Slick (Birds of Prey)

Legend tells of a caped crusader Batman, guardian of New Gotham and his one true love Catwoman, the queen of the criminal underworld. Their passion left behind something extraordinary: A daughter, Huntress. Half-metahuman, she has taken up her father's mantle and under cover of the night, fights to protect the innocent and helpless. Joining her in this struggle, Oracle who was once Batman's protegee, Batgirl. She was caught in the crossfire of the war between Batman and Joker. Now she fights crime a different way: A master of the cyberrealms and mentor and trainer to heroes. Together, they have taken in a young runaway, Dinah. A metahuman herself with powers to open hidden doors to the mind powers that she is only beginning to explore. Together, these three are the protectors of New Gotham the Birds of Prey. My name is Alfred Pennyworth, and this is their story. It's hard for me to come here. - Why is that, Helena? I don't trust people. Luckily for you, this is your last court-mandated session. Then I must be officially sane. What a relief. You don't have to come back, unless you want to. I know you think you can't trust anyone but I'd like to help you, if you'd let me. Why is it so difficult for you to let people in, Helena? After Mom was killed I found out about my dad, who he was. Well, most people would be excited to discover that a billionaire philanthropist like Bruce Wayne was their father. I only wanted one thing from him: That he find the man that killed my mother. And then? And then I wanted that man dead. We can't just go around killing people, Helena. Yeah, that's That's what I hear. All I wanted from him was revenge. If it had been the other way, Mom would've done it. They hadn't been together in years. She would've killed for him. And that's when I learned what my mom always knew: Rely on no one but yourself. What's wrong with you people? I'm talking about real money here. Ooh! Real money, guys. What's real money to you, Slick? More than your pension cash, I'll tell you that. I've got some years in, my pension's looking pretty sweet. - How about you, Reese? - I need money, I hit the casino. - Oh, that ever work for you? - Mm, not yet. I'm not talking jackpot cash here, okay? I'm talking lottery cash, 25 million. Mm-hm, okay. - Split it however you want. Okay, okay. Thirty, okay? Come on. Tell you what, Slick. I'm a simple guy so I'm gonna do you a favor. I'm gonna leave this thing at robbery, and I'm gonna forget all about the generous, although misguided, attempt to bribe three good cops. Okay? So why don't you sit tight while we get you processed, huh? If I had a nickel for every time a perp offered me a bribe We'd all make real money. If you're looking for your paycheck, forget it. I don't reward failure. Excuse me, beautiful, I did my job. I got in the truck. You didn't say anything about cops. I asked you to hijack one armored truck, a job you assured me you could do in your sleep, and you got caught. Heh, people who work for Harley Quinn don't get caught. Oh, calm down, baby. Nobody has to lose any body parts here. Hee-hee, don't be so sure. I know, I've only been in New Gotham for a few months and maybe this kind of pathetic screwup passes for crime in this town? Things are gonna change. New Gotham ran the Joker out on a rail. Now he's locked up in a prison far away from here. This city is gonna pay for what they did to my sweet Mr. J. I'll have a vengeance that will be spoken of in terrified whispers for generations to come. Do you understand? Not exactly, no. Ah, I'm gonna take over New Gotham, you idiot. You really ought to see someone about those mood swings. I've decided to give you one more chance, Slick. And I know you won't let me down. We only have a week before you start classes. We need to finish filling these - Out. - Oh, sorry. Quite a nice throw, actually. Excellent velocity. Uh, this isn't the Batarang I gave you for practice. I know, but this one has three times the range of the regular ones plus all the automated stuff. It's way cooler. I know, I designed it. Look, Dinah, your training is meant to prepare you in stages. You need to learn one step before moving on to the next. Which means mastering the basic weapons before you use the ones with bells and whistles. And, uh, target-seeking capabilities. - Greetings, super-friends. - Hi, good morning. How was your sweep? Slow night: Two muggers, store robbery. Hardly worth the effort. How can they need this much information to let one girl into school? I wanna show you something. What do you think of this for my first-day-of-school outfit? What? Kind of a draft-me-for-the-chess-club thing going on. I'll need to get your basic information: Birth certificate, social security, that sort of thing. There isn't any. Sorry? Um, information. There isn't any. There was a fire at the county courthouse and all the records burned. Well, I'll at least need to get your transcripts. Uh, they