Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

East Gotham, Happy Moon Shipping Company-Six Years Later

“I want these crates loaded up quick. Don’t have time for bullshit”.

“Boss, we’re moving as quick as we can alright? Cut us some slack” one of the hulking man’s underlings complained. He scowls and picks up the thug by his shirt collar, glaring at him intently. “I don’t need excuses. And neither does she. Get the fucking boxes loaded”.

He drops the man just as suddenly, allowing him to fall to the ground. He doesn’t remain their long though, and he quickly get up to scurry back to his work.

‘Fuckers don’t understand that we’re on a time schedule’.

A few more minutes pass, minutes that were always filled with an unremitting fear for the criminal element in Gotham. 

The night was most certainly not their own anymore.

“Alright, we’re all good boss. Everything is loaded on the truck and ready to ship out”.

The man was going to nod, get in the truck and drive off. That was his plan. He wanted to be done with tonight.

Plans never work out the way we want them too.

Above them was a glass skylight that looked down upon the inner parts of the warehouse, and this particular group of Gotham’s scum, was being watched. Targeted, by stalkers in the night.

The glass shatters loudly, drawing the frightened attention of each and every member of this gang. “Fuck. We already know who that is” the leader says, not being anywhere near as frightened as the rest who all work on drawing their pistols and aiming them at the interlopers. 

The figures knelt for a moment to lessen the blow of the fall upon their bodies, but slowly they stand, not bothered at all by the myriad of weapons pointed at them. Batman was the first to recover, though Batwoman was right on his heels.

“No. You’re anything but good”.

“Bats, glad you could join us tonight” the leader says, rolling his eyes openly and crossing his arms about his tank top covered chest. He was a hulking man who would intimidate anyone he wanted to, seemingly except for one group of people in Gotham.

“We’re giving you one chance” Batwoman cuts in. “Walk away and turn yourselves in. You’re going to wind up in a prison cell. No use being in there with a broken nose too”.

“Look around you bats”.

The man splays his arms about to showcase the wall of firepower arrayed against them. “Outnumbered.. Ten to two. And we all have guns. I bet you thought you got the drop on us...wait”.

He couldn’t go on. Something was off, and it was something that only a smarter criminal would pick up on before launching into a monologue. “There’s only two of you”.

“Yeah. You can count. I’m impressed” Batwoman teases, already knowing what was waiting for these goons tonight. “Where’s the two bat brats you have tag along with you?”

A metal disc like object flies through the darkness behind them and imbeds itself in the hand of one of the nearest thugs, causing him to drop his pistol and cry out like a baby. They turn to see the two Robins standing above them in the rafter.

The boy wore a wide smile on his face, while the girl, whose red hair spilled out freely behind her, simply glared and scowled, a birdarang in her own hand, drawn and ready for release.

“Hey guys. Sorry we’re late. Got caught up with something”.

Jason jumps forward, flipping through the air and grabbing a overhanging beam to use in addition to his momentum. As he lets loose again a bola flies out through the air, wrapping around the arms of another thug who was taking aim at him.

The man falls just as Jason lands on the ground, taking just enough time to duck a charging punch thrown at him another man. He delivers a quickly delivered and well timed chop to the man’s neck, shutting his body down for the moment.

“Now it’s a little more even!” he shouts, still wearing his enthusiastic smile while engaging in combat.

Barbara was now in the melee as well, having jumped down atop yet another of the slowly decreasing number of men, and sitting on his shoulders. The man drops his pistol and tries to get the girl off of him, though he feels as her grip around his throat increases. “Pass the fuck out dammit”.

“Robin! Language!” Batwoman calls out, delivering a roundhouse kick as the initial ambush turns into just a simple melee. Barbara, wearing a face mask to hide her identity, rolls her eyes as the man falls to his knees, still struggling for breath. “There we go asshole. Nighty night”.

He finally falls completely down, his face pressed up against the dirty concrete. Barbara flips herself off of him to a standing position just in time, as more men enter the fray from outside, obviously having been on guard duty. 

One tries to leverage their charge into an advantage, swinging the bat they held high over their held as they attempt to bring it down upon the crouched redhead. Barbara gets ready, crouching lower to ready herself for impact, either from the bat or the man’s body. 

He never even gets close to her. 

Batman fires out the batclaw and grasps the bat directly out of the now confused man’s hands, though the confusion doesn’t reign long. In fact, thoughts at all don’t last long as he’s quickly knocked out by the man’s clenched fist. 

He stands defensively in front of Barbara, watching as the criminals who’d decided to gang up on the young redhead thought twice. He looked every bit the part of a lion protecting his cub. Barbara gets up and scowls, unable to help it before moving next to the man, her own fists drawn up in such a way as to communicate her desire to fight.

“I could’ve handled him”.

“I know”.

She absolutely loathed that he didn’t believe her. She could hear it in his voice. Still, there was time for dwelling later. Now? They had a fight on their hands.

Across the warehouse, near the van loaded with weapons, Batwoman and Robin were fighting as well, easily feeding off of one another’s combat styles. 

“Batwoman behind you” Jason says almost boredly, tossing a birdarang past the woman’s ducked head to take out a man attempting to use a knife. Gunshots ring out, stitching the concrete floor between them and causing ricochets throughout the warehouse.

“Hey! Guns ain’t fair!” Jason shouts out, the two running in a wide arc in opposite directions around the first goon to open fire. He didn’t know who to target first, and his lack of decision making ability would cost him, though not dearly. 

They just as rapidly come back together, and Batwoman and Jason both jump up, bringing their respective fists and elbows down on the man. He flys back, knocked out cold as his rifle scatters across the floor. 

They turn and see another goon rushing to the van, apparently wanting to get out of the area with the weapons shipment as quickly as possible. Batwoman makes to rush after the man, but Robin stops her, a hand on her shoulder.

She looks at him quizzically before he shows her the drawn explosive gel dispenser in his hand. He uses his eyebrows to hint at the van, and it dawns on the blonde what he’d done. “Ahh. Good work Robin”.

He doesn’t say anything and focuses instead on how close the man was to the van. Right before he gets to it, Jason detonates the gel, destroying the contents inside and shaking the otherwise undamaged van. The man was confused by the sound he’d just heard, alongside the shaking of the steel framed vehicle.

“Sorry pal. You should’ve shipped next day mail”.

Harleen rushes forward, using her skills as a gymnast to flip, thrust herself into the air via pushing down on the ground, and delivering a rough kick to the side of the man’s head that puts him out instantly. She lands on the ground, her leg sweeped out with a wide adrenaline fueled smile on her face.

Robin was, as usual, in awe of the skills his mother possessed. “You gotta teach me that!”

“Sure Robin. I will”.

Across the room, a more brutal battle was occurring. It couldn’t be anything but brutal with the nature of the combatants involved. 

Barbara was raining her fists down on the face of one of the nearest gangsters, though the fight had rapidly gone out of him upon first contact with the raging ball of fury that was the female Robin.

Batman was too busy to notice, being engaged in a war of his own against the gang’s leader, who had hopped into the fight after seeing his many men so easily defeated. He swung at Batman, a powerful fist that would have pulverized anything in its path had Bruce not been much faster. 

He ducks and then comes up, delivering a quick flurry of punches to the man’s side that rob him of his breath. “Fucking Bat Freak” he gasps out, wasting what little air he still had accessible to him at that moment. 

Bruce doesn’t care, and indeed he relishes this sort of bare knuckle combat, though he doesn’t return to time honored act of trash talk. Instead, he grabs the back of the man’s head and slams his knee into the man’s face repeatedly, breaking his nose on first contact. 

He keeps it out, only going as far as was necessary until it was clear that the large man was not getting up tonight.

Barbara seemed to lose interest in the limp bag of meat she was “fighting” at the same time, and she drops the man to the ground by the grip she had on his collar. “Pathetic. This really the best you guys could do?”

Jason and Batwoman were nearing the two, having stopped quickly to check on the shipment in the rear of the van. It was atomized, the gel having done a magnificent job of destroying the items without dealing any life ending damage.

She couldn’t help her pride as she smiled at Jason, knowing that he had designed the useful little tool. ‘So damn smart. How?’.

She resists the urge to run her fingers through her son’s hair, always hating that they couldn’t be seen as parents and children in the field. It was a liability and she knew that Bruce was right in drilling it into both groups that there wasn’t room for that in a life or death situation.

‘Still...I’m proud as any mama can be’.

“Yeah. One guy over there? He had an Ak. Six hundred rounds a minute and he was still too slow” Jason teases as he points behind him at the still unconscious punk who’d tried to stitch Harleen and him with said rifle.

They didn’t notice, their backs being turned, but Bruce and Barbara did. 

Apparently, they’d missed one, and he moves out from behind a stack of shipping crates, his pistol in hand and aimed directly at Jason’s back. “I’m not too slow birdbrain!”.

“I’ve got him!” Batman shouts, a batarang already flying from his hands and through the air. It imbeds itself in the barrel of the pistol, blocking the bullet and causing the gun to explode in the man’s hand. He screams in pain and drops it, though that wasn’t the end of it.

Barbara could only see two things, the gun pointed right at Jason’s back, and red.

She charges forward, taking a flying leap into the air over the man who was still trying to recover from the wound he’d just suffered. She brings her elbow up as Jason had before, though it seems she was positioning it in such a way as to do much more than simply incapacitate. 

The thug looks up at her fearfully as the redhead brings herself down onto him, the point of impact being just to the right of his neck. The positioning of her elbow, and the height from which she brought it down, crashes against the bone of his collar, and a sickening snap is heard.

For a moment, Harleen is worried that that awful sound had come from Barbara, and her motherly instincts want to make her rush forward, but as soon as one saw how the goon flew back onto the floor, and heard how he cried out in utter pain, they all knew that Barbara was definitely not the injured party.

She stood over him, rage still in her eyes.

“ROBIN!” Batman shouts in anger, and Harleen knows that it’s going to be yet another long night.

Apartment of Renee Montoya

It was late. That she already knew. She knew that and didn’t even have to turn to look over at her LED clock. She also knew that Tatsu was just coming in. 

Judging by how she’d opened the window? It had been a good night. 

If she was angry? It wouldn’t have been done nearly as quietly.

Renee sits up in their bed, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes and falling. “Tatsu?” she murrs. “Hai”. The Japanese woman sits down on the bed, having deposited her ubiquitous Soultaker on the stand she had set up for it atop their dresser, the incense already burning to honor the woman’s ancestors. 

Renee remembered how they’d had to set up a Shinto shrine in her room. Just one of the many quirks of living with a Samurai. 

The strap of her red nightdress slowly fell down her shoulder, exposing a generous portion of her large and well rounded breast, though she doesn’t notice as she moves up behind the woman on the bed, balancing on her knees while Tatsu removes her boots.

“Was it a good night?” she asks, already knowing the answer as she rubs her girlfriend’s shoulders.

“Hai. Yes. It was very good”.

Tatsu reaches up and removes her mask, placing it on the bed stand next to them. Renee leans in and kisses the woman’s exposed neck, leaving a trail of goosebumps as she went. Slowly she works on the zipper at the back of Katana’s one piece, exposing more and more of the woman’s lithe and utterly beautiful body to herself. 

“And how was your day my aisara shi-sha?”

“Much better now that you’re here hermosa”.

The woman reaches around to take Tatsu’s jaw between her fingers, turning her face to plant her lips on the other woman’s. Tatsu eagerly returns the kiss, molding her body into Renee’s. She truly loved coming home as it allowed her a chance to relax and let Renee take charge. Still, she felt guilty. 

“Are you not tired? You had a long day too” she asks, knowing that being commissioner of Gotham city’s police department was not an easy task.

Renee rolls her eyes and picks the woman up by her waist, maintaining the grip while turning them in the bed, depositing her on her bed on her side of their sleeping arrangements. “Not too tired for this”.

The hispanic woman reaches up to her shoulders and pushes the straps of her nightie off, exposing her breasts to the woman. Tatsu was ALWAYS put in the correct mood by such a sight, and now was no exception. She leans up and presses her face in between them, her hands moving to grope the woman’s fleshy rear voraciously.

“Ahhh...bueno. See? I know my girl” she teases, running her hand through the woman’s raven black locks as she forces her deeper onto her teat. “Mmmnnff” she moans out, leaning her head back just a bit as Tatsu’s tongue encircles her nipple, suckling it gently before adding her tongue to the mix.

“Damn...that feels so good Tatsu but...this is about you” Renee teases, lightly pushing the Japanese woman back down before she grasps the edge of the limpening one piece. She pulls it upwards, Tatsu helping by lifting her arms and pulling them out of the fabric. 

Renee doesn’t stop though, and simply keeps on, trailing kisses over the woman’s exposed clavicle while continuing on to expose Tatsu’s smaller, but still beautiful breasts. “Ahhh..Renee” Tatsu whispers breathily as the woman teases her lips along the valley of her cleavage. 

Renee just looks at her with eyes aflame with passion, using her tongue and lips to caress the woman’s body. She spends only a teasing amount of time on Tatsu’s breasts, knowing that there was another goal she had.

She slithers down the bed, Tatsu’s stomach, flat and well muscled with toned abs, almost shining from the woman’s paleness. Renee kisses every part, loving how the woman even smelled at that moment. It wasn’t a dirty smell, as Tatsu never seemed to sweat, but it was sweet and filled with an essence that Renee could only describe as uniquely belonging to her girlfriend. 

She was at the foot of the bed, and Tatsu was now shaking, giving light little humps against the air as she knew what was coming. Renee was more than happy to oblige her, and she pulls the one piece down the rest of the way, trying not to focus on the beautiful sight in front of her as she massages Tatsu’s legs along the way.

She throws the uniform across the room, promising that she’d wash it in their apartments washing machine tomorrow. Right now? There were more pressing matters. Tatsu was moaning, biting her lip in desire at seeing Renee step off the bed and gently run her hands up and down over her sides and breasts, giving light little squeezes to herself while she stared right back at the Japanese woman. 

It was highly arousing.

She got what she really wanted though when Renee begins to slip the remnants of her nightie down her own body, exposing her darker skin and slightly chubbier body. “Anata….anata wa tenshidesu”.

Renee giggles at the Japanese being spoken, though she makes no effort at asking for translation. Whatever it was, she knew that it was beyond flattering and loving.

She moves slowly back onto the bed, her hands rubbing at Tatsu’s clenched thighs, asking her for entrance to her most sacred of spots. “Te amo Tatsu” Renee says, smiling down at the woman who goes breathless, and eagerly allows the woman entrance.

“Watashi wa, anata o aishiteimasu Reni”.

Neither needed to translate those words to one another.

Renee keeps  massaging the woman’s thighs, while slowly lowering herself between her legs. Her scent was stronger here, so well disciplined and yet so sweet. Montoya never got enough of it. She leans in and gently traces her tongue along the cleft of Tatsu’s womanhood, only lightly pressing in with the tip of her tongue. 

Tatsu inhales a deep breath, bringing up one of her hands to bite her finger, muffling her moans which she felt were dishonorable breaches of Bushido. Renee felt the exact opposite, and lived to see the composed samurai woman collapse into a heap of pleasure and lust. 

But only for her.

Tatsu’s other hand moves down to run through Renee’s hair, her back propping itself up on the pillows as she spreads her legs even wider, hiding absolutely nothing from her lover. Renee continues to lavish attention on her womanly petals, moving upwards only to dab at her clitoris which was slowly awakening to the pleasure.

Tatsu moans even louder, her hips beginning to gyrate as they force themselves up harder against Renee’s face. She didn’t mind at all, loving how even if Tatsu resisted her urges, her body gave in wholeheartedly. 

Renee focuses solely on the woman’s clitoris now, at least with her tongue. Her hands abandon their place at Tatsu’s thighs and move upwards, snaking up the woman’s body and causing fire wherever they went. She knew their final location, and the woman refused to resist at all as Renee’s fingers clamped around her breasts. Her own hands moved atop them, forcing the woman onto a slightly rougher groping as she handled the sensitive buds.

Renee’s fingers close over the woman’s nipples at the same time as a particularly pleasurable assault upon her now very excited button began. Renee took to it eagerly, slurping up the excess juices that were rapidly coming from her lover, seeing that the same taste was present in this aspect as it was in her scent.

Everytime she left Tatsu’s clitoris to tease along another part of her womanhood, Tatsu tried to force her back where she was wanted and Renee, like an errant child who knew they were being naughty, would listen.

She knew others might find it “gross” or off putting, though she never knew how one could use those words to describe something that was part of their lover, but Tatsu had a well trimmed and manicured thatch of dark pubic hair right above her most sacred entrance.

Renee enjoyed how it looked, even in the dark, shaped as it was as a teardrop. She loved to feel it pressed against her, letting her get a much more primal scent of the woman she considered her mate. But...she digressed.

Her assault on Tatsu’s vagina was beginning to overload the poor girl, obviously already worked up on adrenaline from a night spent hard at work. Renee doubles down as the woman’s humps into the air and against her face increase in severity, signalling her impending orgasm.

Renee loved this. 

She lived for it.

And soon? It came.

Tatsu cums violently, unable to suppress her scream though Renee keeps it up, cupping the woman with her lips to ensure that she gets as much as possible. She licks her up and down with the intensity of a thirsty dog.

Soon, all too soon in Renee’s opinion, Tatsu’s body falls back down, spent for the moment. Renee takes her tim in moving back up the bed, making a show of collecting some of the woman’s love juices on her finger and further licking them off. 

Tatsu regards her with a tired smile from under her hand which she placed over her eyes, blushing brightly. “Come on cosa caliente. Even after six years I can make you embarrassed?”

Renee lays in the bed next to the woman, cuddling her close and kissing her lips, allowing Tatsu a small taste of herself. 

When they retract from each other’s lips, they remain close, touching each other in gentler and much more loving ways. “Ohh Renee, let me…” she makes, remembering that her girlfriend hadn’t been pleasure. Renee uses her greater strength to push to push the woman back down onto the bed however, moving onto her side to look down at her.

“I know you’re tired amante. That was just me helping you relax”.

She peppers Tatsu’s cheek with kisses, pulling the blanket up over their naked bodies to keep them warm. Tatsu cuddles into the woman, loving that she understood her even without words. She yawns loudly and closes her eyes, laying her head on Renee’s chest. “I love you”.

“I love you too Tatsu” Renee says, kissing the woman’s head. 

They were soon falling asleep in each other’s arms, content that the city was safe. 

After all, Tatsu wasn’t the only one keeping watch in the night.

The Batcave

“I didn’t think I had to get your written permission to take down a lowlife piece of shit”.

The argument had started as soon as they’d gotten back into the cave, and it didn’t show any signs of stopping anytime soon. 

“You shattered his collarbone!” Bruce shouts back, advancing quickly on Barbara who balks at how angry her adoptive father looked. “We needed him. He would’ve talked, told us where the shipments were coming from. But you sent him into shock”.

Barbara wanted to retort, and indeed her mouth opened to do just that before she closed it and looked away. Barbara and Jason were standing off to the side, unsure of what to say or do as Bruce and Barbara butted heads like they’d done so many times before. 

All had taken off their masks or cowls respectively, but were still left in their uniforms. 

Jason wanted to go to Barbara right then and there, but he knew that this had to happen. He couldn’t help the disappointment on his face, and he crosses his arms and looks down, shaking his head.

Barbara caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and turns to see it. 

The rage disappears from her face instantly at the realization that Jason was disappointed in her. She knew it was that and it grated on her very soul as if someone took a knife and carved off pieces. 

She hated when he looked like that.

“You’re right” she says suddenly, turning back to Bruce. “That was dumb. I’m sorry”.

She wasn’t going to concede the whole fight though, and she has one more thing to say as she turns to move away into the confines of the cave. “But he deserved it. They all do”.

The words were ominous and everyone in the cave knew what she meant by them. Barbara had the least tact or care for the criminals they fought, and ever since she and Jason became Robins it had grown.

“Master Bruce...Miss Harleen….is everything alright?” Alfred asks, having heard only the second half of the confrontation within the bat family.

Bruce looks over at the man and finds his mind drift back to four years prior when Alfred was standing in that exact spot.

“Master Wayne. If I may enquire, where are Master Jason and Miss…”

“HAH!”

His question was answered as the two youths jumped down on him from above, snatching up a sandwich each off of the tray he was carrying. “GOOD LORD!” the butler shouted, almost dropping the tray. He would have too if Elise hadn’t rushed forward and steadied him, momentarily startled as well.

Harleen and Bruce just laughed, having known that their kids would pull such a stunt so soon after donning their new costumes. 

“Look at us Alfred, Nana!” Barbara said, jumping excitedly and twirling around to showcase her green cape that was splayed out over her back. 

The ensembles that the two children wore were exactly the same, though Master Jason wore green tights in place of the shorts that Barbara wore.

Alfred and Elise look at each other, sharing a relieved smile now that they knew it was not an attack.

“Well, you both look rather dashing. Like Robin Hood!” Elise supplies.

“That’s who we are!” Jason says.

“Robin Hood?”

“No. No. Just Robins”

“Both of you?” Alfred asks skeptically.

“Uhhmm. It was Jason’s idea and he always has the best ideas so I said yes”.

Alfred looks up at Bruce and Harleen, a questioning look in his eyes that asked without words if they were absolutely sure that this was a good idea. Elise held the same trepidations, Jason and Barbara being her grandbabies after all.

Bruce just nods and Harleen smiles down at the two children, excited that after years of training they would finally be allowed to go out and fight crime with their parents.

Bruce and Harleen both pull their cowls up and over their faces, gesturing towards the now enlarged batmobile that could transport them much more easily than previously.

“Robins. Lets move out. Question is already on patrol”.

Jason and Barbara both begin to rush towards the batmobile, treating the contents of the batcave as if they were their own personal obstacle course. Jason jumped over a table, and Barbara slid under, each coming out the other side and continuing to move in a synchronism that Harleen and Bruce had only seen in themselves and the Sage’s prior. 

The two children jump onto the hood of the batmobile, waiting for their mentors and parents to join them.

“This is the best day of my life”.

The words had been spoken by Barbara, and he’d never forgotten them, taking an immense amount of joy in having the privilege to watch them grow up into the people they were today. Somewhere along the line though, Barbara changed, and he found it increasingly hard to reach the girl.

She’d completely frozen Harleen out, which was something that was slowly driving the blonde insane. He knew why of course, but he just….he couldn’t see how to break through the wall that the redhead had thrown up around herself. 

“I’m uhh...gonna hit the showers then go to bed. Big day tomorrow” Jason says, reminding Batman of his presence.

Jason had been much different. Like a flower in bloom as his Aunt Pamela would say. He was someone who strived to excel in everything he did. Training was nonstop with him, and for that he was more than grateful as it kept Barbara up to snuff as well.

Jason was the only one that Barbara hadn’t frozen out, and she did everything he asked of her, even if she grumbled all the way through. So, Barbara was as well trained as Jason was, though certainly not as reserved in her use of violence.

“Alright sweetiepie. Let me guess? Big test? Or a big date?” Harleen asks, happy for the more comfortable distraction.

“Both” the boy says with a blush. “I’m more worried about the date though. The test is in U.S history. I’ll be fine”.

“And who is the date with little ladies man?” Elise asks while handing him a bottle of water. 

The boy hems and haws, not wanting to really say. “Well, just a girl I know from school”.

“Ahh” Bruce nods. “I think I know who it is”.

“Who is it then Master Bruce?”

“Put all the pieces together Al. He’s afraid to say who it is, and it’s a girl from school. That only means one thing”.

“Jenny Cobblepot” Harleen says, being just as much a detective as her husband.

“That horrible little girl who teases you and Barbara all throughout school?” Elise asks, scandalized.

“Nana, that was years ago. She was just a kid. We all were” he says, as usual being the mature one. “She’s grown up. Just like Barbara and I”.

“And in more ways than one I assume?” Alfred supplies while a scandalized Elise butts him with her elbow. “Alfred!”.

Jason just blushes, indeed realizing that part of the reason he was so keen to go out with Jenny was her gorgeous and flawless body. Harleen meanwhile looks down at her own chest and then at Bruce while smirking.

‘Like father like son’.

“It’s not like that at all!” Jason protests, blushing furiously. 

“Ahh so the fact of her having 36d breasts at sixteen has nothing to do with?” Harleen asks skeptically. Jason blushes even more, trying to defend himself. “Hey! No, no way. She’s smart. Top of her class. Pretty industrious too. She already works at her father’s lounge, managing accounts” he says, reaching for anything that might indicate his interest in her being anything more than physical.

“Oswald Cobblepot is her father correct?”

“Yeah, why?” he asks Bruce.

“I’ve just heard some things. Nothing concrete” he says. “But still”.

Jason nods, instantly back on vigilante mode. “I’ll be on the lookout but, I really don’t think Jenny would be involved in any of it to be honest”.

“Hmm”.

It was clear that none of them liked it, but they couldn’t come up with anything concrete to say about it that would deter Jason. Except Harleen.

“Barbara isn’t going to like it” she calls out as Jason begins to  walk over to the changing area, switching out of his gear and into his robe as he prepares for a shower.

“I know but hey, she’ll be okay right? I mean, how long can you hold a grudge over childish teasing. She’ll like Jenny after a while. Everyone does. Especially if I’m lucky and manage to get us on a more than one time basis”.

Harleen hated that Jason was so smart, yet so naive. ‘That’s not what I meant’ she thinks with an audible sigh. Bruce comes up beside her and holds her close, leaning in to kiss her cheek as their adoptive son walks up the stairs into the manor. “How can he not see how she feels for him?”

“He’s at that age Harleen” Elise says. “He’s only focused on big tits like you pointed out”.

“Elise!” Alfred says, taking his turn to be scandalized at the woman who was his girlfriend, Bruce’s mother in law, and the Wayne family housekeeper. “What? Also Harleen, Dinah put the kids down before going out on patrol. They’re set”.

“Good, good. Still, I’m gonna go check on them. Kiss them goodnight”.

“I’ll be up in a moment” Bruce says, wanting to shut down the computer for the night while leaving the cave open for when Dinah and Vic returned. Seeing as their jobs were at the Manor, those two took the later night shifts, allowing Bruce and Harleen more rest to accommodate their day time needs.

Elise and Alfred smile wide, each glad that their responsibilities as parents always came first, and they were never content to simply let the nanny do their job for them. 

It was hard being Gotham’s protectors, the warden of Arkham, CEO of Wayne Enterprises and a mom and dad at once, but Bruce and Harleen did it seamlessly, moving from one thing right to the next without a break. 

It was clear that they lived for it.

For the moment, the mood was lighter thanks to Jason’s dating dilemma, or rather the dilemma it posed for the others. But a dark cloud still hung over them, and they couldn’t exactly shake their fears that were coiling in them for their oldest daughter.

In the Manor

She couldn’t sleep. 

She’d showered, changed and made all the necessary preparations but she still couldn’t sleep. So, like a ghost, she walked the halls of the manor, checking in on her little sisters first to see that they were safe.

She peaks her head into the door, opening it only slightly.

The sight that greets her warms her heart. Martha and Mary, two adorable little girls that loved their big sister, were sound asleep. Mary even had her mouth open, the slightest bit of drool rolling out over her lips as the six year old giggles in her sleep. 

“I love you two”. 

She slowly closes the door again, not wanting to disturb them. Not with the thoughts on her mind right now. She wouldn’t be good company.

She continues to walk down the halls, making large loops of the manor in a directionless pace. 

“Make sure this fucker dies this time!”

She winces as the memory of the gun shot goes off in her mind, though her jaw quickly clenches with a fearsome strength. She keeps walking.

Other memories quickly come, and she sees the rancid pock marked face of the man who had tried to kill her all those years ago.

“When your mother sent us after you, she warned us that you’d be hard to kill”

She leans against a wall, gasping for air as she tries to reorientate herself. “Fucker” she whispers. 

“DADDDY!”

She hears herself cry out and watches her father die all over again, and it was like a knife piercing right into her gut. She is panting, her face contorted in utter rage. Soon though...she calms. She needs to. It was too late at the manor and there were six children who needed to sleep. 

She steadies herself and stands up straight, taking deep breathes. Her thoughts, however, were still dark. 

‘If I ever find you Barbara..’ she thinks, refusing to see her biological mother and the women she was named after as her actual mother. No. Harleen Wayne was her mother, even if she couldn’t stand her sometimes. 

‘I’ll kill you’.

She walks down the hallway, suddenly feeling that her pacing and anger had made her tired. She’d have to apologize to Bruce again, and she still felt bad about seeing the disappointment in their eyes, but..especially Jason.

‘You have to understand Jason. Out of everyone...you have to be with me’.

She’d apologize again, though her heart wouldn’t be in it. The last person she felt sorry for was a scumbag thug who made his own bed. No. They all preyed on Gotham and her people, sucking the life out of them day after day after day

She wanted to return the favor.

The Iceberg Lounge

“Uhh, here’s your drink Ms….”.

“Mask. Call me Black Mask”.

The woman reaches out and takes the champagne glass, before she places it on the table. She doesn’t drink from it of course, being unable to do so due to the...well, black mask that covers her face.

She sat, watching the late night party goers enjoy their time together. She had no need for such joy. This? This was all business. Nothing more, nothing less.

Still...she was going to enjoy it a bit.

“Who the fuck are you and why did you want to see me freak?”

The man who approached the table was someone who was not to be taken lightly. She knew that. She’d always known that. Alfredo Rigatello was a made man, almost from the womb. It didn’t matter. He was still a low life scumbag.

“Sit down Alfredo” the woman says, causing the man a slight amount of discomfort as he was only able to see her eyes through the slits in the skull mask she wore. There was a commanding tone in his voice, one that the large man didn’t feel he was able to countermand. 

“I’ve got guys all over this place” he warns.

“I’m sure you do”.

He sits, though he stops to give her a look over, trying to place her. A positive idea on her face was impossible, and her body, while undoubtedly feminine and curvy, was covered up by a perfectly done up white three piece suit.

“Who the hell are you?”

She doesn’t answer, and instead turns her head to look out over the lounge. “Do you remember that place across the city? What was it called? Ohh yeah, the Socialite Club. Do you remember?”

That definitely piqued his interest, and he seemed to become more interested in the conversation. “Yeah, a nifty little place. It was a joint little thing between me and an old friend of mine. Closed down after he died”.

“Your friend’s name was Franco Bertinelli wasn’t it?”

He couldn’t place her voice either, though he chalked it up to how the mask muffled it, making it sound even more sinister than her appearance already made her look.

“Yeah”.

“Hmm”.

“I’m getting impatient. You’re wasting my time. The past..it’s the past. Don’t wanna talk about it” Alfredo waves it off. You said you have a business proposition alright?” he asks, leaning in. “I wanna hear it. The past is the past, like I said, but the present? That’s money”.

She takes the glass in her hand, gently teasing her finger around the rim. 

“The past isn’t exactly the past though, is it Alfredo” she begins. “The past is why we’re here today. It causes the next day you know? In fact, how much of our organization, this...thing of ours, can be traced to what’s happened in the past? For example, you’re here, right now, because in the past you helped kill Franco Bertinelli by allying with Steven Mandragora”.

