Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Birds of Prey. No copyright infringement is intended.

BOMBSHELL

***

I had just cleaned up a fight between two drunks down on the south side of town when Barbara called me on my comm.

:: Huntress? ::

"Go ahead."

:: Just got word of a robbery at the North Street Bank. Police have been dispatched so perhaps... ::

"I know, I know. See what I can get from Reese."

:: Keep in contact. Oracle out. ::

I turned my comm off and rolled my eyes. I'm waiting for the day that she asks me to bark for her since she's always telling me what to do.

Whatever.

I race towards the bank and find the street littered with cops and their flashing lights. Radio transmissions fill the night air and I have to laugh. They sound so official over the radio, as if they know what's going on. In reality, they have no clue. It's quite amusing sometimes.

I spot Reese coming out of the bank, heading over to his car. He's alone so I saunter over to him to see what info he'll offer up.

"Someone wanted a withdrawal after banking hours I take it?"

Reese looked up from his notepad and looked at me. "Something like that."

Okay. I guess it was time to go fishing.

"Amateurs? Pros? What are we talkin'?"

Reese folded up his notepad and tucked it into the pocket inside his jacket. "Not sure."

He was starting to piss me off with his one-word answers.

"Not sure or you won't tell me?"

He sighed and rubbed his hand over his chin. "Look, Huntress I can't give you any information. The last time I did I nearly lost my job."

"Fine," I said as I put my hands up, letting him know I wasn't going to push.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"No. It's okay, I understand." I shrugged and back away from him. "I'll let you get back to work so you don't get fired."

"Huntress, I'm sorry."

I ignored his lame-ass apology and walked away. He didn't try to follow me so that indicated to me that he sincerely had no intention of telling me anything.

When I got around the corner, out of sight from the cops, I scaled the side of an apartment building and perched myself on the roof.

"Oracle, do you copy?"

:: I'm here. What'd you find out? ::

"Absolutely nothing. Reese refused to tell me even the smallest detail."

:: Well, we'll have to find out on our own after they leave. ::

I didn't hear what she had said because I was too pissed about Reese. "I'm so tired of his shit. Doesn't he know that he can trust me by now?"

I slammed my fist into the brick wall beside me and let out a groan of frustration.

:: Huntress, don't take it personal he's only doing his job. ::

Shaking out my sore hand, I bit on my bottom lip. I can't believe she's siding with him.

Wait a minute...yeah, I do believe it.

"I'm gonna hang up here for a while and wait for them to leave then I'll go inside and see what I can find."

:: You want me to send Dinah out? ::

It always amazes me how an intelligent person such as Barbara could ask such stupid questions.

"No. I'll call if I need back up. No sense in sending us both in and tripping an alarm or something."

:: Okay, but be careful. ::

"Aren't I always? Huntress out."

I turned my comm off and took a seat on the ledge of the roof where I could see the reflection of the police lights flashing from the street.

As I sat there, I thought about you-know-who. I couldn't help myself, I have feelings for the guy.

It's hard to say whether he has feelings for me because he's so hot and cold. Sometimes when I'm with him I feel his attraction and other times, like tonight, I feel nothing. I'm not sure how to take that and that's what pisses me off. Love is such a game and I'm not sure I have the patience to play.

***

A good two hours passed and the police FINALLY packed up and left.

I jumped over the rooftops to get to the bank's roof. I was careful to check that no stray cops were left, I didn't want any surprises.

"Oracle?"

:: Go ahead. ::

"The cops just left. I'm on the bank's roof."

:: Okay. There should be an air duct towards the middle of the roof. ::

"I see it."

:: There should be a small hatch to the right of the duct. ::

I looked all around and couldn't see anything. Then I kneeled down and felt around the gravel with my hands. In moving the gravel, I found a small door. "Got it, but it's got a lock on it. It's digital."

:: Already working on it, :: Barbara said as she typed like a madwoman.

Within a few seconds, the lock beeped and clicked.

:: Go ahead. ::

I pulled the small metal ring and opened the hatch and started climbing down the small, narrow ladder.

:: Climb down to the basement level. That's where the main vault is located. ::

I got to the basement and saw a small metal door to my left. I extended my hand towards the latch and opened it up slowly.

:: After you go through the door, take a right and then a left. That's the room before the main vault. I've disabled all of the lasers so you should be able to make it to the room without a problem. Just DON'T go any further until I tell you. ::

"Got it."

I got to the room and was surprised at the size of it considering there was nothing in it. Seemed like a waste of space.

"Why's this room so damn big?"

:: If the laser beams were on you'd be cut to ribbons. This room is a heavy grid of high-powered lasers that alternate their beams, making it almost impossible to get through because it's a random pattern. ::

There was blood on the floor towards one of the doors. Could have been a guard or one of the robbers who bit it.

"How we coming with the main vault?"

:: Almost there. ::

It was pretty scary that Barbara knew all these things about turning alarms off. Good thing she's on MY side.

:: Okay. You've only got two minutes. That's the best I could do. ::

I wasted no time in opening the door to the main vault and was shocked at the sight before me. Barbara must have heard me gasp.

:: What is it? ::

"There's alot of blood in here. Not much money, but lots of blood. On the floor, on the walls."

Closer inspection of the room made me notice small needles all over the floor near the pools of blood.

"That's weird."

:: What? ::

"There are little needles all over the floor."

:: What?!? ::

"Little needles. Like the ones they use for acupuncture."

:: Son-of-a... ::

"Oracle? You okay?"

:: Take one of the needles for testing and come on back. ::

Barbara paused for a moment.

:: I think I know who did this. ::

~ to be continued ~