To End the Criminals' Reigns

Batgirl didn't mind so much the balls that were ricocheting off her lurex-encased body. She had wound up black and blue many times before from various traps, and as difficult as it was, she could deal with it, both physically and mentally.

The tennis balls hitting her in the face — that was another story. It wasn't the Dominoed Daredoll was vain about her pretty visage and the outward damage it might be suffering. The problem was it was becoming difficult to concentrate and focus on a way out of the Diabolical Diva's latest deathtrap.

Meanwhile, next to Batgirl, Flamebird was trying to plot her next move. Although the projectiles were hurting her physically just as much as they were Batgirl, she at least was used to having tennis balls whizzed at her, although not necessarily this many and at this high of a speed. She knew as Betty Kane, she had the skill and hand-eye coordination to fend off at least some of the tennis balls. Unfortunately, she, of course, didn't have a racket handy.

'Think, girl, think! What do I have on me that could work?'

Flamebird thought about what was available in her utility belt.

'I don't have a thing!' she despondently realized.

Then she remembered something one of her first tennis coaches had told her. ‘There’s nothing in the rules to prevent someone from playing with a frying pan if she wanted to.’

Suddenly, two possibilities came to mind! ‘My belt itself or my goggles might work! My timing will have to be perfect and I’m not sure they can stand up to the strain, but I’ve got to try!’

Naturally, she decided to try her belt first. Batgirl might not recognize her without her goggles, but there was no reason to remove them as the first option.

Of course, the primary problem was getting to her belt! Flamebird needed to free one of her hands and arms enough so she could reach the clasp of her belt, undo it, remove her belt and swing it.

The Goggled Gal said with frustration, "If only we could get off this Vel–"

Batgirl stopped her. "The correct term is hook and loop bond." Barbara Gordon's study of encyclopedias came to the forefront. "Whatever this stuff is, though, Siren had it altered so it would adhere to our costumes."

"Well, what can we do to get loose?" The pain was making Flamebird squint. The balls were still being fired from the machine at the same speed, only more frequently by the minute.

"If I remember correctly," Batgirl answered, "what we need to do is exert force perpendicular to the walls, and the bonds holding us in place should start loosening slightly, perhaps enough for us to free our arms."

Batgirl and Flamebird began wiggling their torsos as much as they could, trying to create some separation between themselves and the wall.

After much exertion, Flamebird finally was able to get her left arm unstuck. Moments later, Batgirl's right arm came free. The constant pounding of the balls being fired at the wall, and at the wall's unwilling squatters, also seemed to have an effect as the bonds were loosening. Yet both heroines still couldn't get off the wall.

Flamebird, though, now was able to reach her utility belt. 'Well, I wouldn't take this on the Tour,' she thought, 'but maybe it will do!'

The Girl Wonder began wielding the belt as deftly as she could with only one arm. Her first few efforts failed badly, as the limp belt barely changed the trajectory of the tennis balls. Soon, however, Flamebird was able to make the belt taut at exactly the right instant, deflecting the balls she could reach away from her and Batgirl.

‘Good thing I can hit a forehand with either hand!’ thought the young athlete.

The Caped Crimefightress was surprised by Flamebird's ability to deflect the balls, as if the younger woman were returning serves in a game of tennis. She watched in amazement as her crimefighting cohort was able to stop most of the balls before they could do any damage. Eventually, once Flamebird's right arm had been freed, the Girl Wonder switched hands from time to time with incredible dexterity.

Flamebird wasn't thinking about their current plight, as she had entered what athletes call, "The Zone." In her mind, it was as if Betty Kane were on Centre Court at Wimbledon, a match point away from the title. Sweat ran down her face and beneath her goggles. Bruises covered her body, but she barely noticed.

A few balls were out of reach and hit Batgirl on her left side and legs, but the younger heroine was able to protect the Dark Knight Damsel from the vast majority of felt-covered missiles. Batgirl groaned, though, as one shot blasted her in the lower left quadrant of her abdomen.

“Sorry!” Flamebird cried.

“Don’t worry about it, Flamebird. You’re doing great! Keep it up!”

‘Thank goodness my belt is holding up under this onslaught!’ the Goggled Gal thought.

Finally, the machine ran out of balls. Flamebird, even though both her arms ached, was, on one level, almost disappointed. She took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure.

"How did you do that?!" Batgirl asked with something akin to awe, her eyes registering her shock as she twisted to look at her comrade. "Do you play?"

"I used to, a little bit," Flamebird said with as much of a shrug as she could muster, considering her back still was adhered to the wall.

Batgirl reached into her utility belt and looked for her cellphone. She had to call her friend Lieutenant Diana Mooney as soon as possible to let her know of Siren's plans. Batgirl hated leaving things up to the police, but perhaps the Anti-Siren Task Force could stop the evil Englishwoman.

