by Doc Quantum
Batwoman looked over the notes she had made from her teammates’ individual cases over a cup of mocha. It was a poor track record at best. They still had a long way to go.
She had unwittingly let Signalman escape after she had tracked him down, and in the process scared him and his accomplice Crazy-Quilt away from any chance of easily finding them again. They’d been spooked.
Man-Bat had tracked Kite-Man down as well but had abandoned his pursuit in search of a far more dangerous foe: Clayface. The third man to bear this name was by far the most dangerous, and luckily for Gotham City, Man-Bat had managed to put him safely back into custody once more. She was thankful for that much.
Little else had gone right, however. True, Ragman had been successful in capturing the Night-Slayer, but not until after he had killed several women in an insane search for Nocturna, whom he had vowed to slay. This was, at best, a bittersweet victory.
The Black Orchid had never reported back after going in pursuit of Mister Freeze. This was the mysterious woman’s way, though, so Barbara was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Onyx was still on her mission tracking down Captain Stingaree, and she worried for her safety. She’d heard nothing from her for several days now. And the Secret Six’s mole was currently in place, exactly where he should be.
Still, only two out of the eighteen dangerous super-criminals who remained free since Ra’s al Ghul blew up the walls of Arkham Asylum and the State Penitentiary and released the majority of the criminal population of Gotham City had been recaptured. The rest were still out there.
And now this: A phone call from her father had informed her that the most dangerous of them all had escaped custody once again, despite being captured by the Batman and his allies along with the others who had chosen to work with Ra’s al Ghul.
The Batman had been scarcely seen in Gotham City for a few weeks now and had only been spotted while working (albeit infrequently) either with the Outsiders or the Justice League of America. For some strange reason, it seemed that he had left the fate of Gotham City’s escapees up to the Secret Six alone. She hoped that she would not have to send her team up against this latest escapee, however. Although she’d faced the Joker before, she feared what he was capable of. He was unpredictable, according to his name, and human life seemed to matter nothing to him next to a well-crafted joke.
Batwoman finished her mocha and crossed her fingers. Kara, if only you were here to help me now.
The ringing of the telephone startled Barbara Gordon out of her reverie. She answered it cautiously.
“Hello? Oh, hello, Daddy! What? No… really? That’s too funny. Thanks for letting me know. ‘Bye.”
Barbara hung up the phone and chuckled. Her father, Commissioner James W. Gordon, had called her just now to tell her that the Signalman had been recaptured. Apparently, he had been caught by an off-duty police officer who recognized him as he sat eating a Whopper at a local Burger King. No sign of his partner Crazy-Quilt could be found, however. Word was Signalman was being immediately shipped off to Belle Reve this time. She hoped that she wouldn’t have to deal with the little stinker ever again.
To Be Continued in Showcase: The Secret Six: Mad Men of Gotham