burned too. Your transcripts would be at the school, not the courthouse. Well, it was a really big fire. Well, what about your parents? They're dead. Um, I'm gonna go practice in the training room, okay? Poor kid. You can't mean to tell me you actually bought that. Have a heart, Helena. I took you in at the same age. Yeah, and I used to lie to you all the time, only I was better at it. Uh, not that much better. Okay, fine. I'll do a background check on her, okay? But I'm telling you, there's no reason to panic. Something panic-worthy always happens right after you say that. Okay, look, she's not just a runaway, she's a metahuman like you. Now, you know better than I do how hard the world is for kids like that. Okay Hey. - Wade, hi. - Hi. - Hi. - How are the lesson plans coming? Oh, you know School is always so much more peaceful before the kids get here. They do kind of clutter the place up. Maybe we should Ha, ha. So about Ha, ha. - Go ahead, I'm sorry. - It's um No, please. Well, I was just gonna say should we make plans? - I thought you forgot. - Well, actually, I thought you forgot. Heh. Oh, no, no, no. Um, the other day, I was just in the midst of, well kind of an emergency. - Is everything all right? - Yeah. Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. Yeah, it's just, um, this business I have with my friend Helena. - What kind of business? - Gourmet baking. Uh, custom fudge and muffin tops. We sell them online. It's sort of a moonlighting, hobby sort of thing. Emergencies in the baking world? We take our culinary responsibilities very seriously. Well, you're just gonna have to trust me with the plans. Ah. I promise they will be silly and absolutely mindless. So I said yes. Good. It's about damn time. All this crime-fighting without a social life is making you grouchy. I'm not grouchy, I'm just realistic. All my relationships come with an expiration date. I mean, the moment he asks: "So hey. Hey, why can't you just blow off this late-night baking gig?" The muffin-top cover story? Possibly the lamest thing you've ever come up with. You just get to a point where you can't lie anymore. Never been there. You'll have to tell me what it's like. Speaking of lying, about Dinah? - Oh, I ran a background check. - You did? What'd you find? - Nothing. - So I guess I should be relieved she's not an ax murderer. No, I mean nothing. No records at all. I mean, as if she didn't exist. She gave us a false name. You're just getting around to mentioning this now? - I thought you might overreact. - I'm not overreacting. I'm very calmly pointing out that we have no idea who this girl is. Actually, we do. I ran a facial-recognition autosearch on yearbook photos from Missouri going back five years. Meet Dinah Redmond of Opal, Missouri. Population, 2541. Some truancy, she's run away a few times. She'd been living with her foster family. Her parents gave her up. Anyway, the point is, now we know that she really is a runaway and not some criminal mastermind. Known by other aliases as, oh, "The Truth. " - She'll tell us when she's ready. - And until then you're just gonna trust her? With all this top-secret, super-classified intel around here? - She could get into anything. Hey, guys. That's my sweater! - Well, you said I should dress better. - Not in my clothes. Hey, time out. There will be absolutely no use of super-powers to settle domestic disagreements. You, get changed. You, come with me. That was my favorite sweater. I think she's evil. You think she could be evil? If you would just take your clothes home once in a while instead of leaving them all over the Clocktower she wouldn't have found your sweater to begin with. You know what, this is not about clothing and you know it. Easy for you to say, she's not poaching your daywear. Her parents didn't even report her missing. Sounds like she had a reason to run away. - Still don't know what that was. - She's got incredible potential. I just have this gut feeling that So do I. Like I'm about to get sucker-punched. Helena, think about how we learned. How we all learned. Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Jason Todd, even you. It's more than a tradition, it's a legacy. Take in those like us, mentor and train them. Never turn away someone with the hunger to become what we are. That's what your father would have done. Batman was your role model, not mine. Yeah, you keep saying that. Barbara? Helena? Hello? Are you guys there? What is it, Dinah? - Oh, okay. There's a big red light flashing on the Delphi monitor system. What do I do? Oh, there's the download button. Don't touch anything. We're on our way back. Okay. Deceased is male, mid-30s. He's 36, and the deceased has a name. Jack Barnstone. He's a cop. Cause of death is consistent with asphyxiation but there are no ligature marks, no external abrasions or bruising. And no sign of anything lodged internally that could have caused the blockage. - But that's not the weird thing. - Great, a