Alfredo was getting very uncomfortable into the waters in which this conversation was going. 

“How...how did you know about that?” he whispers fiercely.

“Because I was there”.

“I...I don’t know who you are but….fuck this. Tommy! Francesco!” he calls out to the two nearest of his men. “Get over here”.

Instead of rushing to their boss, the two men both dapperly dressed, turn away with downcast eyes. They were ashamed of themselves of course, but business was business.

“They aren’t the only ones” the voice says, drawing the confused man’s gaze back to her. “Your whole organization? I made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. So they didn’t. Now YOUR organization, is MY organization. Isn’t that funny?”

“You fucking bitch…” he seethes, looking around to see all his men either abandoning him or exiting out of the club. Others? They were waiting for the order. This was all occurring without the civvies even realizing it, and they wanted to keep it that way. 

“Life comes full circle Alfredo” Black Mask says. “Your past yesterday becomes your present today. Just like you sold out Franco Bertinelli for his slice of the pie, your guys? They sold you out, though it was for a lot less. Apparently Mandragora doesn’t let them wet their beaks as much as my father did. He loved them you know? He loved you” she says, causing realization to dawn on the man.

“Helena?” he asks breathlessly.

She doesn’t respond and instead breaks her champagne glass on the side of the table, sending the contents and some shards of glass spilling to the floor. Before the older mobster could respond, she had thrust the glass into his neck, slicing open his jugular and sending blood instantly gushing out.

They were alone in the VIP section, just as she had arranged it. Nobody saw what happened to the mobster, and nobody ever would.

Helena is calm and collected, watching as the man falls to the floor, fighting to keep the blood from gushing out of him.

She stands and walks over to him, kneeling down to deliver a few last words. “My father made a mistake. Tried to play fair. Thought the rules his grandpa and the others set up back in the old country still mattered. Fucks like you ruined it. I am not my father. He was a good man despite all appearances. Me? Well...I don’t pretend to be good”.

She reaches down to press the broken shards of glass in further, causing the man to gurgle out in pain. He dies, right there on the floor, with not a single soul caring.

Helena reaches down and brushes a white hankie against the man’s open wound, collecting some of the blood before placing it in her jacket pocket. “Vai al diavolo, pezzo di merda”.

She steps over her father’s former associate, and walks out of the section, instantly escorted on other side by two new employees of hers. “Where too Mask?”

“The old Bertinelli place. I bought my family home back. We’re setting up there. Just like in the good old days”.

Chapter Text

Gotham City Hall

“Now, I just want to say...yes, it’s been hard in this city. Nobody appreciates that more than me but the answer isn’t just throwing money at it. We’ve been throwing money at the situation for decades, and that didn’t help” Harvey begins, as usual sparring with a horde of ravenous reporters. 

“The thing about money is...it goes both ways. If I spend it, the people who gave it expect something back. This revolving door policy of money in, money out, has not worked to make Gotham City competitive, nor has it increased our quality of life. I was criticized in my first terms for letting the banks go out and figure it out themselves. Everyone thought that Gotham would fall because of it. It didn’t. In fact, they figured it out themselves and now are practicing much fairer and safe business practices”.

Harvey grips the stand intently, wishing that Pamela was with him right now. She would disagree with everything he was saying, but she would also hold his hand and that would make him feel a lot better.

“I say no to corporate welfare in this city. I say no to safety hammocks. Gotham is independent and strong. Let’s keep it that way. Now…I...I gotta admit you guys tire me out” he jokes, a wry smile on his face that has no effect of the dispassionate media. 

He looks up at the sky and shakes his head, realizing that it was just another rainy day in Gotham, and that his speech and arguments for his own administration meant nothing. 

“Umm well, next question I suppose?”

A reporter from the Gotham Voice raises their hand and he decides against his better judgement to answer a question from them. “Uhh yes, Janet Cooper correct?”

“Yes Mr. Dent. Gotham Voice” she says dispassionately. “There has been much debate in the country about so called masked vigilantes and if they are even legal. Most states and cities have reacted by regulating or outright banning them. Why hasn’t Gotham followed suit?”

Harvey was angered by this question.

Angered by it more than anything else that was asked of him today. He knew that it was because the closest thing he had to a family were the so called vigilantes that this woman was suggesting he ban and regulate. 

“You’re of course referring to Superman and his Justice League initiative correct?”

“Yes sir, but in reality, I’m more so asking why you have refused to instill common sense regulations and controls upon the unchecked, almost criminal, masked figures who operate in our city. Last year alone there was an expenditure for three billion dollars in property damage…”.

“I’m a fiscal conservative” he interrupts. “Trust me, I’ve gone over the paperwork a thousand times. Let me ask you a personal question Ms. Cooper. Do you admire Superman?”

“Yes. I think the entire population of the world does. At least the sane ones” she retorts.

“Ahh that classic biting wit” he says, nodding. “I suppose you also support forced conscription?”

“Most assuredly not. What does that have to…”.

“It has a lot to do with it” Harvey interrupts, being well aware of the situation involving Superman and his so called “Justice League”.

“You are most likely well aware that Superman partnered with the United Nations. There’s a lot I can say about that organization. The fact that they have China, Saudia Arabia, Yemen and others on the Human Rights Council of all things is hilarious. But I’m just a mayor, so let’s keep it limited for my pea brain huh?”.

This was a bit of Big Bad Harv being released, the part of his psyche that he kept hidden until the right moment. Now? It was the right moment.

“Superman announced himself to the world only last year. He told us that he was from another planet, a world known as Krypton. That’s all well and good. Welcome to Earth. The issue is that he can do things that none of us can do. Show of hands, how many of you can fly faster than a speeding bullet?”

No hands go up, as expected. “Ahh good. Anyone got laser beam eyes? Or super strength?”

Again, silence.

“I don’t know many people that do. But he can do all these things, putting him a thousand times ahead of everyone else on this planet. To top it off, he surrounds himself with other supers who are a bit above Gotham’s normal fare” he says. “A speedster that can circle the world a million times before you can get out of bed, an Amazonian princess who’s trained her whole life for war if we are to believe the newly minted Themysciran ambassador and a host of others who have power beyond our wildest dreams”.

He pauses for dramatic effect. “That’s all well and good. They’ve done good after all. But you’re not looking at the bigger picture. They’ve started to throw their weight around a bit more. You wont hear about that in the news because the news has decided that these walking and talking atom bombs are the next best thing and we should embrace them without stopping to think”.

The reporters were eagerly jotting down every one of his words, having taken an immense dislike towards the Mayor who had shaken up the status quo so much that the shadowy figures whose interests lay hidden behind these front groups were now using them to try and oust him.

‘Best of fucking luck with that’ he mentally seethes, seeing them as nothing more than a legal Court of Owls trying to protect their privileges. 

“A month ago, Superman removed Hosan Fulani from his office in Al Fharid in the nation of Kirkministan. Fulani was a mass murderer, a tyrant and a thorn in the side of the civilized and free world for decades as he ruled. In fifteen minutes, Superman removed him from the seat of government. Fifteen. What did he do with the man?”

Everyone already knew the answer.

“He threw him to his own people and let them rip him apart in righteous anger. Now, if you ask me and my darker nature? I’d say he got what he deserved. But...the rational side of me, the one that wants to appeal to our better angels tells me that what Fulani and his people deserved was a day in Court. If this was the only incident, I wouldn’t be so alarmed by how quick you all are to embrace him”.

“Everywhere this so called League goes, they interfere. What I have seen is a far from unbiased group acting as arbiters of peace and instead, I have seen the actions of lobbyists with metahumans, working to subvert more and more nations and people’s freedom of movement in an attempt to tie them down under one authority” he says. “I realise that may sound conspiratorial, possibly because it is, but as Mayor I promise to always tell you the truth of what’s on my mind and why I’m saying what I am, or doing what I am doing. As for heroes as I like to call them, I do not support the legislation that would criminalize any non League sanctioned heroics. Over nineteen nations have already put into action such policies and I see that as a crippling blow to independence and freedom”.

Harvey stops to take a drink, feeling a bit parched at this moment.

When he puts the water bottle down, he resolves to simply end the conversation. “When we see something in our communities, and we choose to do the right thing, that is when we become heroes. If you ask me, you shouldn’t need a permit to do the right thing. Our protectors are held to the same standards as any other citizen. If only more of us were like them, then perhaps we wouldn’t rely on them so much but until that day comes? Gotham City will maintain its independence, and the heavy handed forceful policies of Superman are not welcome here. Thank you”.

He abruptly turns and moves back into the hall, ignoring the cacophony of calls from behind him go ignored. “So much for not covering for you Bruce. Ohh...what a day” he says to himself, before sighing and thanking one of his aides for opening the door into city hall for him.

“Anything I can help with Mr. Mayor?”

The voice was soothing and warm, and instantly familiar. The scarred man turns to see Pamela, beautiful as ever in one of her red maternity dresses that matches her hair. She was holding five year old Harleen in the crook of her arms, though as soon as she saw her daddy she reached for him. 

“Daddy!”.

“My little girl” he teases right back, taking the cloying five year old in his arms. She instantly wraps her arms about his neck, and he covers her head in kisses before turning to his wife. “And how’s my beautiful wife?” 

“Pregnant Harvey. Very pregnant” she says before kissing his lips and taking his hand in her own. ‘Ahh that’s it. Perfection’. He turns to Harleen, who was the spitting image of her mother in every way except for her beautiful brown eyes which were all his. “Now. I’ve answered enough questions for the day haven’t I? So, let me ask an important little lady THE most important question of the day”.

The little girl giggles and Harvey bounces her in his arm, little Harleen already knowing the drill. “I’ll take a question from daddy!” she giggles out, loving when she got the opportunity to copy her powerful father.

“Yes thank you Mayor Harleen. Now, your mother and I are undoubtedly hungry. We wanted to ask what your plan was for dinner? Does Gotham’s mayor have a plan for dinner?”

Pamela smiles out lovingly as well, absolutely adoring the scene that played out before her eyes. She places her hand on her large and round belly, feeling the little rugrat that was already inside of her kicking. ‘And we’re about to do it all again’.

“Uhh ohh, the reporter live from inside mommy’s belly wants to know as well”.

“This is very important honey. The Dent family needs your leadership”.

Harleen bites her lip and looks around before smiling. “Burger! The people of Gotham want burgers and..french fries! And a chocolate shake!”.

“Ahh so the diner it is then?”

The little girl nods. Harvey had figured that this would be her answer, and that was why he asked it. “Uhhm!”.

“Well, I can say easily that Mayor Harleen Dent is on the fast track to being reelected mayor of the Dents at least” he teases before kissing her cheeks. “Beating Harvey Dent out once again for the office”.

As they walk to the rear exit of city hall where their limousine was waiting, he turns to his wife and kisses her hand, letting it back down before squeezing her tightly. “Is everything okay Harvey?”

She knew something was wrong. She could sense it. Of all the subject she had knowledge of, botany and Harvey Dent were the top two, though she wasn’t sure which of those was number one. He looks at his wife and nods yes despite the uneasy feeling in his stomach.

‘Something is going wrong with the world. I see it. I can’t tell them. They don’t need to be afraid. Bruce. I’ll talk to Bruce and Vic. Superman is a threat, I don’t care what anyone says we need to have a plan. Just in case’.

He was hamstrung in his efforts by the simple fact that he was just the mayor of Gotham City. There had been calls for him to run for the senate or congress, but at the end of the day he preferred to have his roots right where his little wanted to be. He couldn’t take their family away from them. Bruce and Harleen, their kids and Vic and Dinah and theirs, Alfred, Elise, Jason and Barbara.

He found he didn’t want to lose them either.

‘So. Gotham it is. If you wanna keep making a change, this is where it is gonna happen’.

“Yeah Pam. Everything is fine. How are you? And most importantly, hows our little bun?”

“She’s kicking up a storm. It really wont be too long now until our little bun is a crying little ball” she says, openly pretending to be apathetic or dismayed but secretly being overjoyed. Of all the things that Pamela had taken from mother nature in relation to her powers, fertility and a maternal streak a mile wide were number one.

“I’m so excited Pam. Honestly”.

She turns to him and smiles sadly. “Harvey...I...I’m really sorry I can’t give you a boy sweetie. I know you want one in the worst way and I wish more than anything I…”.

“Hey, hey Pamela Dent” he corrects her. “Our babies are perfect. Isn’t that right Harleen?” he asks the nodding girl in his arms. “Whatever children we have? Well, they’re perfect to me. I’m the first guy who could literally say they can be green and I wouldn’t care and one hundred percent mean it” he teases.

Pamela laughs and tries to let his words comfort her, but she still had that lingering desire to make his dreams come true. When they’d first conceived they had to seek specialist help due to Ivy’s particular genetic make up. Nobody knew what caused it, but one thing they could figure out was that Pamela was perfectly able to conceive, something they already knew, and carry a baby to term.

What they also found out that development of the child was heavily influenced by her genes. Harvey’s sperm did the work, but Ivy’s body did the sculpting. And like a plant, that body tried to reproduce itself to the best of its abilities. That was why Harleen Dent looked like a carbon copy of her mother in everything except her eyes, and why the baby inside of Pamela right now was definitely a girl who would be the same.

When she had found out, part of her had been a little let down. She loved her children with all of her heart but...she also wanted a little boy. One that looked like Harvey and would come to her with a skinned knee to kiss.

“Hungry babe?”

“Famished” she says, happy that he broke her out of her sad thoughts. “Well, let’s go get something to eat. I could use a burger like Harleen suggested and a chocolate shake might cool things down too”.

Wayne Manor

“Bye mom, bye dad” Jason says, ready to scoot out the door and get into the limo that took them all to school. “Hey hey!” Harleen shouts, stopping the young man in his tracks. “What?”

“Come give me a kiss goodbye”.

“Mom…”.

“Ahh, come on”.

Jason smiles and good naturedly leans down to kiss his mom on the cheek, turning to Bruce and giving him a wave. “Don’t even ask me to kiss you”.

Bruce just laughs and picks up his coffee to take a sip. “Have a good day at school and...good luck with your date tonight. Remember what I asked?”

“Yup, recon, recon, recon. Always on recon pops” he says, jokingly jabbing the man in the shoulder. Bruce feigns injury and smirks. “Easy on the old man. I’m frail”.

“Right. Love you guys. I’ll talk to you soon”.

He turns to see Martha and Mary, both packed up with their lunches and small backpacks loaded. “Well morning you two. Already ready for kindergarten”.

“Well heya you two. Let me guess…”.

“Carry us!” Mary says excitedly, the little redhead jumping up and down for her teenage brother to pick her up while Martha is much more reserved, though wanting the same thing. “Both of you? I don’t know. You’re a little too big for that” Dinah teases, moving into the room with her own brood in tow. 

“Alright. Your dad is in the car. Victor, I want you to behave today okay? No running around the playground and screaming. Charlie, make sure to eat your veggies at lunch. Little Bruce…” she turns to her third son who stood there with a smile, being the most well behaved out of the four. “Yes mama?”

She didn’t know what to tell him as he never really got in trouble or did anything she asked him not too. It was uncanny in many respects. “Umm….draw me a picture today cutie! I always love your pictures” she says, reaching for something, anything to tell the boy so he wouldn’t feel left out. “Okay mama!”.

“Rosaleen? Don’t get into fights with the other girls okay sweetie?” she asks, knowing that that was incredibly hard to ask of the young girl who was so much like her. She kneels down, stroking her fingers over her cheeks. “Even if they make fun of you. Remember, each freckle you have makes you even cooler, and they’re just jealous”.

The little blonde girl just nods. “Okay mommy”.

“I love you. All of you. Even you Barbara!” she shouts up the stairs at the girl who looked as if she had just rolled out of bed and thrown on her clothes before grabbing her backpack. 

“Love you too Aunt Dinah. We all ready yet?” she asks, not wanting to face her parents this morning.

“Yup. All ready” Jason says, letting Martha and Mary climb either onto his back to wrap their arms around his neck, or into his arms for him to carry her. “My little monkeys” Harleen says, while Martha just calls out “ohh ahh aaahhh aaahhh!” to further her mother’s joke.

Harleen turns to Barbara and smiles. “Have a good day sweetie. I’ll see you after school”. She hated walking on eggshells with the girl, but she wouldn’t let her leave the house without at least saying goodbye. The shadow of last night was still hanging over them, and none of the group were sure what to say.

Barbara makes to get in the car, wanting to just leave without any further confrontation, but Bruce stops that and stands up, moving over to Jason and giving each of his daughters a peck on the cheek. “Now, you two have a good day and behave. I love you. Jason, take the girls to the car” he says, gently commanding the man.

Jason listens to the man, giving one final wave to his family. “See you everyone. Love you!”

“Goodbye Master Jason”.

“Bye sweetie! Nana loves you too!”

“See you later Jason” Dinah adds. 

When he was gone, attention slowly drops away, though it was implicit that they were still focused on what was brewing between Barbara and Bruce. He looks at her, a little harshly at first before he sighs and visibly calms down. Barbara just turns her gaze away and scowls.

“Barbara...about last night”.

“I get it already. I screwed up. I said I’m sorry. What more do you want?” she snaps.

“I don’t want anything more, and if you’d stop being angry for one second maybe you’d hear me” he says, snapping just as quickly back before remembering that his purpose in having this talk was to deescalate the situation, not heighten it.

“Look..Barbara...I understand and you know that. Better than anyone. I just want you to know that whenever I get angry with you, or try to correct you, I’m still fully on your side. I just want you to be the best version of you you can be”.

“So you want to change me? That it?”

“No” he sighs, reaching out and placing his hand on her shoulder, and to his surprise he doesn’t shrug it off. “I don’t want to change you. I want you to be you. It seems like you’re the one who wants to change yourself, into something you never were before”.

“People grow up. Things change” she says, though this time with much less venom in her voice. 

“One thing never will change Barbara. You’ll always be my daughter, and I really don’t care how you feel about that. That isn’t changing no matter what” he says firmly. “Now. I want you to have a good day, and when you come home, you and I are going to go out on patrol. Just the two of us”.

It was unspoken that they would take this time to talk, or rather that Bruce would take the time to talk and Barbara would take the time to ignore him. 

“Alright. Sure. Whatever”.

The two were quiet, and Bruce’s arm slowly drops off of her, leaving him unsure as to the real state of affairs between them.

Barbara makes to move around him, though she’s stopped at the door by Bruce’s words. “Can I get a hug goodbye? And maybe your mother too?”

She turns and looks at the man, waiting as usual with open arms. He smiles and nods, waiting. She doesn’t disappoint him, not this time. She moves back and wraps her arms about his midsection, hugging the much larger man.

“I love you Barbara. You know that right?”

“I know. I love you too”.

She wanted to cry, but she didn’t let her tears fall. She didn’t want to embarrass herself anymore than she already had. She hears a chair push itself back, and other people move in. “I...I wasn’t looking for a group hug” she says, knowing that Harleen was behind her.

“Well, the funny thing about looking and finding? You sometimes find what you ain’t lookin’ for and you look for what you ain’t findin’” Elise teases, joining in on the hug and naturally pulling Alfred along. “Alright, alright. Let me go”.

“What’s the magic word?” Dinah asks.

“Aunt Dinah…” she whines.

Harleen just sits back and smiles, waiting her turn for a one on one. 

“Please…” Barbara says, finally acquiescing as her family gives in. She shoulders her back pack to a better position and once again makes for the door. “Barbara…” Harleen calls out, gently grasping her arm. The redhead looks up into her adoptive mother’s blue eyes, seeing the unconditional love and affection in the woman’s eyes that she was not ready for this morning.

All last night, she’d been tossing and turning, wondering why she’d lost her mother’s love as a child. Why did her mother try and kill her? Why did she kill her father? Why did she destroy her family? Now? She was looking back at all her recent behavior and attitudes and wondering what she did to deserve the love she saw in Harleen’s eyes.

She felt ashamed, something she didn’t like feeling. 

Without any more words she leans forward and hugs Harleen close, and the simple action almost makes Harleen want to cry in joy. “I love you sweetie. And you better know that”.

“I know”.

“Good. Just remember that. No matter what. You’re going through stuff. I get it. You’re growing into a beautiful woman” Harleen says, poking the girl’s nose as she backs up a bit and causing Barbara to roll her eyes and smile. “Which is confusing all in itself. But just remember. Everyone around you? Right here...we’re your family and we have your back”.

“I know mom. I love you too”.

“Alright, go have a good day at school okay?” she says, finally allowing the girl to catch up with the rest who were undoubtedly waiting for her. “And don’t give Uncle Vic any trouble!” Harleen shouts, knowing that she wasn’t heard.

“Eh, she didn’t hear me” Harleen says, moving back to the table and her cup of coffee.

“You know, you were a bit like that at her age Harleen” Elise says, washing the dishes. “Was I?”

“Nah. Not at all. Just razzing you. You were very quiet. Always focused on school”

“I seem to recall Master Bruce being the same way” Alfred interjects.

Bruce returns to the table and his coffee, picking up the paper and going over the news bulletins for the morning, his mind still on his daughter.

“Well...I’ve really got to get to work” Harleen says, making to leave as she throws on her coat and grabs her purse. She quickly walks over to Bruce and pecks his cheek lovingly, giving her mother a quick hug and repeating on Alfred what she’d done to Bruce.

“Call me if you guys need anything. You have a good day at the office puddin’...or are you working on something else?”

Bruce just smiles teasingly, focusing only on the newspaper, letting Harley know that he was working on something. She bites her lip and jumps up and down. “Just one question...is it a new toy I can use?”

Bruce nods quickly, though that was all the answer she was going to get. “Ahhh! I can’t wait. Don’t I have the best husband?”

“Debatable, but yeah, you’ve got a good man there blondie”.

“Right back at you blondie. What are you going to do today?”

“I gotta clean the play room” she shouts back over her shoulder before moving up the stairs. “Dinah, that’s one room. How hard can it be?” Harleen asks. All she receives back is a chuckle.

Elise turns and smiles at Harleen. “I think your forget sugar, there are six kids running around here. Seven when little Harleen is over”.

“Ohh….right”.

Church of Blackfire

James sat alone, praying to himself before an effigy carved out of the stone wall of the sewers. Candles were strewn about, illuminating it in the stygian darkness. It was him of course, as there was no other God his followers held before him.

“You are not the first to pray to yourself my Lord” Deacon Blackfire had told him. “Even in the heathen tales we find echoes of this practice. Odin sacrificed himself upon the world tree, an offering to himself. Osiris made sacrifices to himself, and even your predecessor, Jesus Christ, one figure in the trinity, prayed to the father. You are simply continuing that tradition”.

James didn’t know what to make of all this, and he wasn’t even sure of why he was praying at that moment. He didn’t know what praying really was. 

All he knew was that his followers watched him do it intently, and listened to him whenever he finished. Usually it was a command to get him something, and whatever it was was brought quickly. 

In this land of gloom and filth, a king and his kingdom had been born.

“Hello my son”.

He moves, breaking from his prayer to turn towards his mother. She was wearing resplendent dark robes, gilded in gold crust along the edges. How they came into possession of such fabrics, he had no idea. Scavengers went to the surface, and they brought their treasures back down.

“Mother. I am hungry. Have them bring me something to eat”.

“Yes lord” she says with a smile while offering him her hand. “Deacon Blackfire, your servant, has asked if he can speak with you. Do you think you can oblige him?”. She turns to two bums who had been loitering around, waiting for a command from their saviour. “You! Bring him something to eat” she snaps imperiously.

It was out of his mind now, and all that remained was for him to wait his sustenance. But he was left to wonder at his mother’s question. He would say yes, as he usually did. Most of what the ragged old man said to him was strange and confusing, but he sometimes got a gift out of it. ‘Maybe this’ll be one of those times’ he thinks excitedly, nodding up at his mother.

“Well then, my little prince, let’s go see your step father”.

“Mother, I want to go above”.

“We can’t yet my son…” she says, suddenly going pale. “We...we are not ready. If we do, the beast….she is there, waiting. You will destroy her, but in time”.

“I’m not afraid of her. Deacon already said I’d win! I’m God”.

“Yes sweetie, yes but you are are still growing. Let her be beaten in all of your strength my dove of peace”.

“Hmmmph..”.

“I know you hate it down here. This is no kingdom for a lord of the light, but you must be patient”.

“I’m god! Don’t tell me what to do!” he shouts out angrily, though he doesn’t release his grip on her hand. She balks, his outbursts, especially at her, having become much more common as of late. “Yes my lord...I beg your pardon. I only wish to protect you”.

“Ohh ye of little faith” Blackfire says, having approached the mother and son as they were coming to him. “My lord, what an honorable morning it is to be in your presence” the man says, bowing deeply.

“How do we even know if it’s morning?”

The man arches an eyebrow in curiosity, not understanding what the little boy was driving at. “There’s no sun dummy”.

“Ahh! Yes. So astute. Of course you are correct, and I am mistaken my lord. But, onto more important matters. You say that it is time for us to leave the underhell?”

“Yes! It stinks here”.

A small crowd was assembling in the atrium before them, hanging on the words of their prophet and their god. Blackfire falls to his knees and grasps the boy’s shoulders tightly. “My word...it’s true”.

“What is husband?” Barbara asks the man.

He looks up at her with wild eyes, turning to the congregation he had led beneath the streets so many years ago. “Brothers and sisters! The time is upon us!” he shouts, making them gasp in excitement. 

“Six years ago...we heard the thunder of the heathens as their armies battered against one another. We did not know at the time which one was victorious, though it has become increasingly clear that the House of Wayne triumphed over those false gods who ruled above!”

He stretches his hands out and brings them together in a loud clap, falling to his knees before James. Barbara meanwhile, moves up behind the boy, eager for her own share in the glory to come from one of her husband’s visions.

“We saw that tower fall, the greatest strike to man’s hubris since the tower of Babel! Wayne! Ohh that dreaded, dreaded name! The heathen warlord! The infidel who rules over this city as its king, without the blessing of our lord!” he gestures back at James who was now more intrigued by the servant approaching him with a greasy McDonalds bag. 

He takes it without offering even a thank you, and opens it, eyes widening as he sees the burger and fries being provided to him. He digs in sloppily, slamming a fistful of fries into his mouth and chewing with it open. Nobody rebukes him. Who among them could dare lecture god after all? Especially on something as mundane as eating habits.

“Not only that, but the number of dark guardians in the night, gargoyles has increased. They lull the people in a false sense of safety and then? They feast upon their flesh. But now...now the tower has been rebuilt as prophesied in a dream!”

He slams his staff down against the concrete walkway and smiles. 

“Our day! Our revelation is coming! An angel thus said to me, “when the tower rises a second time, piercing the underside of your lord’s spirit in heaven, you shall strike. The tower shall fall twice, but will not rise thrice, and your king shall sit on the throne of New Eden!”

He turns to the boy and falls at his feet, bowing in a supplicantary fashion. “And our lord’s words confirm it! We shall make ourselves ready for war. A merciless quick war in which we shall cleanse the infidels from our streets, piece by piece. A New Eden is upon us and we must ready ourselves! Blessed be! Blessed be!” he says, causing the followers, which number well into the thousand crammed in these abandoned tunnels beneath Gotham

They all cheer, breaking out into an almost orgiastic shout that only increases in tempo and volume. James however, was above it all. The worship of Blackfire, the screaming of the crowds or the cooing of his mother.

All he was focused on was that they were going above ground now. 

He’d gotten his way.

Kane Memorial Catholic School

Barbara was leaning against the lockers right outside of Jason’s class, waiting for him to get out. She cut her own English to do so, not really needing to be in the class to ace it anyway.

‘Pfft, already read Of Mice and Men and all their other bullshit novels last year’ she thinks to herself, knowing that she could probably write a dissertation on each of them if she wanted to. The issue was? She didn’t want to. This was all a waste. A superficial facade. A glorified baby sitting service.

She moves her foot up, placing the heel of her shoe back against the steel locker lining the walls. She wishes she had time to sneak out for a cigarette, but she knows she’d most likely get caught with Sister Sarah roaming around.

As it was she was talking a risk, waiting outside of Father Blood’s history class. She figured it wasn’t too much of a big deal though. The bell would ring in five minutes after all. 

“Pfft, Father Jason Blood. What a name for a priest. Figures that loser is your favorite teacher Jason. Goody two shoes”.

She absolutely loathed this school, and especially the uniform they made her wear. The skirt went practically down past her knees, and it felt suffocating. All of it felt suffocating. ‘Just wait for Jason. It’ll be fine’ she thinks, calming herself.

The bell rings, and the sounds of chairs scraping up against the floor can be heard everywhere as the juniors try to pile out of their classrooms, just the same as in every public school across America. ‘Couldn’t go to public school. Nana INSISTED that we go here’ she thinks, though she holds no malice towards her grandmother.

“I want ya to get some morals young lady. Besides, if you’re good now you can be bad later when you have more money and choices”.

She laughs aloud, smiling at how here Nana was one of the only ones she could really just let loose to when talking to. 

“Don’t worry Father Blood. All taken care of” Jason says, moving out of the room naturally at the tail end of the pack, the tall priest with the severe expression and grey streaks around the hair at his temple. 

“Good. Very good. Kane memorial is counting on you this weekend, and I’d hate to have you miss the game because of a homework oversight” the man teases, knowing that Jason wouldn’t ever slack on school work. Barbara just rolls her eyes, exhaling deeply without moving. 

Father Blood notices her and the slight smile fades. “Miss Wayne”.

“It’s Gordon-Wayne”.

“Very well. Miss GORDON-Wayne” the man says, emphasizing the change in his greeting. “What are you doing here? I happen to know that your english course with Sister Penelope is halfway across the school. There is no way you could be here now if you didn’t skip her class as she doesn’t let you leave early after the last…” he stops to mentally count. “Eight incidents”. 

She just smirks, loving her ability to flaunt authority unscathed. Maybe it was because of her last name. She didn’t know, and she didn’t care. “I’ve got super speed. Dontcha’ know that I’m the Flash?” she asks jokingly, referencing one of the members of the Justice League.

“Uhh well, it was an interesting lecture Father Blood. I’m sure it’ll come in handy on the finals” Jason says, desperate to break the tension. “Anyways, better get to lunch. Come on Barbara!” he says, pulling the girl by her arm away from the teacher.

“Get some rest Jason. The game!” the priest calls out as they move down the hall.

“Will do padre! Will do!” he shouts back, watching as the man slowly moves back into his classroom.

“God, he’s such a creep. And you’re a dork for even talking to him” Barbara teases, feeling her smile fall as she looks at the boy. “What?”

“Do you have to pick a fight everywhere you go?” he asks angrily.

“Jason...I...I wasn’t picking a fight honest. Just poking fun. The guy’s an ass. That’s all” she says, not liking how he was angry with her. The boy just rolls his eyes and moves ahead of her. “Whatever…”.

She was about to lose him in the hallway, but her...unique training made that almost impossible. “Hey! Hey! Wait wait...is this about what happened last night?” she asks, already upset if that was the case.