There was, however, one problem. Batgirl couldn't find her cellphone. She looked for it frantically, but it wasn't there.

'Could Siren have taken it?' she thought. If that was the case, Siren either didn't have much faith in her deathtraps; had gained a very healthy respect for her main adversary; or wanted to use Batgirl’s phone for some nefarious purpose.

“Flamebird, do you have a cellphone or some other kind of communicator?”

“Sure!” she replied enthusiastically. Then she said more cautiously, “If it’s still in one piece.”

Flamebird searched the appropriate compartment. “It’s . . . gone!”

Whatever the reason the Siren had for taking their phones, Batgirl's call would have to wait until they could get off the wall.

Meanwhile, across town, Siren and Sirena entered Networld Headquarters, with the beautiful and hypnotized Katherine Kane in tow. The Networld building was in Monarch County, south of downtown Gotham City, yet still considered a part of the city. Kathy originally had shrewdly located her fledgling business there because the rents were lower. Even after Networld became wildly successful, she had opted to stay rather than move downtown.

Siren had made one of her many wardrobe changes, going from her tennis-themed togs to a black sweater with a light yellow ascot and a white skirt. The skirt's hemline was almost as high as the one on her traditional silver Greco-Roman gown.

The security guard at the front desk quickly sized up the situation. He didn't like what he saw.

"Ms. Kane!" he called.

There was no answer from Katherine, but he did receive an angry glance from the English enchantress.

"I think you might need an attitude adjustment, sir," the Diabolical Diva said as her scowl softened into an evil grin.

Before the evil enchantress could open her mouth, however, the guard pressed a button underneath the table, alerting the police to the fact security had been breached. Siren saw what he had done and became enraged as she let loose her supersonic note.

The guard immediately was stunned.

"That was very impertinent of you," Siren said as her icy green eyes stared at him. "Your punishment will be to remain motionless until I give you permission to move. That means you cannot move your mouth, either. I normally would ask you if you understand, but to respond would be to disobey me. I know you will not do so."

The guard sat straight, his eyes blank.

"Good," Siren said evilly. "I now will deal with the police."

Within moments, two of Gotham City's Finest were outside the building. Sergeant O'Rourke and Officer Pelzman quickly decided on their plan of attack. They would split up, with O'Rourke going to the back entrance and Pelzman entering from the front. Both had their revolvers drawn, but they were about to be shocked and quite literally stunned by the respective fates that awaited them.

Officer Pelzman got his first surprise immediately after he came through the door. Quickly surveying the situation, he noticed the guard at the front security desk was staring straight ahead, his body completely motionless.

"What the–" Pelzman said before he was distracted. In his peripheral vision, he saw a gorgeous brunette approaching slowly. He recognized her . . . but it was too late.

Within seconds, the full force of Siren's stunning note washed over the transfixed officer. He involuntarily sank to his knees in front of the Diabolical Diva.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the universe," he gushed, his blue eyes staring at Siren. "I am yours to command, gorgeous Siren."

The dazzling diva looked at the name tag on his uniform’s shirt. "That's quite nice of you, Officer . . . Pelzman?" she said as she patted him on the head. She pronounced his name with a long “e,” which was incorrect, but he didn’t care.

"Please," he pleaded, "give me an order! I want to serve you forever, Siren."

Siren had become somewhat blasé about her incredible power over men, but even she couldn't help but be taken aback by the cop's display of devotion. 'I've never seen a man THIS enthralled by me,' she thought, 'and that's saying something.'

"I do have a job for you, sir," she said as she stroked his face.

"Anything." Pelzman said, "Anything you command, I will do."

"Splendid," the enchanting Englishwoman said. She then pointed to the catatonic guard at the front desk.

"As you can see, I have incapacitated the guard to this entrance. Thus, I need someone to make sure no intruders interrupt my business here. I want you to be on the 'lookout,' as you colonists say, for any costumed heroes or heroines, as well as any of your fellow police, male or female."

"And what should I do if I see one?"

"It's quite simple. You will shoot to kill first, and pose queries afterward. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Siren. I will do anything to protect you. Anything."

Siren smiled wickedly. "Do your new job well, Officer, and I might be able to find a place for you in my organization . . . or, perhaps, some other reward."

The officer's eyes widened. "Being close to you is reward enough, Siren."

"Thank you," Siren said, beaming. "Cheerio." She waved as she walked away. As she passed the guard, she said, “you now may relax your muscles and go to sleep.” The guard closed his eyes.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING, A SIMILAR SCENE IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE.

Sergeant O'Rourke kept swiveling his head, looking in all directions, as he came into the Networld Headquarters through a back entrance.

It was at that point he saw her.

