Flipping Through the Pages
Copyright© 2026 by Dragonpig
Chapter 39
Selina sat in front of sleek monitors, their crisp displays casting light across her face as data feeds and video clips scrolled down the high-resolution screens. The warehouse around her was a study in controlled chaos—exposed brick walls lined with state-of-the-art server towers, fiber optic cables snaking across the concrete floor in organized bundles, and the quiet hum of advanced cooling systems mixing with the distant rumble of Gotham’s traffic. The computer equipment was the best Gotham’s black market could offer—not quite matching 47’s interdimensional tech, but leagues ahead of anything she’d ever had access to.
Her fingers danced across three different keyboards simultaneously, running facial recognition programs through every video feed she could hack into. Security cameras from convenience stores, traffic monitors, even grainy footage from ATM machines—anything that might catch a glimpse of Tammy’s distinctive reddish-blonde hair and smile. The girl’s image was centered in a monitor window, a constant reminder of who they were searching for.
Under her feet, she could feel the vibrations of construction drones as 47 operated them from his own control station. The underground expansion was coming along faster than she’d expected—his technology made everything seem effortless in a way that still amazed her. Where her Gotham struggled with basic infrastructure, he could literally build a new base beneath their feet.
But right now, none of that mattered as much as the conversation he had been avoiding for weeks.
Selina turned in her chair, the leather creaking softly as she faced him. “So, 47, since we finally have some time, can we talk?”
He didn’t look up from his holographic displays immediately, but she caught the slight tension in his shoulders. He knew what was coming—she’d been building up to this for days, and they both knew it couldn’t be put off much longer.
“Yes,” he said finally, his gloved hands stilling on the controls as he turned to meet her gaze.
“This is about me wanting to do more than just tech support.” The words came out in a rush, like she’d been holding them back too long.
“I know,” 47 said simply.
“So what’s your problem? I know you’re still learning about this Gotham, and I know you know I’ve been on my own since I was ten. I can handle myself, so is this hard for you because you’re not used to working with someone young like me? I guess your automatic response is to protect me.”
Selina felt her cheeks flush as she spoke, frustration bleeding through despite her attempts to stay calm. She’d practiced this conversation in her head a dozen times, but actually saying it out loud made her feel more vulnerable than she’d expected.
47 was quiet for a moment, his dark eyes studying her face. Even without the mask, there was something intimidating about his presence, but she’d learned to read the subtle shifts in his expression. Right now, he looked thoughtful rather than dismissive.
“Yes, you are young,” he said finally. “But I can see you can take care of yourself. You’ve been on the streets, so you know how things work, and you could help me more than just being tech support.”
“Exactly,” Selina said, some of the tension leaving her shoulders.
“So how would you want to do this, 47? How about you let me be out in the field with you, and we see how it goes?”
47 leaned back in his chair, and she could practically see him weighing the possibilities. “Can you fight?”
Selina’s confidence wavered slightly. “Well, maybe not as well as you, but—”
“That’s going to be a problem,” 47 interrupted, though his tone wasn’t harsh. “We need to get you some training, so just in case I’m not around, you need to be able to protect yourself. You need to do more than just swing a crowbar.”
Heat rose in her cheeks again, this time from embarrassment rather than frustration. “Okay, you’ve got a point.”
“How about this,” 47 continued, his voice taking on that planning tone she’d come to recognize. “Let me figure out the best way to set up a training regimen for you, and then we’ll do this step by step. You’re right—you can help more than just being tech support. You know this Gotham better than I do. But I’m still reluctant because this is new to me, especially dealing with someone as young and uniquely skilled as you.”
Selina nodded slowly. It wasn’t everything she’d wanted to hear, but it was progress. “Okay, as long as you’re willing to give me a chance and we can set something up, I’m good with that.”
“Thank you,” 47 said, and there was genuine relief in his voice.
Before she could respond, a sharp ping echoed through the warehouse from one of her computers. Selina spun back around in her chair, her heart jumping as she saw what had triggered the alert. There, captured in archived security footage from what looked like a restaurant, was Tammy—unmistakable despite the grainy quality.
“47,” Selina called, her voice tight with excitement. “I think we’ve got something.”
She heard his chair scrape against the concrete as he moved, and then he was standing behind her, leaning over to get a better look at the screen. The footage was timestamped from six months ago, and Tammy appeared to be sitting at a table with an older man whose face was partially obscured by the camera angle.
“That’s her,” Selina said, pointing at the screen. “That’s definitely Tammy.”
47’s hand rested briefly on the back of her chair, and she could feel the focused intensity radiating off him. “Good work. Where did you find this?”
Selina pulled up the file details on a secondary monitor. “Deep archive search through old security feeds. This is from a diner called Scarface & Wesker’s. The timestamp shows it was recorded six months ago. The system flagged it during the facial recognition sweep.”
47 was silent for a moment, processing. “Can you get a better look at who she’s with?”
Selina enhanced the image as much as the resolution would allow, but the man’s face remained frustratingly unclear. What she could see, though, made her stomach tighten with familiar dread. There was something in his posture, the way he leaned toward Tammy, that reminded her of too many predators she’d encountered on Gotham’s streets.
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