“Ohh gee, what gave it away? Barbara...you…” he says before remembering that others were around. “It just wasn’t right. I keep seeing things in you. Things that aren’t right. What’s eating you up so bad?” he asks, turning and stopping her in front of a locker. His hands go to her shoulders in a rare breach of school etiquette, and for a minute she feels more than comfortable, especially when she gets to look into his eyes.

She averts them though, not wanting him to see the truth in them. Not yet. Not when she was so afraid of what he might find there.

“Talk to me Barbara. We’re stronger together. Remember?”

She knew that. She felt that in her very core. Every night when they went out there, they had each other’s back. It was like...well, she had no other comparison other than Harley and Bruce. “Jason...I...I just keep thinking…”.

“About what?”

“My dad...Barbara. She’s still out there”.

He sighs and nods, rubbing her gently in a way that makes her heartbeat go even quicker than before. ‘How does he not know what he’s doing to me?’

“Barbara...I know. But, you might never find her. You just might not. You’ve gotta accept that”.

“I can’t. She has to pay for what she did!” she whispers harshly. “And we haven’t tried. Not really. I can find her. I know it!”.

“And what if you do huh? That’s what I’m worried about. What’ll happen when you do” he retorts. “I...dammit, I’ll do what I have to. Alright? I thought you’d support me. Be on my side” she accuses him petulantly. 

“I am on your side but I’m not willing to lose you over her!” he seethes. “She’s not worth it Barbara. She’s not even worth a thought of yours anymore. Hate her, spit on her image and let it go. She’ll get hers”.

“Don’t tell me you believe all this God bullshit they pour into us every day” she says, trying to lighten the situation with a smirk. “Yeah. I do. I have to. Because, newsflash Barbara. It can’t only be us. There’s more. Right and wrong exist, and it comes from more than just us…”.

She loved that about him. 

His passion. His steadfast conviction. Strength. They were all qualities she herself felt she lacked, or at least in what he and Bruce and the rest might consider the “right way”. She loved them, but she was starting to think they were wrong. About everything.

She looks away and nods, not wanting to keep fighting and knowing that if she said anymore of what she was feeling it would be a fight as Jason tried to talk her down. Like always. “I’m sorry”.

“It’s alright” he says, a devil may care smile plastered across his lips. 

She places her own hand on his shoulder and rubs him back, suddenly feeling strange. “Hey um...after school, let’s go to the movies. Just us two. My treat”. She didn’t know why she couldn’t just tell him, or why she felt bashful in nothing else besides this issue, but she did.

Most everyone saw him as just her brother, but anyone who said anything along those lines was quickly corrected by Barbara, either by words or a fist.

They may have shared a last name, but the last thing she wanted Jason to be was her brother. 

His smile falls, and he blushes, embarrassment in his eyes and his face turned away.

“What’s wrong?”

“I would love to Barbara but...I kind of forgot to tell you something. Something you might be mad about”.

“What is it?”

“I kind of have a date tonight” he says. “That’s not the bothering part but...who it’s with might be”.

He had no clue. That indeed was the bothering part for Barbara. Whoever this girl was was irrelevant to her. ‘No! No you don’t!’.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were interested in someone?” she practically hisses. “Woah calm down Barb. Just...well, it slipped...no. I can’t lie. I didn’t want you to get mad, like you are now”.

“Who is sh…”.

“Hi Jason”.

The young man turns to see Jenny Cobblepot right behind him, a cute smile on her face and her dark, raven black hair tied in a neat bun at the back of her head. Barbara wanted to rush forward and scratch her eyes out only because of her existence, but she’d be utterly enraged if this was the girl Jason was going out with. 

He scratches the back of his head and turns, a bright smile on his face. “Heya Jenny. How are you today?”

“I’m good. Hello Barbara” the girl says somewhat less honestly. Barbara just mumbles back a greeting, only wanting to be polite for Jason’s sake. She loathed Jenny Cobblepot, not only for their elementary school days spats either. No. She hated her for her distinguished British accent that Barbara was sure she was faking, she hated her for a naturally gorgeous body that had all the right things to stoke guy’s imaginations and inner fires, while she who trained like an Amazon wasn’t even noticed by the one guy she wanted.

She knew she was pretty, and she knew that she could be described as hot, but standing next to Jenny? 

She knew it wasn’t even competitive. 

Jenny meanwhile turns back to Jason, cutely smiling and turning her head. “Just wanted to make sure you and I were still on for tonight?”

“Yeah totally Jenny”.

“Awesome. I’m super excited Jason”. She leans in and quickly pecks him on the cheek, though for the very first time in her life Barbara feels like she wanted to rush off an report an infraction of the rules. ‘She kissed him waaaay too close to the mouth’.

“Bye Jason”.

And with that, Jenny walks away smiling, leaving a dopily smiling Jason to get a good luck at her, the young man obviously enjoying the way she walked away. 

Jason reaches up and rubs his cheek, “Bye Jenny. Have a good day”.

Barbara was fuming, and she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs but the last thing that would do was get her closer to Jason in the way she wanted. Images of her turning the boy and kissing him directly on the lips in such a fiery passion that he’d forget Jenny Cobblepot for good. 

She didn’t do that either.

“So..you’re going out with Jenny Cobblepot”.

“Yeah. Hope that’s alright”.

It was anything but “alright” in Barbara’s book. Still, she smiles, a fake smile. “Sure. Yeah it’s fine. Pfft. You think I’d be mad about that? Nah. Go ahead. Go have some fun. Get some if you can” she says, mentally vowing to punch her teeth out if she even thought about putting her hands on Jason in such a way.

“I’m actually surprised. You’re taking this pretty well” he says, saddling up beside her as they move towards the lunch room. “Why would I be mad?”

“Well, you never liked her much…”.

“I don’t. But hey...whatever. You’re too important to me to get angry at over something stupid like that. Let’s just go to lunch”.

She needed to play this smart. 

‘But how? Smart is Jason’s thing, not mine. What am I gonna do?’

Chapter Text

?????????

“And what do you think?”

They two robed figures move about the hallways easily, clustered close together as they whisper in quick tones. You couldn’t see their faces, and could only tell that they were men from the general shape of their bodies that was outlined through their robes.

“It does not matter what I think, it only matters what I know” the other says, turning them into a large room to their right. Within this room was a large statue that stretched upwards to the ceiling. It was of a knight, and grasped within his hands was a flaming sword.

“Perhaps the church in Rome…”.

“Bah” the other man says dismissively. 

“The church in Rome is weak, indolent and corrupt. It is focused only on worldly things. It’s forgotten its roots. Its purpose. Its mission”.

“True, very true, but still, their resources are so great. Would not enlisting them gain us valuable time?”

The other man doesn’t answer as they move to stand before the base of the statute, admiring how beautiful the piece of art actually was. It showed a knight in all his resplendent glory, though none of the garnish that came with his peers.

His robe was torn and tattered, his armor disjointed and broken in some places, yet he continued on, raising a sword which burned with holy fire over his head, ready to bring it down and crush his enemies who dared stand against him, and by extension the lord.

The one who was against speaking to the Vatican turns and smiles, a light smile that could even be seen under his hood. 

“And he directed the people to sit on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. The people ate and were all satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over”.

The other man nods, bowing to his gospel inspired wisdom. “Matthew 14: 19-20”.

He reaches out and places a hand on the man’s shoulder while nodding. “We must keep the faith brother and rely not upon the weight of shiftless silver and faux gold. We must trust our God to deliver from us the bounty we need from what he has given us”.

“Of course. Of course. Forgive me. I’ve forgotten”.

The man nods and sighs, turning back up to the statue. “It is easy to forget in Gotham. Especially now in these dark days. But, it is time for us to rise. The ancient protectors of this city, who fought for its flesh and its soul at the same time. We have made mistakes, but we have always struggled to discern the will of the lord. Never forget that at least my friend”.

The man nods and reaches up to undo his hood, pushing it back over his head. Jason Blood, was much more at ease, though the discomfort would not fully desert him. “Grandmaster….”.

“For one who has lived so long, you do show me an awful lot of deference” the other man says, repeating the action as he lowers his own hood to reveal a wizened youthful face. “Tell me Jason. What is it that truly bothers you? Is it the boy?”

The man nods and turns, pacing a bit. “I...I was taken in by you grandmaster. When nobody else would, you fought to understand and trusted me. You have me a purpose and while I am not free of my curse, I am free of my sin. After centuries. I hate to doubt you”

The grandmaster nods, allowing the man to go on on while only adding one little side comment. “And yet, you must question me on whatever it is you must. Ask the question Jason. The lord put it in your heart for a reason”.

The priest stops and looks at him, nodding. “The boy…”.

“Ahh.. I had guessed that it would be something involving young Mr. Todd”.

“This life...it’s full of...sacrifice and pain. The rewards are few and far between. He is a good man. I sense it in his spirit. The one who dwells inside of me is restless whenever I come into contact with him which, trust me, is a good sign. But...why must we bring him into our order?”

“You are acting as if he does not have a choice” the grandmaster says. “We are merely going to offer him the option of joining our order. To see if he can take up the banner Saint Dumas put down so many centuries ago. Surely you understand that this is not happening for a time yet? After all, he has other responsibilities at this point. Like the baseball game this Saturday”.

Jason found it comforting that the man could be jocular and merry, something that took his mind off of the immensity of the situation before them.

“I know he will say yes”.

“Hmm?”

“I know that when Jason is asked, he will say yes. That poses to me a moral/philosophical question. Are we still giving him a choice, when offering the mere mention of the opportunity will prompt him to accept? Or are we simply acting arbiters of the Lord’s plan?”

“Both” the grandmaster yes.

“God has ordained that Jason will ascend to this challenge, and yet..Jason’s heart will desire that he does so as well”.

“Do we offer him assistance? For what is coming now?”

“No, no. We will only watch from the shadows. We must see what he and his family shall do to face these challenges. But...if it gets out of hand…”.

Jason nods, knowing that he would be the one to salvage the situation. At the wave of his hands, the legions of candles that dot the room ignite into brutal and harsh flames which jet up, revealing everything within the room in a much better way than the few candles that were lit had done before.

His shadow though, his shadow was of most interest though the grandmaster didn’t seem to think so.

His shadow was much larger, and had horns.

It laughs cruelly, though Jason only looks down and closes his eyes in shame. “If it comes to it grandmaster, I will burn them all to ash”.

Arkham Asylum, Warden’s Office

“Uggghhh….”.

“Something the matter Warden?”

Harleen looks up to see her chief of security, the promoted Doyle, standing in her door. “Ohh, nothing Doyle. Nothing just...tired and moaning about it I guess”.

The man nods, his own smile falling off of his face.

“We uhh...we got a problem in Max”.

“What now? Is it an emergency?”

He shakes his head to the negative. “No, no. Nothing like that. Just….well, they’re bringing in another inmate. And this one seems to have riled them all up”.

She nods and moves to her feet, grasping her clipboard and the keys to her office. She never left the office without them after the Joker’s break in six years ago. As she leans over her desk she stops, smiling at the myriad of pictures atop it. ‘My babies’. She can’t help but run her finger over one of the pictures in which she had Barbara and Jason holding Martha and Mary, smiling up at the camera for her. 

She pushes these joyous memories to the side for a moment and moves to the door, knowing that whatever the situation was it would be best if it was handled quickly. “Alright Doyle. Let’s get going”.

She steps out of her office and locks the door, following the man down the hall and past the wards that lined their path. When she had assumed the position of Warden, her first act was to move her office closer to the medical wards where they were more easily accessible to her. 

She was still a doctor, through and through.

“Any info you can give me on this new prisoner?”

“Yeah. He’s very quiet but he’s got this...way about him that just scares people. Name’s Jonathan Crane. Used to be a doctor or something. ‘Till he got caught hacking up one of his patients and screaming about a scarecrow”.

They enter the maximum security wing, though it was no quick an easy task to get in. Numerous blast proof doors followed up by a guard checkpoint with the best armed guards she had ever seen.

‘All thanks to Wayne Enterprises’ she thinks with a smile, wondering if Bruce would want to ‘rev up his Harley’ tonight. ‘I do have that sexy nightie I’ve been waiting to put into use’.

“Ahh so another extreme personality. Just what Arkham needed”.

“You don’t...I mean, you really don’t need to be down her Warden” Doyle says. Harleen just quirks an eyebrow in response. “Then why did you call me down here?”

“I just...I figured you’d want to know, but I really would rather you just be a normal Warden you know?”

“What, like Sharpe?” she laughs, suppressing the wince she had at hearing the harsh clang of the door slamming shut behind her. It locked into place, sealing everyone in. ‘Like a tomb’ she thinks, shivering to herself. 

“Nah, you’re prettier than Sharpe was but...I don’t know”.

“This is about Joker isn’t it?”

“It always is in Gotham”.

She reaches out and places a hand on the man’s shoulders, loving the fact that he was so concerned. She sees, for a quick moment, him and Joan and Jerry, back up on those posts, burning while the man’s sick and ominous laughter cascades over her.

She shakes the thought away. “I’m a big girl Doyle. I can handle myself. You just worry about yourself. You’ve been getting fat”. She pokes the man in the belly, him indeed having put on a few pounds since taking the much cozier, less physical position. “Hey...that ain’t fair”. 

“Fair’s are for the countryside” she teases. “Now. Let’s go”.

In maximum security, they went all out. It was just one long hallway buried underground, with feet of concrete surrounding it. There was really no way out for anyone in here. It was only through the door that could only be opened providing the computer system had two key cards inserted on opposite ends. Even if the prisoners escaped through the four inch thick steel doors, they’d be trapped.

‘And left to kill each other’ she thinks, finding herself hating that the thought didn’t bother her so much anymore.

She passes by the doors, each having a small set of bars that allowed communication with those passing by. Each inmate was rattled, and pressing against the bars to either scream or hurl insults at whoever passed. 

‘Woah, they really are worked up’ she says to herself mentally, passing by one cell she certainly didn’t want to at that moment.

The man slams himself against the bars, laughing maniacally. “OHHH doctor Quinzel! It’s been so long since you came down here for a visit! Missing little ole’ me?”

“Doe”.

“Ahh can’t we be on a bit more friendly terms Harley? I mean...who knows me better than you?” he says with a wicked gleam in his eye. That familiar chill goes right up her spine as she remembers their confrontation on the roof top six years ago.

‘He knows who you are but why hasn’t he done anything with it?’

It was true. Joker hadn’t done much for six years except sit in his cell and slowly descend into madness, which was easily achieved considering his already very fragile mental state. What she wasn’t ready for was how emaciated he would grow in his incarceration. 

He was practically skin and bones. From his records she had read that he’d already went on eight separate food strikes, prompting them to force feed him through an iv tube.

“But don’t you worry about me! I’m still your best friend, even if you never call and never write” he continues on with a frown. “But anywho, new guy huh? Interesting fellow. Seems kind of...hmm...rabid? Is he rabid?” he fake gasps. “Should I be worried about fleas?”

“The only thing you need to focus on is how to get better. Nothing more, nothing less”.

“Ohh doc...we both know that that isn’t going to happen. But go and check up on the new guy. He’s probably just dying to meet you!”.

Joker screams in a peel of laughter, falling back into the dark confines of his cell. Harleen tries to block it out but...something about the way he spoke. It was odd to say the least.

She continues on and sees just how disturbed some of the other inmates were in here, and realizes that whoever had come in here had indeed rattled them. The guards were uneasy themselves, and there was this strange lingering smell of...almonds?

She couldn’t quite understand it, though each cell she passed gave her more and more cause for concern. “Doyle...I want you to call in a medical team. Something...somethings not right here”.

“Yeah...sure….doc...whoah...everything is...weird”.

The man was holding his hands out in front of his face, trying to see them but it was clear he wasn’t seeing what was usually there.

“We...we need to open the door” he says, looking at the last cell which was the only one from which a massive amount of noise was not coming from. The inmates had only gotten louder, and the smell...it was much more intense.

“No Doyle...don’t...Something is wrong”.

She tries to stop him and she takes a step forward to do so but it feels as if her whole body is stuck in sludge. She didn’t know what was going on, and she felt….scared.

“No, no...if I open it, he’ll make it better. He promised” the man says as he takes the key from his key ring. “Don’t you hear him? He has a horrible fucking voice. If we don’t listen, he’ll rip us apart”.

Harley was on her knees now with her hands on her ears. She couldn’t “hear” anything, except a dark and ringing tone. Everything around her was changing and swirling and it looked like the walls of the super max were...melting?

She saw the calendar that one of the guards had put above his station slowly start sliding down the wall. She manages to get to her feet, leaning a palm against a nearby desk to steady herself. “HEHEHEHEH you don’t look so good warden! Paging Doctor Quinzel! Paging Doctor Quinzel! This is your physician! It appears you have a case of ligma!” the Joker shouts before descending into even more frenzied laughter.

She couldn’t focus, but if she could she’d find it odd that the Joker was the only one who seemed unaffected by what she was sure was gas now.

She looks towards the front of the hall and sees one of the guards scratching rapidly at his face. “OHH GOD! OHH GOD MY EYES! THEY’RE IN MY EYES!”

Doyle had turned the key in the lock and released the mechanism, slowly opening the door. He moves back into the dark maw that was before him, and moves to his knees. “You see? I did what you wanted. You...you wont hurt us right?”

A hand reaches out rapidly, and wraps around the man’s throat before lifting him up and throwing him back against the wall as if he weighed no more than a paperclip.

“Mrs. Wayne? Listen, you don’t know me but trust me, you gotta get up”.

“Huh?” 

She knew she heard that voice, but she couldn’t see anyone around her, too focused as she was on the hulking creature that was slowly pulling itself through the open door. It’s hands were splayed out on either side of the steel, displaying its grizzled and fleshy digits.

“Get up! Trust me. You’re a badass normally but right now? He’s screwing with you. You’re not on top of your game”.

“HMMM are you the famous Doctor Wayne?”

The voice was horror incarnate, deep and cruel without any hint of mercy or humanity within it. The creature’s face reveals itself to her as the man, or...whatever he was that was thrown in the cell, smiles at her. 

His face, if she could even consider it a face as she wasn’t sure. No. It was….leathery? A mask. She was too horrified to place it properly and she throws her back against the desk, trying to escape it, but unable to move.

The creature was tall and spindly, and it had...hay sticking out from it at all sorts of odd angles. It’s mouth seemed to be nothing more than a black hole with stitches of burlap sack across it, though wet strands of bloody red meat hung out of the sharp teeth that belonged more on a shark than whatever this thing was.

It’s nose was flat, almost as if it had sliced off with a knife, and it’s cheeks carried a deathly pallor that spoke of rot and decay. It’s eyes were the worst though. Balls of flaming hellfire that seemed to bore into her very soul.

She kicks at the floor, wanting to get away and forgetting the desk behind her that hinders her movement. The creature doesn’t care and simply rushes forward to wrap that cruel fingers around her ankle and pull her towards it.

“Hmm...tell me, what do you fear? Ohh you’re most likely beginning to get a taste of what you REALLY fear. Don’t tell me. Don’t spoil it. These are secrets best left to oneself”.

He releases her, and stands, his back hunched as he casts a glance up and down the hall, turning his head this way and that. “Hmmm...what an interesting place. High on security but...hehe...you didn’t check all my pockets. A mistake that may prove...fatal”.

Without any more acknowledgement towards the blonde woman who was cowering and crying on her rear end, trying to not see what was going on around her. “This isn’t real! This isn’t real!” she sobs, seeing the room twisted into a hellscape with horrors she could scarcely imagine surrounding her. 

The creatures moves on though, checking every cell by peaking into it, chuckling darkly at the fear he was causing.

“Amateurs” he smirks to himself, his visage a gnarled evil smile. 

“Yooohooo!” Joker calls out from down the line, waving his hand up and down through the bars. “You” the Scarecrow says, rushing forward. “How are you not affected by toxin?”

He was more intrigued than anything else, and he was eager to learn how to rectify this.

The white skinned man just smiles and nods. “Ohh my bosom buddy. You’re gonna need to learn something about me” the replies, wrapping his fingers about the bars. “I’m already living my worst nightmare...and I find it utterly hilarious!”.

“Hmmm...interesting”.

“What would really be interesting?” Joker entices, hoping that the man will take the bate. “Flipping that emergency switch over by the wall. Opens all these pesky little doors. Think about it. Whatever you did in here” the man stops to sniff the air. “Probably a time release gas of some sort huh? Yeah that has to be it. You’re a guy who has style, pizazz! That’ll be it”.

“Anyways, yeah, that switch over there opens up all our doors, you know in case of a fire or something. If you wanna spread more of this delicious fear toxin, you’ll want to release all of them and let them run rampant in the Asylum!”.

The Scarecrow was definitely intrigued, and without much thought he walks over and flips the switch, stepping over the guard who had taken his pistol from his belt and shot himself in his fear.

Joker just chuckles to himself, gleeful at having a chance to get out and about.

The doors all open, an alarm going off and adding to the quickly developing horror as red flashing lights join the queue. As soon as a crack is detected, the horrified inmates rush out like cattle, barreling past one another and even turning on anybody unfortunate enough to be in their way. 

One moves towards Harleen, and reaches down to grab her. She screams out in horror and pain as his nails dig into her shoulders, drawing blood. As quickly as it comes though, the pain disappears, and so does the body leering above her. Though...another shadow takes its place.

Joker tosses the dead man’s body away, not exactly caring for how he had touched the woman he so desperately desired.

“Heh, I guess this hero stuff isn’t too hard!” he jokes, moving down to force her to look into his eyes. She was still afraid, and even more horrified at his smiling visage that now greeted her. 

“You! I need your assistance to open the main door” Scarecrow shouts, turning back at the clown that he now undoubtedly saw as an accomplice. Some of the inmates advance on him, but with a frightful roar and a slash across the air with his clawed hands, they quickly see the wisdom of walking away.

Joker rolls his eyes and smiles. “He’s a pushy one Doc” he teases, not seeing what Harleen was undoubtedly seeing in her mind.

The Joker’s face was decayed and destroyed, practically a corpse. Maggots rolled and coiled with the right eye socket where no eye was left.

“But that’s okay. I’m not ready for our little date yet. I gotta do some pullups and get some green before wooing you. High class society lady like yourself”.

He releases his hold on her chin and thrusts her back so that her head hits upon the desk. He had done it a lot harder than he’d wanted to, and the impact mixed with the disorientation caused by the gas knocked Harleen out, and her unconscious body slumps to the ground.

“Ooopsie. Wanted to leave the kinky stuff for later”.

“CLOWN!”

“Coming, coming tall, dark and gruesome. I just had some unfinished business to set up”.

Joker walks over towards the main entrance and leans down to pick up the data card from the guard who had a huge hole in the back of his own head now, courtesy of his own pistol.

The crowd that developed, all fearful and confused but most of all enraged, waited for the two figures to release them, having at least a vague sense for what was going on.

Their fear would make them unstoppable.

Joker slips his card in at the same time as Scarecrow does on the opposite end. The light flashes red, then yellow before finally settling on green.

Without any further delay, the blast door begins to open, allowing the inmates a clear way through into the asylum. They run like hell was on their tail, breaking anything in their way and smashing into one another as the toxin spills out as well, a veritable cloud of fear that acts almost like a mind of his own. 

Scarecrow and Joker wait until all the others have exited before ascending the stairs themselves. Joker couldn’t help but  laugh, the cool air of Arkham so different from the stale moistness of below. “So...what’s your plan after this?”

“I’m here on my own mission. Something you wouldn’t understand”.

“I get it! I get it. We’re not close friends like I thought we might be” Joker says with a frown. “But that’s alright. I’ll get over it. Now that I’m free I’m gonna go and find a long lost bosom buddy of mine! My son!”.

“You have a son?” the Scarecrow asks skeptically.

“Yeah. What’s so strange about that? I’m a clown and you’re a giant scarecrow creature thingy with a penchant for using toxins and that’s the weird thing to you?”

“I’m just shocked any woman would lay with you, let alone procreate” the creature says before it begins to lumber away.

“You’re a big fat meanie!” Joker shouts before smiling and moving off in the direction of the juvenile wing. “Ohh Dickie boy. It’s been years! I can’t wait to see how you’ve grown up. So sorry I haven’t been able to get you a birthday present but don’t worry my boy”.

He licks his lips in utter pleasure, not at the plan he had but at the opportunities that were now presenting themselves. The horror he could inflict on this city and especially the Wayne family.

“Your mommy and I are going to make it allll up to”.

The Batcave

He sat at the computer, going over the different bulletins and alerts he was receiving. None of it was calming, but it was something that needed to be done.

Ever since he’d started his crusade in Gotham, he never saw it moving out past the city limits. But, it seemed that the world outside of Gotham was slowly beginning to encroach upon him, leaving him no choice but to confront it.

He reaches forward and presses play on a news bulletin that was straight from the United Kingdom. The reporter begins to speak. “In other news, troubling news from Croatia this morning as unrest takes over the country. With the end of their election, Croatians overwhelmingly voted UFC party chairman Stepjan Ryadlov, who has been quite a controversial figure. Ryadlov has promised to pull Croatia out of any trade agreements with its neighbors and the European Union, citing so called disparities and trade deficits that hindered Croatian independence. Members of his party were overwhelmingly voted into parliament as well. Many of Croatia’s neighbors saw this as an implied military threat, regardless of Ryadlov’s promise that he had no military designs in the Balkans. Wonder Woman, of the Justice League, was dispatched as part of a “League Oversight Committee”, as it is called by Superman in order to quell the unrest”.

Bruce feels his eyes narrow, having a sense for what was to come next.

“Following the Amazonian princess’ arrival, Ryadlov and his party were ousted, and his opponent, Josip Broz of the BRPSP was reinstated. Ryadlov and his supporters took to the streets to protest what they see as a coup enforced by metahuman interlopers at the beck and call of the United Nations. When the protests turned violent, the few loyalists left within the Croatian army opened fire, killing over forty men, women and children”.

“Dammit” Bruce says to himself.

“Following this, a small scale civil war has broken out within the country, a war in which Wonder Woman is heavily involved in. International critics say that she is using force to keep an unpopular, though politically expedient leader, within Croatia, while supporters say that the UFC party is authoritarian, and it’s election illegitimate. Superman had this to say”.

The scene pans away to Superman, speaking before the United Nations, dressed as he was in his red cape and blue suit.

“We need to keep order and peace. More than anything else, this is what matters in these troubled times. The Balkans have long served as a sense of friction between nearby powers seeking to exert influence and power there. Simply put? We can’t allow any one madman to have power simply because enough people are willing to say they will follow him”.

Bruce can’t help but feel a sense of irony about that, especially when he considered who Superman was and how he had been operating as of late.

“The civil war continues, though the opposition party lacks a leader. New reports coming in today confirm that Diana, also known as Wonder Woman, cornered President Ryadlov and killed him while engaged in a firefight. The United Nations has already stepped in to clear her of any wrong doing due to the fact that President Broz had handed down a death sentence in absentia, charging Stepjan Ryadlov with high treason and conspiracy to commit….”.

The news cast is interrupted by an alarm which flashes brazenly only to the screen, horrifying Bruce with what it meant. “No”.

He looks up the particulars and sees that the alarm was coming from Arkham Asylum, upon which he had placed numerous separate monitoring devices to ensure the safety of his wife. 

He pulls up her vitals and sees that they are spiking in a myriad of ways. Her adrenaline was high and her heart rate? Dangerously so.

Whatever was happening at Arkham, it was enough to kill her with fear.

He rushes into action, slipping into his suit with practiced ease while he hears the sound of rushing feet down the stairway. Dinah had also gotten the alert, being tuned into what was going on in Gotham via her smartphone.

She was already dressed in her boots and fishnets, though she was trying to zip up her corset with one hand on the run, her gloves and jacket in her free hand. She manages to zip it up just as she reaches the bottom of the stairs.

“Batman! What’s going on?” she asks while swinging her coat over her shoulders and slipping into it. Bruce was dressed in his batsuit just as quickly, snapping on his utility belt and rushing at the batmobile.

“Harley is in trouble. We need to get to Arkham”.

“Shit let’s go. Should we tell the Robins?”

She jumps into the passenger seat just as quickly as she was capable, while Bruce engages the engine and starts to rocket the vehicle out of the cave. “No time. We need to get there. Now!”

He checks the batcomputer that he had built into the car, continuing to monitor his wife’s vitals which were spiking dramatically.

“Hold on Harleen” he says, hoping against hope that he’d make it in time.

Arkham…..?????

She awoke with a start and makes to stand just as quickly, dizzy as she was, knowing that she had to act decisively. “Come on Harleen…” she tells herself, breathing deeply. Her head was pounding, and she tried to come to terms with that too. 

“HARLEEN! Mnnnfff hnnggn mnnfnfnfn”

The first word of whoever it was that was speaking came in loud and clear but then the rest of it was mumbled. She begins to walk, in as straight a line as she can manage. “The...prisoners...they’re out. Be careful” she says aloud, picking up a baton that one of the guards had disposed of. 

She brings it up to look at it, and right before her eyes it seems to change into a baseball bat. “What the…?”

She turns the bat this way and that, looking at the bright red and black paint that had been etched upon its side. She takes a closer look and sees the three of diamonds on the side.

Her head doesn’t allow her much time to dwell as she continues on, trying to stay upright. When she opens her eyes again, she feels that she’s entered a whole other world. This one?

It was a hall of mirrors. “What...what’s going on?” she screams out angrily, holding the bat up. “What are you doing to me?”

She begins to walk, though she’s unable to resist looking into the mirrors she passes. The first few are fine, and she sees nothing but her normal, rather pretty if she did say so herself, reflection. Just a mild mannered Warden of Arkham Asylum out for a stroll with a baseball bat.

It’s when she gets to the fourth that she has to stop.

Her reflection was completely different. Here she wore the strangest ensemble she’d ever seen. A red and black one piece that crisscrossed and changed colors as it went up her body. She wore bright white face paint, and a strange hat that covered up her hair, dangling ears with bells attached to top off the look.

The look of shock the reflection had on its face, undoubtedly stemming from her shock at seeing it, turns to a gleeful look of mirth, and the woman in the mirror sensuously leans against the frame. “Ehh, what’s up doc?” she teases.

Harleen was in shock. It was her, but not her. 

The woman reaches behind her and retracts a mallet which looked massive in size, and she leans on it for comfort.

“Who...who are you?”

“Who do I look like toots?”

“Me”.

“Aww ain’t you a smart one?”

Harleen shakes her head, trying to come back from the fact that she was communicating with a mirror. “I mean...why do you look like you do?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Mistah J likes how I look”.

“Who’s Mr. J…”.

“Hello Harley! I’m home!”

Another character cartoonishly steps onto the scene, scooting close to the woman who murrs and molds herself into his side. “Aww my puddin’!”

“Joker!” Harleen seethes, gripping the bat even harder at seeing the smirking visage of the man.

“Harley don’t….hnnggrnrh mmmnfff”.

There it was again. That muffled voice. It sounded like it was far off, but also like it was desperately close. 

“Did ya get me anything nice while ya was out?”

“I always do my little gumdrop” Joker teases, giving the reflection Harley a slap on her pert rear. The woman blushes and laughs, while Harleen just feels a sense of disgust. “Want me to show it to ya?”

