"Oracle! How sweet it is to finally hear your voice" a distorted voice replied from her system.

"Who is this? How did you get this number?" Barbara demanded.

"What number? I hacked my way here. Oracle, you're about to go off-line."

"What?" Barbara asked aloud to herself and started scrambling to kick this intruder out of her system. "How can this be happening?" she thought as she found herself getting slowly blocked out of her mainframe. "This is New Genesis technology!"

"There, that should do it. Now your information gathering is as crippled as you are!"

"Damn." Barbara pushed her wheel chair to the clock towers internal power supply and began pulling cords, plunging her into darkness. *J'onn, are you there? Jonn?* "Damn, this is a hell of a time for J'onn's telepathic link to be down."

Suddenly, with a flicker of light, all the computers and monitors turned back on. "That hurt!" came the voice again. "I stand corrected. Oracle's not going off-line. You are. Don't worry though, I'll let you listen in and watch. You can tell me if I'm doing a good job or not."

"Powell, if you think I'm going to play critic for you..." Barbara threatened.

"You'll what? Try to run me over with your wheelchair? Ooh, I'm frightened. You know my name too. Gosh, I think I should just give up now." the voice replied, the distortion hiding it's obvious sarcastic tone.

Ashley Mavis Powell, computer hacker extrordiairre and part time child molester, had the ability to mentally interface with any computer she touches. Barbara recognized her handiwork almost immediately even if she had no clue as to how she got into her system.

"No reply? Oh well, sit back and enjoy the show. I've got work to do." Barbara heard her computers open up a new comm line. "Dinah, this is Oracle. You busy?"

Dinah had to admit, she was happy. At least as happy as she'd been since she helped found the Justice League. Her partnership with Oracle was the best thing that could have happened to her at this point in her life. The missions she was doing were helping a lot of people, she traveled to all corners of the globe, and Oracle made sure that she had all the money that she needed. Oracle also gave her some much needed friendship. She still wasn't used to being alone since breaking up with Ollie, and Oracle was always a sympathetic ear when she needed it. Her anonymity prevented her from getting too close though, finally allowing Black Canary to make a name for herself on her own. That being said, she was still glad to be back in America right now, staying at a hotel in Metropolis. She just got back from Germany, where she stopped a plot by Two-Face to split the country again like it was before the fall of the Berlin Wall. He missed the duality of the place. "What a lunatic." Dinah thought as she finished her expense log for the trip. "Why do I always get stuck with Batman's enemies?"

Before she could answer herself, she heard Oracle call in through her ear piece. "Dinah, this is Oracle. You busy?"

"No, just finished my expense log for you. I'm transmitting it now. What's up?" Dinah got up and started pacing across the room, a habit she picked up whenever she talked to Oracle.

"I've got another mission for you. There's a relatively new corporation that's making waves in Metropolis right now, called The HarleCorp. I've been getting some information that shows me that one of the owners isn't running things quite legally there. I'd like you do some undercover work and check her out for me.

"Shouldn't be a problem. What kind of info do you have on her?

"Her name's Marcie Cooper. I checked as deep as the Pentagon and Task Force X's files and found no criminal record. She supposedly got the money to help start the company from a stock market windfall."

"Okay, so what makes you think she's not one of the good guys?"

"Just word from a couple ex-employees right now. Apparently some of them were attempting to file suit against her, for everything ranging from nonpayment of wages to sexual harassment. For some reason, while they made their intentions perfectly clear to the media, the suits never went through, and there's no record of anything being settled out of court. I also did some checking on the market windfall she came across. I still haven't been able to find exactly where the money originates from. I'm beginning to wonder if it even exists.

"I'll get right on it. Any special instructions?"

"Not really. Just make sure you have plenty of hair dye. Word has it that Ms. Cooper has a thing for blondes."

"Hair dye? A thing for blondes?" Barbara lashed out in frustration to her computer. "Come on Dinah! You know me better then that! I'd never ask you to sleep with someone for a job! Think!"

