Dick couldn't find his friend anywhere else after last night. She sure had come in excited about what she did, but that was just a robbery from a boy who didn't know how to shoot, he was afraid of it was going up Barbara's head. Between the rushed breaks and the lack of communication with his friend, who didn't even answer her walkie-talkies or the point of communication she made a point of not taking, he wondered what might have happened. It was in the middle of one of the last classes that he received a message from her, boiling down to just asking them to meet in the Batcave, as she called it. He knew she was up to something, so he patiently waited for the class to end and, to his misfortune, ran to the subway entrance since the girls' room was too busy.

         He came back to the cave, hitting off the earth and dust from his academy uniform, the lights illuminating a centered Barbara, who was already in her hero uniform, typing frantically on her computer station.

- Where have you been all day?

- Oh, hi Dick – She gestured for him to sit in the chair next to hers – I was doing everything.

- Everything?

- Yes, I sorted all the week’s worth of academy work, I left all the classes early for exemplary performance...

- Wow, before I was doubting that all this would do you any good, but by the way...

- And I also hacked the Academy system and have already done all the tests, preparing them for me to replace on the real ones on the scheduled dates.

- Barbara! – He shouted, indignantly.

-What? We have more important things to do, I'm not committing any crime.

- Yes, you are!

- Oh, whatever – She dragged her laptop close to her friend – That's the summary of the activities from Clock King's and the hours. That would make for an amazing band name, by the way.

         Dick scanned the screen, which found graphs and transcripts of communications, Barbara had organized it very carefully. There were sections of many topics, but the largest and most prominent were three: "Attack on Stagg Industries", "Cover-up", and "Final Plan" with "whatever that means" in parentheses right next to it. There were many conversations compiling the outline of plans of the allusive leader of the numeral gang, and all the plans were very broad and comprehensive as to his next steps.

-Right... It looks really good Babs, congratulations, but don't think I forgot what you did.

- Next up is the attack on Stagg Industries, tomorrow, they plan to intercept a convoy of weapons on the arrival of a frigate tomorrow night.

- And you intend to do something about it, don't you?

- Of course. I'm betting Batman will show up – Barbara continued, rubbing something on her hands, something Dick noticed was some sort of bat-shaped boomerang.

- Where did you get this?

- It's his. Batman uses weapons, human and real weapons, he's human, Dick.

- Okay – Grayson took a moment to process what she said, still a little incredulous at what she said.

- Anyway, I wanted to see if you notice any patterns I didn't, you've always been better with puzzles and mysteries than I am.

-Look... Seeing this here, one thing strikes me. In the final plan, he speaks of packets at key points that he identifies only with a series of numbers. Whatever it is, what you think he plans. If he plans some kind of assault with weapons, why does the final plan involve only detachments of secret deliveries? Didn't you record anything else they said?

- I've reviewed it a couple of times.

- Barbara... There's something missing. Is there some piece of this guy's puzzle that isn't fitting right, or that's missing.

- Can you keep an eye on the broadcasts tonight?

- Are you leaving?

- I am. I need to get in shape for tomorrow – She said as she put on her cowl and cape – Gotham needs Batgirl tonight just like any other.

-Babs... I didn't eat.

- I’ll get a Batburger for you.

         And she advanced through the tunnels of the catacomb, leaving Dick watching impassively at the laptop screen, stuffing his coat on Kel and getting to work.

It was almost midnight as Batgirl hid among the alleys of Gotham Harbor. She could already see the ship with the huge Stagg Industries logo engraved on its side as port workers and company employees moved nimbly and quietly to approach the arrival of the shipment. Barbara was very much at ease, and moved through the darkness with a proficiency she didn't believe she could ever have, climbing walls and sneaking into small openings and windows. She was on top of the ceiling of one of the warehouses while talking to Dick.

- All going smoothly, I'm at a point where I can see all the incoming shipments of the schedules.

- I have a police number open on the secure call line.

- Don't forget, it's just when it starts, and see if I'll let myself have some fun.