weird thing. Look at this: Skin discoloration, pink foam around the lips. These are all signs consistent with drowning but there was no water found near the victim and no signs that the body's been moved, so drowning is pretty much impossible. No, it's not impossible. The Delphi Protocol is a database program I created. It automatically tracks and sorts crimes reported in New Gotham and then alerts us to anything unusual. - The freakedelic stuff. - Yep. I'm piggybacked on to the New Gotham P. D. Computer so we get information simultaneously with the police. - Is that legal? - No. The coroner finished the autopsy. They're listing cause of death as heart failure. So? So of course his heart stopped. The question is, why? I need some lung tissue. Come on, it's Friday night. What's a weekend without lung tissue? It's late, Grace. - Are you gonna be okay to get home? - Yeah, fine. I'll see you guys in the morning. Grace, we're all gonna miss Jack. Yeah. Damn it. You. - What the hell are you doing here? - Miss me? So how's the lung tissue? Alveolar distention clearly indicates drowning. And yet there's no excess of fluid in the cells. - Do I look all right? - Beautiful. Go on your date, relax. - I'll mind the fort. - Okay. You see what I'm saying about the lung-cell distortions, right? Really, how do I look? Like you need to leave. Right, leaving. Okay, there's pizza in the freezer and Alfred's number is on the fridge. Okay, you know what? I've gotta ask. Even though it risks delaying your long-overdue departure even further but how are you doing that? - Doing what? That thing with your chair? That steering-with-no-hands thing? Ah. It's pretty cool, huh? Yeah, I've been, uh, tinkering. It's a transponder strapped to my spine. Uh, a subneural-response net that interfaces directly with the chair's computerized motor controls. You're techno-babbling. I think, therefore the chair moves. Hey, but if it's plugged into your spine, could you, um? Use the technology to get out of the chair sometime? Anything is possible. Do you think it's possible that you might leave for your date? Okay, okay. I'm going, I'm going. - Be good. - Mm, I'll try. I don't usually let people push me, heh. Since this requires you to close your eyes you're gonna have to let me drive. You can look now. Oh, wow. It's beautiful. Well, I thought it might beat out dinner and a movie. - How did you get in here? - I said I was your sister. Great. Just what I need another relative with a creative relationship with the truth. Well, I thought this way, I might actually get you to talk to me. So talk. You don't want me here, do you? It seems like all I ever look at is the skyline of New Gotham. Never the sky. Ah, so I'm broadening your horizons. Day job, night job. It sounds to me like you spend way too much time on work. What about your heart? I think it's still in there somewhere. Sure it is. Who is it? It's just an automated system. Ignore it. Wade, I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll make it up to you. I promise. What we do is dangerous. Been out on the field on my own for a very long time and that's the way I like it. I came here to be like you. I want this more than I've ever wanted anything. I thought if I told you how important this was to me, that you'd understand. - So why can't you just tell me the truth? - That is the truth. Your parents aren't dead, are they? It's not that easy. It's complicated. You're 16, how complicated can it be? Heh. Yeah, and when you were 16, life was really simple and straightforward. Okay, that's totally different and completely besides the point. Trust isn't something that you can just be given, it has to be earned. Then let me earn it. If you would just give me a chance, I know I can prove it to you. When? When we're out on the field and it's full-on kill-or-be-killed combat? Heh. I need to be completely sure that someone's got my back. And there's only one person I can count on for that. It's me. Have you seen Dinah? Yeah, she's here. Good, I was worried. But if she's with you, then I I'm suddenly realizing I'm still worried. Why are you home? It's not even 11 yet. How was your date? Interrupted. Another cop is dead. Same circumstance as Barnstone: Drowned on dry land. Catching up on current events? "Man kills ex-girlfriend then himself. " Nice. I have a professional interest. George was a patient. Guess the therapy didn't take, ha. Oh? I wouldn't say that. I was the one who told him the key to his mental well-being was to express his rage. That's not bad work, for an amateur. Why do you waste your time? I mean, a day job for a supervillain? It's so bourgeois. George and my other patients aren't work, they're hobbies. You know, like golf? Recreational. You ever heard of the Greek goddess Eris? The Romans called her Discord, the sower of strife. She started everything from petty arguments to cataclysmic wars while she just sat back and watched. Untouched. Now there was