Sirena, dressed in a black halter top with matching black micro mini-skirt and black boots, was kneeling in the hallway, with seemingly a look of sadness on her gorgeous face. O'Rourke swallowed hard. He was almost in disbelief at her attire. He tried desperately to approach her as he would any suspect, but it was nearly impossible. He almost felt as if he were being beckoned by the blonde enchantress.

"Come a little closer," she said, breaking into a smile. "I won't hurt you."

"I don't want to hurt you, either," he said as he approached, "but I'm going to have to take you into custody." The policeman was trying not to be distracted by Sirena's beauty and provocative clothing, yet he could feel his heart pounding and sweat forming on his face.

Sirena shook her head sadly. "I don't like that idea. Here's a better one."

She opened her mouth wide and let loose with a stunning note. The sergeant's jaw dropped and his eyes glazed over as Sirena's hypnotic spell began to take effect. He stood motionless as she got to her feet and walked to him.

"Now, officer, you are under my spell," she said. "Oh, I almost forgot. I'm Sirena."

"Your wish is my command, Sirena. What can I do for you?"

"Well, first, how about a kiss?"

The sergeant nodded, closed his eyes and took the blonde beauty in his arms. Although under Sirena's spell, she noted he seemed quite passionate during the kiss, and not robotic in any way.

Finally Sirena reluctantly pulled away, realizing her impatient and easily-angered mentor would be upset if the younger siren didn't accomplish quickly the task to which she had been assigned. Sergeant O'Rourke appeared even more crestfallen.

Sirena looked him straight in his hazel eyes and said, "I have a job for you."

"Whatever you want," he said. Sirena quickly searched her memory to make sure she imparted Siren's instructions exactly.

"I want you to guard this entrance. If any of your fellow officers, or any costumed heroes or heroines, enter, I want you to shoot to kill. You will protect me at all costs."

"Of course I will," he said, putting his revolver in his holster. "You are all that matters to me."

Sirena smiled. "That's so sweet," she said, although, as she sized up the handsome police sergeant, she also was thinking, 'I hope it doesn't come to that. I think the two of us could find a lot better things to do.'

Sirena blew him a kiss, a move she learned from Siren, and was gone. Sergeant O'Rourke sighed as she walked away, following her every move with his eyes.

As Sirena was leaving, her cellphone vibrated. "Yes, Siren, I just took care of it." She paused. "I hope it doesn't get to that point."

"Trust me, young lady, it won't. I shall see you momentarily."

The Diabolical Diva ended the call and punched in another number. "Yes, would you please connect me with Left-enant Diana Mooney. I promise you it is a matter of the utmost urgency."

The police operator was surprised by Siren's pronunciation of the word, "lieutenant," but immediately put the call through.

"What is it now, Siren?" Diana asked with more than a trace of impatience in her voice. Much as it had with Batgirl, the policewoman's pursuit of Siren had become personal.

"I would suggest you discard that attitude, Left-enant," Siren said sternly. "I merely am trying to save lives.

"Left-enant," she continued, "I have two of your male police colleagues here at Networld Headquarters, which I now own. The two constables are under the control of myself and my associate, who have transformed them into . . . how might you colonists say . . . 'killing machines.' They both have been instructed to shoot on sight any officer of the law or costumed hero or heroine . . . although there are at least two costumed heroines about whom they will not have to worry. Anyway, if you want your colleagues to be cold-blooded killers, go ahead and storm the building. If you do not, I strongly suggest you and everyone else maintain their distance."

Lieutenant Mooney wondered about the cryptic statement about the "two heroines," but she decided she could ponder it later. Holding her temper in check, she simply said, "Excuse me," to Siren and reluctantly got on the police transmitter. "This is Lieutenant Mooney, director of the Anti-Siren Task Force," she announced with a sigh audible to everyone on the frequency. "I am ordering all units to stay away from the Networld building. I repeat, stay away from the Networld building. Possible hostage situation in progress. Suspects armed and very dangerous. That is all."

Diana ended the transmission and picked up the phone again. "I heard that, Left-enant," Siren said as a greeting. "Smashing. Saving lives is your vocation, and that is what you have done."

"Do you have any demands?" Mooney asked.

"Not at the moment. Perhaps at a later time. Cheerio!"

Siren hung up.

Diana immediately called Batgirl’s cellphone, partly because she was concerned for her safety after Siren’s allusion to “two costumed heroines,” and partly because she and her task force could use Batgirl’s help in such a situation. There was no answer.

‘That can’t be good,’ the Lieutenant thought, although she didn’t have time at the moment to worry too long about Batgirl’s safety. Action needed to be taken immediately. She quickly consulted with Commissioner Gordon about setting up a command post, unobtrusively, near the Networld building.