“Yes! Yes! Pweeeease Mr. J?” 

The Harley on the other side of the glass squeals in delight and pouts in equal measure, eager for the Joker’s attention. The man smiles back, reaching across the mirror to find something that was just out of frame.

“What the fuck are you doing with him?” Harleen seethes, confusing her facsimile.

“Why wouldn’t I be with him? He’s my puddn’!”

“Stop. Calling. Him. That!”

Joker pulls what appears to be a lazy Susan out and pushes it in front of Harley. “I’ve come to realize that the best gift you can get someone you love? The really best gift? Freedom. Freedom from problems, stress, responsibility! Soooo, that’s what I got you sweetie!”

The mirror Harley steps forward and lifts the metal cover off of the tray, squealing once more in delight and dropping it, allowing the metal to clatter loudly to the floor. Harleen was on the edge of her seat, horrified at what the Joker could’ve have possibly gotten this sick and twisted version of herself.

“What’s behind you” she breathes out, not able to see it as the two lewdly embracing figures continue their seductions against one another in front of her.

She was disgusted to watch Joker’s hands cling around her rear, moving up to cup her breasts in such a manner that she would only ever allow Bruce. In fact, she was shaking at the mere thought of anyone but Bruce touching her romantically, and yet here she was, forced to watch a pornogprahic view of herself with the one person she despised most in the world.

The Joker disengages from Harley only for a moment, seemingly noticing his audience for the first time. With a gleeful smile he begins to move away. “Ohh poo...we were so rude. Doing all that naughty stuff in front of our guest...and not even letting her see what brought it on”.

“Take a gander hot stuff. See what your life can be if you roll with a Clown!” he jokes, descending into laughter as he moves like a showman, presenting a prize.

Harley gasps in horror as she sees what was on the moving table, and her free hand goes to her mouth while hot tears make their way down her face.

On the tray were the decapitated heads of her family, all positioned with their very own plates and garnished freakishly, intent on horrifying anyone who saw them.

Barbara, Alfred, Jason, Dinah...she couldn’t go on, especially not with knowing that the heads of her two little girl’s would undoubtedly be there. Rage. 

Rage like she had never known.

The laughter was only the fuel that burned the fire within her like a thousand suns. It wasn’t the Joker’s laughter though. No. It was Harley’s. “HAHAHAHAH! That’s a good one puddin’. Head’s of the Wayne Family all put together! Too bad they couldn’t come up with a plan ta save themselves!”

Refusing to allow her even another word, Harleen brings the bat up and then brings it down on the glass, watching it shatter into a million pieces. That didn’t solve the issue though, as the laughter only intensified. 

Each broken shard of glass turned into yet another laughing Harley, her face and mouth close enough to see the mirth reflected on it.

She turns and sees nothing but mirrors, all filled with Harley and Joker, who’s laughter soon joined her own. “SHUT UP! I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!”

Each mirror revealed something else that would horrify her. Harley at an altar, blood dripping down the stairs from a dead priest as Joker holds her. Them at the hospital, holding a newborn with the same green hair and white skin of the Joker, sporting a horrifying and evil grin.

It was a veritable scrap book of horror, twisted memories that she shared with Bruce replaced and warped by the Joker’s presence. She swings the bat out wildly, bringing it down again and again on the glass and splintering it, repeating the effect of magnifying her opposite’s laughter.

“Don’t you see Harley” Joker’s voice calls out ethereally above it all, taunting her. “You were always meant to be mine. You’re just playing at being Harleen Wayne. You were always going to be my Harley Quinn!”.

She makes to swing the bat again, but she doesn’t have a target. Not one that wasn’t already touched by her rage.

“Come out Joker! Come out and fight me!”

She didn’t realize it, not until she passes by a normal mirror, but she was now wearing her bat suit. A figure moves up behind her, and she can feel them by sensing them. Her training kicked in and melded with her rage, and without thinking she turns and brings the bat down on the figure shrouded in black.

She keeps bringing it down upon the body, enjoying each sound be it a thwack or a bone breaking. Blood begins to return with the bat as she brings it up into the air, having brought it down on the person’s face.

“THIS WHAT YOU WANTED YOU FREAK? IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED? KEEP LAUGHING NOW MOTHERFUCKER!”

The rage, as suddenly as it gripped, let go, and she saw things clearly. The blood stained bat...she brings it up to her face and looks at it, quivering at what she had just done, even if it was to the Joker. 

“Ohh God...what…”

“Harleen…”

A hand reaches up weakly, shaking in pain, and Harleen gets a good look at who she had actually beat down. Her eyes widen, and she falls to her knees next to the limp body as the man’s hand falls. “Bruce...no…”

He doesn’t say anything, but he keeps rhythmically breathing, slowly, as his lungs were collapsed. She gathers him in her arms, sobbing. “Harleen…” he rasps out. “You killed me”.

“No puddin’! No, I...you’re gonna be okay. I’m so sorry. Bruce..baby? I’m so damn sorry. Please. Please don’t leave me. Stay with me baby. Puddin’?”

He had stopped breathing, and she pushes his mask off, wanting to see him. His eyes were still, no sign of life in them. She shakes and screams out in pain. “Bruce! Ohh god Bruce….”.

She sobs even harder and presses her face into his chest, just as the laughter begins again.

This time though...Joker begins to sing.

“You’veeee got meeee, under your skin”.

Chapter Text

Downtown Gotham

Vic loathed traffic.

He did. He couldn’t think of anything more he despised than traffic. He reaches up to adjust the rearview mirror, trying to get a better fix on his surroundings though the need to do something, anything had also played a part.

He sighs, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Despite the traffic? He absolutely loved his job. He’d never had a job that required him to wear a uniform and it felt good to be instantly connected with a service, even if it was for his best friend. It also allowed him to spend a lare amount of time with the children as well, his own and Bruce’s.

He loved them. So much.

He couldn’t believe how much of Dinah he saw in them, though he also saw peeks of himself from them, mostly from Rosaleen and Bruce. He felt a little bit better now, sitting in traffic and taking a moment to really take stock of what he had.

Not only did he have his own four, but he had Bruce and Harleen’s four to help look after as well. He spent a fair amount of time with them, being the last face they saw before going to school, and the first they saw when they got out. He helped them with their history homework, and sometimes their science when it wasn’t too far above him.

When Bruce or Harleen were working very later, he and Dinah would talk them all into bed, and Bruce and Harleen vice versa.

There was definitely the sense of “my children” in regards to the ones that were biologically theirs, but it was also different in that Uncle Vic and Aunt Dinah, and even Aunt Pamela and Uncle Harvey, all contributed as well.

‘Dinah…’.

Their anniversary was coming up, and he’d only just been reminded. He wasn’t the most romantic of men, but he had been planning out something that he hoped she would enjoy. ‘Hell, being alone with one another might be great all on its own’.

The phone rings, and seeing as how he wasn’t going anywhere any time soon, he answers, finding that the call was coming from the batmobile. That was a clue all in itself.

“Hello?”

“Babydoll, it’s Dinah”.

“Dinah? What’s wrong?”

“Are the kids with you?” she asks frantically.

“No, I’m stuck in traffic on my way to pick them up. Tell me what’s wrong. Where are you?”

“I’m in the batmobile with Batman. We’re on our way to Arkham Asylum. Something’s wrong with Harleen”.

His heart ran cold at those words, and he knew, just knew that somehow the Joker was involved in this. “Ohh God..”.

“We’re going to save her Vic but don’t let the kids know anything is going on. Okay?”

“I won’t tell them anything. I promise but be careful Dinah. You too Bruce. Harleen is going to be fine” he says, not able to summon up the necessary conviction in his own voice that he wanted to convey to his wife. 

“We will. We’ve gotta go. Getting into the Asylum grounds. I love you”.

Before he can say it back she cuts the line, the situation being obviously quite dire. “I love you too”. He was more than discomforted and the joy he felt at going over the state of his family was ruined by the revelation that they were in danger. ‘And you can’t do a damn thing about it’. Vic slams his fists down on the wheel, knowing that it was the right call but still unable to take it.

They’d always agreed that at least one, preferably two, would be left behind in case something happened, for the kids of course. But things had a habit of happening so quickly and organically in Gotham that they didn’t always get a choice of who would be each incident’s “designated survivors”.

This time it was shaping up that it would just be him if it all went wrong.

‘Dammit’.

The traffic had started to clear up, apparently having been caused by an impromptu bit of roadwork brought on by a slight fender bender. Now that the guard rail had been repaired the traffic could move on. If he had been in a better mood he might consider the merits of jokingly telling the kids, well, half jokingly, about the government bureaucracy mixed in with corporate and union interests that would lead to such a stall in transportation.

His thoughts were too dark for that.

No. 

As he pushed slightly on the gas pedal, moving towards the exit ramp that would lead to the private elementary school attached to the middle and high school. The closeness of the Kane Catholic Education complex had appealed to the extended Wayne family for a multitude of reasons, though the fact that it was number one in the state and couple with its traditional, conservative views, appealed to Elise Quinzel, Dinah and Harvey.

Vic didn’t mind either way, as long as his babies were happy and he was there to watch over them.

Now however, the school’s proximity to the Manor felt like a curse. He had to school his face and emotions which were in complete disarray, just to let the kids know that everything was safe.

This wasn’t the first time he’d questioned his life choices. If he could be a father, and a vigilante attacking and dismantling the conspiracy along with all of the others who meant to harm Gotham.

Their faces flash into his mind, and he’s once again reminded that he had to do this. His double life was necessary to ensure that they might one day be able to live in a city that’s safe.

‘If I don’t do it, no one else will’.

With that thought, he’s calmed down enough to do what’s necessary, to pretend that everything was alright and keep on. He pulls into the school’s parking lot, just as they were emptying out, and with a fake, but convincing smile on his face, he gets out to wait for the kids.

Right Outside of Arkham

He parked the car, but he doesn’t move from it. Not yet. Dinah herself was getting impatient, and she reaches down to press the button that would open the canopy. She’s stopped by Bruce’s hand around her wrist.

She stops to look at him, angered by his reluctance until she sees the flashing warning on the batmobile’s computer screen.

“Unknown compound? What the hell does that mean?” she asks as the man releases his grip upon her. “It means that something is in the air that we aren’t knowledgeable of”.

She blushes at the perceived slight. “Yeah. I guess that was a dumb question huh?”

“No. Sorry. I’m tense”.

An apology from the Batman was rare, though it was also rare for him to snap at any of them like he was. She understood though. She wouldn’t exactly be all peaches and cream if it was Vic who was in a tough situation all alone.

A thing veil of brownish mist swirls about the car, and that was probably the first tip off she had that something was going very badly at the asylum. He hands something over to her, and she looks at the object in his hand with mild confusion before taking it and unfurling it.

“A gas mask?”

“We’re going to need it” he responds, placing a lower portion over the exposed part of his cowl where his mouth was. “Montoya. This is Batman” he calls out, over the intercom, pulling up the commissioner.

“Batman? Well, we’re glad to hear from you. There’s an issu…”

“At Arkham Asylum. Black Canary and I are already on sight. We want you to keep your men back. A strange chemical compound is lingering about the building and the grounds adjacent to it. Whatever happened here, your people aren’t prepared”.

While he was speaking Dinah slipped the mask over her head, and tried to position it to more safely accommodate her hair. ‘Dammit..I should cut this shorter...no..Vic would hate that. So would I’.

When she finally gets it on, while still speaking to the commissioner, Batman reaches over and flips a switch on the side of it, enabling her to hear the conversation. “Ohh nifty. Built in comms”.

“Black Canary?”

“Ohh yeah, hey Commissioner. I’m here yeah”.

“Ohh good. Batman...do you need Katana on site?”

This was still a sore subject for the caped crusader, but, over the years the Japanese woman had wormed her way closer to the family, if even only for their night time escapades. Still...her willingness to take life, even if she hadn’t killed in years, it was something that didn’t sit well with the man.

“Not yet. Tell her to be on standby though. Canary and I are going to enter the asylum. We’ll see what we can do about the gas. Batman out”.

He severs the link, leaving two way comms up between him and Dinah.

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah, let’s go”.

The canopy opens and they jump out into the mist which is only growing stronger and thicker. It was so bad that they could barely see one another. “Batman? Batman? Can you see me?” Dinah asks, only barely able to make out his shape.

“Yes. Something is amplifying the mist. We need to call in the Batwing. Alfred, can you hear me?”

“Yes Master Wayne” the dependable butler’s voice crackles to life over the intercom. “I came down here as soon as I heard. Is Mrs. Wayne alright?”

Bruce was silent for a moment, wanting to rush in and save his wife but knowing that doing so just might cause more harm than good. “I don’t know yet Alfred”.

“My word…”.

“Deploy the Batwing” Bruce says, not wanting to fixate on what might be wrong when time was being lost that could be used to save her.

“Yes sir. And what shall I do with it once I have it in the air?”

He was glad that Alfred was just as task and goal orientated as he was. In the long run it would count for very much. “I want you to circle Arkham with it and deploy the atmospheric analytic device. I need to know what’s in the air. See if you can deploy a stabilizing agent as well…”.

Dinah felt her attention to this conversation drift away, and her focus began to move onto the shapes advancing on them through the mist. “Batman…”.

“I see them”.

She brings her glove covered fists up, ready to use her impeccable training to make whoever was coming to them regret it. “Any positive visual?”

She couldn’t see Bruce, but she was sure he was doing the same.

“Not yet, but they’re almost…”.

Before the words are fully out, she’s thrown to the ground, a figure slamming into her side and then laying atop her to keep her pinned to the ground.

“YOU’RE NOT TAKING MY SKIN! YOU’RE NOT!”

Of all the things Dinah expected to come rushing from the fog to attack her, an Arkham patient wasn’t one of them. The man looked positively feral as he reaches down to try and choke her, though Dinah is just as quick to throw a punch right under the man’s chin, sending him sprawling back onto the ground.

She’s on her feet quick enough though, seeing the other shadows move in upon her as soon as they saw the first man go down. “Ohh fuck, there’s a ton of them!” she shouts breathlessly, managing to roundhouse kick one straight in the side of the head as he advanced upon her with a broken chair leg.

She feels one pin her arms behind her back in an attempt to allow another in front of her to bring a shiv into her stomach. Even in their fear, they were working together, and it was clear that none of their engines wee firing on full capacity. 

She uses her leg to kick the knife out of the other man’s hands before slamming her head back against the one who was holding her still, shattering his nose and causing him to let go of her to try and staunch the blood.

“Sorry, I’m married” she says before throwing one hell of a haymaker into the man’s gut, allowing him to move onto his knees and giving her yet another opportunity to wreak serious damage. Her knee comes up and slams into the man’s already broken face, sending him sprawling out onto the grass.

“Canary! Don’t go easy on them! We need to get to Harleen!”

“Already beat you to it Bats” she says, beginning to walk towards where she believes the entrance to the asylum is. She can hear on the other end of the line that Batman was having quite a fight as well. She wanted to help him more, but in this mist of...whatever it was, it was impossible, and anyways, she was too focused on combating the random shapes that throw themselves at her, intent on taking her life.

“Somethings wrong with them” she says, ducking the clumsily delivered blow of someone who was wearing a guard’s uniform. “And it isn’t just the prisoners”. She sends the man careening back into the cloud that encircles her, where he hopefully wouldn’t get back up for a little while.

“It’s the air. Something is in it. Make sure to keep your gas mask on”.

“Thanks for the concern bats. Are you almost at the door?”

She could tell that she wasn’t to far off by how the gravel under her feet had switched to a cobblestone walk way. She slowly moves her hands around, searching for the railway that lined the step. She finds it, and her hand grasps around it to guide her the rest of the way just in time for a screaming and snarling face to thrust itself out at her through the darkness.

“THE BUGS! THE BUGS! THEY’RE UNDER MY SKIN!”

She wasn’t going to wait to see if he was hostile or not, and she would bet any amount of money that being unconscious was a whole hell of a lot better than thinking bugs were under your skin.

She grabs his hair and slams his face down on the railing, throwing his limp body back onto what she hoped was grass on the other side before moving up the stairs. “Yes. I’m there. Can you see me?”

“No but I’m getting there myself. Dammit, this stuff is like a funhouse of horror or something. Do you think the Joker is behind this?” she asks, taking out one of the glow sticks she secreted on her person. It was actually a funny story how she came to have them as part of her “gear”. They were really just put there by Bruce when he was three, the toddler thinking that they would make a good flashlight.

“I help mommy?” he’d said to her cutely.

Since then? She carried glowsticks. 

She cracks the little tube open and waves it about, hoping that it would give Batman a clue of where they were before letting all the other inmates who were out and about see her location.

“Do you see me now?”

“Yes. Keep moving forward. Watch out for your feet. I knocked…”.

Right before the words were out of the man’s mouth, she almost trips over a body, and she shakes her head and growls, allowing the man to finish. “Out a few who attacked me”.

She finally sees the man’s shadow, a veritable dark blob through the mist with pointy ears. She suppresses her shiver, seeing why criminals feared the man so intensely. “That was fun” she says, meaning the exact opposite as she saddles up next to him beside the large wooden doors that led into the asylum.

He doesn’t respond to her joke or sarcasm, being much too intent on saving his wife at this point. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah. Let’s do this”.

They both push in on the doors and enter the asylum, happy that the mist was less thick in here though it was surely more pungent. “How the hell is he spreading this crap? Or She...I don’t know. My money is still on this being the Joker”.

He couldn’t rule that out, but still, this didn’t feel like the Joker’s handiwork. It felt like someone new, and that was always something frightening to encounter.

He would have to learn the rules he was playing by when it came to whoever this new criminal was, and with his wife in the balance? 

He was going to have to figure it out quickly.

Metropolis, Lex Corp Headquarters

“Mercy, we don’t have time for questions” the bald man says sternly, still moving down the halls of Lexcorps. All around him boxes were being lowered and carted away into what amounted to a convoy of epic proportions at the base of Lexcorp tower.

The woman who served as Lex’s body guard and driver was rushing behind her boss, fighting to keep up with his gait.

“But Mr. Luthor...I don’t understand! What’s going on?”

He stops, but only for a second to chastise a young man loading a few boxes onto a hand truck. “Hey! Careful with that please! Jesus Christ we can’t lose any of this alright?” he seethes before calming at the young man’s frightened look.

“I’m sorry. Shouldn’t have snapped just...be careful okay?”

The man nods and gulps down his fear. Nobody liked to cross Mr. Luthor, so it was always a saving grace when he didn’t see the infraction as severe. “Sorry Mr. Luthor. It wont happen again”.

“I trust you” the man says faux dismissively before turning back down the hallway, heading once more to the elevator. Mercy was again trying to keep up with him, and she knew that from his behaviour that whatever was going on was deathly serious. 

“Lex...please...just…”

“Superman is coming for us”.

“What?” 

“You heard me” the man says, losing his temper again before retracting the stress ball he carried in his pocket. He takes deep breathes and squeezes it repeatedly, having taken to the habit recently. Mercy wants to further relax him, and she reaches out for his shoulders and gently rubs along them.

He closes his eyes and nods, having calmed down enough to speak again just as the elevator finally reaches their floor. They step in, though the shorter woman continues to reach up and rub his shoulders.

“Superman has found out that I know his weakness” he explains. “What he’s done in Europe? That’s coming here soon Mercy. He’s managed to completely put the European Union under his control and too many heads of state who don’t want to play ball have wound up dead for my liking. So, we’re going to the one place that he isn’t going to be able to get us”.

“Where?”

He turns to her and smiles, “Gotham City”.

“What makes you think we’ll be safe there?” she asks breathlessly, letting the immensity of what was going on settle over her. 

“Harvey Dent” he explains. “You see, it’s easy to understand why so many people view Superman positively, why they’re rushing to throw themselves into his arms. He provides them safety, or at least the illusion of it. He pretends to listen. Any resistance movement in the United States that might, and I do mean might, pop up is doomed to failure because it wont have an effective leader”.

“And Harvey Dent has been one of the most popular outspoken critics of Superman as of late” Mercy concludes. Lex just nods, glad that she was one of the few employees he didn’t feel he had to spoon feed everything to. “Not only that, Bruce Wayne”.

“From what I know of Wayne he’s just a playboy, or rather, was. Now he’s married. Wife and kids. Still not particularly striking as a focal point of anti-League resistance”.

“I wouldn’t underestimate him” Lex teases, a wry smile on his lips. “Inside sources tell me that Wayne Enterprises is preparing for Superman just as much as Lexcorp. The issue is that he’s lacking the information we have” he says as the elevator stops and the doors open. “Or the resources to use it”.

As they step out into the loading bay where a steady drumbeat of trucks were moving in and out, being attended to and loaded by an omnipresent force of forklifts and workers. 

“That’s why we’re going to be moving to Gotham City. Providing Mr. Wayne and the vigilantes there, who have already made it clear through Mr. Dent, their unwillingness to work with Superman”.

He moves over to a crate that was just about to be sealed, and Mercy finds her eyes drawn to the green glow that emanates from within the crate. “Ohh...what...what is that?” she asks, wanting to reach out and touch it. “Synthetic kryptonite. Superman’s weakness. It’s not as potent as the real stuff, but it does the trick and I can make an almost infinite amount of it” the bald man explains. 

“This is what you’re offering Gotham in exchange for you going there?” she asks.

“Us going there Mercy” he says, crossing his arms behind his back. “I’m relocating all of Lexcorp into Gotham City where, going against every fiber of my being, I’m going to beg Wayne to let me set up shop and help”.

She knew how hard it was for the genius to ask for help. In a way she respected it, his desire to be completely self sufficient and his up till now success at doing so. She was on board with this. If Lex thought it was necessary to defeat Superman? She’d do it. She’d do anything he asked of her, just like the past ten years showed her when she was a homeless teenager on the run. She’d met the young entrepreneur and, after helping him fight off a few thugs in the back streets of Metropolis, had offered her a job. 

He’d earned her loyalty a thousand times over, and her he.

Still, there was something else. Something important she needed to say. The burnette casts a quick look around, seeing that nobody had noticed the two speaking to one another. “Lex...there’s something we need to talk about, before we head out to Gotham”.

“Mercy, we…”

“We have time” she exclaims, silencing the man with the fierceness of her gaze. 

“For a few years now...we’ve been, doing what we’ve been doing. On a personal note” she says, blushing like mad and looking away. “I’m just going to come out and say it. I’m tired of being treated like your dirty little secret. Of having you sneak into my room when nobody would notice, and leaving before the sun rises. Lex...I think you know I love you” she admits, that sentence having taken a lot out of her. “But...I can’t keep doing this if you don’t love me. I owe you everything, I know, but I still deserve better than that”.

She was digging her heels into the ground, refusing to budge on this issue. “A new start, in a new city? Good. I want to know where you and I stand. If you don’t feel the same way for me, that’s fine. I’ll keep being your chauffer, and your body guard, and even your friend. But I wont be a sex doll”.

She was purposely keeping her tone low to avoid the workers hearing what they were saying, though it was pretty obvious that they were all too far away to hear anything. 

She stared Lex down, seeing the indecision in his eyes and worrying. Had she gambled too far? Was this the worst time to drop such an ultimatum on a man? 

She was already regretting her words, though she didn’t have time to put words in the air to her regrets as Lex leans forward, wraps and arm about her waist, and presses his lips to her own. 

Now THAT, the workers saw, and everything seemed to stop in that moment. Pictures were taken on phones, and Mercy was still at the...well, mercy of Lex’s touch. Her eyes were wide open, having never expected such an open reaction. IF Lex reciprocated her feelings, she had figured he would tell he privately.

But this? This was also good.

She moves her arms around him, and smiles into the kiss as the workers begin to hoot and holler in appreciation at seeing the normally stoic and tough as nails woman attached to their boss’ hip in such a state of abandon.

Lex releases the woman’s lips, though he keeps his hand on her waist. The man was flustered, and blushing a bright hue while Mercy just smiles up at him, caressing his cheek. 

He lets go of her and straightens himself out, working on his tie that Mercy had undone in her fervor. “Fine. Have it your way” the man says imperiously. “Have your rooms and mine placed together once we get to Gotham. Issue a memorandum that that rule of not dating coworkers has been dropped due to my hypocrisy of having been with you for four years and most importantly…” he says, stopping to glare at the snickering workers.

“Get these slobbering monkey’s back to work!”

He was hiding his embarrassment under a veneer of corporate apathy/disdain, but she knew the truth. That was enough. 

“I need an aspirin” he says, turning and squeezing his stress ball once more, moving back into the elevator to retrieve whatever else he was meant to do. Another thing about Lex? He never just sat back and relaxed. Hands on was his motto.

“Alright you heard Mr. Luthor! All of you, back to work! Double time!” she shouts, unable to assume the same angry tone that Lex was, especially at this moment. 

“Yes Ms. Graves!” the workers nearest to her all chorus out before turning back to their respective duties, mixing the crates filled with the kryptonite along with a multitude of Lex’s other toy’s and experiments.

Mercy rushes back to the elevator that had just come back down following Lex’s exit, and steps inside. 

‘I better go get him that aspirin. He probably already forgot’.

Arkham Asylum

“We need to find her! Where the hell is she?”

Dinah was beginning to get worried, and she never liked being worried. Especially not like this. They had scoured the building almost top to bottom, putting down inmates and securing them as best as they could.

Still, there was no sign of Harleen.

“She has to be in the living quarters. There’s no other place left” Batman says, turning down the hall that led to the said living quarters. They were the old part of Arkham that had served as numerous different things throughout its lifetime. Barracks, prison and tuberculosis ward. Now? They were where off duty guards could relax. 

“Well, how interesting…” 

Scarecrow turns the corner, staring down the two vigilantes who had come to fight him. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for soooo long. So glad you didn’t disappoint me” the man teases. “I’ve got this freak Bats” Dinah says, stepping forward. “You just keep looking for any other survivors” she says, cloaking their real mission here in vague terms to preserve the integrity of his secret identity.

“What...how are you not affected by my gas?” the man shouts out exasperatedly.

He didn’t appear to them as the hulking monster that frightened everyone else. In fact, as Dinah looked him over, she could easily say that she wasn’t impressed. He was a scrawny little man wearing torn and tattered burlap, and a straw hat upon his head. “It’s called a gas mask genius” Dinah says, cracking her knuckles while moving forward, giving the man reason to worry.

“No, no, no! This isn’t fair!” he says, backing up with his hands held outwards. “You’re supposed to be afraid of me! Afraid! Your worst fears!”

“And it appears that your worst fear is a girl whose about to kick your ass so nothing has changed for you since high school!” Dinah says, beginning to enjoy this.

“No, no!”

The Scarecrow rushes down one of the side corridors, and Dinah makes to follow him without thinking. “Canary wai…”.

“Whose there?”

He turns rapidly, knowing that voice as well as he knew his own. It had come from behind him, and he sees Harleen standing in the middle of the hallway. Her clothes were ragged and the look on her face...he almost couldn’t bear it.

An unbroken trail of tears lined her cheeks, dragging some of her smeared makeup of which she wore only a little, all across with it. Her eyes were what frightened him the most. They were wide and open, almost unseeing in their fear. 

It was like she was looking right past him.

“Harleen?”

He calls out her name in the hopes of snapping her out of it, but her eyes lock onto him and tighten into a glare. She raises a guard’s baton she had in her hand over her head and sways unsteadily on her feet.

“WHO ARE YOU?”

“Harleen…” Bruce says, trying to calm her down. Seeing as they were the only ones there, he didn’t see the harm in using his real name. “It’s me. Bruce. Your husband” he says, knowing that the gas was affecting her. 

He just didn’t know how much it was affecting her.

“No, no...you’re...you’re not Bruce!!”

She charges him instantly, the baton raised high up over her head, ready to bring it down in a horrid strike.

????????????

She sees the creature, and she knows, knows, that it killed Bruce. 

‘It...it wasn’t me! It was this thing! This thing trying to wear his skin!’

The creature which was all black, though its eyes were orbs of fiery hell, snarled at her, reaching out it’s claws that were dripping with the blood of her family. She knew it! Just knew it. It wasn’t her fault! No, it was this thing’s.

“Harleen…” it whispers out gruffly, it’s voice an affront to warmth in the known universe. “It’s me. Bruce. Your husband”.

With a sick smile plastered across the thing’s face, it reaches out with another hand and showcases the head of her husband it had grasped by the hair. “Why...why didn’t you save me Harley? I loved you”.

She was lost for words as the voice speaks through the head, though she knows that the voice wasn’t coming from her husband. No. It was much more familiar. She turns back to the creature, whose face began to shift even more, molding and melting and then reforming until the Joker looked back at her.

“HAHAHAHA! Ohh Harley! You really should see the look on your face. Ohh it’s so delectable. Honestly! But, I’ll make it all better. After all…” he pauses, shaking his head and molding his face again. This time, it changes to a jokerized version of Bruce, whose eyes glare hatefully back at her.

“Who would know you better than me?” it asks in a mockery of her husband’s voice.

“No, no...you’re...you’re not Bruce!” she screams, throwing herself forward as she finally knows what to do. She wasn’t going to cower anymore, and just let this creature keep taunting her.

No. 

This wasn’t going to happen! She was Harleen Wayne. She was Batwoman, and just like Bruce she was vengeance. 

She brings the baton up over her head, intending to bring it down atop the creature’s skull, though he was quicker at this point. It reaches out deftly and grabs her wrist, keeping her from moving the weapon any further down. She fully expects to die, to feel the creature snap her wrist and be done with it, but he doesn’t. Instead, it pins her against the wall, much more gently than she would’ve thought the beast capable off.

“Harley...Harley, listen to me!” the distorted evil grinning face of Bruce taunts her. “It’s me! Bruce. Your husband. The one you failed in every single way. The one who hates you”.

That stung her and she couldn’t let it lie. “No, no! Bruce loves me! He does I know it! I know it!”

“He pitties you” the Joker teases, the faces now switching back and forth at will. “You’re a good fuck to him. That’s all. That ring on your finger. It doesn’t mean anything. You’re just his property Quinzel, and when he gets tired? He’ll dump you off and find a new woman to slip into that bat suit of yours”.

“YOU’RE LYING!”

She swings her fist up directly into the creatures face, impacting his eye more than anything. It howls in pain and steps back, dropping her as he does. This gives her a chance to launch herself up at his midsection and she takes it to deliver a flurry of blows against it. “I’m Harleen Wayne! I am Batwoman! You’re nothing! Nothing! Just a stupid clown!”

The creature slips away from her, grasping her body close to it she tries to wiggle free. Whatever it was doing, it was attempting to keep her still. 

She wouldn’t allow that. 

She headbutts the creature, ignoring the pain she inflicts on herself to try and free her arms to deliver a continuous flurry of punches into her attacker. It doesn’t work, and while the creature doesn’t hurt her, he doesn’t let go, and his grip only tightens. 

Slowly it shifts to one arm about her waist, while its other goes out with the claws drawn back, ready to come down upon her. She feels fear again, and she knows that it’s going to hurt. “Ohh please...no...no...AHHHH!”

