “Or we can do this the hard way.” She reaches forward and traces the tips across his cheeks. How lovely would it be to just puncture his sickly-pale skin and end this tycoon’s reign once and for all.

“O-okay! I’ll tell you!” Penguin sputters. “I’ll tell you the code!”

“What is it?” Magpie leans closer, pressing on his cheek.

“It’s just today’s date. I’m a simple bird! I never have complicated codes,” he claims. Go open the safe, I don’t want you to hurt me.”

Magpie retracts her claws. “Very well.” For good measure, she smashes her fist into his face one more time, shattering his nose. Blood spurts into the air and splatters his chest. Penguin screams and covers his nose, rolling away from Magpie as soon as she gets up.

Magpie hurries over to the safe and starts fiddling with the dial, twisting it to the right combination when there is a click behind her as the office door swings open. Magpie pauses, her fingers still on the dial as she holds her breath. Everything around her becomes very still as her very senses sharpen, taking in any hint of a sound or trace of a new smell entering the room. Her back arches and she shifts to stand on her toes, ready to spring when the air behind her head splits open and something flies in her direction.

Magpie spins to the side and ducks to the ground, landing in a crouch as three ninja stars slice over her head and slam—one, two, three—into the wall behind her. They would have been a killing blow if she was a moment slower.

Standing in the now open doorway to the Penguin’s office are three women. Their arms are extended, having just thrown the stars, but their bodies are lithe and confident in their individual poses. The three wear identical outfits, black pumps, sheer gray pantyhose, black sleeveless one-pieces with plunging cleavage, bowtie collars, and black bowler hats.

A girl in the middle, with short black hair, straightens up and fixes her cuffs.

“Should’ve aimed lower. Thieves are always a slippery kind.”

“Ah, Raven! Girls! You’re finally here,” Penguin says. He gets up onto his knees from where he was laying on the floor, still holding one hand to his nose. His top hat has fallen onto the floor and little wisps from what remained on the top of his bald head stick up into the air. He reaches around and grasps his monocle, popping it right back in front of his eye, balancing between his brow and cheekbone. She should have shattered that monocle when she had the chance.

Magpie gets off the ground and stands, sauntering over to the center of the room. She holds her arms out from her sides with her fingers splayed.

“Ladies,” Magpie says. She smiles, twisting her dark-lipped grin into a sneer. “I thought I left you out on the docks? Hard to imagine you were ready to spring back to work so quickly.”

“You made your mistake when you left us alive,” one of the girls, a red-head, says.

“It looks like will be able to make some payback tonight,” the third girl, with her blonde hair tucked up under her hat, says. She twists her fingers around her studded earring, at ease with the high stakes situation.

Raven hurries away from the group and helps Penguin to his feet. He clutches her arm with his free hand and allows her to lead him to an armchair where he plops down heavily.

“Girls—Raven, Lark, Jay—take care of this. I want this thief to learn her lesson.” He waves his hand, ushering them forward.

Magpie laughs. “This should be easy.”

“Don’t underestimate us, we will take you down in mere seconds,” Lark says. She spins a new ninja star in her hand.

“I’ve already beaten all three of you—”

“You took us on one at a time.”

“Hardly a fair line up.”

“We’ve got you this time.”

Magpie takes a step backwards just as the Raven rejoins Lark and Jay in the center of the room. Without warning, the three girls leap into action, lunging at Magpie. Magpie jumps backwards and lands on top of the desk.

“You’ll have to try harder to beat me. I’ll outrun all of you!” Magpie brags. She shakes her hands and extends her nails into long sharp claws. She curls them towards the girls before lunging, swinging like a madwoman. Lark, Raven, and Jay are forced to break apart, aiming to keep away from Magpie’s slashes.

“I’ve fought and conquered the mighty Batman a few times, I can handle a few stray birds,” Magpie exclaims. She aims a swipe at Lark just as Jay shreds the air with another throwing star. Magpie ducks and sidesteps as Lark follows up with a kick. Raven spins in, feet first, to get a piece of the action, but Magpie stays a step ahead of all three girls the whole time.