a girl who knew how to delegate. You lost me, babe. Yeah, well, that's what happens when you regularly turn your brain to water. Aren't you late for your appointment with the good detective? I do need all three cops out of the picture this time. I just can't bear the idea of you screwing up my little hijacking plan again. Don't worry. It's as good as done. Take care of the cop and go get my truck Slick. Don't fail me again. We've got a link. The cops who died were connected by a case a few weeks ago. They stopped the hijacking of a truck by a guy named Silas Waters, a. k. a. Slick. The truck was carrying military ordnance and we're talking major-league, major-league weaponry. - Missiles, launchers, grenades, C4. - All the fun toys. Let me guess, Slick's out on bail. Uh, not exactly. The police booked him and locked him up. The next time somebody looked for him, he'd vanished. - A metahuman? - Someone who could transform into some kind of fluid thin enough to go down a drain. We could call him Liquid Guy. Uh, I'm just trying to contribute. Police report said Slick tried to bribe them with a cut. The weapons had a black-market value of s30 million. - Cops said no. - No to s30 million? What kind of idiot says no to s30 million? You again. - Can I help you? - Actually, I'm here to help you. There's not a lot of time though, somebody's trying to kill you. You mind if I get my clothes? And by the way, who are you? - Grace Tanner's dead. - What? - When? - About an hour ago. - Slick Waters. - Has to be. So now you think the guy's coming after me, huh? Well, listen, I appreciate the heads up, but I can take care of myself. Heh, look. You don't understand what you're dealing with. Waters is no ordinary criminal. He can liquefy. Wherever water can go, he can too. Liquefy? Like Like a liquid guy. Is this a joke? Your friends drowned on dry land. Waters escaped through a drain. - Do you have a better explanation? - Is there actually a worse one? Congratulations. You've managed to convince him you're totally insane. Do you mind? I am trying to have a conversation here. Oh, right, right, the invisible friend. I almost forgot about that part. Look, I am just trying to help you. Lady, you look. I know a lot of strange things may happen here in New Gotham but a guy made out of water? Come on, that's just ridiculous. - Oracle, he's here. - Huntress? Huntress, can you read me? Huntress? Huntress! Huntress, is there a fire extinguisher near you? Listen to me, get the fire extinguisher and spray him. Huntress, can you hear me? Are you all right? Once I had an actual ass to kick, I was fine. How'd you know the extinguisher would work? I figured Slick had to reach a certain active molecular state to be able to shift phases from solid to liquid. Speak English, please. Uh, cool him down, he's Solid Guy. It's a temperature thing. That That was I mean, he was - Is he still in there? - I don't know. - Just get out of there. - We gotta go. Now wait a minute, there's a murder suspect in there, um uh, possibly. - You gonna arrest him? With what, a bucket? Assuming he hasn't already gone down the drain. Go. Huntress, talk to me. I'm busy right now. Keep it closed. Oh, my What the? It's a temperature thing. It's hot. How long are we gonna have to stay in here? I need to come up with a way to disable this guy. - It won't be long. - Better not be or I'm gonna melt. Okay, so what? What, we're trapped in here now? And when we go out there and he? What, he gets us? On the positive side, he comes in, he's air freshener. Ha, ha. All right, um, what the hell is going on? I mean, for all I know, you had something to do with Jack and Grace's deaths. You don't believe that. I don't know what to believe right now. Not about you, about any of this. What I just saw at that pool, that's not possible. Funny, you strike me as the kind of guy that believes in the impossible. Well, it's a little hard not to, when you're standing here talking to it. Aren't you worried that I might tell somebody? I mean, why are you letting me see you? Because it was the only way I could save your life. Stay put. You can't go out there until we know where this guy is. - I'm working on a way to neutralize - She's really worried. Is Helena okay? Oh, Miss Helena is remarkably capable. She can take care of herself. - Alfred? - Mm-hm? My whole life, I grew up thinking that there was no one like me. You know, that I was all alone. Then I come here and I finally meet someone who's like me. You know, someone who I can admire and look up to. Seems like all I can do is piss her off. If I were you, I would be more concerned if Miss Helena weren't upset with you. Why? I've always found that how much someone cares about you is directly proportional to how much you can piss them off, as it were. This Slick guy what if Barbara can't find a way for Helena to fight him? They're superheroes, Miss Dinah. They're familiar with tight situations. Why is it so important to you