She screams out as the claws come back in and pierce her skin, though she feels oddly….better as soon as they do. 

She opens and closes her eyes and the hellish landscape around her begins to slowly form away, and when she looks back at the creature she only sees Bruce, or rather, Bruce wearing the batsuit.

“Bruce?”

Arkham Asylum

He gently takes her head in his hands and looks down at her, watching through the broken lens of his cowl as the fog lifts from her eyes, allowing them to go back to their vibrant deep blue.

“Bruce?” she asks tiredly, and the man nods, reaching down to his belt and retracting another gas mask. Quickly he presses it to her mouth, allowing her to breath while responding to Alfred over his comm link.

“Master Bruce, did the insulin shot work?”

“Yes Alfred. We’ve got her back” he says, running his fingers through her hair while lifting her up into a gurney that happened to be nearby. “She’s going to be okay” he explains, watching as she takes deep rhythmic breaths. 

“Thank the lord master Bruce. Elise has been worried sick”.

“How is the situation outside?” Bruce asks, remaining close to his wife, his gloved hand reaching out for hers to allow the woman to rapidly take hold of it.

“Very well Master Bruce. The toxin, as you know increases output from the adrenal gland. Insulin cures it, bu moisture dispels it. It was apparently on the man’s clothes, and slowly spread in a time release fashion. He placed something in the air conditioning system to the best of my knowledge, and that explains how it spread so easily around the grounds of Arkham. It’s self replicating Master Bruce. Quite ingenious. However, the gas cannot linger so I’ve been using the batwing to drop our fire fighting water canisters around the grounds of Arkham. As we speak it is dispelling”.

“Good. Now, engage the sprinklers within Arkham to dispel it inside the building”.

“As you wish Master Bruce”.

Before the man can comply, Bruce hovers over Harleen, using his cape to shield her from the water which begins to fall down from the ceiling onto them. He wasn’t focused on that however, and he can only keep staring at his wife who still seemed to be suffering lingering effects.

Slowly she reaches up and places her hand on his cheek, noticing the damage she’d done when she punched him in the face. “Puddin...I’m so sorry” she says, crying softly. “I...I thought you were someone else...and I saw the heads and…”.

“Shhh...Harleen. It’s over sweetie. It’s over”.

He reaches up to run his fingers through her hair, glad that he didn’t have to restrain himself due to the presence of others. Around them the gas was dispersing and disappearing, giving out little peels of resistance in the way little tendrils would remain and swirl before being overcome.

When the last of it was gone, the sprinklers disengage, leaving a very quiet Arkham asylum in their wake.

“Bruce...I love you”.

“I love you too Harleen. Relax. You’re still suffering from the gas” he explains, gently removing the gas mask from her face to allow her to breath some fresh air. When he does she inhales deeply and coughs, spewing the remnants of the panic inducing gas from her lungs and intaking fresh, if humid, air.

“Well, gee, whoever called on the water works, thanks” Dinah calls as she advances down the hallway toward the two.

She was soaked, head to toe, and it was certainly showing in the corset she wore tightly around her chest. She throws a body to the floor in front of Bruce, all neatly wrapped and secured. “Turns out, he was really fucking weak. Asshole”.

She wanted to kick the unconscious man in the side of the head for causing so many problems, but it was clear from the bruises and cuts that the man hadn’t gotten off easily. When he was unmasked he looked like nothing but an unassuming, if rather bookish, man you’d find walking down any street. 

But after what he’d done to his wife? Bruce wasn’t inclined to care much for how roughly he’d been handled by Canary.

“Wet t shirt contests are only supposed to be for my husband to see me in. Nothing personal Bruce” Dinah teases, buttoning up her jacket to cover herself a bit more. In recent years, she’d gotten more attentive to modesty due to the fact that she had children and was a regular with said children at mass. 

‘Besides, you still get to be sexy for Vic in the bedroom’ she thinks.

“I ain’t worried” Harleen says tiredly from the gurney, still somewhat out of it. “My tits are my puddin’s favorite so I doubt he’d even wanna look at yours blondie”.

“Pfft, and here comes Mrs. Wayne all back to normal, her sarcastic teasing normal self” Dinah says, saddling up beside her best friend. “How you doing sweetie?”

“I’m okay” Harleen says, feeling like a truck had hit her.

“Hmm...well, when we get home I guess we all just have to spoil you a bit anyways. Yay for you huh?” Dinah says, trying to cover the fact of her worry by kissing her friends forehead and taking her hand, squeezing it tightly. “Glad we got you sis, but...we need to go. Lots of questions are gonna be asked if the cops who are starting to enter the building see you and Bats here smooching on a gurney”.

Harleen nods and smiles. “I know. I know. The hospital will take good care of me” she says before turning to Bruce. “Puddin’, you make sure our babies know that mommy is alright because of how heroic their daddy is”.

“And their Aunt Dinah”.

Harleen rolls her eyes. “And their Aunt Dinah. I’ll see you soon Bruce”. 

He squeezes her hand and leans down to kiss it. “As soon as I can, we’re getting you out of the hospital”.

“Sounds good pudd”.

She’s distracted by the sound of a door slamming open, and she hears the police call out to them. “GCPD! Hands up!”.

When Harleen turns her head back she sees that Bruce and Dinah were both gone, never liking having to mingle with the rank and file of GCPD anyways.

“Hello? Anyone down there?” Montoya calls out, making to lower her pistol as Harleen waves from the gurney. “Down here! Batman left a little present for you guys” she adds while pointing downwards at the prone man on the ground.

“Careful though. This one’s a stinkbug”

Gotham City

“I don’t understand Joker” Dick says, following behind the man as they walk through the back alleys of the city. “We break out, and what? What do we do now?”

“Whatever we want little J! Whatever we want” the man says excitedly, his hands in the pockets of the coat he’d stolen. Both were wearing the clothing of two pedestrians they had murdered right outside of Gotham.

They’d been sitting on a bench when the two escaped inmates grabbed them and sliced their throats. It would be a while before their bodies were found in the underbrush but by then? The Joker and his now teenage accomplice would be long gone.

It was amazing what five years of separation could do. Dick had grown, though he still kept the unique skin and hair tone gifted to him by his trip into Ace Chemicals finest brew. He had spent the years exercising and working out, so now he was a verifiable brute.

He was so strong that it was a surprise the jacket they’d lifted off of the other man even fit him.

“Surprise we’re even leaving Arkham” Dick says confusedly. “Especially with your precious Harleen Quinzel being back there”.

The Joker stops and smiles, remembering the sinfully sweet little detail that Dick simply didn’t know what he did. The women that they both desire, though in different ways, was one and the same. ‘Should I tell him? Aww no. Not yet. Let’s not spoil the surprise! Hehe’.

“Aww are you jealous little Jester? You know you’re my best friend in the whole world but let’s face it, two guys? It’s turning into a sausage fest. Whose gonna clean up our messes when we’re off doing…”.

A sound from in front of the two clowns stops them in their tracks, and they watch as a manhole cover is pushed up and to the side, a face eagerly peaking out over the side.

“Well hello...who is this…” Joker teases, moving onto his knees. 

The head lets out an “eeep” of surprise and ducks back down, causing a scuffle from somewhere deeper in the exit. “Let me lead us then ye of faint heart!”

Joker looks over his shoulder at Dick and winks. “Only in Gotham do things just pop up like this. Heheh”.

A figure begins to rise from the manhole and he slowly lifts himself up into the Gotham air. Deacon Blackfire for the first time in six years, was back on the surface level. The man takes a moment to breath in and stare in visible hate at the Gomorrah he felt had been built atop his head. He spares the Joker only one glance before reaching back into the manhole and lifting up a child, setting him gently and reverently on the ground. 

He repeats the action to bring forth a woman, who instantly is unsettled by the clown’s appearance and rushes to the boy. 

“Who are you?” the man in the robes asks, stepping forward before the Joker and glaring. “Ahhh well the real question is..who are you random man who has popped up out of the sewer?” Joker asks while laughing. Dick himself was eyeing the curvy redhead, admiring her even while showing evidence of being in the sewer for years.

‘After so long in a cell, anything will do’.

“I am Deacon Blackfire. High prophet of the one true God and his form upon Earth, James Gordon” he says, gesturing at the boy who was standing beside him. Joker gasps and falls to his knees, making the sign of the cross and bowing before the boy before tugging Jason to do the same. “Come on lad, we are before God! Ohh I knew he was coming, just knew it. And to a place like Gotham!” the man teases before his smirk falls. “Trust me this place needs a good ole’ rapturing if I ever saw one”.

Dick doesn’t budge, and instead regards the kid as nothing more than a brat who already seemed pompous and self important. “God huh?” Dick asks. “Do any miracles? Like turn some water into wine or maybe get that robe off of her”.

Barbara gasps in shock, moving further behind Blackfire who for his part was flummoxed. “How dare you speak to the ark of the new covenant in such a way boy! Holy fire shall cleanse you…”.

“Easy there sewer Moses, easy” Joker says, standing in what he hoped was a conciliatory gesture. He moves next to Dick and smiles, ruffling the boy’s hair. “He’s just a growing lad trying to stretch his legs a bit. Now, sure, he wants to do some bad stuff but that don’t mean he’s a bad kid right?”

“Hmm”.

“After all, if that guy on the cross died for our sins and all, and we don’t use up some of it? Well, now that’s just bad manners making him die for nothing. So, hey, be a sport and let my boy have a night alone with that buxom lady over there and I might, might, consider letting you hear a joke!” the Joker says, loving how irate the man was getting. 

“Enough. I shall not have the lord hear such foolishness. Saints! To us! Protect your god!”

Without warning a large group of men quickly assemble, moving up from the manhole cover and assuming a position around the two escapees. Each had a rifle, and it appeared that they were already cocked and ready to use. 

The numbers just keep coming as well until no less than twenty five men had Joker and Dick in the crosshairs. 

“And there are more willing to give their lives for the sanctity of our lord and his mother. Do not test me. Simply walk away and perhaps you will be spared on the day of atonement, though I doubt it”.

Joker raises his hands in surrender and smiles at Dick. “Well Dickie boy, looks like they’ve got us surrounded. It’s over! Ohh how bad is it to die in an alley surrounded by bums on their way to….hey, what is it you merry band of sewer rats are up to anyways?” the Joker asks. 

“Jihad” Blackfire says. “Holy war upon those who refuse to accept the words our God has to give. Who refuse his gifts and wisdom”.

“Ohh? And who are you gonna attack first? Just out of ole’ curiosity”.

Blackfire points to the east, directly at the newly rebuilt Wayne Enterprises that was stretching into the sky and piercing through the fog like a needle. “There. That is the den of the devil upon this city. His lair. His base of operations. We are going to attack, but only once we are ready. Once our lord has been seen by the masses and his words proselytized to them, can we continue”.

“Sooo...you want to destroy Bruce Wayne eh?” Joker asks, his mind already ticking away.

“He is but one, but yes, he is one who must fall if our lord is to sit and reign above this city”.

Joker now had an idea, a way to get everyone what they wanted.

“Well, looks like you’ve got your first two converts right here Moses” he teases with a menacing glare. 

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor

“Mom, are you sure you’re okay? Really, I can stay if you need me to” Jason says, sitting down on the couch next to Harleen. “Sweetie, I love you a ton but if you don’t stop fussing over me I’m gonna scream” the blonde jokes, leaning forward to place a kiss on the boy’s forehead.

“I’ve got Dinah, Pamela, Barbara and everyone else here. I’m fine”.

Jason wasn’t convinced, and he kept looking down to see the woman’s hand shake. “It’s gotten better” she supplies, already knowing what he was thinking. “I’ll be back to normal and back out on the streets in a few more days”.

“A week” Alfred says, coming in with a tray of dinner for the woman who was seated on the couch. “A week and not a single second less Mrs. Wayne” the butler continues, setting the tray table before her.

“Aww but Al…”.

“Don’t but Al him Harleen”, Elise says, moving up to her daughter to make sure that the blanket remained around her. “Mama..”.

“Don’t whine, you know what the doctor said. He wants you to remain nice and warm while you’re recovering”.

The younger blonde was pouting petulantly, hating that she had effectively been grounded as an adult. “Don’t pout. You know it’s important you get better. The kids need you”.

At that moment Dinah walks in, a child cradled in each arm and a veritable horde behind her. “Yup. These kiddos miss their mama being able to run around and play with them as well. I’m exhausted” Dinah says faux dramatically while setting Mary and Martha down. They instantly rush to their mouther,having to be restrained from pouncing by Alfred.

“Ohh my sweeties. Come here” Harleen says, prompting them to ignore the butler for a moment and crawl into their mother’s lap. Ever since Harleen had gotten out of the hospital, the two little girl’s hadn’t wanted to even be away from her for a second.

“How are you feeling mommy?” Martha asks, molding to her on the right side of the couch. “I’m okay Martha bear. I’m okay”. She was slowly getting closer to “okay”. Ever since the events at the Asylum, where she’d received an almost lethal dose of the so called Scarecrow, a.k.a Jonathan Crane’s, fear toxin, she’d been shaking.

The doctors said that she was lucky to be alive, and that if it hadn’t been for the timely intervention of the Batman, well...she didn’t want to think about it.

It was slowly going away, and the shaking and nightmares followed by random adrenaline spikes, while annoying and frightening, were slowly receding. She hadn’t been out on patrol as Batwoman for two whole weeks because of what happened, and it was taking a greater toll on her psyche than the after effects of the gas.

‘Well...a little while longer. Just make it through this Harleen’.

“I just wish..I wish you guys would’ve told us what was happening. I could’ve been there and helped” Jason says on the other side of Mary which allows him to gently rub his little sister’s back. Mary had been especially hard hit by the news of her mother’s injury, and had spent many nights crying while Harleen was in the hospital.

Even now the dark haired little girl was clinging to her mother in what almost amounted to a death grip, clearly afraid of losing her.

“Ohh sweetie” Harleen says, reaching out to wrap an arm about Mary while patting her eldest son on the shoulder. “I was fine. Your dad and Aunt Dinah were on the way and they saved my butt. Besides, I wanted you to be able to enjoy your date. How is Jenny anyways?” she teases the boy with a wink, wanting to get the subject off of her recovery and onto happier things.

“Yeah, how’d your first date with her go?” Dinah asks, moving onto the floor to play with her own children, each eagerly working on assembling some large lego style bricks. “I bet he kissed her!” Rosaleen teases with a giggle.

Jason just blushes and turns away. “No. No. Never on the first date” he says.

“Ahh a true gentleman” Alfred says, sitting in his own chair contentedly, a watchful eye being cast over Harley. “My jeeves trained him well” Elise adds as an aside.

“I’d like to think I had a hand in some of that too”.

Bruce enters the room and makes a beeline for Harleen and he bends over the back of the couch to plant a kiss on her cheek alongside a ruffling of his two daughter’s hair. “Hey puddin’” Harleen says, gently grasping the man’s tie to keep them close.

“Harleen”

“You know, you’ve never actually come up with a pet name for me you know”, she chastises lightly, rubbing his cheek before letting the man go. Bruce just lets out a little chuckle, never having thought she needed one. “I call you Harls a lot when we’re alone”.

“True, very true. Ahh we’ll talk about it later. More privately”.

She winks and suddenly remembers another aspect of life post toxin. She hadn’t been able to make love to Bruce in at least two or three weeks, a record for them. She’d spent a lot of time in bed next to him, crying and cuddling, but not making love. ‘Poor guy. As soon as I’m better, I’m going to rock his world’.

“Speaking of Jenny Cobblepot. You’ve got another date with her tonight I hear” Bruce asks, though it was a rhetorical question as he undoubtedly already knew the answer. Jason was dressed rather nicely after all.

“Umm yeah, yeah. She invited me to dinner over at the Iceberg Lounge” he says, instantly drawing Bruce’s attention. “While you’re there..”.

“Already got it covered pops” Jason says, holding up a USB drive. “Right before the main course is served, I’ll slip away to the bathroom and plug this into the hard drive of her computer”.

“And what else?” Bruce asks, a little disappointed at how the boy had already been one step ahead of him. “What do you mean what else? This baby does everything. It’ll leave an imprint on the system, kind of like leaving open the backdoor, for us to have any future access we want while transmitting everything there is to the batcomputer. It also serves as a bug, though its range isn’t all that great” he explains before perking up a bit again. “We’ll be able to listen in on all the important conversations that go on but...to be honest? I really don’t think we’ll find anything”.

“The Iceberg Lounge has a ton of scumbags in it at any given time Jason”.

Barbara had entered the room, and was now leaning against the door frame. “I don’t want to sound mean but, more than likely? Oswald Cobblepot is dirty and his daughter is probably involved”.

“Barbara, sweetie. Where have you been hiding all day?” Harleen asks, happy to see her daughter.

“Just around” Barbara replies before moving into the room. She walks right past Jason and sits down beside him, though it was a little too close for the young man’s comfort and he backs off. Everything about her demeanor seemed to be different, and he couldn’t help but smell her perfume. 

“Woah Barbara, since when do you wear perfume?”

“Why? Don’t like it?”

The question was asked in a different way than usual, and gone was the combative attitude that might have usually accompanied it. She seemed to genuinely just want to know if he enjoyed the fragrance. “Ohh, no, no, I mean, well yeah it smells nice. On you. I mean it smells nice yeah”.

Barbara smiles and nods, not commenting on how he seemed to trip over his words. “Thanks Jason. Glad it has your seal of approval” she says before turning to Harleen. “Feeling any better mom?”

“I’m fine sweetie. Everyone needs to stop worrying about me” Harleen says faux exasperatedly. 

“Not going to happen. But Bruce, we better get going, especially if we’re going to meet Harvey and whoever it is he wants us to meet” Vic says, joining the group. “Especially if we’re going to have time to drop of Jason too”.

“Don’t worry Uncle Vic. Jenny is sending her family’s chauffeur to pick me up”.

The news seemed to worry the man, who wore his displeasure at the fact of someone else driving any member of his family other than him. “What do you mean? Whoever this chauffeur is, he hasn’t been vetted or anythi…”.

“Hold on Mr. paranoia, where are you going tonight Bruce?” Dinah asks, cutting off her husband to focus on the more important issue at hand.

“Harvey asked me to meet with him. He said that there was someone who wanted to talk with us about setting up shop here in Gotham. He said it’s important but he was afraid to tell me who it is as he thought if I knew I wouldn’t come”.

“Hmm...it’s not a trap is it?” Harleen asks, a little counter intuitively as if it was they certainly wouldn’t know if it was a trap beforehand.

Bruce stands and smiles at his wife. “Well it’s Harvey so I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I’m safe”.

“Anyways, we better get going otherwise we’re going to be late. I don’t like being late. Are you sure you’re okay though Harleen? Do you want me to pick up anything for you on your way home?” Bruce asks one final time, moving towards the woman.

“If anyone asks me that one more time? I’m gonna scream” she says with a wide smile on her face. “Ohh...cracker jacks”.

“Cracker jacks it is” Bruce winks. “Everyone else? Have a good night and call me if you need me. I wont be out too long”.

“I assume you’re leaving for patrol from the limo Master Bruce?”

“Yes Alfred. Vic and I will do our patrol right after our meeting with Harvey is wrapped up. You two..” he says, pointing to Mary and Martha. “You take care of your mother. Massage her feet and stuff if she needs it”.

Harley reacts by lifting her legs and exposing them slightly as the blanket rides down. “My stinky feet”. The two girls giggle but remain close to their mother. “Barbara...behave”.

“No promises” she says right back getting up to see the light moving down the driveway. “Ohh, looks like Jason’s ride is here”.

“Ohh crap. I better get a move on”.

The young man jumps up and moves to the door, grabbing his coat before he rushes back to place a kiss on his mother, grandmother and aunt’s cheek. “Love you all”.

“You behave tonight Jason!” Elise shouts out. “And be safe if you’re not gonna behave” Dinah adds. The other women in the group turn to glare at her, especially Barbara who moves to the door to see the young man off.

“You stop encouraging my baby boy to go out and be wild” Harleen seethes.

“What? He’s a handsome boy. Already a heartthrob and that mind of his? He’s gonna be doing it sooner or later”.

“Never. Not my Jason”.

The bickering goes on while Jason goes to the door, trying to put on his coat before rushing out to meet the Cobblepot driver. He was nervous and his arms kept missing the holes made for them until he feels someone’s hands on his back, steadying him out as they try and help him. 

Slowly he calms and manages to put it on correctly, the dainty fingers moving quickly to turn him and work on helping him button it up. “Barbara?”

“Yeah?”

He was surprised to see the girl there, helping him out like this. “I...I guess I just expected it to be Nana Elise or Aunt Dinah” he says with a wry chuckle. That seemed to hurt her, and he could see it in her eyes. “Why don’t I do nice things for you?”

“Ohh, yeah, yeah! All the time Barbara no, I’m sorry. I wasn’t meaning to make it sound like it did”.

The redhead smiles sadly and looks down, her hands on the boy’s chest. “I...I know I’ve changed a bit over the years. I know I can be a mega bitch sometimes, even when I really don’t mean it”.

“I know. You’ve been through a lot Barbara”.

Without thinking he reaches down to take her hands and squeeze them, meaning that as a sign of comforting friendliness. Barbara though, she saw it as much more. She squeezes his hands back, hoping against hope that she could communicate the depth of feeling she had for the boy. “Yeah, and you’ve been there through it all. You’re the one thing that hasn’t changed Jason”.

She looks away for a moment before stealing herself for what would undoubtedly take a fair amount of bravery. “Just know that...well, I really...enjoy your date Jason”. She quickly reaches up and pecks him on the cheek, releasing him only a second later before rushing from the room.

Jason was dumbfounded. 

‘I need to know if she’s okay’ he thinks, feeling that something was off with his best friend. ‘Is it possible she has...feelings for me?’

He didn’t know what to make of that thought, and he didn’t have time. He wasn’t going to keep the Cobblepot driver waiting any longer, and he still had a mission to accomplish while on his date. ‘Nah, she can’t have feelings for me’ he thinks, remembering her words. ‘Why would she tell me to enjoy my date? That makes no sense. No. Barbara...she’s just going through some things right now. It’ll be fine’.

Office of Mayor Harvey Dent

“Bruce, Vic, thanks for coming”.

“Thanks for having us Harvey” Bruce says, shaking the man’s hand firmly as he sits down in one of the offered chairs. Vic does the same, having no sense of being outclassed by the two much richer and more powerful men. 

They were his friends after all.

Harvey was nervous, and it showed on the man’s face as he leans against his desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, it’s important”.

“Level with me Harv...what’s going on?”

“Maybe I should just...show you?” Harvey asks before nodding to himself, realizing that that was the overall best course of action. “Come on in” he calls out to the side door, which opens almost instantaneously.

Bruce and Vic both turn their eyes to the man who now entered the room, and they could both honestly say that neither were ready for who had entered. “Good evening gentleman”.

“Luthor”.

Bruce stands up, already eager to combat the man who continues to advance on him. Harvey quickly gets in the way though, and he stops the two. “Easy, easy. We’re all friends here”.

Luthor and Bruce continue to eye each other, and Bruce reluctantly respects the fact that the man is refusing to budge and in fact continues to hold his ground.

“You don’t know why you don’t like me do you?”

“I’ve heard enough”.

Lex arches an eyebrow. “What’s the saying from that children’s cartoon? More than meets the eye”.

“Bruce, all I’m asking is for you to hear him out. I don’t like it either but...trust me, we don’t have a choice” Harvey says. 

“What’s going on?” Vic asks, inserting himself into the conversation now.

“Superman” Lex supplies. “Superman is what’s going on. If you gentlemen would take a seat, I can outline exactly what’s going on. Mercy?” he calls out. “Bring the projector and hook it up”.

A woman advances into the room, pushing a steel cart with the required device atop it, but once she enters she refuses to budge any more. Bruce admired her from afar, objectively able to say that she was quite beautiful even under that uniform she wore.

“Mercy?” Lex asks, confused as to why she wasn’t following his order.

The woman just regards him with an upraised eyebrow, causing it to occur to the man. “Ohh...umm, sorry. Have to get used to that. Mercy, sweetie” he begins again. “Can you please set up the projector for me?”

The woman moves into action and smiles at the bald man, working on prepping the device. “Not so much fake sugar there Lex. Just want a little. If you overdo it I know you’re doing it” she teases back. 

Lex sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, smiling all the way and giving the other three men a glimpse into the more human and less corporate side of Lex Luthor. The redhead and the other two men share a glance at each other, though their eyes turn to the opposite side of the room when the screen lights up the wall.

“Thank you sweetie”.

“Anytime Lex” the woman says, refusing to move while coming closer to the man. “Was there...something else?”

Mercy just smiles and points to her lips, enjoying embarrassing her boyfriend in front of Gotham’s most powerful men. 

“Ohh right”. 

Lex leans down and kisses her, blushing like mad as he does so, though Mercy takes after her name and mercifully makes it a short kiss. “Thank you love”.

“You’re very welcome. Call me if you need anything else darling”.

With that, Mercy turns and exits the room, making sure to sway her lips and showcase her plump rear end in her skirt for the bald genius who eagerly follows her with his eyes. When she closes the door, leaving the men in privacy again, Lex has to explain. 

“My umm...asssi...no, lov..girlfriend is quite….”.

He couldn’t find the exact words and he didn’t enjoy being left so off balance. Luckily, he was saved by Bruce’s sour mood. “Save it Luthor and just tell me what it is you want”.

Harvey nods in agreement while Vic remains silent, focused on the opening slide that had already shown itself against the blank wall of Harvey’s office. It was taken a few days ago in front of the U.N building in New York City. When Superman officially announced the Vigilante Registration Order.

“As you all know, Superman, Kal-El or Clark Kent as he is called on Earth, revealed himself to the planet and essentially seized control where he could. At first it was just small things. Saving cats from trees and that kind of variety but soon enough? He started to pick his fingers where they didn’t belong”.

Lex clicks the button on the remote control and changes the slide, moving slowly through the pictures that showcased Superman and the heroes who joined him, quick escalation.

“It started to go haywire when Wonder Woman, an Amazon from an island named Themyscira if you can believe it, killed the Croatian president. Soon? They got a taste for it”.

He clicks onto the next one.

“Superman went to Poland and basically liquidated its government. Legally of course, without the nasty business of killing anyone. This was all done with the blessing of the European Union based in Brussels”.

The picture showed Superman, a grim determination on his face, removing a speaker of a nationalist party who dared criticize his heavy handed actions in the Balkans.

“The issue didn’t end there though. The poles fought back and soon? Warsaw was a veritable hot bed of resistance to what the people rightfully saw as imperialism. This was Warsaw when the insurrection began”.

Lex shows them a picture of armed citizens standing alongside soldiers of the Polish armed forces, all manning barricades or working to further the defense of the city.

“This was Warsaw two days later”.

The three men lean forward and look deeply at the picture that Lex shows them after, horror etched on the faces of two of them while Bruce just looks on in stoic determination. ‘I wont let this happen to Gotham’.

“He leveled the whole city. Wonder Woman took out the armed forces fighting in Krakow. Let’s just say that Poland isn’t in much of a fighting state anymore” Lex says, showing an surprising level of disdain over the destruction that had been done to such a historic city. “Warsaw hasn’t looked like that since the Nazis burned it down in ‘44”.

“My God…” Harvey says. 

“God had nothing to do with this. Regardless, Russia and a few other of the Eastern European nations decided to try and take Superman and the League on. This is the footage we got from a war correspondent attached to Russia’s metahuman brigade”.

He clicks play on the video, and it shows an intense battle that was happening right before the frightened cameraman, who chatters in quick and horrified Russian. It showed Superman trading blows with another man who was also floating in the air, his hands encased in red energy. The soldier makes to throw a punch at Superman, though the man of steel easily intercepts it.

He snaps the man’s hand in one instant before bringing his fist up and driving it through the man’s chest the next. The red energy spreads all throughout, encasing their entire bodies in harsh red light. It spreads out, more and more, crackling like electricity as the ground seems to shake. Russians were running each and every way, though the cameraman stands still, just in time to record the blast that spreads outwards before killing the cameraman and cutting the feed.

“That was Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Konstantintovich Kovar, otherwise known as Red Star. He was Russia’s most powerful meta, and Superman ripped through him like swiss cheese. The Russians are still fighting, and many more have rushed to join them, but the city where this fight took place? St. Petersburg? Doesn’t exist anymore”.

“My God...how did we not know about this?” Harvey asks.

“My guess is the government is keeping it a secret” Vic explains. “Ours and theirs, assuming ours is still ours of course”.

“Your redheaded friend here is astute” Lex says. “Superman and the League now effectively control Europe. It’s only a matter of time before they come here, and right now? Our leaders are deliberating if it’s even worth fighting them. We all know they’re going say no...at least, I did”.

“And how did you come across this information?” Bruce asks. “Last I checked? You weren’t exactly involved in politics, aside from being a lobbyist”.

“I know because I offered them a chance to defeat Superman, and they said no” Lex defends himself. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I know his weakness, and I am in a position to exploit it. I offered this information to the government, free of charge, scout’s honor” he says, crossing his heart with both hands visible. “And they told me that it would serve only as a provocation”.

“And what is this weakness of his?”

“Funny you should ask”. Lex reaches into his pocket, and retracts one of the pieces of synthetic Kryptonite, throwing it over to Bruce.

“Kryptonite. Pieces of his home planet. That’s a synthetic one I was able to make by...well, it’s boring science to be honest. Let’s just say I have over eighty tons of it, ready to use”.

“What are you suggesting Luthor?”

“What I’m suggesting is a partnership” Lex says. “We all know that Superman is going to come for Gotham, sooner or later. We can’t save the United States. Not as a whole and not right now but we can save Gotham, and if we do? We can attract more people, specifically metas who don’t like playing by Superman’s rules, into our fold”.

“How the hell are we going to keep Gotham safe from that thing?” Harvey asks, pointing out the slide with Superman incinerating parts of Warsaw with his eyes. 

“Simple. Lexcorp has brought all that we’d need to do it. I’ve moved…”.

“Your entire company into my city, right under my nose” Bruce says, making the other man feel a little guilty. “It’s not about poaching on your territory Bruce. It’s about survival. Simple as that”.

“....What safety measures are you proposing?”

Lex couldn’t help but feel satisfaction that his plan had paid off so well. Bruce was hooked, and he knew it. ‘At least he isn’t mad. Now? LexCorp can have its own tower here in Gotham’.

He turns to another slide, showcasing his plans in a more detailed and visible way. “I propose we turn Gotham into a fortress. A wall around the city and its environs would serve the purpose of keeping conventional militaries out, militaries that will undoubtedly soon be serving Superman. Conventional weapons and militias and even any metas we already have will defend us on that front. Batman and his merry band of vigilantes and any others we can scrounge up”.

“And Superman?” Harvey asks. “What’s your plan for him?”

Lex just showcases the next slide, which outlined a few prototypes he had in play, all of which involved kryptonite as one of their main power sources.

“All sorts of little toys that’ll keep him away”.

“And how are we supposed to feed this city? Produce all the things they’d need” Vic asks, though it was clear that his tone was less skeptical and more...interested. Bruce was withholding judgement, but he couldn’t help but let that image of Superman destroying Warsaw out of his mind.