“Have you talked to Batgirl?” he asked, already knowing the answer. The Commissioner hadn’t spoken to his daughter yet that day, and already was fearing the worst as Lieutenant Mooney apprised him of the situation.

“No, I have not,” she said, “but I hope to get in touch with her soon.”

“I hope so,” the Commissioner agreed, trying to mask his concern. “I’m sure she could help. Let me know when you talk to her.” He purposely did not say “if.”

“I certainly will,” Diana said as she hung up.

It took about ten minutes for the two heroines to complete the laborious process of getting themselves unstuck from the wall. It took them much longer, however, to complete their next task.

The two heroines split up, desperately searching for a phone. Although they weren’t certain of the Diabolical Divas’ exact plans, they knew the scheme involved Katherine Kane and Networld.

Unfortunately, the abandoned warehouse didn’t have any telephones. In addition, they knew the chances of finding a working pay phone in the warehouse district were virtually nil.

Flamebird was racing along a deserted industrial street when she heard the sound of a eighteen-wheel truck coming towards her. She made her way to the center of the road and waved her arms over her head.

Sam Compton was eager to complete a thousand mile drive from the Midwest. He was not prepared to encounter a colorfully-clad young woman in the middle of the road. Although vaguely familiar with Gotham City’s costumed heroes, he had never seen a picture of Flamebird.

Sam pulled the truck to a stop. Flamebird ran around to the driver’s side of the cab as he rolled down the window.

“Can I help you . . . miss?”

“Please, sir, I need to use your phone. It’s an emergency!”

“Uh . . . sure.” Sam handed his cellphone to Flamebird. “Say, you’re not Batgirl, are you?”

“No,” the Goggled Gal said as she punched in a number. Although she was almost frantic with worry over her aunt, her ebullient personality bubbled to the surface. She gave the driver a quick smile and continued, “but play your cards right and you might get to meet her.”

“Wow.”

Flamebird got a hold of Lieutenant Mooney and received the bad news. She learned about both Siren's whereabouts and the precautions the villainess had taken to avoid capture.

"I'm glad you two are all right," Diana said. "Siren made a cryptic reference about not having to worry about you anymore."

"I understand it's not the first time she's made that mistake," the Girl Wonder said, her characteristic bravado showing. "I suspect it won't be the last."

“Is Batgirl there?”

“No, we had to split up to try to find a phone.”

Mooney didn’t have much experience with Gotham City’s youngest heroine, but decided to ask Flamebird for her opinion. "What do you think we should do? I've already sent some members of the task force to stake out the building from a safe distance, but I'm worried about Siren’s next move."

"Well, I'm sure she took over Networld for a reason. We've just got to figure it out. I honestly don't think anybody is in immediate danger, unless we try to get in there."

"I know," Diana agreed, sighing. "Siren believes people under her spell are a lot more useful than the dead, so I can't see her killing any of her hostages."

"I hope you’re right," Flamebird fervently said. “All right, Lieutenant, I’m going to find Batgirl. We’ll get over to Networld as soon as we can. Goodbye.”

Flamebird ended the call and handed the phone up to the driver. “What’s your name, sir?”

“Sam . . . Sam Compton.”

“OK, Sam. How would you like to help stop a couple of super-villainesses . . . and meet Batgirl in the process?”

“I’d like that a lot! What can I do?”

“Let me in and start driving that way,” Flamebird pointed in the direction Batgirl had ran, “and then start blowing that horn of yours!”

With her "business" downstairs completed, Siren and her small entourage took the elevator to the fourth floor, the location of the Networld boardroom.

Katherine Kane's assistant, Jeffery, was waiting there, as per the instructions texted to him from his boss' cellphone. As soon as he saw the catatonic Kathy in the doorway, accompanied by two gorgeous women he had not seen before, Jeffery knew something was dreadfully wrong.

"Ms. Kane, what's happened to you?!" he shouted.

There was no answer as the three women entered. "Ms. Kane, what's wrong?!"

Again, Kathy did not answer. Instead, Siren provided one, rolling her eyes and shaking her head as she explained.

"My dear boy," she said, "Ms. Kane cannot hear you. You might say she is MY personal assistant now. For the comprehension-challenged, she is in a trance and will respond only to my commands."

"Mine, too, Siren," Sirena added.

"Yes, of course, young lady." Siren returned her attention to Jeffery. "I need your help, young man. You can be my 'focus group,' as you colonists would say."

Jeffery scowled. Mustering up more than his usual amount of courage, he declared, "I won't help you unless you release Ms. Kane!"

Siren shook her head sadly.

"We can discuss that later. At the moment, sir, I need you as a guinea pig for my latest experiment in controlling men's minds," Siren said as she sat on the conference table with her luscious legs crossed.

"You, my dear Jeffery, are about to become the first man hypnotized through the internet."