- This is no fun Barbara, it's thieves and mobsters interfering with the dangerous transfer of weapons in a violent city.

- Blah blah blah, why did I bring you to this?

- This operation wouldn't happen without my help, remember?

- Yeah – Barbara muttered half-heartedly – Unfortunately. Wait... I think I saw something.

         In one of the alleys, she saw the movement of several shadows entering a warehouse, and still hiding among the shadows, set out to intercept the strange elements. Just like she did every night, she silently entered the warehouse through one of the windows, behind one of the large shelves filled with large delivery bins. Soon, she could see a mass of six people moving through the darkness, all of them wearing distinct numbers on their shirts, the times from 1 o’clock to 6 o’clock, the first six hours.

         They cocked their guns, consisting of pistols and machine guns, and whispered instructions Barbara couldn't yet hear. The adrenaline spike went up young Gordon's head, which she hid behind the larger crate, communicating with Dick again in the quietest whispers she could.

- Oracle, the hours from 1 to 6 o’clock are here. Heavily armed.

- Here where?

- Right here! – Someone resounded loudly, and intense lights filled the room.

         The shelf where Barbara was hiding fell behind her, and all the hours pointed their guns at the girl, who promptly got to her feet, reaching out for something on her back slowly, but the man who revealed himself in the center of the gang, with his shrill voice, corrected her.

- I wouldn't do that if I were you, brat – Clock King calmly headed towards her, slamming his pointer-shaped cane into the ground – You're the same one who figured out my operations last week, aren't you? No matter, we have you in our grasp now. The time has come for us to eliminate your asynchrony with my plans for good.  Temp Tock, Temp Tock.

- Barbara, what's going on?! – Dick's voice sounded desperate on the other end of the call.

- The police already know what's going on here – Barbara said to the Clock King, and Dick, who started calling the police – If you kill me, you're going to add murder to your list of crimes, Clock King.

- I see you already know me. But I don't know you... Batfan. Is that what you call yourself? Minibat? Battete? No... Batgirl – He clearly felt pleased to see her reaction to the right name – It turns out that you dying here will serve my plans very well, Batgirl.

- Kill me and everything I know of your operations falls into the hands of the police. The final plan, the cover-up operations, everything.

- You're clearly a newbie, you just said the police are already coming, so they must already know something, that was a bad bluff.

- I only have one thing to say... Now Oracle! – She shouted the signal, and the lights all over the harbor went out.

- Kill her! – Clock King sounded vicious, and the sounds of gunfire spread through the warehouse, but Batgirl had already fled through the darkness among the other shelves.

         The hero took a loud and deep breath as the sounds of firing still sounded, and the gunpowder of the guns still lit up the room with imperceptible rapidity and chaos. She armed the first of her trinkets, the rope with weights. Aiming at the foot of the nearest assailant, she launched the contraption and knocked one of them down, but being careful to advance to the next hiding place, since the fall of the man with the machine gun caught the attention of the other five hours. The leader's cries of impatience could be heard through the dry thuds of the bullets tearing through the air, until he gave the order for everyone to stop. The warehouse was still plunged into darkness, and the King tried to find the girl by the voice.

- Batgirl... There is no way out. This power outage may have delayed my plans, but it didn't stop them. Restore power in five seconds... And maybe I'll think about letting you go! – He waited the five seconds – Well... I see you don't see a good deal when it's right in front of you. Temp Tock, given the circumstances, now your time is running out...!

         Sneaking though the darkness again, making as little noise as possible, Batgirl found herself with a peculiar object inside the warehouse: A large metal structure covered by a sheet. Groping some more, she realized too late what it was. The sound of the car's engine starting sounded, the headlights glowed underneath the sheet, and it shot towards her to run her over, as she took a quick leap, clinging to the top of the car’s body.