“We were just getting warmed up the other night,” Jay says. She strikes her leg out for a cheerleading-style kick, swishing her sharp heels right past Magpie’s cheek. Magpie ducks an oncoming hit from Raven and lands a punch in Jay’s gut. Jay buckles over, winded. Magpie brings her elbow down, cracking it against the back of Jay’s skull. She drops to the floor, cradling her head.

“That’s one bird,” Magpie gloats.

Raven snarls and lunges, whirling into a roundhouse kick but misses again. Magpie dances around her as Lark helps Jay back up to her feet. The girls share a look and Lark kneels to the ground as the now recovered Jay springs off her back and launches at Magpie. She strikes Magpie once on the chin and a second time stomps on her chest from midair. Both women fall to the ground and tumble across the carpet.

Magpie coughs and gets up first, aiming a kick at Jay’s ribs but Raven grabs onto her leg and Lark smashes her shin into Magpie’s stomach. Magpie grasps onto Lark’s leg and slashes her with her long claws, dragging them from her knee to ankle, shredding the fabric of her pantyhose and leaving three long gashes on her pale skin. Blood spurts forth and Lark lets out a shrill cry.

Magpie lets go and pushes her to the floor. She spins out of Raven’s grasps and kicks her down as well. All three henchwoman are on the ground as Magpie puts her hands on her hips.

“I told you this was going to be easy.”

Lark squirms from her place on the floor and props herself up on one elbow. Her blonde hair cascades down her shoulder as her bowler hat falls to the floor.

“We are just getting started,” she says through gritted teeth. Her plump lips, probably used to crooning sweet words to the many guests of the Penguin is arched into a snarl. It’s time Magpie taught these fledglings a lesson.

Lark, Jay, and Raven stand up and gather in the middle of the room before Magpie. Magpie lifts her hand and beckons to them, egging them on. Soon, the shiny-shiny will be hers once these nuisances are defeated.

Jay strikes first, kicking towards Magpie’s head. Before Magpie can latch her clawed hands around her leg and shred it, Raven and Lark link Jay’s arms and pull her swiftly backwards, out of reach. They swing their arms backwards then launch Jay forward, throwing her at Magpie. Jay somersaults in the air then strikes from above, heel first, as Raven and Lark attack simultaneously.

Magpie ducks forward and spins to easily outpace the attacks. She snicks her claws against Raven’s side and Lark tumbles out of her reach, cartwheeling away. Jay lands on the carpet with a thump then spins her leg out, swiping Magpie’s feet from under her. Magpie rolls on impact and slashes out her arms, scraping both Jay and Lark.

“I can’t get close!” Raven whispers to Jay. She presses a hand to her side and pulls it away to reveal a crimson stain across her palm.

“We need to do something about those claws,” Jay agrees.

Magpie appears from their side-eye view and grasps the air in front of the girl’s faces. Her claws slash down on empty air, but momentary fear stretches into their eyes. Jay yelps and pulls Raven back with her. In their hasty retreat, Magpie hooks her ankle behind Jay’s feet, knocking her down, pulling Raven with her.

Magpie spins around to meet Lark who is winding up for a punch. She feigns to the side before slamming her fist into her gut and then coming up to bash the heel of her other hand against her chin. Lark grumbles and falls back, spitting blood after biting her tongue.

Magpie kicks Lark to the ground, now standing above all three fighters once again.

“It looks like your birds are in need of some training,” Magpie says.

Penguin chuckles. “They may not be the birds of prey, but they are fighters themselves. I don’t think a lowly thief like you can judge them too harshly. Your cockiness will get the best of you, sooner or later.”

Magpie bristles. She moves quickly towards Penguin with her arms outstretched. Penguin’s mouth opens like a gaping black hole, his eyes dilate, and he lets out a fearsome cackle.

Arms grapple Magpie’s middle and she is thrown off course. She crashes to the ground with both Lark and Jay tumbling past her. Raven hops into view and lands a solid punch to Magpie’s chin. Magpie stumbles to her feet and lashes out at Raven but Lark stands up behind her exposed back, raising another ninja star to her defenseless side. Magpie whirls around as the star pokes her and drives both sets of claws at Lark. Lark ducks and in the momentum, both of Magpie’s hands drive straight against the wall, embedding her claws into the paneling and plaster. She tugs and shakes her arms, but the claws are stuck tight.