Jeffery said nothing and just stared angrily.

"’How will that happen,’ you ask? A computer hacker, whom I happen to know, kindly consented, at my very vocal urging, to get into your Networld e-mail account. When you call it up, instead of the typical disembodied man saying, 'You have mail,' my melodious voice will come through, singing my seven-octave hypnotic note and placing you in a trance. You then will be prompted to send to me your cellphone number, at which time I will call you and give you further instructions."

Siren didn't mind revealing her plans, because she always believed she was invincible. She also rather enjoyed it.

"Once you are under my control, I then will have you reprogram all of the Networld accounts. By tonight, millions of men will be under my sonic spell."

"There's just one problem," Jeffery said confidently. "The only way you can force me to log on to my account is by hypnotizing me right here and now, but if you do that, you won’t find out if your internet-inspired note works!"

"My dear boy," Siren said with disdain, "there are other ways to force you to do what I want.

"Katherine."

"You called, Siren?" Kathy Kane said. Those were the first words she had spoken since returning to her own boardroom.

"It's getting rather stuffy in here," Siren said. "I want you to open that window over there. Use a chair or some other implement, if you must. Once that's done, I want you to leap out of the window. Is that understood?"

"Your wish is my command, Siren," she said as she went toward the window.

"NO, Ms. Kane!" Jeffery yelled as Siren watched, smiling.

Kathy paid no attention to her assistant's urgings. Knowing there was no way to open the floor to ceiling windows, she bent to pick up one of the board room black leather chairs.

"Please, please make her stop!" Jeffery begged Siren. "OK, OK, I'll do anything you want!"

"Katherine! Put down that chair, step away from the window and sit at the end of the table," Siren commanded.

"Yes, ma'am."

Siren addressed Jeffery. "Now, you will cooperate . . . or else!"

Jeffery opened his laptop and began to type, fear welling within him as he wondered what fate would be in store for them all. Finally, he typed in his password.

The screen displayed his Inbox while the sound file, indeed, played Siren's stunning note. He immediately was mesmerized.

He followed the instructions on the screen as the Siren went to another computer terminal. His cellphone number popped up on her screen. Moments later, his phone rang.

"Yes," he said emotionlessly.

"Jeffery, this is the Siren. You now are ready to do my bidding. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Siren beamed.

"Splendid. You will begin reconfiguring Networld's e-mail system. I have step-by-step instructions to help you do so. Is that clear?"

"Your wish is my command, Siren."

Flamebird and Sam soon spotted Batgirl, standing by a pay phone a couple of blocks away.

"Sam! Pull over right here!" Flamebird yelled. The huge truck screeched to a stop less than ten feet from Batgirl.

The Caped Crusadress was a bit startled, but quickly regained her composure when she saw Flamebird leap out of the passenger side of the vehicle.

"Batgirl, Batgirl!" she screamed. "I'm so glad we found you! I just talked to Lieutenant Mooney and she said she got a call from Siren. She's at the Networld Headquarters, just like we figured."

"I just tried to call Diana, I mean, Lieutenant Mooney," Batgirl said, trying to sound more officious, "and she wasn't answering her phone at Police Headquarters."

"Oh, well maybe she's on her way to the Networld building," Flamebird replied, still speaking very rapidly.

By this time, Sam had climbed out of the truck and was standing a few feet from the two heroines, transfixed as he looked at Batgirl.

The Purple Paragon became aware of his stare. "Uh, and who is this?" she said to Flamebird.

"The name is Sam," he said. "Sam Compton, ma'am. And you must be Batgirl. It's an honor to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

"Well, don't believe everything you hear," Batgirl said with a smile. She paused and said, "I'd like to chat with you, but the two of us have some business to which to attend. It could be a matter of life and death."

"Wow," Sam said. "Please, don't mind me."

Batgirl smiled, nodded and called Lieutenant Mooney's cellphone.

"But thank you so much for all your help," Flamebird said to the long-haul truck driver.

"It was worth it to meet you two!" Sam said.

Flamebird smiled and then snapped her fingers as she formulated an idea. "Hey, wait! Could you maybe give us a ride to Monarch County? I think that's where we're going."

"It would be a little out of my way," Sam said, as he quickly weighed in his mind the pluses and minuses. He decided perhaps being a little late in getting the shipment to its destination wasn't that important, compared to the chance to give two beautiful women a ride. "But if it's a matter of life and death, I'd certainly like to help. It would be my pleasure."

Batgirl got off the phone. "I spoke to Lieutenant Mooney," she said to Flamebird. "She's setting up a command post near the Networld Headquarters and she's in touch with Networld's chief of security. Maybe he can help us figure an alternate way to get in there."