“I’ve brought with me the entirety of Lexcorps Hydrophonics division. We’re working on many different avenues but trust me, we can feed and clothe this city. We have the capacity. Especially if Wayne Enterprises joins us”.

All eyes shift to Bruce who seems to be mulling over all of the facts that had been laid out before him. “How long do we have?”

“A year at most. Superman is working slowly. He doesn’t want anyone to catch on, or maybe he’s just enjoying himself. I’m not sure. But we have a little bit of time”.

“How are we going to be able to hide these preparations from him?” Vic asks.

“Surely he has an eye on Gotham”.

Lex just smiles and nods. “He does, but Superman also has another weak point. One I really can’t reveal right now as the person I want to use to exploit is rather...flighty, and I’ve had to promise them a lot to pull what I have planned off”.

“Is it another meta at least?” 

“Not exactly but it is someone with access to powers that makes him...useful”.

“So you’re planning on turning Gotham into a warzone and just leading it like some sort of tin pot dictator huh?” Harvey asks, apparently not having been made aware of the full extent of Luthor’s plans.

“No Harvey. You are, except it’s not going to be a tin pot dictatorship” Lex explains, stopping the man. “What?”

“We’re going to be America’s last stand so we have to be American about it. We’ll be using the constitution. Lord knows Washington isn’t using it anymore” Lex chuckles at his overused political joke though he realizes that nobody else laughs along and it slowly drops away.

“Well, yeah. Harvey, you’re going to be president of the Republic of Gotham”.

“What? Me...I...no, no, no. Not a good idea. This is all, it’s treason!”

“So is giving away the United States to an alien being with the power to split planets” Vic supplies, earning himself a glare from Harvey who wasn’t on board with this idea whatsoever.

“Relax Dent. You’ll be elected. After all, you’re already the voice of the anti-Superman/League resistance. Who else could we possibly choose?” Lex asks while walking up to the man and placing his hand on his shoulder.

“You’re going to be our George Washington Harvey. I really don’t see a way around this for you”.

“What about Bruce?” Harvey asks. “Bruce would be…”.

“No”.

“But why…”.

“I’m sorry Harvey but no is my final answer” Bruce says, standing firm with his friend though the sadness was evident in his eyes. Harvey looks away, knowing why the answer was no and ashamed of having tried to run away from this so vigorously. 

“Do we have any other choices?” Vic asks.

“Not that I know of. Who are you by the way?”

“Vic Sage. Wayne family chauffeur”.

“And one of our closest friends” Bruce says, standing up to look at Luthor once again. “Alright Luthor. I’m in”.

Lex smiles, and to everyone around it seems genuine. He reaches his hand out for Bruce to shake, sealing the deal in the most traditional of business’ ways.

“But...dammit Bruce. Me leading a country?”

“I believe in you, and we believe in you” Bruce says, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. Vic seemed nonchalant about the whole thing, though his mind was reeling with the fact that he was in a room when a new nation was born. ‘Does that make me a founding father? And if so, can I ban fluoride and soy beans?’

“I...dammit. I guess I should tell Pam she’s going to be the first lady huh?” 

“I think you should” Bruce smiles.

“Now, one more thing” Lex interjects. “This Batman and his clan of vigilantes. We’re going to need to get in contact with them. They’re a necessary part of drawing in others like them”.

“Don’t worry” Vic teases. “I think we can find a way to get him on the horn”.

The Iceberg Lounge

“Jason that is hilarious! I can’t believe you got away with that” Jenny says with an open smile while reaching across the table to take the boy’s hand. “Yeah, well, you know how it is. Nobody ever really believed I could do it so they never even suspected me”.

“Sounds like the perfect crime” Jenny teases with a wink, reminding Jason of his secondary purpose here tonight while on his date.

He’d been having an excellent time, and Jenny was more than good company but something felt...off. He couldn’t explain it. His mind just kept going back to Barbara and how she seemed so sad. ‘Dammit...why can’t I be there for her? Why won’t she let me in?’

“Everything going well kiddos?”

Jenny turns her head and smiles up, well rather, eye level with the man who had waddled up to the table. “Yes daddy! Everything is going perfectly” she says, addressing Oswald Cobblepot.

“Yes Mr. Cobblepot. It’s been an excellent night. It really is amazing what you’ve done to this place” Jason compliments the short and stout man who smiles down at him, a hand quickly going to his shoulder. “Thank you my boy, but believe me, Jenny runs most of the day to day operations. I just bankroll it”.

“Daddy” Jenny blushes before looking over at Jason. “He’s exaggerating. He really does an amazing amount of work here. I just do the bookkeeping” she explains.

“Ahh but what a magnificent job of it she does. Anywho, a...umm, well sweetie, a special guest is coming in for a moment. I’d just like you to come and meet her. Would you mind terribly Jason if I borrowed her for a moment?”

This was his opportunity.

“Of course not Mr. Cobblepot. Of course. I would like to excuse myself for the rest room for a moment anyways” he says, pushing out his chair and moving around the side to pull out Jenny’s chair for her. “Ohh...what a gentleman” Jenny blushes.

“Now that is class young Mr. Wayne”.

“Thank you sir. I was taught by the best”.

“I’m very sure. I wont be long at all my friend! Please, enjoy the scenery and the songs. Our next singer is a hot little number” the man teases with a wink before seeing how his daughter frowns. “But not as gorgeous as my little girl is so you keep your eyes were they belong...on her face, understand” the man asks, punctuating his point by bringing up the tip of his umbrella against the boy’s throat.

Jason just smiles and nods, completely unworried. After all, he knew about seven different ways to take the man out right then and there.

“Good lad. You’ve found a nice one Jenny” the man says as the girl moves over to Jason and takes his hands before pecking his cheek. “Sorry about this”.

“Don’t be. We’ve all got jobs we’ve got to do”.

She smiles and nods, reluctantly letting go of his hand and moving off beside her father. Jason was all business instantly though, and he makes a beeline for the bathroom which was to the right of the lounge. As soon as he gets there, he turns to the right and heads up the stairway, reaching down to his watch and clicking on the roving EMP. 

‘Huh, nifty little trick’ he thinks, glad that Lucius was able to help him localize the surveillance jamming equipment. ‘Get to her office quick’. The stairs are easy to ascend, and the layout of the club was already as well known to him as the back of his hand.

He had spent hours studying it after all.

As he gets to the top of the stairs he makes an immediate left and beelines for the office at the end of the hall. He sees each individual security camera click off, as signalled to him by the light’s underneath the lenses clicking off.

“Jackpot”.

The door to Jenny’s office was harder to enter, though not impossible, in fact, not even really hard at all. All it took was some clever work with a bobby pin and it wouldn’t even appear as if it had been tampered with.

Quickly he steps into the office and rushes to the computer. ‘Come on, gotta be quick’. He inserts his usb and watches as the monitor lights up, though this time it showcased a bright yellow R. 

“And bingo was his nameo” he says to himself, feeling a little immature as his sleeper cell virus inserts itself into the computer. He pulls out his phone and quickly texts his mother who was supposed to be accessing all of this information from her laptop on the couch.

“Hey mom. Is it coming through?” he asks.

The text in response is very prompt. “Yup! Getting a whoooole bunch of stuff sugar plum. Just be safe okay? It really goes deeper than we thought”.

That worried him a bit but he had to bite it down. Whatever was going on he’d be able to find out about that later, and if it included Jenny in some sort of way? Well, he’d have to work on that as well.

The computer beeps, letting him know that the virus had finished uploading. He checks the status of the voice recorder bug and sees that that was also online. At any time they’d be able to listen in on the conversations occurring within this room via the laptop. They could also set it remotely to be able to play back certain conversations should the need arise.

He detaches the USB and pockets it, making sure to clean it and wipe it for future use. “Alright, time to head back down”.

He slips out of the office, ensuring that he closes the door behind him before making his way back down the stairs. “Go into the bathroom, then come out” he says to himself, wanting to make sure that he at least seemed plausible. 

He makes it down to bottom of the steps and moves into the bathroom, stopping at the sink to inspect his own reflection. He couldn’t help but smile. “Secret James Bond stuff done and not even a bead of sweat broken”.

He gives himself a thumbs up before moving back out of the bathroom where he sees a nervous looking Jenny waiting.

“Ohh hey, is...is everything alright?” he asks.

She turns to see him and smiles though it was clear it was a fake one that hid the nervousness behind it. “Ohh Jason, there you are, just got here to wait for you to come out. Listen, I am so, so sorry but, I have to do something tonight. It’s really important for my father and I to do this…”.

“Yes Ms. Bertinelli...I understand...Ohh. Jason, my boy, I am so sorry, I had forgotten you were here” Oswald says, nervously standing next to a taller woman who had a fierce expression about her that instantly discomforted him.

“Jason this is Helena Bertinelli. A uhh...business associate of mine” the man says, trying to place the woman though it was clear the word that rolled off his tongue didn’t suit him. Neither did it suit Jenny who looks away, trying to hide the disgust on her face.

“Ms. Bertinelli, this is Jason Wayne, the son of Bruce Wayne and, hopefully if us and our business haven’t destroyed any chances of that, a suitor of my daughter’s”.

“Daddy…” Jenny hisses out with a blush, though she tries to keep it hidden.

The woman focuses in on this, and for the moment ignores Jason. “You should be thankful that you still have a father to tease you about something as trivial as a boyfriend” she says coldly before turning her look on Jason.

“You. You’re not worth anything to me. Get out of my sight and out of the club”.

Without another word she walks forward and shoves past Jason, knocking him into the wall. He allows it and huffs angrily before watching Oswald and Jenny make to follow. They stop when remembering Jason though and Oswald rushes forward to take his hand. “I have a car waiting to take you home my dear boy. I’m very, very desperately sorry about this. Truly. I shall make it up to you and Jenny one of these weekends”.

“That would sound nice, wouldn’t it Jason?” she asks, a hopeful and somewhat frightful tone in her voice. He wasn’t sure if it was there from the woman’s presence or because of what he might think of all of this. 

“I...I hope we have another chance, that you’ll want to see me again”.

He didn’t know what to tell her at that moment, with all the evidence he now had pointing to something sketchy going on within the Cobblepot family or at the very least their business.

“Umm, yeah, sure. Maybe another time” he says in a noncommittal tone, trying to feign displeasure about being able to leave and go over the information they’d found.

Jenny looked positively downtrodden, and so did Oswald.

Without warning she moves forward and places a kiss on his lips, pulling back and moving up the stairs. “Just in case I never get the chance again”.

With that the two disappear up the stairs and into the office, now safely ensconced behind closed doors. Jason moves towards the exit of the Lounge, ignoring the people who pass him and gawk at Bruce Wayne’s son being at the Iceberg Lounge.

“Mom. They’re going to start talking, if not already. I want you to hear what they have to say live” he texts Harleen who instantly replied back with a thumbs up emoji.

“Heading home. Love you”.

“Aww, what happened? Date ended early?”

“Game called on account of business. I guess it’s our job to find what that was”.

He opens the back seat of the limo and sets himself down, signalling for the driver to take him back to Wayne Manor. 

“That’s okay. I really don’t like her much for you any ways if you want me to tell you the truth sweetie”.

“Why not?”

“I just think there’s someone more special out there for you that’s all”.

He knew she was being vague and hiding what she really wanted to say but at that moment he was too tired to really come up with anything that might worm the truth out of her. “Alright mom. I’ll see you soon. Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

“I swear...one more time!”

Chapter Text

The Batcave

Harleen sat at the computer and eagerly went over all of the files that were contained on it with a fine tooth comb. Shipping manifests, investment folders even receipts. They were all right there for her to see, giving her a glimpse into the mind and workings of Oswald Cobblepot.

She shivers lightly, feeling the bite of the cold against her a moment,

Her eyes widen as she sees a shadow out of the corner of her eye, and she turns abruptly to see what it was moving in the rear of her in the cave. It was nothing, as it usually was. She heaves a sigh of relief, thankful that such occurrences had become rarer and rarer. When she got home, practically every shadow was a creature waiting to pounce on her and tear her apart, and a wide grinning smile was hidden behind every door, waiting for her.

“Easy Harleen” she says, working on calming herself. “Take deep breaths. Focus on what’s in front of you”. She averts her eyes back to the screen and finds herself interested in something of particular note. 

“Bertinelli…”.

“Who?”

She practically jumps out of her skin as the voice behind her breaks out, and she has to grip the sides of the chair to keep herself from rocketing into the air. “Jesus Christ!”

“Mom, crap I’m sorry!”

“Jason…” she says breathing heavily, grasping her chest. “You can’t sneak up on me like that honey bun”. The boy smiles and moves forward to fix the woman’s blanket for her, narrowly avoiding having his hands swatted away by her.

“And you should be upstairs mom. Dad said no cave for you. You’ll be...tempted”.

“I just want to help” she says petulantly. “You’re not going to tell him are you?”

“A bit too late for that”.

Bruce and Vic were walking down the stairs into the cave, and Harleen lowers her head, embarrassed at being caught trying to break her official “grounding”.

“Harleen, you’re not back to one hundred percent yet. I really don’t want you…”.

“Bruce, sitting at a computer and going over the files our magnificent son got for us, I attribute his sneakiness to me by the way, isn’t going to make me sick. I’m getting better puddin’. I promise. But I needed to do something. Being stuck up there? It’s driving me stir crazy”.

Bruce frowns for a moment but eventually a slight smirk breaks out over his lips. “I know if our positions were reversed…”.

“You’d be doing the exact same thing I am right now. So, instead of arguing, let’s just focus on what Jason found” Harleen says, glad that she could so effectively and easily turn the conversation whatever which way she wanted.

Bruce becomes serious and moves up to the screen, scanning over the things that his wife wanted to show him. Jason was leaning against the opposite side of the desk before the computer, his mind feeling like it was a thousand miles away, or rather, topside in the manor.

“Everything alright kiddo?”

“Huh, ohh yeah Uncle Vic. It’s fine”.

The conspiracy theorist didn’t quite believe him, so he presses on. “You sure? I mean, it kind of sucks having a date walk out on you”.

“She didn’t walk out on me!” Jason defends himself rather petulantly. He realizes how that sounds aloud and calms down a bit, crossing his arms over his chest and pretending to look back at the screen. “Ohh sure. Look, it’s fine kid. Trust me. Not the worst thing that could happen”.

“We’ll reschedule”.

“Maybe you shouldn’t”.

That sent Jason for a loop and he turns back to his honorary uncle with curiosity at why he would say such a thing in his eyes. “Why not?”

The man moves up to the group and puts a hand on the boy’s shoulder, wanting to navigate this as easily as he could. “Look, Jason...the life we live, the life we all live, it isn’t an easy one. Especially when it comes to romance. Now, your mom and pop, and your aunt and I are lucky. We each found someone already in this life, so it works. Jenny, for all intents and purposes, is a civilian. How are you going to explain your constant disappearances to her if you get serious?”

That wasn’t an angle the boy had even considered, and he would readily admit he didn’t have an answer. “Unless you’re planning on giving this all up maybe?”

“No...never…” Jason says, refusing to even humor that thought. He looks up at Bruce and Vic can see the idea and desire for his future behind his eyes. “You want to take over for the old man one day”.

It wasn’t a question, but Jason nods to answer it regardless.

“I think you’d make a good Batman one day. Thing is? He has a Batwoman. What I’m saying is Jason, just...be smart about this. Alright? I know what it’s like to be young. Just know we’re all rooting for you, no matter what you choose”.

“Thanks Uncle Vic”.

“Everything okay with you two?”

The two men turn to Harley who had noticed their little heart to heart halfway through and decided to listen in without saying anything. 

“Yeah mom. Everything is fine”.

Bruce regarded his ward with a knowing smile, and gestures back to the screen. “You did good work tonight Jason. Excellent work. If everything is fine, maybe you’d like to see the fruits of your own labor”. The man moves to the side, offering Jason a spot beside his mother who was still seated in the chair.

These moments were becoming more and more common, where Jason was included as more than just a junior member of this team, and treated much more like an equal partner. It filled him with joy to see that the adults he cared so much for saw him as worthy, but it also filled him with trepidation that Barbara hadn’t been accorded the same respect.

‘I feel like I’m leaving her behind’.

He didn’t have time to dwell on that thought as Bruce draws his attention to the screen. “You told your mother that business had interrupted your little date with Jenny Cobblepot tonight right?”

“Yeah” Jason responds. “Her name was Helena Bertinelli”.

“Hmm, that’s a name that hasn’t been heard in Gotham for a long time. Harleen, please pull up all we’ve got on Ms. Bertinelli”.

“You got it”. The blonde’s fingers moved across the keyboard with a speed that only came with getting much practice out of using it. When she’s done and all the desired information is put into the search bar, a multitude of files come up. Police reports, mug shots, newspaper clippings. They were all there. 

Jason sees a picture of the woman, though she was much younger in the photograph than the woman he had seen tonight. He quickly points her out.

“There, that’s here. That’s who I saw tonight”.

“Are you sure sweetie?”

He turns to his mother and nods. “Positive”.

“Helena Bertinelli is the only daughter of the deceased mob boss Franco Bertinelli. He was killed six years ago, right before our confrontation with the Talons. This was after his wife was gunned down by the same man who killed him”.

Bruce reaches out and changes the window on the computer, opening it to yet another file. This picture was of a much larger man, who was obviously an albino. His cruel pinkish eyes peaked out from under thick pure white eyebrows, glaring hatefully at the police who had taken the picture. “Steven Mandragora”.

Jason having already known the man was impressive to both Bruce and Harleen, though neither should have been surprised. “I do spend a lot of time down here” he defends himself. “The computer isn’t just for Call of Duty you know?”.

“That’s my boy” Harleen says while Bruce encourages him to go on. “Well, we know that Steven Mandragora was Carmine Falcone’s underboss when he was ordered to kill Franco Bertinelli. Apparently, the docks were a big part of it?” Jason half says, half asks. “Nobody really knows, but it’s usually a turf thing with these guys” Vic supplies, helping out his nephew.

Jason smiles appreciatively and goes further.

“Anyways, after Falcone was killed by the Court, he stepped up, and since Gotham was in shambles nobody really challenged him on it. He’s been laying low since then. Doesn’t like to go out much. The feds almost had him on a RICO charge three years back but as usual in Gotham, the witnesses disappeared”.

“What does all of this have to Helena Bertinelli?”

“Alot” Bruce supplies. “She fled the city and as far as we know, took residence in a small sicilian town under the protection of Don Luigi Grazini, otherwise known as Mano Nera”.

A picture is brought up of the man from his younger days, and it was clear that he was very much an old believer when it came to the mafia from his file. He shied away from drugs, but murder for hire, prostitution, booze and gambling? Not to mention the run of the mill extortion? Those were his things.

“That means...umm..ohh! The Black Hand!” Harley says, somewhat proud of herself as she wraps her body further into the blanket.

“Your Italian is getting better” Bruce compliments, running a finger down her cheek. Harleen smiles up a him, cooing and leaning into his touch. “Grazie”.

“Flirting aside, what is she doing back in Gotham?”

“I think it’s clear from Cobblepot’s files that she’s working on assuming command of the defunct Bertinelli crime family, and she’s using Oswald to do it” Bruce says, pulling up the shipping manifests. “Jeez..why is it always the docks with this city?”.

Bruce ignores his wife for the moment and continues on. “There has been a direct correlation between Ms. Bertinelli’s arrival back in the city, and the amount of heroin pouring onto the streets. We’ve been really hitting the East Side distributors for years now, sending them almost so far underground as to make it impossible for them to do business. Now, suddenly, there are reports of a new player that wants in. She calls herself, Black Mask”.

A still taken off of a video surveillance feed shows a woman in an immaculate black pin striped and white suit walking through an alley flanked by two guards. The most important thing to note about the woman was the skull mask she wore over her head, obscuring her face.

Harleen leans back and shakes her head. “Bertinelli comes back, someone starts recruiting in her dad’s old stomping ground, someone is selling heroin again like we didn’t even bust them up. Yeah. New player. And this one fits all the boxes. Also, Black Mask, Black Hand”.

“It makes sense, but...what does Mr. Cobblepot have to do with all of this?” Jason asks, not shocked at the revelation of the woman he met that night being an aspiring mob boss.

“Well, going through his dirty laundry reveals that Mr. Cobblepot isn’t clean either” Harleen says. “Internal memorandums about fixing horse races, a few loansharking endeavours here and there, tax evasion huhhh! How evil!” Harleen teases while continuing to go over the list. “Lot’s of petty stuff. Theft and sale of said stolen merchandise. But no murders or nothing like that. Seems like Cobblepot also goes by a codename of his own”.

“What is it?” Jason asks.

“The Penguin” Harleen answers him. “Oswald has been lying about his family’s pedigree as well but, wo really cares about that? The thing is, he’s a low down crook, but he isn’t scum I’d say. Especially not if he’s writing it all down in his diary like a little girl”.

Jason was a little dismayed, but he’d learned to get over being shocked at the fact of people not being who they say they are in Gotham.

“He doesn’t matter” Bruce continues. “At least not on his own, He’s small time. In fact, I might go as far to say that he’s a civilizing counter balance to Steven Mandragora, who is currently suspected to be involved in at least forty murders. No. The problem with Oswald is how Ms. Bertinelli is using his organization to further her own ends”.

“Does she have something on him?” Jason asks. “Or is he working with her willingly?”

“Judging by the conversation we managed to hear in his office? I’m going to say it’s the first” Harleen says grimly. “As for what she has over him? It’s the one thing a parent would do anything to protect”.

With a frown she reaches forward and begins to play the audio that they’d recorded from inside of the Iceberg Lounge’s office. Jason leans in to listen intently.

“Stop. Please, none of this is nece…”

“It is necessary. Do you want to know why Oswald? Because I say it is”.

It was clear who was in in this exchange, and the gurgling of the man who had only so warmly welcomed Jason into his club mere hours ago could be heard.

“Let him go! Please! Please!”

“Ohh Jenny Cobblepot. Little crying Jenny Cobblepot. How weak you look right now. I was in your situation once, and I didn’t beg. No. Someone like me? We never beg. But don’t worry, I won’t kill your pathetic, snivelling little freak of a father”.

The sound of a thud could be heard as she drops the man, letting him fall to the ground to gasp for breath. Jason felt his eyes close in anger, wishing he could’ve stayed to avert this. “Now. Say thank you” Helena cruelly teases.

“Daddy are you…”.

“I SAID THANK ME!”

The woman’s voice was beyond cruel, and he heard Jenny cry out in fear. “Th...thank you..”.

“Thank you who?”

“Th...than...thank you...B..Black Mask”.

They end the audio recording as Jason looked positively feral with rage. “Dammit”.

“It’s not your fault Jason. You couldn’t have known”.

“I was right there. I could’ve done something” the man says. Bruce walks forward and places his hands on his son’s shoulders, gently trying to calm him. “You couldn’t. Not then son. But now? Now we have a chance to do something”.

It took a few seconds, but Jason is quick to realize that that much was at least true. “What’s the plan pops?”

Bruce smiles, happy that Jason could remain goal orientated when necessary. “Things are developing in Gotham” he begins, remembering his meeting with Lex Luthor and Harvey. “And...things need to be done”.

“What’s going on puddin’?” Harleen asks worriedly. “Is this about your meeting tonight? What happened?”

Bruce remains quiet, looking to Vic for support before realizing that there was nothing he could gain from the man that he himself didn’t have to tell his wife and children. This was hard, regardless of how you cut it, and the path they were being forced to walk? It was even more precarious. Perhaps more so than it had ever been before.

“We met with someone to discuss a problem…”.

Ace Chemicals

“Whooeeee isn’t this a great place?”

The Joker was swinging from catwalk to cat walk, perched nefariously above the bubbling green brew that had given birth to him and Dick in this very same place, holding onto nothing but a rattling chain.

He let’s go, slamming his feet down against the catwalk, causing the steel to shake with the force of the impact. Deacon Blackfire and Barbara however, seemed much less convinced, and the woman grips her son tighter in fear.

Joker notices, and with a sickly smile he approaches to move onto his knees, pinching the young boy’s cheek. Before he could even utter a word, Blackfire’s staff comes down on his wrist, causing the clown to let out a howl of pain and jump back.

“Keep your hands off of our lord!” the older man warns, a menacing glare in his eyes that was easily replicated in the woman’s, while James Jr. just looked up with a snide air of superiority. 

‘Impudent brat!’ he seethes mentally, though outwardly he maintains a sense calm, and even utters an apology. 

“Sorry! Didn’t mean to touch the holy tabernacle or whatever the little tyke is. Hehe, jeez, everyone is a critic”.

The man had changed into his signature purple tuxedo, though this one was a little more ragged after years of being left within Ace chemicals. Still, he wore it with pride. 

Just like his smile.

“Ahh this place. Takes me back you know? Closed down years ago but like a bad case of the clap it just wont go away. Hehe”.

“Why did you bring us here clown? Are you guiding us to destiny, or attempting to lead us to our doom? I can assure you that the lord is with us and shall not allow you…”.

Joker places a gloved finger over the man’s lips and shushes him loudly, waving his other finger back and forth. Slowly he brings the finger away and gestures for some of the men he himself had recruited to move forward. “Chucko! Laurel, Hardy! Those are my good men!” he says, moving up towards the now clown makeup sporting goons.

“I want you to go outside and bring in whatever is in those trucks we stole. I personally think they’re party gifts! And our friends here? They’ll probably really love party gifts. Now, go be good boys and go get them” he teases, shooing them off.

“I don’t trust this clown husband” Barbara whispers.

“He seems stupid. Clowns are supposed to be funny. He’s just boring” James says from beneath the two, causing Joker to stand stock still, his back to them. The three didn’t see it, but their followers assembled beneath them on the main floor of the abandoned factory did, and they were horrified. 

“Boring?” he asks, turning to slowly advance on the family.

Even Blackfire was frightened by the evil he saw gleaming behind the man’s eyes. The clicking and readying of machine guns from the floor below and the catwalks opposite them did nothing to deter the clown’s advance on the little boy, who looked up in fear at the realization he might have said something wrong. Something very wrong.

“Let me tell you about...boring” Joker says, breaking out into a smile, though it was made all the more menacing by the fact that the licking flames in his eyes hadn’t disappeared. 

“Boring, is sitting up top in this city and paying taxes. Following the rules, being a good little boy or girl”. Joker moves onto his knees again, once more at eye level with the boy. Barbara makes to back up, wishing to avoid the man though she finds she cannot move any more. They’d run out of catwalk, and the only thing behind her was a rusted steel bar that kept her from plunging into the acid below. 

“No. I am anything but boring little God”.

The rage vanishes once more and abruptly he stands up, facing Blackfire again. “Anyways, my guys are bringing in some more treats we lifted off of those nasty wasty gangsters. Imagine, unloading a truck in the middle of the night? What were they thinking?” 

He descends into laughter again, slapping his knees as the adults before him heave a sigh of relief.

“You call yourself the Joker. Is this how you wish to be addressed?” Blackfire asks, already knowing the answer but wishing to move the conversation onto the topic of strategy. “One and the same” he adds with a wink.

“And what reason do you have to help us?” the prophet presses on. “You and your son have refused to honestly kneel before our lord, yet...you still serve us. Why?”

“EHHHHH! Wrong. We’re working together. Partners. For now. Even God needs to make friends with some demons when he’s walking through Hell’s mean streets don’t he? As for why….well, I’m not quite sure” he says, keeping his cards close to his chest. He knew exactly why he was helping these religious fanatics.

“I just don’t like Wayne Tower. It’s an eye sore, should’ve remained destroyed from the get go. And seeing as how you’ve already been so kind to my son and I in...trading, certain pieces of merchandise…”.

Blackfire casts his eyes away, finding the immediate price for the clown’s assistance to be vulgar and downright evil, though he had no choice in making it. When he first laid his eyes personally on Gotham, and took in how much it had changed, he knew that he’d need someone to assist him. 

Still...it left a horrid taste in his mouth that the power of faith alone was not enough. 

“Well, yes. I think we can continue our partnership”.

“And what exactly are you giving us at this moment in return?” Blackfire asks. 

“Why, a safe haven!” Joker exclaims, spreading his arms out over the factory as if that explained everything. “Also my personal stocks I had hidden away in here...hold on, one second, let me get an exact accounting” he teases, biting his tongue lightly and fishing through his pockets to retract a notebook and glasses. 

He places the glasses over his eyes and begins to read, exaggeratedly as was the usual for every single one of his movements. “Ahh here we are. Fourteen rifles, three boxes of pineapple grenades, forty whoopie cushions, eighty four blunt force objects and ahhh...the coup de grace. Seventeen barrels of my patented Joker gas. Guaranteed to liven up any party!”.

“What does this gas even do?” Barbara asks curiously. Joker smiles and makes to answer, though he is cut off by a raised hand from the Deacon, who turns to his wife and takes her hand. “I have seen it. You do not wish to see it. I do not wish our lord to see it. Simply trust me in that it will be...effective”.

Barbara’s eyes widen as something occurs to her. “The women...were they…”.

“Moving on” Joker says, surprisingly doing something on behalf of Blackfire as he throws the notepad away into the darkness, allowing it to flutter down and burn away in the acid. “Aside from protection and all that? Nothing...yet”.

“What else are you suggesting?” 

“You’re going to need something else” Joker says, leaning against the handrail. “Something that should really help out against those pesky do gooders. The last time someone tried to take this city, they couldn’t pull it off because there were too many damn do gooders. Now, my Joker gas should help out with that but...to my eternal shame…”.

Joker casts an arm over his eyes and indeed feigns shame, though it was clear he was doing it only for dramatic effect. “It doesn’t spread very far...and it doesn’t last one. I’ve been locked away so long I never quite got how to make it work in a more widespread variety” he explains, pinching his chin and then suddenly snapping his fingers.

“But I know who caaaaaan!”

“Who can what?” Barbara asks. 

“Make it more dangerous and widespread you nincompoop!” Joker seethes, scaring them once again before he continues on. “In my cozy home for the past six years, I recently met this guy. He’s the reason ole’ Dicky boy and I are out believe it or not. Anyways, he had a zinger! It made everyone afraid”.

“And this man...is he available to us?”

“Not yet unfortunately. Probably locked up back in Arkham or something but...we can find him. And when we do? We break him out. Simple as that”.

“How would we find this man?”

Joker shrugs and pulls a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket, taking a drag on it and looking off into the distance, his mind elsewhere at that very moment. “Give me a few days. I’ll come up with something. Until then? I don’t know”.

He blows out a long string of smoke directly into Blackfire’s face, moving off of the catwalk with a relaxed aloofness that startled them. “Give a sermon or something. I’m gonna go check on my boy. See how he’s enjoying your...tribute or whatever you called it”.

Joker descends the stairs before making an abrupt right into an adjoining hallway, disappearing from the view of Blackfire and his flock.

“Husband...I’m afraid”.

He turns to the redheaded woman and smiles, brushing his fingers through her hair before smiling down at James Jr. Each looked horribly unsettled by their recent interaction with the Joker, but he knew it couldn’t be helped. The man was the only one they could trust to help them, though trust was a relative term.