The three henchwomen clap and cheer at their trapped enemy. Behind Magpie, the armchair Penguin is sitting in shifts, squeaking slightly as he gets to his feet.

“Get me my favorite umbrella,” he says. Someone hurries to the back of the room and the wrinkle of fabric signals the handing over of the weapon. “Stand back girls,” he orders.

Magpie tugs and tries to twist her claws out of the wall. She flexes her fingers against the paneling and pulls with all her might. She puts a foot on the wall to gain some leverage but before she can try again, there is a small woosh and a thunk behind her and suddenly a small missile collides with the wall.

The missile meets the wall in slow motion to Magpie’s wide eyes, a light comes before the sound. The bright light encompasses her world view as the missile disappears in the light and so do Magpie’s arms and legs. The entire wall shudders and she feels her body lifted up, as if by some invisible hand. A force as strong as a hurricane slams into her body. The wall erodes away into nothing as Magpie hurtles forward, head over heels, and is thrown through wall after wall until a second big light erupts into view and she is once again weightless, in mid-air. For a moment, in a cloud of debris, she floats within the blue and purple haze of the Iceberg Lounge’s main room. Diners sit below, the seals grunt from their place on the icy island.

Gravity, speed, and action all return at once. Magpie’s body grows heavy again and she drops, slamming into the ground. Magpie lands near the railing of the seal enclosure on the lounge’s ground floor.

A shrill shriek shatters the silence and life slams back into high gear. Guests leap up from their seats and a waiter drops a tray of dishes with a crash. The seals in the enclosure scatter and leap into the water, the water splashing against the edges of the enclosure. Magpie is sprawled out on the ground where she landed near the seal exhibit. She cups her head as she regains her bearings, curling into a ball as she tests her legs, back, and arms. She can move without too much discomfort, and it would take a lot more than a fall to break her.

Magpie rolls onto her knees as smoke and dust pours out from the floors above. High above, where Magpie fell from, there is a big hole in the wall, revealing a few other hallways and rooms she must have crashed through during the explosion. From the hole, the three henchwomen stick their heads out to look around. Lark splits into a large smile and laughs out loud.

“Now, now, little bird,” she shouts.

Magpie lurches to her feet and stretches out her hands, slashing her claws in the direction of the three women above her, but only her fingers swipe the air. Jagged bits of her claws stand out from her hands but, there is nothing else there. Magpie shakes her hands and tries again, she strains her fingers, but nothing comes out.

“Security, seal off all exits, we have a would-be-thief in our presence.” Penguin’s voice crackles in over a speaker system. All guests and workers look up towards the speakers. One woman bites her lip and begins to slip on her fur jacket.

“Will we be able to leave?” she asks a waiter.

“Ma’am, please sit down. We will be with you in a moment,” the waiter answers as everyone breaks into a panic.

At another table, men wearing pin-striped suits and an assortment of rings and jewelry lean back and crack their knuckles as if settling in to watch a show. Magpie shoots a glare at the people around her, even one who had approached to help her up before the announcement had been made. She must get out of here. Forget the diamond, as much as she doesn’t want to.

Magpie turns to the seal enclosure and leaps up onto the railing. If she can reach the island with the large ice display, maybe she could climb and leap into the rafters of one of the lower levels of the club. But as she turns to do this, a clatter of heels rush up behind her and something slams into her lower back, knocking her back to the floor. She hits the ground with a roll and gets back up to her feet, holding her hands out in front of her.

Lark is in front of with her arms crossed and a hip popped. “Did you think you could get away from us?” she asks.

“I think she lost something,” Raven says, joining Lark.

“It’s not everyday we get to see someone survive an explosion like that,” Jay adds. She saunters up behind Magpie. “This is getting fun. Ready for round three?”

Magpie doesn’t hesitate. She lunges at Jay first but both Raven and Lark catch her shoulders and pull her backwards instead. Magpie stumbles and slashes out at Raven but Lark catches her with a sharp punch to the stomach and follows up with a fist to her jaw. Magpie bites down on her tongue, hard, and ducks a coming hit from Raven. She jumps backwards and follows with a kick, parrying with the two.