Batgirl paused again and looked around. Her Batgirlcycle and Flamebird's Bat-Gyro were still outside "Lorelei Harper's" house. "Now, we just have to get there."

"It's taken care of!" Flamebird said, her bubbly demeanor again momentarily overriding her concern about Betty Kane's aunt. "Sam has consented to giving us a lift!"

The ride to Monarch County was uneventful, although a bit cramped with both heroines in the front of the cab with Sam. Batgirl was a bit unnerved by Sam's seeming fixation with her, even though he was quite polite and kept his eyes on the road . . . most of the time. Batgirl took for granted what she did as the Dominoed Daredoll, and often couldn't understand why other people didn't.

Finally they arrived at their destination, one block away from the Networld building. Lieutenant Mooney and a couple of members of her task force had used unmarked cars so Siren wouldn't notice their presence, in case she glanced out the window.

Batgirl was surprised for a split-second to see a man there, since a male was so much more vulnerable to both the Siren and Sirena. Then she remembered Lieutenant Mooney had mentioned Networld's security chief.

"Batgirl, Flamebird," Mooney said, "this is Zack, chief of security for Networld. He thought he could be of some help."

"I've already had the pleasure," Batgirl said.

"Yes, we worked together when the Sandman targeted the Kanes."

Although Betty, of course, knew Zack well, she couldn't remember if Flamebird had ever met him. She just smiled, shook his hand and hoped the subject didn't arise.

"Flamebird," was all Zack, a strapping man with sandy hair, said. He turned back to Batgirl. "I just wish we could have met again under better circumstances.

"I take one personal day and this is what happens," Zack continued, anger filling his voice. "I'm responsible for Ms. Kane's safety. That's my job." He shook his head ruefully. "How could I let this happen?"

"It's not your fault," Flamebird said, knowing how fiercely her aunt guarded her independence. "I assume Ms. Kane doesn't usually have you accompany her to business lunches, does she?"

"No." Zack sighed.

"So stop beating yourself up. We need you to think clearly."

Of course, Siren’s victims couldn’t think clearly, either. The drawback from her point of view was they tended to do everything quite slowly, because they were in such a pronounced daze.

Such was the case with Jeffery. He was proceeding quite methodically and carefully with Siren’s instructions to revamp the Networld system in order to insert her stunning note into the global e-mail program.

“My good man,” Siren said, “a bit more haste would be welcomed. As you Americans used to say in your old cinema, 'Step on it.'”

“I am going as fast as I can,” Jeffery said in a monotone, trying not to incur Siren’s wrath. “This is a very painstaking process.”

“Well, I do want it done correctly,” Siren conceded, “but some speed would be appreciated, as well. I cannot wait to put my fantastic plan into action!”

Sirena shook her well-toned hips.

“Maybe a little encouragement might help,” she said as she walked toward Jeffery.

Siren frowned and put up her right hand. “No, young lady. I am afraid you would serve only as another distraction for the poor boy, and merely slow him further.”

“Well, why are you so worried about time?” Sirena asked. “Maybe you’re afraid another deathtrap didn’t work?” Sirena realized she was striking a nerve, but the young, now more self-assured seductress didn’t care.

“I am quite sure it worked,” Siren said, raising her voice, “yet, in any event, it would be most advantageous to finish this project as quickly as humanly possible.”

Siren returned her attention to Jeffery. She began reading to him more of the instructions provided by her mesmerized computer hacker.

MEANWHILE, A BLOCK AWAY FROM NETWORLD

"I know every inch of this building," Zack said, as he spread a map over the hood of one of the unmarked cars, "but I never imagined I'd be trying to figure out how to break in!"

"If you were trying to breach its security," Batgirl said, "how would you go about it?"

Zack pointed to an empty space on the right-hand side of the floorplan.

"From the front, where the building next door is," he said, his voice becoming slower and more methodical as he tried to put aside his guilt. "That's the East Coast offices of the Blake Oil Company. It's a couple of stories higher than our building, so it might be possible for someone to use the roof of their building to get on our roof."

'When this is all over,' Zack thought, 'I'll have to get some cameras installed up there!'

"And once someone got on Networld's roof?" Flamebird asked.

"There's a freight elevator which can be accessed from there. That is, if you have the key."

"I assume you do," Batgirl said.

Zack simply nodded. "Once inside the freight elevator, you could use it to get to the fourth floor, where the suspects and Ms. Kane are located."

"Great!" Flamebird said. "I volunteer." What Flamebird really wanted to do was scale the outside wall, burst through the boardroom window and save her aunt and Jeffery from Siren's evil grasp. She knew, however, such action wouldn't be the smartest move and could even place Kathy Kane in more danger. So, she reluctantly resigned herself into doing something a bit less grandiose, and this sounded like a good idea.