         The car shot out of the warehouse, destroying the wooden doors. The light from its headlights was the only thing illuminating the harbor, but the dim and distant lights of Gotham gave enough clarity for Barbara to be able to see the car: It was some sort of ClockMobile, An old jalopy stylized to look like it was made of dark oak, numbers scattered on the window and pointers on the headlights. It was shooting at high speed towards the wall of another moldy wooden warehouse, Batgirl clinging to the top of the car with everything she could, that's when she pulled out the Batarang, the name she gave to the weapon Batman used the day they met, and embedded it across the ceiling of the car, holding it with both hands.

         Batgirl was a purple and yellow streak who struggled against the wind as she, with slight success, dodged the debris as the ClockMobile drove through another warehouse. Soon, the car braked sharply, and Barbara just didn't fly out of it because of her Batarang, but the sharp ends of the weapon ended up slicing through her glove and slicing the palm of her left hand. With adrenaline pumping, she composed herself, standing on the hood of the car and removing the Batarang. That's when she saw why the car braked: Clock King was now in front of the car, pointing the tip of his cane at her, which apparently also served as a sword.

- Your time has come! – He announced triumphantly as Batgirl raised her arms slowly.

- G.C.P.D! – A booming voice cae from a loudspeaker as three police cars arrived, the voice familiar to the young hero, it was Crispus – Surrender immediately!

- Hello, police officers! – The Clock King smiled – You have not failed in your mission, my congratulations. Running like a good clock, all the gears working.

- Shut up, you freak! – Renée got out of one of the cars and pointed her pistol at him.

- I'm sorry to chat with such gusto, but I like it when we fulfill our appointments on time. With that said – He slammed his cane into the ground, sticking the tip of his pointer into the wood – I have an appointment for three seconds from now.

         And so, after he hit his foot on the ground three times, a gunfight began from behind the vehicles that had just arrived: From one of the vans Barbara had seen the other day, out came the  six hours left in the gang, with Midnight leading the charge, forcing the officers to counterattack, diverting attention from the Victorian man. The hero didn't think twice, jumped from the hood onto the terrorist, throwing her arms around him, trying to immobilize him. He thrashed around very hard, loosening her grip just before pulling her by the left arm, squeezing her severed hand tightly and throwing her all over the ground. Soon after, he grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her up.

- You're a very infuriating child! – He squeezed her tighter and tighter as he lifted her above his head – But you served your purpose. It's time to get rid of an unpredictable variable in the plans in five... Four... Three... Two...

         And so, synchronously, a huge explosion ignited in the foundations of the harbor's massive crane, shaking the entire harbor structure, the flames began to spread rapidly, its lights filling the darkness again as the smell of burnt wood and gunpowder filled the air through the harbor, like a symphony, crumbling in harmony with the gunfire. Barbara struggled to break free, but the villain waited patiently for the right moment, and when the crane began to fall, he threw her in the direction of the structure. Young Gordon had not before felt such a pure and vivid form of fear as she felt at that moment. Adrenaline took over her entire body and she acted out of pure instinct in the milliseconds that would set the line between life and death. Stretching her body as far as she could, she could feel the wind sliding through her body as she protruded as far as she could, feeling like a true bat spreading its wings as it traversed the crane structure at high speed, sneaking between the beams with inches of precision.

         Soon, she cringed again, and rolled for several feet until she managed to grab the ground, splashing blood from her left hand as she slowed her trajectory. Soon, as if she could finally be able to hear again, she listened her friend's voice on the communicator, screaming her name, asking if everything was okay. She stood up, and watched all the vehicles drive away as the ground sinked in behind them. She began to run, not in the direction of the port exit, but towards the shore. She jumped from a platform onto the hard gravel below, and hid in the shadows, sneaking into the opening of the catacombs she'd discovered with Dick there some days ago, hoping to use what she remembered from the map from there to get back to the Academy.

         Not far away, a spectator watched her movements, attracted by the anonymous call about the problems on the docks, he managed only to arrive in time to see the result, and observe the movement of an unwanted guest who had aroused the curiosity, and wrath, of the Dark Knight.