Magpie hovers close to her fists, determined to see her way through this situation. She dodges and ducks as a throwing star soars past her head. Lark teams up with Jay, her feet slam the ground as she drops to her knees and Jay springboards off her back with a flying kick. Jay feigns the first kick and then spirals, slamming her shin into Magpie’s shoulder. Magpie grasps her legs and pulls her to the ground, diving in for the kill when Lark barrels into her and knocks her away.

“Ah!” Magpie yells. She hits her back and rolls as Lark tumbles over her, her black bowler hat flying off in the process. Before Magpie can get up, Jay stomps on her clawless hand and grinds her heel into her palm. Magpie screams as blood springs up from her palm and shatters the heel of her hand. Magpie’s fingers go white as she strains to move away but Jay pushes down onto her hand with all her weight.

“Did you think you could steal from us?!” Jay demands. She lifts her foot and kicks Magpie’s now useless hand towards her body. “You won’t be taking any jewels for a long time—cat burglar!” Magpie rolls to her knees and gets up, holding up her one good hand. She ignores her injury and focuses on the girls circling her now. She can do this; her body should be able to handle this. They are regular women—what could they possibly do to her?

Despite her beliefs and self-encouragement, a fatigue has seeped into her bones, now colored by the pain in her hand. Lark swipes a kick at her, almost as if she is teasing her prey. Jay joins in and Magpie dodges once again, taking hits every few attempts. She blocks a kick with her arm and dodges a swing but then one of the henchwomen get behind her and swipe her legs from under her. Once again, the world around Magpie hitches into a strange direction as she is weightless. A second later, she is back on the ground with the colorful lights of the club shining in her eyes.

Lark, Jay, and Raven circle around her as she tries to get her bearings straight.

“Are you getting tired?”

“I think someone is sleepy.”

Magpie shakes her head. “No, I’m not—”

“You do sound tired, dear. Why don’t you let us put you to bed?”

“We’ll make it really easy.”

Magpie stands up and cradles her bleeding hand to her stomach. The girls circle closer.

“You don’t know who you are dealing with,” Magpie mutters. “I’ve already proven I don’t need my claws to kick your asses.” Despite her bravado, Magpie shakes her head and squints into the dim lighting of the seating around the first floor of the club. Diners and patrons watch, some with wide eyes, and some entertained. Beyond the nervous guests clutching and the obedient workers and guards, there is a hallway to the outside. If she could just make it that way, maybe use someone as a hostage…maybe this will work.

As Lark, Raven, and Jay circle around her, Magpie lunges for Jay. She dives low, aiming for her stomach but last-minute tucks her head down and hits the ground instead and rolls right past her. Jay lets out a frustrated yell and turns around, but Magpie is on her feet and running towards the dining area.

“Get her!” Jay yells.

Magpie hurries up a row of seating and grasps the edge of a white-table-cloth table. The diners jump out of their seats just as she flips the table, throwing it at Jay and the others. Jay dodges but Lark, who just stepped into the aisle between the tables takes the full hit and is knocked to the ground.

Magpie turns and runs between a line of booths and up a small set of stairs until she is at the back of the lounge. She turns and runs along the length of it towards the back entrance, skirting the velvet carpets and blue-paneled walls. Guards rush to meet her at the exit but as soon as she reaches them, there is a mechanical whirl and then a slam as a great metal shutter closes over the exit doors. The slam echoes as all windows and doors are shuttered at the same time.

Magpie skids to a halt just as Jay runs up behind her and again knocks her to the floor. This time, Magpie’s chin slams onto the ground, rattling her teeth. She kicks Jay off her and sits up, face to face with the henchwoman. Jay’s chest rises up and down in her sweet-heart shaped bodysuit. Her mouth is open as she pants, catching her breath. Magpie isn’t the only one feeling the effect of the fight but now as she seeks a way out, she can tell that something is different. When you have the urge to run, fights become a means of survival. There is no more pride or courage in this moment. Her goals of stealing the diamond are gone as she only wants to leave with her life. But Jay? Jay’s goals are different. Before her, she sees an enemy threatening her co-workers and boss. She has something to protect. Jay’s eyes narrow and it’s easy to see that she is still ready to fight, ready to win.