Dinah stopped her pacing almost in shock. "Are you asking what I think you're asking? How close are you expecting me to get to this woman?"

"As close as it takes. It won't be too bad. I e-mailed you some photographs of her with her dossier. She's gorgeous."

"Gorgeous?" Dinah's initial shock was slowly being replaced by amusement. "Is there anything you want to tell me Oracle? Have you been checking me out too?"

"Let's just say, I forgot to turn off your throat mike a couple times after we talked. You're not the quietest person in the world when you masturbate."

"What? Where the hell is she getting this from?" Barbara's frustration was continuing to grow. She'd never listened in on Dinah. Never. She had far too much respect for her privacy. "Powell? What are you doing? Powell!"

No answer.

Dinah didn't know what to say. She would never have expected to hear this from Oracle. She slid her finger over the throat mike that Oracle had given to her. She went through a range of emotions, going from betrayal to embarrassment and back to amusement.

After a moment she jarred from her daze. "Dinah? You still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here."

"Look, I'm sorry I said that. If you feel uncomfortable with it, you don't have to take this mission."

"No, don't apologize. I'll take the job. Who knows? It might be fun." She paused for a brief moment. "So, how many times have you listened in on me?"

"Oh, just a couple... dozen"

"Well, keep the line open. I'll download her dossier and if I like the pictures you sent me, you'll be able to add another time to your list." She pulled her laptop computer back out and brought up Marcie Cooper's file. "Mmmm. This is gonna be interesting. I hope you're ready for a show!"

At Barbara's end, she heard Dinah unzip her costume and start to moan in ecstasy. "Powell! What are you trying to prove? What's going on here?

"Oh nothing." The voice came from a different speaker so it didn't drown out Canary's moaning. "She's just doing a small mission for me, that's all. How do you feel though? If you weren't a crip, you could be having some of her. I'll bet you're feeling really inadequate right now."

Barbara's temper flared up and she threw the nearest monitor to the ground. "Inadequate? I'll show you inadequate." She wheeled her way out of the clock tower to the nearest pay phone. "Gotham International Airport? I'd like a ticket for your earliest flight to Metropolis."

"Yes?"

"Um, there's a Ms. Lance here to see you." The secretary sounded rather nervous over the intercom.

Marcie sighed in annoyance. "Does she have an appointment? I don't have time for this."

"Uh, no she doesn't. She's being very insistent though."

"Look, I don't need this right now. If she's giving you a hard time, have security escort her out."

"I don't think that will help, Ms. Cooper." She answered apprehensively.

"Why not?" Marcie was starting to get angry.

"She's got the head of security with her. I... I think he's dead."

Marcie was silent for a moment before responding. "Let her in.

"And here I thought things couldn't get any worse." She thought to herself.

Black Canary dropped the security guard on a chair in the secretary's office and looked up to the frightened woman. "Don't worry. He'll just be asleep for a couple hours. He's not hurt. Can I go in now?"

"Oh, yes. Go right in." She backed away instinctively from the door as Dinah approached.

"Thanks" Dinah smiled as she disappeared into Marcie's office.

Marcie was surprised when she saw Black Canary walk in. She immediately began preparing an escape illusion in her head, but held off to find out what she wanted. "Ms. Lance was it? What can I do for you, and why shouldn't I be calling the police right now for what you did to my head of security?"

"That was your head of security? You need me more than I thought! I'm looking for a job."

"A job?" Marcie asked, her curiosity aroused.

"Yes, as your bodyguard. I've been doing some research. You're pretty new at the big business game. I'm sure you've made a few enemies on your way here."

"A bodyguard?" Marcie asked skeptically. "Why would you want to do that? You're Justice League."

"Correction. I WAS Justice League. I prefer going solo now, and the League doesn't have a great pension plan, even for founding members. A girl's gotta make a living somehow. Mind if I have a sit?" She asked, looking around Marcie's office. It was rather barren. An empty glass desk with a comfortable chair behind it and three in front. The view made up for the spartan decor though. She could see the entire skyline of Metropolis as well as the ocean beyond. It was beautiful.

