Rarity sighed as she laid her paper down after reading the news regarding the events of last night. "Sabotage again," she sighed, sipping her tea. "Another one of the companies we're working with on that lunar mission suffered a major 'accident'."
Bruce chewed on a mouthful of lightly seasoned egg whites. "What makes you think it's sabotage?" he asked. Not that he disagreed with her assessment, but he was always testing her thought process, pushing her to be more and more effective.
"The frequency, regularity, and severity of these 'accidents', Father," Rarity explained. "Each time we contract a new company to work with for this government assignment, within three days they suffer a catastrophic accident in the division of their business working on the project, and we're forced to cancel the contract and continue work on our own. One might think someone was trying to indirectly sabotage us, except that we've kept on schedule with the project despite losing partners in the project." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Of course, this does mean Wayne Enterprises ends up with more of the government project."
"Except that the lunar mission project is being worked on in the Powers Industries divisions," Bruce pointed out. "One might say it's Powers getting the larger slice of the pie."
Rarity frowned. "He would see it that way, wouldn't he?" she growled. "I keep trying to beat it into his head that it's better for the economy to have several large companies in civilized, respectable competition while also willing to cooperate, but he still can't seem to stand seeing others success rival or surpass his own." She shook her head. "Still, he does seem expert at making sure things don't trace back to him. He escaped blame regarding his involvement with the Jokerz a little too easily."
"Do you have a plan, then?" Bruce asked.
Rarity shrugged her shoulders. "About the only thing I can do is find someone else willing to take the risk of these 'accidents', and then stake them out in the hopes of catching the saboteur."
Bruce nodded. "I'll be on the comms. Be careful."
Rarity smiled sweetly. "Aren't I always, Father?"
Later that night, Batmare stood watch over Foxtech's R&D facility, keeping an eye out for anyone making trouble. She had a bit more of an advantage than most vigilantes would have in this situation, as she had laid alarm magics around the building the whole day during the tour before signing the contract, set to call her attention to anything that was out of the ordinary.
When a sequence of her magics alerted her, tracking the entrance of a possible saboteur, she made her move to intercept. Entering the control chamber from the other side, her alarm spell drew her attention to what looked like a flowing shadow as she 'shadow stepped' into the room. "Well well," she mused aloud, the suit disguising her voice, "it seems I'm not dealing with a run of the mill criminal. So...metamorph or magic user, hmm?" With that statement, she lunged forward, striking with her hooves at the moving shadow.
The shape reared back, briefly taking on a roughly humanoid form, stretched out like a badly drawn person with only a white dot for a face. "Quick on the uptake, aren't you?" a distorted female voice said before the limbs stretched out to slash at Batmare.
The masked filly dodged between the slashes, using a combination of swaying body movements, side steps, and shadow steps when necessary. "Metamorph, hmm?" she mused. "Let's see what type." Charging her horn, she sent an arc of lightning at her opponent.
The figure swayed out of the way, the lightning striking a nearby control panel. "Yikes!" the distorted voice came again.
"Oops!" Batmare murmured as the control panel started sparking, having been damaged by the lightning. She then immediately shadow stepped aside as her opponent attempted to take advantage of her distraction. Seeking a distraction of her own, she flung a nearby coffee cup left behind by a worker at the perpetrator, who dodged away from the cup as though it were filled with acid. "Can't say I'm fond of coffee myself," she murmured. "Or...or is it water that frightens you so?" She quickly sent a lightning bolt into the sprinkler.
As the sprinklers kicked in, spraying water all over, her opponent hissed, the water making her shape bubble and steam as she spun to flee as best she could, diving through a window before racing away, vanishing under vehicles in traffic. Rarity managed to glide to where her inky opponent had splashed once before reaching traffic. Finding a small puddle of black ooze, she collected it for analysis back at the cave. Once in the air, she spoke over the comms. "So, any idea what that was?"
"You're right that it was some sort of metamorph," Bruce replied. "We'll know more once we analyze that sample you're bringing back."
"It's why I collected it," she mused, increasing velocity. "But don't we have a faster way for me to get around the city than jet boots?"
"I'm still modifying the air Batmobile for hoof use," Bruce explained. "Besides, I'd rather not put you behind that wheel until you at least have a driver's license." When she didn't respond right away, he continued, "Pouting doesn't work over a radio." They shared a chuckle as Rarity returned to the cave.
"So what have you learned from the analysis, Father?" Rarity asked after changing out of the Bat suit, showering, and grooming herself to be once more immaculate. She figured restoring personal comfort after the exertion would give Bruce plenty of time to analyze and research the sample.
"I've determined the identity of your opponent based on available data," he replied, calling up an Interpol file. "Her name is Inque. She's a metamorph, the result of a bio-engineering experiment. She's able to reshape her body in various ways, though not nearly to the extent of Changeling." Bruce smirked. "Considering how many times you challenged him after that first bout, I'm not surprised she posed little challenge to you."
"She used different techniques than he did, though," Rarity pointed out. "She also seemed vulnerable to both water and electricity. What else is known about her?"
"Not much, I'm afraid," Bruce admitted. "Not even a picture. I'm afraid we won't find much, given the security we're dealing with."
Rarity rubbed her chin. "Maybe...maybe not." Pulling a box out from under the desk, she opened it up, revealing a helmet shaped to her head and horn, with several data input/output jacks for connecting to the computer system.
"What's this?" Bruce asked in interest. "Isn't that the package Victor dropped off?"