Magpie slowly pushes off the ground and gets back onto her feet. With the exits closed, she has no where to go. Jay smiles and Lark gives a little laugh.

“This should be fun,” Lark says.

“Do your worst,” Magpie responds. “I’m sure you feel strong—three on one. What an equal advantage.” She rolls her tongue and spits a glob of blood on the floor. She raises her hand and leans forward into a defensive stance, but before she can even settle into that pose, Raven comes in from the left and smashes her fist right across Magpie’s unguarded side.

The lights flash as Magpie’s vision flickers. Her head snaps to the side and a string of blood sputters from her lips. She stumbles and swings blindly in response, but Raven dodges and connects her fist to her chin.

Lark and Jay step in, almost walking nonchalantly, displaying their prowess over the flailing thief. Magpie ducks her head behind her raised fist but Lark spins behind her and wraps her arms around her neck and shoulders. She pins Magpie in an iron grip as Jay takes advantage of the moment, landing hit after hit. Magpie’s body shudders as the hits rain down on her chest, face, and middle. Every hit echoes with a thud—no different than the slap of a butchers hammer when tenderizing a slab of meat. She is a punching bag in Lark’s arms. Magpie clenches her teeth in pain but a coming hit smash right in, knocking some of her teeth out with a shock of pain. The world turns white for a moment as more hits come.

When taking a hit, it is ideal to breath in and steady yourself against the impact. Absorb it, ignore it, and fight on. Magpie has much better reflexes, strengths, and endurance compared to normal people but in this moment, even the slightest hit makes her want to recoil and scream in pain. She flinches and seizes up before the hits make contact. In her flailing, Magpie snaps her head back and connects with Lark’s forehead, resounding in a loud crack. Lark’s arms loosen and Magpie stumbles forward, grasping her middle.

Everything hurts. The skin on her face burns as the tender flesh swells up from the onslaught. Blood flows freely from her mouth and in the way the world looks darker, as if something is blocking parts of her vision, Magpie’s eyelids and brow have swollen to obstruct her vision. She looks like a fighter deep in the 12th round of a match and feels even worse.

Magpie shoves an approaching Jay and turns to block a kick from Raven, but she falls back and collapses to her knees, her body unwilling to go any farther. She tries to get back to her feet but Raven and Lark push her down and loop their arms under her shoulders and pull her up, so her feet are dragging behind her on the carpet and she is unable to stand.

Penguin approaches from a flight of stairs that connect the ground floor of the lounge to the second. He takes off his top hat and waves it at them.

“Hold it, hold it! Wonderful job, girls. Everyone, give them a round of applause!” Penguin exclaims. His face has slight bruising, and he walks with an umbrella used as a cane. The guests and diners sitting around their tables clap uncertainly, some stricken with fear. “I deeply apologize for this scene. This thief decided to ambush me in my office earlier, but my wonderful employees stepped in to save the day.” He pauses to look around the room and wave at different individuals.

“Yes, yes, it’s alright now. We will clean up this mess and save you the trouble of seeing the arrest. Please go on and continue enjoying your night. All dishes and drinks are on the house tonight.” A few whistles and claps sound for this in the dominating silence. Magpie only slouches in her captors’ arms.

Penguin approaches the henchwoman and fixes his beady eyes on Magpie. “Get her to my office. Now.”

“That was quite a stunt you pulled,” Penguin says. He is pouring a glass of vodka from a crystal flask on his desk. Magpie is tied up to one of the office chairs and has been pushed into a corner. She carefully watches everyone around her; what are they planning to do? Penguin certainly won’t let her get away with this.

Up on the wall, the little igloo clock gives a chime, and a wooden penguin pops out to signal the top of the hour. Penguin splits into a smile and taps at the intercom on his desk.