“Don’t be my love. Don’t be. Faith. Have faith in James and his true father on high that they will lead us through this. For now? We will allow this heathen to assist us, though it is clear he is doing so for his own ends. What they are matters not. The book of Revelation’s is at hand, where all of man’s work done with evils hands will crumble away to nothing”.

He leans in and kisses her before moving off to the front of the catwalk, wanting to address those who had followed him out of the tunnels beneath Gotham.

“My brothers and sisters. Fear not, for we have reached Bethlehem where our hope may truly be born” he begins. “From here we shall advance upon our enemies, and crush them beneath the heel of our holy feet, just as God promised that the son of man would crush the serpent!”

They were still uncomfortable, but it was clear that each and every one of them was secure in the fact of their impending destiny and the part that they would play in it. 

“We have had to make sacrifices already. I know this, and it pains me. It pains our lord too. Our sisters shall be missed, though they go on knowing that they played an integral part in the story of our salvation! They shall never be forgotten, as long as we shall live as saints in our memory! We ready ourselves for our great crusade against Gotham and the Wayne family. We ready ourselves to crush the demon and all that she lov…”.

Down the hall, Joker had already put the man out of his mind, and worked as hard as he could to put his words out just the same. “Kook. Hehe, and that’s coming from me”.

He moves down the hall to where the foreman’s office was, where he and Dick had set up their living quarters aside their on personal HQ.

When he gets to the door, he sees a sock, holey and dirty beyond imagination hanging on the doorknob. He smirks for a second and leans his ear against the door, hearing the sounds of two bodies coming together. 

“Yoohoo, Jester! You busy in their sport?”

He doesn’t receive an answer though, so he simply straightens his back and reaches towards the door. “As you father young man, it is my job to check in on you from time to time, so I’m coming in anyway!”.

He pushes the door open and steps inside, closing it behind him as soon as he entered. The sight he encounters before him was fully expected. Dick was naked from from the waist down, his pants pooled around his ankles and his shirt unbuttoned to expose his muscled and toned body, of which he’d undoubtedly gotten from his long stint in prison.

He was standing before a desk, on which lay one of the women that Blackfire had offered up as a sacrifice to the two. Her dress was undone, and while her body was dirty and covered in grime from years underground, it didn’t seem to matter a bit to Dick.

In fact, the dirt was even more highlighted now that her skin had become as pale as theirs was, and her face was to the side, twisted into a grotesque smile that had set in with the firmness of rigor mortis. Light breathy laughs escape her lips, and her wide eyes stared blankly at the door as Dick continued to thrust into her.

Even her hair, atop her head and above her womanly entrance, had changed color to the vibrant green that was on their own bodies.

“Ohh, hey dad” Dick says breathily, grunting as he increases his hold on the woman’s hips and continues to thrust. The boy was momentarily distracted by the rhythmic bouncing of the woman’s ample breasts, and only paid half a bit of attention to his mentor’s entrance.

He gives a few more deep thrusts before slamming into the woman one last time, causing her to give a moan of pleasure, her mind now as warped as her body had become. Dick moans loudly as he shoots his seed into her, spewing it out without any other concerns more than claiming this girl as his own.

He pumps a few more times before he begins to retract, pulling his member from her with a wet sound of suction caused by how slick he had become with her juices. His limpening member spews one last spurt against the thatch of wet green hair, coating it even more. 

“Ohh Dickie my boy. I should’ve give you the talk about safe sex. I’m not ready to be a grandpappy” he teases, not meaning a word of it.

The younger man just shrugs. “I couldn’t help it. Good deal you made pops. Other one hasn’t even been broken in just yet” he teases with a thrust of her head over his shoulders while he works to pull up his pants.

“So...I’m assuming the gas worked?” Joker asked, having had a method to such madness.

“Ohh yeah. It worked alright. As soon as I gave her a whiff, she was all over me, then as the changes started happening, she went a little still. She still alive anyways?” Dick asks, looking over at the girl and seeing the light rises and falls of her chest. 

“Yup. Question is, will she live too much longer? If she does, well, you’ve got yourself a girly friend there Dickie boy. If not...well, we’ll just have to tweak the formula”.

Dick looks back at the other girl who still sat with her back to the wall, hands and mouth bound to keep her from running or screaming. “Well that was awfully kind of you to leave some for your old man” Joker says.

“Anytime. Now, what did Moses out there say?”

“Ohh the usual fire and brimstone kind of stuff. Butttt...we have a semblance of a plan being worked out. Might require us to go back to Arkham and fetch the friend who broke us out but otherwise? We’re on track to have some fun”.

“I still don’t understand the sudden hard on for Wayne” Dick says accusingly, throwing a blanket over the jokerized woman. “You’ll understand soon my boy. Soon it’ll all make sense. We just gotta get these bible for brains a little stronger and then they’ll do most of the work for us. So don’t worry little Jester, I’ve got a plan! But...for now”.

Joker turns his glare on the bound girl who mumbles out, trying to scream. He can see the fear in her eyes, and for some reason that only makes it better for the man. Dick doesn’t even leave, instead he moves back towards the woman he had already sated himself with and decides to watch. Joker notices this as he works on removing his belt.

“Ahh, wanna get a lesson from the pro then? Well, watch the master” he teases before looking back at the girl. “As for you...well, let’s see if you can see the funny side”.

Wayne Manor

She was looking into the mirror, brushing her teeth while readying herself for bed. She wasn’t particularly enthusiastic, though she would counter with a challenge for you to find anyone who enthusiastically brushed their teeth.

She leans down to spit in the sink, though when she does, she doesn’t move, continuing to grip the sides of the porcelain and breath deeply. Too much was going on in Barbara Gordon-Wayne’s head. She couldn’t think straight.

She swallows and then spits out her saliva, knowing that she should probably talk to someone. ‘Harleen...no, mom. No, you have a mom! She tried to kill you, and she’s still out there’.

Her anger was right back where it was before, and she knew that she should go and work out to blow off steam. She hadn’t gotten a chance to go on patrol with Bruce due to him having that impromptu meeting.

‘Shame. Would’ve been great to pummel some arrogant punk’s face in’.

She looks up, making herself ready to reach into the medical cabinet tucked away behind the mirror. She stops rapidly, her eyes focusing on the figure standing behind her. She could only take in the sight for a moment, but she knows who it is.

“Dad!” 

James Gordon was standing there, though it was naturally different from how he was in life. His skin was pale grey, almost no color left in it at all, and his eyes were completely white. He still had his red hair, the hair he’d passed onto her, and his facial scruff. He was wearing some sort of red shirt or suit? She couldn’t tell, and she rapidly turns to see him better.

When she does, she finds that she is alone in the bathroom. She turns her head rapidly to the left and right, looking for the man desperately. 

“Dad?”

She calls out to him while advancing on the shower, roughly yanking back the curtain. “Daddy?”

He was nowhere to be found, at least not in the bathroom, or anywhere else. Slowly she sits on the toilet and places her head in her hands, beginning to sob loudly. “Daddy…”. She couldn’t have imagined it could she? It felt like he was there. She could feel him! She knew he was there.

“Am I going insane?” she asks herself, fighting to dry her tears that she was ashamed of having in the first place. “Get a grip. He’s dead Barbara. Dead. You watched those fuckers gun him down”.

She takes a washcloth and wipes her eyes, and slowly she tries to calm her breathing once again. A knock on the door sets her off, and she glares at it as if the offending party could see or sense her anger through the wood.

“What?!”

“Woah, umm...easy. It’s me. Jason. Barbara...are you okay?”

She calms down at hearing the boy’s voice, and she bites back her tears and attitude for his sake. “I’m fine Jason. I’m fine. Just...go to bed”.

She hears nothing but silence on the other side, and for a moment she’s hurt that he might actually have listened to her. “No you’re not” he says, obviously knowing better. “I heard you crying, and calling out for your dad”.

“It could’ve been Bruce” she defends herself weakly.

“No. You love Bruce like a father, but...I know when you’re talking to him and when you’re not. Trust me”.

This angered her, and she stands up roughly, marching straight to the door and yanking it open to allow herself to come face to face with the boy who was already dressed in his pajamas as well. She hated that he made her stop with how cute he looked, almost effortlessly.

But her anger wasn’t quenched that easily.

“You think you’re so damn smart huh?” she asks, advancing on him until they were practically chest to chest “You think you know everything about me huh? Well you’re fucking wrong”.

“Am I?” he asks, standing his ground in a much more polite way than Barbara was. He refused to get angry with her, ever, and that infuriated her beyond reason. ‘I deserve it! I’m yelling at him! Screaming at him and he did nothing wrong! Why doesn’t this fucker scream at me? Tell me he hates me because I’m a bitch? I have it coming’.

That was the last thing her heart wanted him to do, but the masochistic side of her wanted to be punished. For everything. Failing her father, snapping at Jason, the disappointed and sad looks she caused in her adoptive mother and father’s eyes.

“You’re an asshole, you know that? A grade A asshole sometimes”.

“Why? Because I care about you? Because I refuse to let you self destruct? Cut the crap Babrara. I know you like to play stupid but you’re too smart for this”.

She hit him. 

She’d never be able to tell you why she did it, but she knew that absolutely hated the utter lock of shock in his eyes as her palm made contact with his cheek. Instant regret and horror fill her at what she’d just done, and Jason...he was just staring at her blankly, a red handprint on his cheek.

“Jason...ohh my god...Jason..”.

He doesn’t say anything and instead makes to pull away from her, an act she couldn’t allow, not at this moment. The tables had turned, and now she was the one desperate to reach him. She grasps his arms and pulls him back, trapping him by wrapping her arms around his midsection and crushing her body to his. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, goddamit I’m so fucking sorry”.

Her tears were going again, and despite the slight pain that lingered on his cheek he hugs her back. “Shh...just, stop crying. It’s not fair when you cry”.

She tries. She really tries, especially since he asked her too.

“I’m...I’m...I’m….”.

He senses that she was beginning to hyperventilate, and he begins to rub her back lovingly before kissing her forehead. “It’s alright just...don’t ever do that to me again”.

Without warning he scoops her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style to his room along with him, though she wasn’t sure of that at the moment. All the redhead could do was press her cheek to his chest and curl her fingers around the fabric of his shirt. 

“Where...where are we going?”

“To my room where we are going to sit down and you are going to tell me what’s going on”.

“Can I...I spend the night with you Jason?” she asks, still feeling the chill up her back she had gotten from receiving that ghostly vision of her father.

“It’s been years since you did that Barbara. It’s a little different now from when we were kids. I don’t think Bruce or Harleen would like that” Jason protests.

“Please. Just for tonight. I don’t want to be alone”.

“Do you promise to talk to me? I mean, honestly talk to me. Tell me what’s going on and why you’re acting so strange?”

“I promise”.

Jason sighs and nods. “Alright. One night”.

Bertinelli Compound

“Make sure you understand Oswald. Otherwise...well, let’s just say that Jenny might like to go for a swim. Get it any way you need to. I’ll send a few of my guys to help you out. Get it done you fat piece of shit”.

Helena hangs up the phone at her desk, or rather, her father’s old desk. It was remarkable to her how much of the mansion had been preserved. She almost didn’t see the difference from now to her childhood.

It was there though.

The warmth was completely gone and now the brick home that contained all of her happy memories was empty and cold. She knew why. Her father and mother were dead. There would never be laughter her. Not again.

She stands and moves over to the window, ruminating on all the years she’d spent away from Gotham. ‘Maybe I should have stayed away’. She dismisses that thought as illogical. After all, there was a vendetta and letting something like that go was against the very blood that coursed through her veins. 

“Ms. Bertinelli?”

“What did I tell you about that name?”

The man at the door shrinks into himself as he sees the woman’s shapely form outlined against the window, only added to by the ethereal glow of the moon.

“Ohh, I beg your forgiveness. Black Mask” the man manages to stutter out. “Good. You may enter”.

The man walks in slowly and moves to the desk, waiting for the woman to address him again, which would be his cue to tell her what she wanted to know and what he was supposed to report to her.

“What is it Thomasino?”

“We sent the guys to Falcone’s grave like you wanted” he begins. “And?”

“They did what you asked”.

“Good. Traitors aren’t supposed to rest in peace. Carnine? He’s the worst of traitors. A genuine Judas Iscariot walking amongst us. A ghost, in life and now I hope a restless spirit in death. Vai a farti fottere zio Carmine”. She makes the sign of the cross, almost as if she believed an appeal to God would seal the curse she wished upon the dead man’s soul.

“Is there anything else?”

“Yes Black Mask. They’re sending the message now. Mandragora will most likely respond to it, if he’s not a coward”. The made man felt a bit of courage creep into his heart at that, always relishing a fight. 

“He will” Helena says. “He is a fat dishonorable piece of shit but one thing I can assure you he is not is a coward”.

She turns around and looks back down at her father’s desk upon which a picture sat. It was of her, her mother and father, and it had been taken during the happy days of her childhood. The days when she knew nothing of her father’s work except that he was a powerful man who loved her and her mother very much. 

“It takes a very brave man indeed to kill a man right before his daughter, especially if you leave that daughter alive”.

Her eyes move up and lock onto the man intently, studying his reaction. “Soon, very soon, Gotham city will remember the Bertinelli name. And it will never forget it”.

She looks back at the picture and smiles. “I’m going to carve your names into his flesh mama. Papa. I promise”.

Chapter Text

Room of Jason Wayne

“Cozy?”

From her position, laying her head on his chest, Barbara would have to say that she was most certainly cozy. It had been years at this point since she was this close to Jason, and as she threaded her leg over his and deeply inhaled his freshly showered scent she realized just how much she missed it.

“Uhhm. Very”.

She looked it, and a serene smile spread itself over her lips. That was comforting to the boy who held her close. He leans down and kisses the top of her head lovingly, rubbing her back as he does. “Now, are you going to talk to me? That is why we came here after all”.

“Nuh. Sleep”.

“Barbara..” he warns teasingly.

The girl doesn’t say anything else in that moment but she does slowly look up. He sees the sadness in her eyes, and he reaches up with his free hand to gently rub his thumb across her cheek. All trace of them teasing one another was gone, and in his eyes remained only concern.

“Barbara, talk to me...please”.

“I saw my father...in the mirror tonight”.

She was afraid of telling the boy that on the off chance that he might have changed a bit in regards to humoring her. In the past he would’ve instantly believed her and tried to comfort her on the subject. Now? She wasn’t sure. She knew she sounded crazy.

“Did he say anything?”

She smiles to herself and lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in. ‘Some things don’t change’.

“He didn’t say anything. I only got a quick glimpse and like a horror movie, when I turned around? He was gone” she confesses. “Am...am I crazy?”

“I don’t think so no” Jason says. “I’ve always been...afraid here. Well, maybe not afraid. It’s not the right word to use but discomforted? No, that’s not either. My point is, I love Wayne Manor. It’s my home but there’s always this little tingling on the back of my neck when I’m alone here. I think it’s because of Bruce maybe”.

“What do you mean?” Barbara asks confusedly.

“Well, this entire house can sometimes feel like a memorial. A memorial to what he lost, and us? Well, we’re the things he gained, so those two ideas in one house clash together and maybe they rustle up some things that should stay buried”.

She chuckles to herself and reaches up to his cheek, rubbing his skin with her hand gently. “You’re a goof”.

“Yeah. Maybe”. He reaches up and places his hand over hers before turning her hand away from his face and interlocking their fingers together. Barbara felt her heart beat even faster, and she knew that the time was rapidly approaching that if she didn’t tell him how she was really feeling, she would never be able. 

Still, she’d give herself just a few more minutes to prepare herself. “Jason...my mom…”.

“Barbara I know she’s still out there” he says, a little more harshly than he’d intended. He sees the hurt on her face, and rapidly calms down. ‘Take this slow and gentle Jason. Slow’.

“I know she’s still out there sweetie” he begins again, though in a much sweeter tone. “But so are you. You can’t let vengeance chew you up Barbara. And I’m not going to let you do that to yourself. Look at Bruce. Look how happy he is now. Do you think he would’ve wound up this way if he didn’t let people in and just focused on going after Joe Chill? No. Now, he may be an uptight stick in the mud sometimes, but he’s still happy”.

Barbara wanted to lash out at the boy again but the still very fresh memory of the look on his face when she slapped him lingered, as did her promise to never do such a thing again. THAT she knew would linger forever.

“He’s trying to tell me something Jason” she explains evenly. “He can’t rest until she’s dealt with. I have to find her, and I have to…”.

“What? Kill her? Would that change anything? Would that bring your dad back?”

“No but it would be justice!”

Jason squeezes her hand gently and looks deeply into her eyes. “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all”.

“Don’t quote scripture at me” Barbara says, blushing despite her words. She couldn’t explain why, but she absolutely loved when he did just that. It made her feel safe when he could just come up with a bible verse to explain away or give her perspective on things.

Jason just keeps going and smiling, knowing his tactic was working.

“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “vengeance is mine, I will repay” says the Lord”.

“So I should just leave it to your magical sky daddy then huh Jason?” she asks, hoping to goad him if only just a bit. He doesn’t miss a beat and just nods an affirmative to her question. “Yes. That’s exactly what we’re supposed to do”.

“Dammit…”.

“Barbara, in this family, we focus on justice. Doing what’s right. I don’t think killing your mother is going to do anything to make what happened that day in the diner right”. He couldn’t help but reach out to brush his fingers through her hair. She just cuddles in closer to him, allowing herself to be comforted by the rhythmic beating of his heart. “It’s what he would want”.

“No it isn’t”.

His words were always so gentle with her, even when he was telling her, and rightfully so, that she was dead wrong. “I’ll help you find her though. And when we do? We’ll bring her in. Let the city put her on trial for what she did. Her and that Deacon guy”.

“You’ll help me?” 

“Of course, but only to keep you from losing yourself and also because I love you. Remember that Barbara. Leaning on us? On your family? It doesn’t make you weak. Family makes you strong”.

She knew that she wouldn’t be able to fight him on that fact, so she doesn’t even try and instead she just rests her head back on his chest. 

“Tell him”.

She knew the voice was her father’s. What she didn’t know was if her mind was conjuring it up, or if he was really talking to her. Specter or imagined, she knew that what her dad had to say was the truth.

“Jason...do you think you’ll see Jenny again?”

“I don’t really know to be honest” he says, not sure why the issue had come up but not exactly unhappy that it had. He wanted to just talk with her again. Like they used to.

“I mean, she’s nice and all, and her dad is too but at the end of the day? They’re still criminals who’ve earned their money through being a criminal enterprise. I don’t think it would be right”.

“Good. I don’t want you to see her again”.

“You know, you’re the...third person to say that to me” he chuckles. “Uncle Vic told me that she wouldn’t understand me and well, our night life. He told me that it wouldn’t work because of that reason and that alone so maybe I should listen and if I ever want to date ,find someone who would. Like how mom and dad got together”.

“Someone like me?”

He looked down at the girl and watched as she leaned against him and pressed her lips against his. He bolts up straight in the bed as soon as they touch, as if electricity had gone through him. Barbara herself was moved onto her knees atop the bed, looking down at him in worry.

“Barbara!” he says, partly scandalized as his hands move out to her shoulders in an attempt to keep her from repeating her actions. She looked positively broken, and her eyes were wide in fear of what she had done, and what she felt she might’ve lost.

Jason casts one look over her, and before he knew it he had leaned back in to capture her lips himself. She coos out as his arm wraps around her lithe waist and crushes her body into his own, their lips savagely moving against each other. Jason’s sought to conquer the redhead’s and Barbara’s sought to be conquered, and thus she eagerly submitted to the sweetness of his taste.

She plants herself in his lip, gently rubbing her rear end against his crotch, causing his member to harden in his pajama pants. Neither stop, the animalistic and primal desire for one another mixing with their hormones. 

She presses him back for a moment, just enough to reach down for the hem of her shirt to begin pulling it up. Jason was in awe, and his heart was beating faster than it ever had before. He watches as her toned belly is exposed to him, and he can’t help but reach out to trail his fingers over her skin to just on the undersides of her breasts. “Barbara…”.

She keeps going and pulls the fabric up over her chest. 

As soon as he sees her, naked from the waist up before him, the protests that were on his lips die away. He sees her perfect pale, almost milky skin, which was dotted with freckles on her chest and a bit on her shoulders. He had never known that before.

She leans down to work on pulling his shirt off, a blush covering her face as they did something so...brazen. “Am...am I pretty Jason?”

He doesn’t answer and instead lets her pull off his shirt, lifting his arms to assist her as he does. When his body is exposed to her, Barbara has a very similar reaction to the taut musculature he had developed through training. ‘Ohh…’.

She runs her hands up and down his abs and then his pectorals, massaging and feeling his skin in such a way as if she was trying to commit it to memory. “You’re beautiful Barb…” he admits breathily, causing her to stop to stare into his eyes.

“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen I think”.

She reaches forward and takes his hand in her own, guiding him to her chest and resting them there. “Touch me. Prove it to me”.

She leans down again to kiss him, their bodies moving against one another in a mimic of the perfect synchronism that they had with one another during training. She refuses to detach herself from his lips, though it was clear that Jason had plans of his own. He flips their two bodies so that he is laying above her, though he supports his own weight with his hands.

Barbara continues to coo out under him, especially when the boy switches to her neck and begins to suckle on her pulse point. “Mmm...yes baby. Right there”.

She reaches down to Jason’s flannel pajama pants and pushes them down as best as the can to expose his rear end to the chill. She runs her hands up the length of his back as soon as that was down, though she was still very considerate of the one she loved atop her.

She moves her hands back down, giving his butt a gentle squeeze before leaving there to grasp the blanket. She pulls it up over the both of them, sealing them in on the bed with nothing more than one another, with no goal other than coming together as one.

GCPD Headquarter

“Anything else Harvey?”

“Yeah. The most important thing” the detective says with a smirk which only causes Renee to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Why do you always leave that for the very last second?”

“Because I know it gets to ya”.

“Well mission accomplished Harvey. I’m annoyed. What is it you wanted to show me?” she asks. The man steps forward and retracts a photo from his jacket pocket and hands it over to her. “Took this at the crime scene myself”.

“Why wasn’t I notified?”

“Look closer commish. It ain’t a murder. Ya can’t murder someone who’s been dead for six years”. Montoya was confused but finally she takes a look at the photograph, and what she sees horrified her. Bones. A full skeleton had apparently been exhumed and pieced back together with wire. 

It had been placed in front of the Iceberg Lounge, a clear warning written in red spray paint behind where the skelton was hung. “I couldn’t get to him. I will get you” she says, reading off the words. 

“Any idea on who the body belongs too?” she asks while putting the photograph down, shaking at the macabre display. “Yeah. Docs ran a few tests on sight and it’ll take a while for the results to come back but we’re pretty sure that there’s a link between Carmine Falcone’s empty casket and this”.

“So it’s an old mob thing” Renee muses. “But who’s behind it? Far as I know there isn’t anyone left in Gotham besides Mandragora”.

Harvey nods and leans against the desk, apparently thinking over the woman’s words. “Not really no. I mean, there’s small time guys, but ever since ole’ Don Bertinelli got whacked before the Owl war, Mandragora is the only one left from the Italian side of things”.

“Who would have enough beef with Carmine Falcone AND Steven Mandragora that they would dig up the old guys body to put on a show?” Montoya asks, reaching across her desk for the pack of cigarettes.

She lights it and shakes away the match, taking a long drag on her cigarette as she does.

“Not really sure right yet commish. Like I said, not many guys left around the ole’ organized crime game and the ones who are? They’re nothing but small time. Hell, between Mandragora and Batman I don’t know whose cleaning up the streets better”.

“Easy” Renee says. “Batman. That bastard Mandragora? He’s no better than Falcone. He kills and extorts just the same. Difference is that he killed everyone else so there’s precious few left to oppose him. Probably why gangland killings have been down so much”.

“For now”.

She looks down at the picture again, and she knows that Harvey was right. Something was about to happen, and someone was openly challenging the sitting mob boss for control of the city. “Yeah. A few of his associates are winding up dead too huh?”

“Yeah. Ain’t so bad to be honest” Harvey shrugs, drawing the ire of the commissioner. 

“What? I’ll investigate their deaths and all. Try and get a suspect, but at the end of the day don’t expect me to get all busted up that Tommy “The Bitch Hitter” Angulo wound up with a knife in his throat, or Frankie “The Shark” Beranti took a bath in Gotham river with concrete shoes”.

She couldn’t fight him on that.

This city was better off without characters like that hanging around. ‘Still, can’t have someone bringing justice into their own hands…..well, not like that’ she quickly corrects herself, remembering the working relationship she had with the Bat Clan.

“Need me at the scene?”

“Nah commish. It’s all wrapped up now anyways. To be honest? Can’t do anything about it now. Don’t have any positive ids on a suspect, and even though we went to check up on that albino bastard, he’s refused to work with us”.

“Typical. Estupido’s life is in danger and he still wont talk to us pigs” she says while shaking her head and mulling over something. “Hey...did Bertinelli have any living relatives?”

Harvey scratches his head, going over it in his mind and trying to remember. She was sure he would. After all, when it came to these things the fat detective had an almost eidetic memory on who was who in Gotham’s underworld. “Well, his wife, cute broad by the name of Maria? She was gunned down before him. Still “unsolved” but we all know who did it and why”.

Renee nods, remembering the days when the Italian mob had an almost open door into the department. Either the evidence had been lost, the witnesses intimidated or the case just dropped. Could be all three as well.

‘Damn Loeb’ she thinks, remembering the now long dead man who had personally terrorized her and led the corruption in the GCPD.

“Yeah, actually he did. His daughter. Far as I know, word on the street was that she fled to Italy”.

“Well lets check out if she happened to stay there” Renee says, standing up and getting a notification on her phone.

She reaches into her pocket to retrieve her phone and opens it. “Ahh, the Mrs again?”

“Har har. She’s my girlfriend Harvey” Renee says, opening up the phone with her pass code to see the woman’s message.

“I heard of something new” she wrote while adding a smiling face and a blushing emoji. That was something that was odd about Tatsu. If you just knew her in life, you’d think she very rarely had an emotion, but over text? She was like a school girl.

“Ohh yeah? What?”

“So?” Harvey asks, not being privy to the conversation going on over text. “Change that. Which would you be though? Would it be Mrs. Tatsu Montoya, or Mrs. Renee Yamashiro or whatever hong kong phooey last name she’s got”.

Renee just rolls her eyes, knowing it was all in good fun. In fact, Tatsu really respected and liked Harvey, which is why she often insisted that he be invited along for drinks or dinner from time to time. She couldn’t, for the life of her, explain why the Bushido bound woman liked the burly, insensitive and undisciplined police officer.

“In Japan, in the times of the Shogun, he would be called a Taidana Senshi” Tatsu had explained. “A lazy warrior who neglects his duties in peace, but becomes the stoutest of men in war. He has a good heart”.

‘I guess that fits Harvey’.

She turns to look up at the man, genuinely unsure of how that would work. “Well, I’d hope it would be Tatsu Montoya. TM  fits better than RY” she explains as she gets another notification and message.

She opens it and wonders curiously at the message contained within.

“It’s called the one finger challenge”.

She quickly messages back.

“What the hell is that?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Anyways commish, I’m gonna take off too. I’m kinda beat. Tomorrow I’ll start working over my leads. See if I can find anything”.

“Aren’t most rats out at night?” she teases the man who just laughs. “Not when there’s bats about they don’t”.

Another message comes through and Renee looks down at it and is shocked by what she saw. Tatsu was standing in front of a mirror, naked as the day she was born. The difference once that she held up one finger that wound up covering her nipples and womanhood due to the reflection in the mirror. 

Renee was completely floored, shocked that her normally so straitlaced girlfriend would do something so...naughty.

Then again, they had been experimenting.

“Something wrong commish?”

She looks up to realize that Harvey was still there, and she shakes her head in the negative. “No, no Harv. Yeah sure. Take the night off. I know Batman for sure wont be” she says while looking back at the picture.

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah..dios mio…”

“Come home?”

“On my way”.

She gets up and picks the jacket up from off of the back of her chair and rapidly throws it around her shoulder, walking out even faster than Harvey. 

“Hey woah, where’s the fire?

“Sorry Harv, just gotta get home myself” she calls back, rushing out to her car. Technically she could’ve went home hours ago, but only now did she seem to have the correct incentive to head home now. 

‘In the morning? We’ve gotta figure out what’s going on. Before it boils out of control. Gotta talk to Batman’.

The Iceberg Lounge

Oswald sat down in his chair at his desk, rubbing his forehead before moving forward and picking up the glass of water and aspiring that Jenny had left out for him. As he swallowed the pill and took a nice long drink he couldn’t help but be thankful for the girl.

‘Such a sweet one she is. Lord knows she doesn’t get it from me or her mother’.

The thought of his late wife puts him in a much more dour mood, not that his spirits had been high to begin with. He looks across the desk at the photo he kept on it. Aside from his computer, it was sparse, with only this framed personal memento to keep him occupied when thoughts of home reached his mind.

He takes it in his fingers and brings it closer, looking at the family portrait.

It was a picture that had been taken when Jenny was only five years old, and they’d been at the beach enjoying the waves and sunshine, rarities in Gotham city. He was pudgy and short, and his wife? Tall and skinny as a rail. Neither were particularly attractive, he knew that. But it had never mattered to him that Margaret Cobblepot, nee Pye was no beauty queen.

“Ohh Magaret. Neither one of us would’ve won any prizes ourselves, but if their was a contest for making the most beautiful baby? We would have won hands down”. 

He gently traces his finger over his wife’s lips and cheek, remembering the biting sarcasm that he now so missed.

“Oswald, if you were one inch shorter you’d be a stool”.

“Careful rolling over like that! I’m liable to lose an eye”.

“A face only a mother could love...well, and me”.

He shakes his head and laughs, remembering how she hadn’t changed a single bit since high school. “I wish you were here now my love. I’ve gotten us into such a mess. You were always right about me. I’m such a fool. A stupid, squat little fool”.

“Daddy?”

He looks up in fright at the door before relaxing, realizing that it was his daughter. Concern was painted all over her face, and he hated to see it there. “Yes sweetie? Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine daddy” she says, though he knew she wasn’t. ‘I messed up their date. Dammit. I hope that Jason boy gives her another chance. He really is a nice lad’.

“Are you sure my little chick?” 

“Daddy, don’t call me that”

“Why not? If I am the Penguin and you are my daughter, aren’t you by necessity my little chick?”

“I guess” she says with a smile and a blush. “I was going to head home though, unless you needed me for anything else”.

“Ohh no sweetie, no. Head on home. Have Charles and James escort you. I shall be along shortly. I just need to finish up a few accounts and such here”.

She makes to move into the office. “Are you sure? I can handle them if you want, or maybe even tomorrow?”

He waves her off.

“No, no sweetie. I shall take care of this. You need your beauty sleep...well, not really. Perhaps I should prevent you from sleeping to keep some of the boys from trying to knock down the gates of this club”.