Marcie was standing, leaning back against the front of her desk. Her style of dress was what some would call provocatively professional, a short skirt with no nylons and high heels, a white blouse, and a jacket. "Sure, have a seat." She answered, gesturing to the chair nearest to her. She watched her sit and cross her legs before continuing. "Still, why me? Why not Lexcorp? Luthor's got tons of gorgeous women protecting him. I'm sure he'd pay you a fortune."

"It'd be dirty money. Luthor's big, but everybody knows he's corrupt. I still have a reputation to maintain. Your record's spotless, your company's growing, why not jump in while people are still underestimating you?" Marcie knew it was too convenient for her to be there. Still, after what happened with Neron, she couldn't risk throwing away some potential meta-human protection. She knew that wasn't the only reason she was considering it though. It definitely wouldn't be bad to have someone this gorgeous watching over her 24 hours a day.

Dinah noticed Marcie's eyes trailing over her body. When she noticed her gaze fix on her bare legs, she shifted her body and recrossed them, trying desperately to look seductive instead of looking like a fool. "Well?"

Marcie's gaze snapped up. "$250,000 a year, and I'll give you a $50,000 starting bonus. You can start immediately."

"Great. Tell you what, I'll go wake up your security guy and have him show me around your 2 buildings. I want to get an idea of the layout so I can figure out how to best protect you here. When are you planning on going home for the night?"

"Not for another 3, 4 hours." Marcie replied.

"That'll give me plenty of time. I'll meet you back here before you go."

"Before WE go. I'd like you to watch over me 24 hours a day. Is that a problem for you?"

"No problem at all, as long as you give me time to sleep!" Dinah smiled.

"We'll see." Marcie gave her a half-smile back as Dinah turned and left the room.

Dinah picked up the unconscious guard and drug him into the elevator. Moving between floors, she felt the elevator come to a stop. "Oracle?"

"Don't worry, I tapped into the buildings electrical system and shut down your elevator. If Moe there is still unconscious, we'll be safe to talk."

Dinah leaned down enough so she could catch the guard with the miniature camera Oracle had installed in one of the gold buttons on her uniform. "Unconscious enough for you?"

"Not bad."

Dinah let out a heavy sigh and leaned back against the elevator wall. "Well, I'm in. So, you think she went for me? I couldn't tell."

"She definitely went for you. She had her eyes on your breasts throughout most of your conversation. You were pretty good up there. You have any experience?"

Dinah still couldn't believe the direction her conversations with Oracle had been going lately. She used to playfully flirt with her before, but now things were getting a bit more intense. It was taking awhile to get used to. "Yeah, I've got some, but it was a long time ago. The last time was 7, 8 years ago, before I started dating Ollie. I'll be honest with you Oracle, I'm not sure how far I'm going to be able to take this whole thing with Marcie. Are you really expecting me to sleep with her?"

"It would be a great benefit if you could get that close to her, but I told you before, it's not completely necessary. Take things as far as you're able. I'll understand."

"No, I'll do it. I'm just getting nervous, that's all. Any suggestion for what to do next?"

"Just keep up what you're doing. Vamp it up and flaunt what you've got baby, she won't be able to resist you."

"Gotcha. I'm starting to wish I brought my fishnet costume with me. You'd better start the elevator back up and switch back to watcher mode."

Dinah felt the elevator start up again. "Okay, I'll talk to you later." She heard Oracle say before her earpiece went silent.

The elevator stopped before Dinah reached the security level to allow an attractive brunette aboard. As she stepped into the elevator, she looked up at Dinah and froze. "Dinah? Is that you?"

Dinah looked at the woman, unable to recognize her. "Yes, my name's Dinah."

"I'm Helena Wayne. It's a pleasure to meet you again."