“Send my friend upstairs,” he says. He turns to Magpie. “Our business will have to wait. I have an important sale to make.” Lark, Raven, and Jay are standing with their backs to the wall across the office from Magpie. They each look a little worse for wear. Bruises and cuts cover each of them, but it is disappointing that Magpie never landed a clean hit with her claws. Those little birds would have been shredded to pieces if it weren’t for Penguin’s interference towards the end.

There is a knock at the office door. Lark stands up from where she was leaning against the office wall and answers the door. She limps slightly and Magpie can’t help but smile, until doing so pools pain between her broken teeth and torn lips.

Lark opens the door to reveal one of the men Magpie saw downstairs. He is dressed in an immaculate pin-striped suit, bowler hat, and has ring-studded fingers. Clean-shaven and with a cigar pinched between his teeth, the man looks like he stepped out of a 1950s era comic.

“Ah, my guests—please—do come in,” the Penguin says. He waves his arm at the remaining chair in front of his desk as the man and his two bodyguards step inside.

“That was quite a show downstairs,” the man says. “I wasn’t expecting dinner and a show.”

Penguin chuckles and pours a second drink. “I provide what I can.”

“You certainly do, my good friend. Say, Oz, let me see what I came for. I am eager to get my hands on it,” the man says.

“Of course. Do you have the payment?”

“Yes. Men?” he asks. The two bodyguards set two briefcases on top of Penguin’s desk with a thud. The boss pulls two keys out of his pocket and unlocks each briefcase from the mens’ wrists. “Everything you need is in here.”

Penguin takes the briefcases and pops them open. From behind the opened containers, his eyes bug out and a sick cackle fills the air.

“Yes, yes! Very good. I’ll get you your item,” Penguin says. He turns to the safe on his back wall and inputs the code. Magpie leans in her seat, despite her body groaning in protest. Her heart starts to hammer as the safe is opened and the majestic diamond comes back into view. The beautiful shiny-shiny lights greed into every person’s eyes as it makes its grand entrance from Penguin’s hands into the hands of the man.

He cups it carefully in his gloved hands before placing the diamond in his own briefcase, locking that around his wrist. Magpie imagines leaping up and sawing his very hand off to get the diamond back but at this moment, she can hardly move as he thanks the Penguin and is already on his way, out of the office.

“Four-hundred-million big ones. That diamond was worth the trouble!” Penguin exclaims.

“You fool, such a thing is priceless,” Magpie spits. She wriggles in her seat, but Lark comes over and rolls her to the center of the room. Lark quickly undoes her ties and pushes her onto the ground. Magpie’s bad hand smashes against the carpet and she lets out a yowl. Lark grabs the back of her neck and wrenches her upright, her blonde-wig snarling and tickling her face alongside the feathers of her cowl that are now sticky and wet with sweat and blood.

Magpie pushes against Lark, but she digs her fingers into her neck and holds her still. Magpie growls and fixes her glare on the Penguin as he comes to stand before her.

“Sounds like you got your money’s worth, Oswald,” Magpie says. Penguin’s eyebrows shoot up into the bald expanse of his head and his teeth bare in a snarl.

“What did you just call me?!” Penguin snaps. He slashes his umbrella in the air then brings the tip to Magpie’s chin. “I am the PENGUIN!” He jabs Magpie in the throat then backs away, fuming. Magpie coughs and tries to bend forward but Lark’s fingers tighten on her like a vice.

“Girls, you know what to do!” Penguin snaps. Raven and Jay both bounce over and get down on their knees before Magpie. Raven stays in front while Jay joins Lark behind her and holds Magpie’s arms back while Raven reaches forward and grasps her cowl. She snakes her fingers into the feathers then moves her arm back, ripping the cowl from around Magpie’s neck.

“Hey!” Magpie yells. She shoulders Lark but can’t break free from the two. “Give that back!” her voice cracks as her eyes open wide in panic. “That’s mine!”

“It’s mine now,” Penguin says. “It’ll make a nice addition to my…trophies.”

Raven throws the cowl over her head then grasps Magpie’s head. She digs her fingers into her scalp and tears away her wig despite Magpie’s growing screams.

“Don’t—don’t! That’s mine, stop!!” Magpie thrashes as pins pop out of her hair and the white bob is torn away to reveal the darker hair of Margaret Sorrow. Magpie screeches and tosses her head but the wig is handed over to Penguin as well.