"I should be the one to do it," Zack said firmly. "I know every inch of this building. No offense, but you've never been in it."

Flamebird briefly rolled her eyes behind her goggles. She obviously couldn't tell Zack that, as Betty Kane, she'd been in the Networld building more times than she could remember.

Then Batgirl thought of something.

"Wait a minute, sir," she said to Zack. "What about the police officers guarding the entrances, the ones who have been enslaved by Siren? She can simply order them to shoot ANYONE on sight. We have to neutralize them first."

Zack didn't appreciate being questioned, but he couldn't deny the validity of Batgirl's observation. "Well, you're right. We obviously DO need to neutralize those two somehow."

"I have an idea," Batgirl said, looking at the floorplan. She recalled the innumerable times she had been rendered unconscious by knockout gas. "If we could somehow pump nitrous oxide from the air vents at the front and rear entrances, that would neutralize Officer Pelzman and Sergeant O'Rourke without killing them. I could do that."

"Great idea," Flamebird said, "but I should do it. We need you, Batgirl, to use your computer knowledge to figure out Siren's plan . . . and you can't do it, Zack, because you might not fit into the vents. It's up to me."

Flamebird almost surprised herself with the way she was taking charge. She, though, had no choice, considering her aunt's life and company could be hanging in the balance.

Neither Zack, Batgirl or Lieutenant Mooney challenged her. The Gotham City Police Department quickly received permission to access the Blake Oil building.

Within ten minutes, Flamebird had gone to the roof and rappelled her way to the Networld roof. Once there, she used the key and found the freight elevator.

Meanwhile, Batgirl sat at a portable computer in the Blake Oil building, searching through the Networld site. So far, nothing seemed amiss.

'What could be Siren's ultimate objective?' she wondered. Batgirl called Diana Mooney on an official police communicator.

"Well," Diana said, trying to brainstorm, "it seems Siren's plots have become more ambitious in the last year or so. She took over the island of Capri and almost gained control of the government of Italy. Then she tried to broadcast her note as the New Year's ball was being dropped in Chimes Square. You don't think-"

"That has to be it, Diana! She's taken over Networld so she can somehow embed her stunning note into . . . e-mails! Why else would she be interested in that company?"

Lieutenant Mooney sighed. "She certainly is thinking globally. Do you think you can hack into the Networld system and perhaps 'un-hack' whatever she might be doing?"

"I don't think I have much choice," Batgirl said grimly. "I'll keep you posted."

"I'll call Headquarters and see if we can our computer experts on it, too," Diana replied.

"It couldn't hurt," Batgirl said. "Talk to you soon."

Flamebird took the freight elevator to the second floor. She would have to squeeze into the space above the first-floor air vents and place the small canisters of nitrous oxide into them. She hoped she could do it without making much noise, and thus avoid attracting attention from Siren's and Sirena's mesmerized minions.

Thanks to her lean athlete’s body, Flamebird was able to penetrate both air vents in quick succession. Each canister would begin venting nitrous oxide seconds after being placed in the vent. Thus, it was important for her to get back on the elevator as soon as possible, so as not to fall victim to the gas herself.

Finally, she placed the second canister in the vent and got back on the freight elevator. In less than a minute, the gas took effect.

Jeffery had patched the images from the security cameras on a rotating basis into the monitor on the front wall of the boardroom. The Siren had given Sirena the task of keeping an eye on it. A bored Sirena was gazing at the pictures when she noticed something unusual.

“Siren, come over here. Take a look at this!”

“What now, Sirena? I am quite busy at the moment.”

“This is important. Check it out!”

Siren stared at the monitor, shocked. In quick succession she saw their two "killing machines" sprawled on the floor, unconscious.

Sirena became fixated on the unconscious Sergeant O’Rourke. ‘Wow! He looks just as cute asleep,’ she thought, although she dared not vocalize her observation.

“Blast it all!” Siren said. “I am quite certain Batgirl is behind this. She and her avian cohort must still be alive.”

Sirena scowled at the thought of Flamebird still being alive. Then she realized they had bigger problems.

“The police could storm the building at any moment!” Siren’s protégée said. “And there’s no one to fight them, unless you count these two.” She gestured at the catatonic Kathy and Jeffery.

“Why didn't we bring Doe, Rae, Mimi and Undine with us?" Sirena asked petulantly.

Siren replied, “I realized the more they were asked to do, the more of a cut they would expect to receive. Besides, their performance at my mansion was hardly noteworthy. Those two annoying heroines made very short work of our criminal lackeys."

“So, what do we do now?” Sirena asked.

“Fear not, young lady. As always, I have a plan.”

‘I hope this one works for a change,’ Sirena thought.

Within minutes, Lieutenant Mooney and her all-female task force had entered the building. Eschewing the elevators, they ran up the stairs en masse toward the boardroom.