"Indeed," Rarity smiled proudly. "The basic idea was mine, but Victor and Rachel worked on it together. I'd noticed when going through the old files that most individuals who enhanced their natural capabilities used either magic, biological agents, or technology. However, those who used magic tended to spurn technology completely, and vice versa...but magic and technology can counteract each other quite effectively. So I wondered...since my suit already uses technology to amplify my magical output, what other technology could be built based on that to utilize magic. In short...magitek." She slipped the helmet on, starting to connect it to the computer.
"And what does this one do?" Bruce asked in interest, examining the workings.
"Well, all computer systems have some sort of security to resist hacking," Rarity explained. "However, Victor mentioned that when he sent his mind into a network, he was able to find holes in security that simply weren't visible when hacking through a keyboard. Also, magic is able to supersede quite a few technological defenses." She patted the helmet. "This helmet channels an astral projection spell I looked up into a database enchephalon dive, allowing me to magically, mentally enter the information networks and find the information I need."
Bruce grinned. "Impressive," he murmured. "Is that all they've developed for you?"
"It's the only one that's complete so far," she admitted. "But they're working on others. Switching on." Her eyes glowed with a white light as information began blazing across the computer screen.
Bruce sat back, watching his daughter at work. "...and I thought I had cool toys in my heyday," he mused at last.
Two nights later, armed with the information she had gathered, two new spells she had researched from some of Rachel's old spell books, and a day's worth of preparations, Rarity once more staked out Foxtech. She was certain that Inque would attack again. She was not disappointed, spying the shadowy criminal before too long. She immediately swooped down for battle.
Inque, for her part, was rather surprised to be caught again so soon. "You just don't give up, do you?"
"Of all the applications for talents such as yours, you resort to petty sabotage and crime for the highest bidder?" Batmare demanded. "How disappointing, Inque."
Inque chuckled. "You did your research," she replied, quickly engaging in battle. "...Batmare."
"It seems I'm not the only one who did their research," Batmare replied, quickly firing off a burst of ice.
Inque evaded, her face dot widening in surprise as the truck hit by the blast froze solid. "And you aren't messing around," she growled. She lunged forward, aiming a killing strike.
Rarity smirked internally as she shadow stepped out of the way. Using occasional bursts of magic to keep Inque's attention, she began leading her opponent into the ambush she'd prepared, where power cables were wrapped around four lampposts.
"For all your bravado, you certainly seem eager to run," Inque mused as she flowed into the center of the square after Batmare. "What happened to your courage?"
"What happened to your sense?" Batmare replied, releasing her first new spell. Lightning leaped between the four lampposts, flowing along the power cables before arcing between them, creating a very dangerous lightning cage, trapping Inque.
The shadowy female cursed, flinching back from the lightning. She turned towards the ground.
"Don't bother," Rarity replied. "A thin layer of dirt over a solid steel plate that goes all the way out to the edges of the cage. That layer of dirt is also the only thing keeping you from being electrocuted."
Inque snarled defiance. "So now what? Turn me over to Interpol? Send me to prison?"
"Actually, I thought I'd address my point earlier," Batmare stated. "Specifically, my disappointment in your choice of career path, given your talents."
Inque snorted. "You're going to try to reform me? Oh give me a break-"
"I'd rather give Deanna Clay her mother back," Batmare interrupted.
Inque froze stock still. "How...how do you know that name?"
Batmare smirked. "A bit of creative research tracked down every crime where you were suspected as the perpetrator, who profited most from it, and a common account number that linked them all. From there, I tracked regular deposits to a trust fund in the name of Deanna Clay...and the details weren't hard to piece together after that. Of course, it was all speculation...until you reacted. Now, I would so hate to have to bring that information to Interpol. Even if they couldn't prove anything, the investigations would likely freeze that account, and Deanna's trust fund..."
Inque sighed, lowering her arms. Her body shifted, eventually settling in the image of a young woman with blue skin and hair, most of her body covered in inky black. "Don't...don't involve her, okay? I'll come quietly-"
Batmare blurred into a shadow step, phasing through Inque, leaving behind a brief electric shock. "Good," she said as the cage shut down.
Inque saw the opportunity and tried to shift away...but nothing happened. "W-what did you do to me?" she demanded.
"I was combat trained by Changeling of the Justice League," Batmare explained. "When I repeatedly lost to him, I researched ways to deal with metamorphs like him. Nothing that could handle one of his skill and power...but the spell currently on you locks you in your current form, feeding on the energy your body generates that allows metamorphosis to sustain the spell. You're free to go."
Inque stared, completely confused. "What? You take away my power, and just...let me go? What's your goal here?"
Batmare stared her down. "I stated my goal quite clearly earlier...I want to give Deanna Clay her mother back. Money alone does not give love, nor a loving home. Go to her, Inque. Reconnect with her. She's still young, not yet ten. You have time yet to repair the relationship and actually be a mother...and a good amount of money of your own to start up a life together before she needs her trust fund."
Inque staggered back, completely flummoxed. "But...but how will I manage that? A lawyer to get custody back would drain what's left in my account...and I'd need a job..."
"As I said," Batmare replied, "a woman of your talents can do much more with your life. And...you didn't hear it from me, but I believe I know someone who would be happy to help you with many of those problems..."
The next day, Rarity sat back in her office in the Wayne Enterprises building, having slowly taken more and more responsibility from Bruce's shoulders under the fiction of 'on the job training'. More and more, matters came to her rather than Bruce, and the employees had come to rely on her quite a bit.
The intercom buzzed. "A Miss Ink Clay to see you, Miss Wayne."
Rarity smiled happily. "Send her right in," she said over the intercom, pleased to see her night's work had succeeded where Bruce had doubted. He wouldn't have done what she did last night, even had he been able to back when he wore the cloak.
But Rarity wore the mask now. She had her own priorities. It wasn't just the city she wanted to save...