“Thank you, girls, that is all. Take her out back and get rid of her,” Penguin orders. He holds Magpie’s wig and feather collar in hand. He sets them down and takes a swig of his drink. Magpie lunges forward but a fist connects with her face and her nose collapses under the assault. Blood gushes from her face, splashing the torn remains of the pantyhose on her legs.

Lark pulls Magpie to her feet and with Raven and Jay, drag her out of the room. Magpie thrashes and hooks her feet around the office doorframe to pull away, but Raven stomps down on her ankles until one of them cracks and a lightning bolt of pain shoots up her leg. Magpie screams, her body truly giving into the pain; pain unlike anything she has ever felt.

Dark hallways snake past Magpie as she is dragged away. A door opens with a clang and cold night air rushes over her skin. Lark and Jay tighten their grip on her arms as they suddenly swing her and throw Magpie out the door. She hits cold pavement and then tumbles down a short flight of stairs until she lands on the ground somewhere in front of the lounge.

Lark, Jay, and Raven step outside, their heels clicking on the asphalt. They gather around Magpie as the cold air sinks into her body and she can only see their shadows and the toe of their heels as they stand around her.

“Remember this the next time you think about messing with our boss,” one of the henchwomen say. Magpie’s hand is laying out on the ground when a heel comes stomping down, wrecking her palm, and snapping her fingers. The foot comes down again and again as white-hot pain arches through Magpie’s body. They begin to kick her. They stomp, kick, and break what little is left to break.

Magpie arches her back and tries to roll over as there is a sick crunch from her arm and her leg is suddenly lying in an unnatural direction. All she can feel is the cold as the onslaught happens, tearing into her. The cold sinks in deep as hot blood beings to drip and run to the ground, creating a pool for her to lie in. Up above, as the blows rain down, there is a flickering streetlight. Some bugs fly around in the light, unaware of what goes on underneath.

Pain rolls over her body like waves until every single part of her feels like a tortured nerve. Magpie coughs, vomits, and curls into herself, like a dead spider. The attack fades and soon all is quiet.

***

Lark, Jay, and Raven walk back to Penguin’s office. Lark limps slightly and must walk carefully. She wipes blood from her cheek and touches Raven’s shoulder where long scratch marks stretch across her skin and over her back, cutting into her top. Jay walks with a hand on her side, suffering from a few broken ribs. The cuffs that were on her wrists had been torn off in their fight and on all three girls, their pantyhose have been shredded to pieces.

Raven nurses a busted lip and bruised eye as they enter Penguin’s office. He is surrounded by his new payment and is slowly counting the pile of cash. He looks up from his work.

“So?” he asks.

“Consider the trash taken out,” Lark replies.

***

Magpie is limp on the sidewalk in front of the Iceberg Lounge. She is curled into a ball, shivering. Blood cakes one side of her face and her hands are ruined. One of her legs are broken and she struggles to take shallow breathes due to sharp pains in her ribs and chest.

Tears mark tracks through the bruises and blood on her face. She shouldn’t have tried to rob one of the biggest villains in Gotham. What was she thinking? How could she have tried such a thing? She mines well have walked into the layer of the Joker himself with what she just put herself through.

With her head on the cement, a car pulls up to the curb. The man in the pin-striped suit comes out of the lounge and hurries into the car. Magpie tries to sit up, but her arms shake with the effort, and she collapses back to the sidewalk in a heap. There’s no use, there is nothing she can do right now. She isn’t even “Magpie” anymore, that had been ripped away and she is only a pathetic, powerless, person. The man’s laugh echoes over the engine before the car pulls away. The diamond leaves with him, getting farther and farther away from her.

She stays on the sidewalk, utterly alone and hopeless. A cold rain begins to fall as her future looks bleak. With these injuries, she will have months or maybe longer of rough recovery. Despite her prior strengths, she might never have her abilities back. She may never be a thief again, much less a talented fighter and acrobat. Her tears join the rain with a fervor, filling her with misery. What is worse, she didn’t get to hang up her cowl and feathers, they were taken from her. She was defeated. Her life? Ruined.