When the Bat is Away (Limited Series)

[Cazzik]

"Damnit."

Quinn Taylor slammed her cell phone down on the car seat next to her, exhaling in irritation. Her driver, Anthony, glanced at her in the rearview mirror but said nothing. The blonde woman turned her head and gazed out the window of the black sedan, watching the rain fall from the dark Gotham skyline. For three days she had been calling Henry and for three days he hadn't answered despite initially telling her he would remain in contact daily. She was getting worried now. After all, Henry Wayne wasn't exactly your typical billionaire playboy and his hobbies would be considered extreme by most.

Quinn had worked for Mr. Wayne for several years now, ever since his older brother Damian had been killed. The rest of the world thought he had been tragically murdered during the League of Assassins' assault on Gotham City. She was one of the few that knew the truth; Damian Wayne had been Batman at the time and had bravely defended the city against his own mother and grandfather, dying in the act. His younger brother, Henry, had taken up the mantle of the Batman following his death. He was now the third in the family to wear the cowl, his father Bruce being the original.

Henry had needed an ally at Wayne Enterprises to assist him with his double life. She noticed him watching her for a time, slowly studying her. It was uncharacteristic of the known playboy and adrenaline junkie. Normally he didn't seem too interested in details. She learned that was all a façade after he hired her as his Executive Assistant. Since then she had been doing double duty, though she was well compensated for it. Beyond that, she felt pride in helping Henry carry on a noble legacy. Despite that pride, she was feeling very uneasy now. He had been off collecting unused Batman tech from storehouses around the world and hadn't checked in with her for some time. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

There was also the babysitting aspect of the job while Henry was away. Like the other two before him, Henry had something of a Bat-Family. Though skilled and brave they were impulsive and she had been tasked with making sure they didn't bite off more than they could chew in Batman's absence. Harper, known to Gotham City as Batgirl, was the most level headed. Quinn didn't worry about her as much. Jesse Drake, like Henry, was a legacy hero, son of the late Tim Drake. He was bright and a skilled combatant but had a habit of feeling like he needed to prove the right to where the Robin suit and he would follow his older brother just about anywhere. Which brings her to Ryan Webb, the very skilled Nightwing. Younger than Quinn he still made it a habit of hitting on her...and he was charming. Worst of all, he knew it. He also had a habit of jumping headfirst into danger and forgetting that the other two weren't quite as experienced as he was.

She looked away from the window as a breaking news story shot out over the airwaves, "Anthony, turn that up please."

She listened intently as the newscaster announced that a mass breakout had erupted at Blackgate Prison. Police were on scene but inmates had all but taken full control of the facility, locking it down. Several dozen guards and personnel were believed to be taken hostage....or worse. Quinn picked up her phone again and called Ryan. Straight to voicemail. She then tried Jesse and Harper. No answer. She knew exactly what they were doing.

"Change of plans, Anthony. We're not going to the office. Take me to Wayne Manor." He looked at her in the mirror once again as she nodded at him, "And drive it like you stole it, okay?"

He nodded in acknowledgement, "Yes, Ma'am."

[Cazzik]

Quinn was through the mansion as quickly as she could be, passing the staff and heading towards Henry's personal office. It was not unusual for her to be in there and therefore her presence, even without Mr. Wayne, wouldn't be suspicious. She shut the door behind her, locking it. She walked over to the bookcase and pulled on a fake copy of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, revealing both a retinal scanner and thumb print scanner behind it. The far side of the bookshelf slid back allowing Quinn to step into the concealed elevator and travel down, below the foundation of the mansion.

The door slid apart and she stepped out into the Batcave, one of the singular most technologically advanced spaces on the planet. She was greeted by a pleasant, artificial female voice, "Welcome, Miss Taylor. Systems are activating now. How may I assist you?"

"Hello, Oracle. I need a status update on Nightwing's team."

The multiple screens roared to life, bringing up news stories of the riot, satellite images of the prison, and facility building plans. "Nightwing and Robin have infiltrated the east wing of Blackgate Prison and are working their way through the facility. Batgirl has locked down the prison control room and is currly closing off cells and rooms with inmates in them. At this time she has not required me to log into the prison mainframe."

Quinn sat down in one of the chairs, "Open comms to the team."

"Communication link is now open, Miss Taylor," Oracle's automated voice announced.

"Nightwing, this is Home Base. What do we know?"

"Uh oh. Mom caught us." Robin's juvenile quip was the first thing to echo back at her, "Shelve the jokes, Robin. I need intel."

"The east wing is nearly under control. Robin and I have ushered the inmates back into cells and Batgirl as locked them down. We are making our way to the main corridor now. Should be in the west wing in the next minute or so," Nightwing gave Quinn what she had asked for but no doubt sent Robin a wink regarding his joke.

Quinn responded, "Do we know what started the riot?"

"It's not just a riot, Home Base. It's a breakout. Police are doing their best to hold the perimeter but one has already made it out. I believe they were the target all along," Batgirl's educated demeanor echoed through the Batcave, "Oracle, identify inmate in question."

It only took a brief moment and a prison photo appeared on the main screen of an African-American man, well built. The name read Eric Castor, and below that, next to aliases, it said Black Manta.