to know what goes on in New Gotham after nightfall? Most people would do anything to convince themselves the world is a safe, sane, and normal place. But not you. You're actually chasing the madness. I've got my reasons. I'm wondering what they are. Heh. You know, you're not exactly the poster girl for full disclosure. And what's that supposed to mean? It means you're gonna have to keep right on wondering. Look, I gotta get out of here. I'm on assignment tonight. I don't think Slick gives a damn about our work schedule. Someone can replace you. You can't be the only honest cop in New Gotham. No, I'm the only one left on tonight's detail. The other two are dead. Wait a minute, Barnstone and Tanner were on tonight's detail with you? Yeah. Where are you supposed to be? Reese was on a detail scheduled to escort another transport of military weapons tonight. It's the same deal as that attempted hijacking a few weeks ago. The cargo is hardcore stuff: Surface-to-air missiles, flamethrowers, plastic explosives. Enough firepower to start your own little war. Looks like Slick wasn't in it for revenge. If at first you don't succeed This time they're killing the cops that can't be bought. We have to assume whoever's taking Barnstone, Tanner and Reese's place is in Slick's pocket. Cops. What's the going rate? The cruiser assigned to guard the truck has a standard-issue Gotham P. D. GPS locator. It's been stationary the last five minutes. Looks like that's our location. Look, we still don't know how to stop Slick, Helena. Be careful. Well, I know one thing. If he's off robbing a truck, he's not outside this door. - That would stand to reason. - It's stuck. He must have wedged it shut from the outside. All right, guys, let's get these weapons out of the truck. Let's move. Bulletproof, bombproof, fireproof but not waterproof. Huntress, what's your status? We're in position, and we got here just in time to crash the party. - Crash? Hi, boys, can I play? Was it good for you? Because it sure is for me. You okay, kid? Yeah, yeah. Um, I found Dinah. What, there? Is she okay? She's fine. She's really great. Then tell her she's grounded. I guess this means I'm grounded. Take the car back. I'll catch up. Okay. You all right? With which part, hmm? Getting drowned by Liquid Guy? Not knowing what's real anymore? Or getting dehydrated from five hours in a sauna? This was a slow night. What the hell am I supposed to do with what I've just seen? What, just forget about it? If you talk, nobody's gonna believe you. They will if you come with me. Can't do that, Reese. That's your world, not mine. So then, we're right back where we started. - You don't trust me? - You won't tell me who you are. Or why you do what you do. Right now, you're asking for more than I can give. You saved my life and I'm grateful. But gratitude is not the same as trust. Can't you just tell me, who are you? It's complicated. Look, Reese. Sometimes you just have to make the leap let go and believe. I wish I could. Well? - Dinah, I Heh. - Helena Let me go first. I told you trust had to be earned and I was wrong. Trust is a gift. You were there for me when it mattered for both of us. And as for the rest of it, it's an act of faith believing in someone. I believe in you. Whatever your name is. Redmond. My name is Dinah Redmond and I have been lying to you about everything. My mother left me with foster parents when I was 6. And they taught me to be ashamed of what I was never to tell anyone to hide it. Then when I couldn't hide it anymore, they were gonna take me somewhere. Somewhere to make my powers stop. And I thought if I told you my real name that you'd call them and they'd take me away. Dinah, don't you ever wanna go home? Being here with you it is the only place I have ever, ever felt at home in my entire life. Come on, kid, let's see what Alfred left us for dinner. - You're still grounded. - Absolutely. Barbara, what? I promised I'd make it up to you. Heh, I I mean, I know it's not nearly as romantic but I thought it might do as an apology. Definitely. It was weird, fighting side by side with Reese. What was it like? Kind of like a first date. Mm, yeah, I'd buy that. Considering every time you get next to him you can't shut up. Invisible friend. He's really gotten under your skin, hasn't he? You know guys don't get to me. Besides, who has time for a real relationship anyway? Yeah. You know, I still can't figure it out. What did Slick want with that firepower? You said it yourself. It's worth a fortune on the black market. Yeah, but so are a lot of things and for a guy like Slick, most of them are easier to steal. So you think Slick was just a front man. For who? Helena, what can I do for you? I've been rethinking this whole do-everything-by-myself thing and I've decided I want to continue therapy even though I don't have to. Maybe a little help sometimes isn't so bad. Please, come in. I met a guy. Why don't you tell me about him. Ocelot12