Batgirl had reluctantly remained behind, still trying to hack into the Networld system from the building next door. Her instincts told her she had made tremendous progress, but there was more to do.

Outside the boardroom door, Flamebird was waiting. The Goggled Gal, Lieutenant Mooney and four officers burst into the fourth-floor boardroom. Siren and Sirena were standing defiantly in the middle of the huge room, with Kathy motionless nearby and Jeffery working feverishly at a computer.

“It’s over, Siren!” Diana said proudly. She knew there were too many women present for Siren to enthrall with her gaze. “There’s nowhere for you to run this time.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Left-tenant,” Siren said. "My boy Jeffery here is one step away from completing his excursion into the Networld system. Unless I tell him not to do so, any second millions of men will be receiving my stunning note through their e-mails. Do you really want to see what kind of havoc they will wreak? Promise to let Sirena and me go and I'll tell him to stop."

As head of the Anti-Siren Task Force, Lieutenant Mooney had been given authority to make such deals. This time, though, she declared, "No way, Siren!"

"Are you sure, Left-tenant?"

At that instant, any response became moot. Jeffery said flatly, "Siren, I'm done."

"Ah, well, too bad Birdgirl," taunted Sirena. "You might have us now, but how long do you think you can keep us with millions of men under Siren's control?"

Flamebird ignored Sirena and gently, but firmly, pushed Jeffery away from his keyboard. The Girl Wonder frantically hit "Refresh."

The screen said,

Flamebird's red glove-covered fingers flew over the keyboard. "He hasn't had access for the past two minutes! He couldn't have done anything!"

In the Blake Oil building, a mentally exhausted Batgirl pushed herself away from a computer. She let out a deep breath. “Thank goodness,” she said.

"Well, Siren, that's it," Lieutenant Mooney said triumphantly. "You're through."

Siren was more than a little annoyed her plan hadn't worked, but she quickly regained control. “Not quite. If you or anyone else makes one move to arrest me and/or my associate, her life”---Siren pointed at the entranced Kathy---“isn’t worth a bloody thing! She has been given a post-hypnotic suggestion to commit suicide. Permit us to go free, and she will be freed, as well.”

“We could stop her from killing herself until your sinister spell wears off!” Mooney declared.

“Ah, but Left-tenant, there’s the rub. The suggestion might take effect months from now, out of the clear blue, when nobody is around to look out for her.”

The Lieutenant scowled. She was quite confident it was a total bluff, but she also knew she couldn’t take chances with a human life.

She hated bargaining with Siren, just as Batgirl did. This time, though, she realized she had little choice.

“OK, we’ll let you have safe passage out of Gotham City,” Mooney said resignedly, “if you free Ms. Kane from your spell!”

“Excellent decision, Left-tenant. You will not regret it. Now I shall honor my part of the bargain. Katherine, your previous orders about suicide are hereby countermanded. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Siren.”

Flamebird breathed an audible sigh.

"As you've come to learn, she and," Siren indicated Jeffery disgustedly, "that other one will recover shortly. So, on that note, we'll take our leave. Oh, and please inform that irksome Batgirl - wherever she is - about our deal. I'm sure she'll feel duty-bound to honor it."

Siren walked out of the room. Sirena started to follow, but then she sidled up to Flamebird and whispered, "You'll get yours . . . later."

"You wish," the Girl Wonder replied contemptuously.

Sirena threw back her head haughtily and left the room.

TWO DAYS LATER, AT BETTY KANE’S UPSCALE APARTMENT . . .

Betty Kane was stretching on the floor of the living room when her Aunt Kathy entered.

“Still preparing for that tournament in Zurich?”

Betty smiled as she reached to touch her toes. “You got it, but I don’t think I need a long session on the court today. I had a pretty long one two days ago.”

They both smiled, although they hadn’t talked too much about the experiences they had been through.

“Thanks for everything,” Kathy said to her niece.

“Oh, I had plenty of help,” Betty said. “I’m just glad you’re OK, Aunt Kathy.”

“I guess it’s a positive thing I don’t remember much of it,” Kathy said, shrugging, “although I do remember one thing Siren said to me. She was right, too.”

“Right about what?”

“That Networld should use a female voice for our services.” Kathy powered up her laptop and went to her e-mail sign-on page.

A familiar female voice announced, “Welcome to Networld.”

“That’s me!” Betty said, excitedly, “but I don’t remember saying that.”

“Sure you do,” her aunt said. “You recorded it as part of a voiceover for one of our employee training videos, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” Betty said. “Hey, I sound pretty good. I could record a, ‘You have mail,’ greeting, too, if you want.”

“That SOUNDS great,” Kathy said with a smile. “It’s certainly much better than the alternative.”

They both laughed.

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