"A bitch knows it's me"
It was chaos in the apartment. Zombies may have been slow, but they were persistent. There was also the mild issue of Sophie not being able to focus on Kate being a zombie and not the woman she once loved… or whatever.
Ryan had lunged forward. She was on the floor in a struggle with Kate. Luke was holding a grenade waiting for Ryan to give him permission.
Zombie Reagan took a swipe at Alice, but she jumped back in time, her dress getting ripped in the process. She looked down and back at the zombie Reagan, “oh dammit! I was hoping to return this. I live in a sewer. They don’t come with walk-in closets,” zombie Reagan growled, “what not a fan of small talk? Fine!” Alice swung her butterfly knife striking zombie Reagan in the throat. She fell to the floor.
Ryan was barely holding zombie Kate off. She underestimated the strength of a zombie, “Was she always this strong in real life?”
Sophie had just finished tussling with zombie Imani. The frail-built, almost unrecognisable young woman was currently pinned to the wall by a knife that hung her by the shirt there.
“No idea, but Imani is just as nondescript as I remember her,” she pulled Kate back from Ryan and as she spoke, “Kate, look at me? Are you in there?”
“I think I might throw up.”
“Ahmm guysss… ninety seconds for the plane’s arrival. Wait! No helicopter. That will dock in a plane,” Mary reread the message again, “why does Jada Jet own a military-grade fighter plane that can dock a helicopter in midair? You know what, I don’t want to know. We need to be ready so maybe we should accelerate this plan,” The plan was the helicopter would drop a ladder for each member of the Bat Team to climb up on. Sophie and Ryan would hold the fort while everyone (including Alice escaped).
“Sophie, we have to stick to the plan and—”
“Wouldn’t you try Ryan, wouldn’t you?” Sophie’s words were strained as she was preoccupied with holding zombie Kate back who had no vocabulary or presence to speak of. She may have presented with Kate’s general features, but Kate Kane was no longer present.
“You’re right I would. Look, I get it—”
“Come on! Sophie, Kate left this city, and she didn’t plan on returning. Then she did and you weren’t her first stop… she wasn’t even your last!”
“Ouch!” Sophie was stunned loosening her grip. The zombie took a cheap shot, elbowing Sophie in the neck,” She freed herself, gnarling and trailing in the direction of Ryan.
“Oh, a bitch knows it’s me,” Ryan dropped the knife she was holding and opted for her bare fists instead, “come at me you walking dead EX,” Ryan swung at zombie Kate in a quick coordinated fashion. She saw Sophie look away.
“Soph–”
She swallowed and responded, “Just do what you have to…”
“Say less,” Ryan pummeled zombie Kate into the ground. The ladder was lowered and Mary climbed up first. Sophie and Alice used bedding to create a rope barrier that held back the remaining zombies trying to enter the space. As each member of the Bat Team escaped, Sophie and Ryan were now facing all the zombies without any reinforcement.
“Ryan, you go… I’ll finish the plan.”
“What, Sophie… I’m Batwoman!” She looked into Sophie’s hand to see she was holding the grenade.
“Soph, that wasn’t the plan.”
“You’re not the only one who knows how to break a rule,” The rope ladder was dangling by the window.
“I’m not leaving you.”
“I’m not giving you a choice.”
“What are you going to do? Push me through the window and force me to save my own life?” That’s exactly what Sophie did. Ryan grabs the ladder in frustration, “SOPPPHHIIIEEE!”
“I need to do this Ryan,” Sophie stood face to face with zombie Kate. She could see Ryan climbing up the ladder in the corner of her eye.
“To be clear, I’m mad at you!”
Sophie smirked before returning her attention to the zombies in front of her.
“I’m sorry about this,” she meant it with sincerity. She shot Kate in the head and as many other zombies as the gun would allow. She ran towards the window pulling the grenade pin and tossing it behind her. It landed in Imani’s agape mouth. She stepped out the window, grabbing the rope ladder. Ryan was a couple of rungs away from entering the helicopter. Luke was at the top waiting to pull her in. Sophie climbing frantically, behind her Ryan’s loft exploded, the blowback from the blast destabilising the rope ladder causing it to spin. She slipped but she held on.
Ryan gasped at the top. She was anxiously pulling the ladder in shortening the distance of Sophie’s climb. She wanted the taller woman closer. She reached for Sophie’s hand to pull her in. Now safely in the helicopter, the door closed Ryan lashed out.
“Why would you do that?”
“Ryan, we’re fine. It’s all fine.”
“It wasn’t the plan.”
“You don’t hold the monopoly on sacrifice.”
“You could have died.”
“WE ALL COULD HAVE DIED RYAN!”
Alice walked her way over to Mary, “who’s going to tell them?”
Mary gave her stepsister a stern look, “Not us, stay out of it. You’re lucky to even be here.”
“Yea, I would have easily traded Alice for one of the zombies.”
“Contrary to what you may think, I do… feeell,” Alice’s signature lilt was unmistakable.
“What exactly is your problem, Ryan? You’re not one to hog the spotlight.”
“Guess I should start looking for apartments,” Sophie rolled her eyes, and tilted her head indicating to Ryan that she knew what she was doing.
“Deflecting.”
“It’s been established that we do that here.”
“Right. Well… I’m tired.”
“So, you’re going to rest for a bit.”
“Something like that,” Sophie walked away from Ryan replaying the conversation in her mind wondering if she should have said more or not.
“Not even a zombie apocalypse, eh?” The judgment in Luke’s voice was foremost on his tongue.
“A little on the nose, don’t you think?” Luke crossed his arms and glared at Gotham’s (if there was a city after this) next Commissioner, “Ryan, I know we almost died but I’ve been into you since long before I knew you were Batwoman and I was hoping that somewhere between killing zombies and finding an island to inhabit if we could go on a date. Yes, you will. Where? Oh? Right. We’re in a zombie apocalypse,” she huffed.
“Wait! You were into Ryan when you knew she was a criminal?”
“Is that what you took from all of that? Seriously, Luke.”
“It’s new information.”
“And the apocalypse isn’t?”
“I’m focused on what’s important.”
“Right.”
The helicopter shook causing the Bat Team to fall to the floor.
“What was that?”
“Air Zombie?”
“ALICE!”
The apocalypse wasn’t finished yet.