She casts her eyes down and shrugs, obviously still thinking about the disaster that had been her date.

“He’ll see you again Jenny. I promise”.

“I hope so”.

“He’d be a real foolish boy not to. That or...well, perhaps batting for the opposite team?” he asks. The question causes her to laugh aloud as she shakes her head. “Nope. Not Jason. That I know”.

“Hmm…” 

He gets up and waddles over to his daughter in that peculiar gate of his, though he was still a full head shorter than her. “Lean down here so I can give you a kiss goodnight” he orders faux imperiously, and Jenny does exactly that. He pecks her on the cheek and she repeats the action.

“Goodnight daddy. I love you”.

“I love you too sweetie. Now get on home and...be careful. Do not leave the house”.

It was an unspoken rule now that she wasn’t to go anywhere. Not with Black Mask using her as leverage against the much smaller crime lord.

“Okay. I won’t” she says before exiting and descending down the stairs into the now mostly empty club. Oswald exits the room to watch her before sighing and running his hands through the little remaining hair on his rapidly balding head. 

“Margaret...protect our little girl”.

“You have a chance to”.

He swivels rapidly about the room before his eyes land on the window directly opposite him, where a pair of eyes seems to glare out at him. He recoils and steps back in horror, thinking back to the Owl war. ‘Is a Talon coming for my head?’

The figure emerges into the slight illumination of the room, and he breathes an audible sigh of relief when he sees who it is, something that was strange for any criminal to think to do when coming face to face with the Batman.

“It’s you. One of the only blokes left in Gotham who ain’t looking to knock someone else off for a piece of the pie”.

He moves back to his desk, trying to project a state of calmness that he didn’t feel inside. “Can I offer you a drink?”

Batman remains silent, standing only a few feet away.

“I figured not. You seem the teetotaler type”.

“I know who you really are...Penguin”.

The other man winces, his nickname being a bit of an inner circle joke that was known to very few outsiders. Still, if anyone was going to figure it out, it would most likely have been the man who was now speaking to him. “Ahh. Well, it was only a matter of time I suppose. What do you got on me?”

“Illicit gambling, distribution of marijuana and stolen alcohol, racketeering, prostitution rings and embezzlement”.

“Ahh so you got it all then. Very thorough. Gotta respect that in a man”. He pours a shot of whiskey and quickly shoots it back, shaking off the chill with the aid of the fiery drink. “I don’t sell hard drugs you know? Wont touch it. Heroin, meth. Not my thing. Marijuana is going to be legalized soon anyways. Police barely want to touch any cases with it now. Not worth the bust” he explains. “The rackets? I’ll admit it’s a scummy move but the thing about those businesses? Anyone who wants it, comes to me. I don’t force nobody”.

He looks down at his feet and shakes his head. “I’m not going to lie and try and convince you I’m a good man” he says, surprising Bruce at how easily the man dropped his high society accent. “I’m not. But I’m not the worst man in Gotham. No. Anyone who does business with me gets a mostly fair shake. I don’t take the pants off a bloke. I leave him enough to rebuild”.

“You sound like you’re justifying what you do”.

“Maybe I am, but the reasons I do it? I ain’t gotta justify those”. He looks back at the picture. “You probably did a whole background check on me eh? Seems you know everything in this city Mr. Big Bad detective”.

Batman just nods.

“Then you know I didn’t grow up easy and you know my wife didn’t either. The Cobblepots. We used to be something ya know? When we first came to this city from London all those centuries back. We was even friends with the Waynes we was”.

“Then that Patrick Wayne...that shite...he stole it all from us”. He clenches and unclenches his hands. “No. No. It’s all water under the bridge. Sometimes I get angry. Hearing the stories of how my grandad trusted him, but...eh. I can’t blame modern Brucey boy, even if I do hate his guts sometimes. Seems a good enough lad”.

Batman moves upward and picks up the picture off of the man’s desk, content that the so called Penguin meant him no harm. Yet. ‘Rather unorthodox character for a crime lord’.

“It used to be different with the streets too. That Mandragora, he’s a real prick but mostly sticks to his own nice little mansion on the hill nowadays. I just kick up thirty percent to him and he lets me on my merry way. Want some free advice?” he asks

Bruce just turns and nods.

“All that? It’s about to change. The peace I mean”.

“The Black Mask” Batman interjects, shocking the man enough that it registers on his face. “Helena Bertinelli has returned to extract revenge for her father’s murder”.

“And how the bloody hell...whatever. That isn’t important. Look, I don’t care about what happens to me anymore. I don’t. I’m a bad guy. I know it. I get what I deserve if you punch me out, tie me up and throw me to Montoya with a nice stack of evidence beside me like a bloody Christmas parcel. But my daughter...my little girl...she don’t deserve this”.

“Talk. Tell me about the Mask” Batman says, leaving his ultimatum out of it. He didn’t need to physically say it for the other man to pick up on it. 

“What’s there to know? Ole’ Bertie’s little girl is back for revenge. That whole thing with Falcone’s corpse tonight? That was her”.

“Where is she located?”

“At her old man’s mansion, but she moves around alot. And she’s got a lot of guys there. Just man to man? If you don’t got serious backup? I don’t think you should try it. Especially not when you have a chance to get her out in the weapon and get Mandragora too”.

That definitely stoked Bruce’s interest, and he gestures with a subtle nod to the man to continue. 

Something suddenly occurs to the Penguin though, and he knows he has to at least try it. “No. No. You got all the freebies out of me that you could possibly wring. Now, I want to make you a deal. Unless you think you can punch what you need out of me”.

The last sentence was delivered with a wry smile, as though he was sure that the caped crusader would not go with that approach. 

Bruce thinks over the merits of it, though he discards them just as quickly as the thought enters his mind. 

He had a sense of fair play after all.

“What do you want?”

“I just want things to continue as they are” Oswald says before making to further explain. “Look, I’m a bad guy. Already said it. But way I see it? I’m the best bad guy out here. Crime? It ain’t ever going away but it can be curtailed a bit. Not to mention...I hear things. Know things. When something bad happens, I don’t want the men who did it lurking around my streets just as much as you. So, here’s my deal. You let me keep calm and carry on, and I’ll be your helping hand”.

Batman glares at the man, feeling a heavy stone settle in the very pit of his stomach. ‘An alliance with a criminal?’ He wanted to say that he’d never consider such a thing. He wanted to shoot the man right down and handcuff him, but something kept him back.

The picture. 

Oswald senses this and doubles down on casting doubt within the man’s mind. “Isn’t there anyone in the world you’d do anything for to keep them safe? Even if it meant making a deal with the devil?”

Barbara, Jason, Harleen and the others flash into his mind, and he realizes that if the situations were reversed, he didn’t know if he’d be able to act any differently. ‘If he’s right...the Wayne’s helped put him here’ he adds mentally.

“Yes”.

Years ago? His answer would have been an emphatic no, but things were changing, and Gotham? It was on the precipice. He had already made a deal with Luthor to secure Gotham. The last thing he needed to happen while these plans were underway was another mob war. 

He needed to nip this in the bud now, and come up with a better method of controlling crime in the future to ensure stability in Gotham after the walls went up. He had run numerous different strategies through his mind, but they were all hampered by the fact of the Bat clan’s limited numbers, and the fact that they often fought the street. They didn’t live on it, so its whispers often missed their ears.

They wouldn’t miss Oswald’s.

Bruce was at his heart, a realist. He knew that his answer would have to be yes. ‘I’m going to have to sell this to Harleen’. That was a much harder thought to swallow at this moment than making a deal with Cobblepot.

“Do we have an accord?” the man asks, placing his hand which resembled more of a flipper than normal hands.

“Will you help me bring down Bertinelli and Mandragora?”

“Of course Bats. Like I said, I want her gone as much as you do. She’s been threatening my daughter and forcing me to work with her because of it. One, nobody threatens Jenny. Two, I hate everything she stands for”.

Bruce could tell that the man was sincere, and in the end, that’s what convinced him that he had to take the chance. ‘Cobblepot can come in handy. Soon. But we’ll be watching him very closely’.

He reaches out and takes the man’s hand, shaking it very solemnly. Oswald was ecstatic. “Thank you. I know you might not believe it from me, but I honestly thank you”.

“Just keep your daughter safe. I’ll help anyway I can” Batman says, wanting to keep this about what else he was going to get out of it. “Where can I take them both down?”

“Well, Mandragora is using me as a go between, same way she is. After the little stunt with Falcone’s bones? He’s eager to see who this is and if he can cut her a deal. Trust me. He wont be able to. She hates his guts. More than I’ve ever seen anyone hate another human being. He wants to kill her at this meeting, and he her. If I wasn’t one of the good guys now I’d say let ‘em” the Penguin teases, getting a growl in return.

“Easy fella. Was just razzin’ ya. Anyways. The meeting is happening next week. And guess what? Both are asking me to supply the other with guns. The meeting is supposed to be on neutral ground, unarmed, and both sides are bribing me to ensure they’re the ones who break the rule”.

“Hmm…go on”.

Oswald smiles to himself, hoping that he’d think the plan was genius. “Well, since neither of them will risk getting caught beforehand, wanting to ensure that they look the part, I’m the one in full control of it. Mobsters are stupid. They trust greed and that’s it. I’ll give ‘em both guns, but wouldn’t ya know it, I got a whole buncha’ blanks from a movie set shipment I’d...borrowed”.

Bruce glares at him as he goes over the faux paus of him having lifted said blanks off of a movie set. ‘You never liked Hollywood much anyways’ he thinks, trying to see the bright side. ‘And this will come in handy’.

“So, long and short? Both show up ready for a fight, thinking they’re armed when they got nothin’ but pop guns. Then, you and your partners swoop in, do your deed and throw ‘em all in jail! And I take over their rackets….”.

He added this last part in a whisper, a smile on his face. “Just for a little while. I promise. I wanna go legit but...well, Jenny’s college is coming up and I’m not exactly as prosperous as I may lead people to believe. Over time...well, I’d be cutting back as much as possible”.

“I’ll hold you too that”.

Batman turns and moves back towards the still open window, the night having gone in a completely different direction than he had expected. 

“Wait! How do I get in contact with you?” Oswald asks as Bruce steps out onto the ledge. He turns his head over his shoulder and says, “Don’t worry, we’ll get in contact with you”.

He makes to jump off back into the night, though something stops him. Something Harley had once told him. 

“Most people that go bad? They’re misunderstood. How can you tell the difference from a psychopath like Joker and a still salvageable egg you may ask puddin’? Well, do they still love someone? If so...give them a hand. Be a friend”.

“The Waynes” Batman says. “You said that they did something to you. A long time ago”.

“Yeah, my grandfather Theodore. Patrick Wayne got him invested in a steel company he owned and when it went under? Wayne up and bought out all my family’s stock for nothing. Froze us out after that. Never really recovered. Why?” the man asks, flummoxed.

Bruce had to tread carefully as always with any possible links or connections that could be made between Batman and Bruce Wayne. He quickly came up with a way to remedy that in this situation. “I want to see you go legitimate quicker than you seem to be willing to at the moment. Something tells me you crave it too. I’d say that Wayne, from what I’ve seen of him, is different than his grandfather”.

“And how would you bloody well know that?” Cobblepot snaps. “Keeping tabs on every citizen in Gotham?”

Bruce glares at the man and nods. “I knew enough about you didn’t I?” he asks. “I also had Wayne in a secure location for weeks while I treated him after the Owl attack on his life. You learn things. Approach him. See about a business partnership, a legitimate one” he adds warningly. 

Oswald sighs and splays out his hands. “Fine. Blood well might do that. Seeing as my daughter is sweet on his son...I might have to anyway”.

“Good”.

And with that, the Dark Knight is gone, leaving Oswald alone once again. He returns to his desk and pours himself another glass of whiskey, letting it go down his throat with much a much less nervous, more relaxed state of mind. 

He puts the empty shot glass down and shakes his head. “Jenny, I do everything for you sweetie. One day the Cobblepot name will mean something again, and it’ll be because of you. But I swear to God and your mother I’m going to give you all the tools to do it”.

He looks back at the window where Batman had gone through and mentally hopes that this new alliance he’d entered into would be better than the last two he’d been forced into with the two mob bosses now vying for control of the city.

‘Well, I better start gathering up info on all of the street pushers I know. It’ll be good to get that shite out of here’.

“Well...I better get home” he says, seeing no reason now to stay around and work on the ledgers. After all, they could probably wait until tomorrow.

Mayoral Mansion

“Harvey this is insane!”

Pamela was pacing back and forth, trying to comprehend the news that had just been given to her. Her husband was trying to calm her down, his focus being on nothing but the baby at that moment.

‘Dammit Luthor!’ he thinks, reaching out to grasp his wife’s hand.

“I didn’t plan this sweetie. I really don’t want this responsibility or power”.

“Then turn it down Harvey! Say no!” she seethes.

This put him on edge as well, and he takes her shoulders in his hands to force them to look into each other’s eyes. “And then who would stand up to do it huh Pamela?” he asks, fighting to control his voice. “Who? Who else is there?”

“If you hadn’t been so damned open about you being against Superman, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“Ohh so is that the lesson you want to teach our children? Don’t stand up for what you believe in?”

She slaps his hands away, and turns around, her own instantly going to her stomach as tears roll down her face. “Don’t you dare use that angle on me you bastard!”

Harvey’s face and anger fall at the hot tears he could hear in his wife’s voice, and slowly he approaches her from behind. His hands go to her waist, and to his surprise she lets them stay there. Harvey leans his chin against her shoulder and sighs.

“I’m sorry. I’m an idiot”.

“Yes. You are”.

He smiles lightly, knowing that her insulting him like that was his way in. “It’s really your fault you know” he explains. “For not being there to tell them I’m an idiot and wouldn’t make a good president”. His hands slowly circle around to her belly where their daughter was, having ceased her kicking as she had gotten too big for free movement in her mama’s belly. It would be any day now.

“Ohh Harvey, no...you’d be an amazing president. It’s just...dammit”.

“Whatever it is you can tell me”.

“Superman...he isn’t a criminal like any of the other’s Bruce has taken down” she explains. “He levels cities with his freaking eyes. Think about that”.

“I am” he explains. “Every day. And that’s why I know we need to fight. I want our daughters to be safe and happy, but I also want them to be free. If we don’t fight him now, when? And if destroying cities, killing people and ruling the world isn’t where we drawn the line, where do we draw it?”

His words were having an effect, and Pamela was slowly giving in as she rubbed his hands which rested over her swollen belly. “I know...dammit. I hate when you turn all George Washington and “times that try men’s soul’s” on me”.

“You love it hippie”.

“....a little”.

She looks down and sighs, wiping away her tears. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. Baby hormones”.

“I know. I’m excited to meet her, not only because of how amazing she’s going to but also because it means we get to start all over again” he says, running his hands up to lightly grope her breasts. She tsks and swats his hand away. “You perv”.

“Only for you”.

That made her blush. 

“We’ll be taking some time off before working on our third little girl” she says resolutely, though she wasn’t so sure of that herself. Part of her desperately loved having children, and she idly wondered if it was because of her biology or the fact that she just loved being a mother. “Sure, doesn’t mean we can’t get some practice in”.

“Harvey, I’m fat and my boobs have swollen up to twice their normal size. I feel like a butterball turkey”.

“Well, you’re the sexiest butterball I’ve ever seen” he says, kissing her neck in just the right place before moving to her clavicle. “Hmm”. She reaches back over her shoulder to caress the man with a smile as she closes her eyes.

“Does this mean I’ll be making love to the most powerful man in the world?”

“Well...politically speaking? Yeah”.

“Sooo...like George Washington?”

“Maybe a little bit” he teases, nuzzling her cheek with his nose before kissing it. “And I’m the first lady?”

“First Lady Pamela Dent” he says with a smirk. She bites her lip and smiles to herself while allowing Harvey to caress her, returning the touches in equal measure. She couldn’t help but feel a little excitement at that thought. 

‘Introducing President Dent and his wife, First Lady Pamela Dent’.

She liked how that sounded.

Very, very much.

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor, Jason’s Bedroom

When he woke up, the full immensity of what he had done the previous night hits him. Well, rather what he and Barbara had done the previous night. Even know she was cuddled up into his chest, her arms gently stroking his own as they wrap around her midsection. 

He kept looking at her, and he felt horrible.

‘What did I do? Ohh God, what did I do? She trusted you! You took advantage of her!’

‘Hey she kissed you first’.

He warred with himself mentally, trying to justify what he’d done and then trying to condemn himself for it in the same thought. ‘Well, one things for certain. You’re not a virgin anymore’.

He couldn’t stop himself from the self congratulations on at least that part of his manly pride. ‘Dammit’.

He was right back to feeling guilty, and Barbara was starting to wake up. “Hmmm...Jason?”

“Yeah?”

“Lay down. It’s too early” she murrs, apparently seeing nothing wrong with any of this. In Barbara’s semi conscious mind she was going the events of the night. The slight pain that started it before ending in utter pleasure. A pleasure she’d never felt before. It seemed to move on past that though, and she found herself sinking in even deeper into his own self loathing. 

“I uhh...I have to pee”.

“Ughh..are you sure?”

He didn’t know why, but he found it undeniably cute that she was trying to keep him that bed. “Yeah, I’m sure” he explains. “Well….alright. But I’m staying here. It’s too cold”.

She scoots forward off of his chest and instantly cuddles into his bed. Jason wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip by him, and he gets off of the bed and swings his legs onto the floor. “Burr..”. He didn’t realize it at the time, but Barbara was on the money with how cold it was.

‘Doesn’t help that you’re naked either’.

He realizes that the only way to fix this was by getting dressed. Still, the three feet to the dresser was more than enough to make him regret not having gotten dressed after last night’s endeavours, but Barbara had been...very clingy.

‘I need to talk to someone about this...I...who? Who the hell would I tell that wouldn’t be sickened?’

As Jason slips into his underwear and a t-shirt he tries to mull over this issue. He knew that Barbara and he had always insisted that they weren’t siblings, the redhead having always thought that best friends was much better anyways as a descriptor. But it was impossible for them to avoid that moniker, especially in the eyes of wider Gotha.

‘We have the same last name!’.

He turns to look back at her gently snoozing form, and he can’t stop his eyes from traveling along her near perfect feminine outline. She was perfect in so many ways. Like she had been sculpted. Wide hips, though not excessively so, led down to muscled and toned legs, and up towards a lithe waist and toned belly. Her breasts, while not the largest, especially not when compared to Jenny Cobblepot, were definitely more than enough to stoke any man’s fire. 

‘Not to mention that ass of hers’.

He tries to shake the dirty thought away, hating that he couldn’t help but now see his best friend, the girl he’d sworn himself to protect, in a sexual, romantic light. 

He knew it was romantic. 

Even now his heart was beating at the sight of her in his bed, some sort of primal neolithic caveman instinct that quickly associated the word “mine” with the beautiful redhead. He tries to shake it away, but he couldn’t.

‘Why shouldn’t she be mine? Nobody else has protected her like I have. She should know I’m good for her. Mine’. He moves over to the bed and pulls the sheets up over her shoulders as they had ridden off a bit when she moved.

“Jason…”.

“Yeah?”

“I love you”.

He sighs to himself, closing his eyes before leaning in and kissing her forehead. He’d never lied to her, and he wouldn’t start doing so now.

“I love you too Barb”.

She smiles and quickly opens her eyes to turn and run her hand across his cheek. “You’ll always be my best friend Jason. Mine”.

With that she turns and goes back to sleep, not as ready to face the day as he was, or simply not as discomforted by the night’s events.

He moves to the door rapidly, and makes a beeline for downstairs. ‘Mom. I have to talk to mom. She’ll know what to do’.

Wayne Manor Kitchen

Harleen sat down at the kitchen table, idly sipping from her mug of coffee. She felt calm. At peace even. For the first time since her encounter with the scarecrow she didn’t feel the nervous tension on the back of her neck holding her down. She felt...safe, which for being in your own home? That was something to aim for.

“Mrs. Wayne”.

“Yeah Alfred?”

Alfred was standing there, Mary and Martha holding one of his hands each. “Your daughters wish to go outside and play. I was coming to tell you that I was taking out to the playground with…”.

“Alfred! Sweetie! Sunblock!’

Elise rushes up behind the three and moves to her knees, instantly working on applying the white protective cream to the squirming little girl’s faces. 

“With Elise” Alfred finishes with a wry smile.

Harleen could only chuckle to herself at the sight, but sadness slightly prickled at her at the fact that she wasn’t quite yet up to that yet. Her legs still shook, and if she moved for too long she’d wind up collapsing on the ground.

“Well...alright, but only if my two little cuties come and give me a kiss”.

That was something both girls were eager to comply with, and they rushed towards their mother, each giving her a peck on the opposite cheek. “We hope you can come play with us soon mommy!” they say in sync before taking their grandfather’s hand and moving him off forcefully out of the house.

“My word, little Misses! I am old...ahhhh”.

Elise remained behind, though she follows them wistfully with her eyes. “Ohh he’s so great with the kids”.

“Yeah, he really is. Alfred’s a good man”.

Elise moves over to Harleen and pats her shoulder, a wide smile on her face. Harleen expected her to try and have another little pity fest for the younger blonde, though what came out was completely different, something they should’ve been prepared for with Elise Quinzel at this point. “He’s also the best lover I’ve ever had”.

Harleen gasps and blushes a bright red. “Mama!”.

“What? He is” Elise continues, her object being to get Harleen out of her injury induced funk. “There’s a certain way that he likes to use my bre…”.

“Uhh uhh. Nope. Nope. Get out of her. Lucky I’m still so shaky or I’d be dumping water on you mama!”.

The woman leans down and kisses her daughter’s forehead, laughing to herself quietly. “Ohh Harleen. So prim and proper out here but I’ve heard the sounds coming out of your room with Bruce at night. And then there was the time I caught you two in the cave”.

Harleen just looks away with a smile on her face and gingerly sips her coffee again.

“You’re just like me except you’re a lot more respectable. Guess that comes with being Mrs. Wayne hmm?”

Harleen would never get tired of hearing that name. “Yeah. I guess it does”.

“Good. Now stop moping. You’re getting better everyday and soon? You’ll be playing ball with these little tykes again. As it is I better get out there. It’s never good to leave Alfred outnumbered like that”.

She kissed Harleen’s cheek and rushes out the door, picking up a bag she’d dropped on her entrance into the kitchen. It was obvious that her doomsday prepper mother had all sorts of combat grade medical gear in there to keep her children safe from anything ranging from a gun shot wound to radiation poisoning. 

In Gotham?

Her mother was one of the few she could truly trust to keep her babies safe.

“Ohh hey sweetie. What’s going on? You look like you had a bad night”.

Jason had walked into the room, and at seeing his mother sitting at the small table set up in the kitchen, he advances over to her, rubbing the back of his head. “Yes and no” he says. “Ohh? Is everything alright puddin’ pop?”

Jason just puts his head in his hands and looks down, shaking his head vigorously.

“No mom. I...I don’t think it is”.

Silence descends over the two and Harleen just nods along. “Well sweetie, the only way to make a problem worse is by not talking about it and not doing anything about it. So...why don’t we talk?”

He looks up at his mother, and her deep blue eyes which served as wells of truthfulness and trust that made him feel even worse as part of him was desperately fighting to keep the facts from her.

He couldn’t though.

Not Harleen.

“Mom...I...I did something last night. Something awful”.

“Ohh” she says slowly, her face surprisingly neutral. “Did you kill someone?”

“No”.

“Steal something?”

“No” he says, growing more and more uncomfortable by the moment. “Well then how bad could it be? Come on Jason. You can tell mama”.

“I’m afraid you’ll hate me”.

“Never”.

He looks up at her and he instinctively knows that that’s the truth. He doesn’t know why, and he can’t explain it, but his fear of losing his adoptive mother’s love evaporates at that moment. Still, the fear of her disappointment? Her anger? That was still there.

The cat was almost out of the bag though. It was much too late to retighten the drawstrings.

“Mom...last night. Barbara...she was very upset” he begins. “She just wasn’t herself. And we got into a little fight and, well, not really a fight. But after she asked me if she could sleep in my room with me”.

“Ahh huh”.

He didn’t like how all emotion had dropped from her face, and even now she continued to stare at him, waiting for the boy to go on.

‘It’s like she already knows…’.

The thought chilled him to the bone as the idea of Harleen already knowing and just waiting to spring a trap was not something he was prepared for. Still getting over the psychological beating she took or not, she was still Batwoman, and that was nothing to shake a stick at.

“When we got there...she kissed me...and I kissed her back, and one thing led to another and...we made love”.

The words were out there, though for all the good it did. 

The air was still loaded with an intensity he couldn’t explain, well, he could, but he didn’t want to. Harleen puts her mug of coffee down and glares at the boy, taking a deep breath and sighing. She shakes her head and looks out the window, turning back to the boy a few times and opening her mouth before looking back.

“Mom...I’m...I’m so sorry, I don’t know how it happened!” he rushes to defend himself. “She was just...distraught! And then she kissed me, and...it all happened so quick…”.

“I only have one question Jason…”

Harleen seemed to be stoic, but Jason could only guess at the inner rage held behind her blank facial expression.

“Yeah…”.

She reaches down for her mug and swirls it side to side, watching the brown liquid move about in the ceramic cup. She looks at her son over the brim of her cup, and suddenly...she smiles. All trace of anger or disappointment fade from her face as she takes a long sip. “When you and Barbara want some...private time...just put a sock on your door please”.

Jason was floored. 

Completely unbalanced by the fact that his mother knew, and if he was reading her expressions right, didn’t care. In fact, she seemed happy.

“You..you knew?”

“Jason..I check in on all of my babies every night” she explains, reaching across the table to grip his hand. “When I saw that my little redheaded firecracker wasn’t in her room, I went and checked the next best place and when I opened the door...well...let’s just say I closed it really quick and left you two to your business”.

“You’re not mad?”

“Sweetie, why would I be mad at my babies falling in love? You’re not brother and sister you know, and we never raised you that way” she explains. “I mean, we might tease you a bit about it from time to time for the funsies, but in the end? We’ve all been rooting for you two to get together”.

Jason looks down at the floor and tries to collect his thoughts.

“Why do I feel guilty?”

“I don’t know” Harleen explains. “Were you romantically and officially attached to this Jenny girl you were with?”

“No”.

“Some other girl?”

“No”.

“Both of you went along with it?”

“Yeah” Jason says.

Harleen shrugs. “Then I don’t see any reason to feel guilty baby. You didn’t do nothing wrong. All it was, was you and Barbara showing each other how you really feel about one another. That’s all”.

“But…”

“But, but, but” Harleen teases him through mimicry. “But nothing sugar. I will tell you one thing as a smart PHD mind doc. Casual sex? It ain’t good for you. Sooo...do you want what happened with Barbara to keep going? Or was it just a one time thing?”

He blushes to himself and nods.

“I...I think I love her”.

Harleen smiles and nods. “Yeah. Kind of knew as much. So, you love a girl, and she loves you, and you did the dirty two backed monster. No big deal. But...like I said? Sock. Door. Thank you”.

Jason nods and tries to keep his thoughts together. As usual talking to his mother had set things in perspective for him. “Ohh and...one more thing”.

Harleen reaches behind her and slides something to the boy from off the window sill. “In the future...use these. I ain’t ready to be a grandmama, no matter how cute the babies you two make would be”.

Jason takes the packet of condoms off of the table as quickly as possible, casting his eyes around in fear at someone seeing. He places them in his pocket and sees his mother wink at him.

“Ohh, ohhh yeah, just one teensy little thing? Hurt my little girl, and you’ll be in big trouble mister”.

At that moment Barbara walks in yawning and moving to the fridge. “Morning mom…..morning Jason”.

She gives a shy little smile, already thinking that their secret was still a secret. “We have any OJ?”

Jason was blushing like a madman at how obtuse Barbara could be, and Harleen was enjoying it as much as she could. “No sweetie. We’re out”. She turns to Jason and gestures for him to help her get up. He rushes to fetch her cane which rested a few feet away and hands it to her while assisting her to her feet.

“Alright, that’s enough help. Just needed the oomph to get up”. 

She brushes Jason off and moves over to the fridge. “Ahh hem. Young lady?”

Barbara turns and looks up at her mother, a question already in her eyes and on her lips. She stops though, feeling that something was off. “You taking the pill you’re supposed to be every day?”

“Mom!”

“I asked you a question…”.

“What’s this about?” 

“It’s about me ensuring that there are no little feet pitter pattering around here yet” she says. “Your sisters are to young to be aunts”.

“Mom I’m not even…”.

“Uhh huh”. 

She looks over to Jason for support while the boy just shakes his head and winces. “You told her?”

“No, your moans of pleasure from the hallway told me Barbara Wayne” Harleen corrects. “Now, are you taking your pills every day?”

Barbara looks down meekly and nods, the fridge door still in her hand which she was happy to be holding onto as it served as a sort of tether to the Earth which was shaking beneath her feet. “Ahh looking like the cat that ate the canary now how my little munchkin?”

“Mom I’m sorry…”.

“Don’t apologize” Harleen says. “Already had this conversation with your boyfriend. You aren’t brother and sister, you never were. You’re still both my babies. Don’t ask how that works mentally because it don’t”.

“Now...the pills”.

“Yeah jeez I’m taking them!” Barbara shouts out exasperatedly. 

“Good. And don’t act like that. You’ll be thanking me when you get to make as much love with Jason as you want without worrying about a baby bump preventing you from getting down” Harleen teases before blushing herself and realizing that she and her own mother were a lot more alike than she had previously thought.

Harleen reaches out and places her hands over her daughter’s shoulders and smiles. “I love you. Both of you. I wont lie and say I never saw this coming and didn’t prepare for it. But you…” she turns and looks at Barbara with a glare. “Hurt my little boy? I’ll hurt you. Capische?”

Barbara nods, unable to do anything but acquiesce to her mother’s demands. 

“Good. Now, I’m going into the bat cave. Your father needs me to go over all that stuff you pulled offa’ Cobblepot’s computer. So...you two...behave”.

With that the blonde leaves the room, and Barbara moves towards the table to sit down next to Jason. “So...she knows”.

“Which means that Bruce knows”.

“And that means Uncle Vic and the rest will soon too”.

“Yup” Jason says a little dejectedly before looking up at her and smiling. “I guess we have to take the teasing in good spirits. Or a “stiff upper lip” as Alfred would say” the young man teases the girl. She shoves his hand off of her shoulder and gets up. 

“Hey, I was only teasing!”

She stops at doorway and turns her head over her shoulder. “I don’t like being teased. Especially not by my whole family”. She makes to keep going but stops one last time. “I’m going to take a shower. Leave a sock on the second floor bathroom door”.

She leaves right after that, leaving Jason dumbfounded. ‘Was she listening in, or did she just have the same thought as mom?’

The thought of Barbara’s naked and sudsed up body comes to him, and in his imagination she has a come hither smile that just begs for him to come up and help her. 

He looks around and tries to fight the temptation...for exactly fifteen seconds.

“Barbara! Wait!”

Arkham Asylum

The door opened and Jonathan felt himself scurry to the back of the room, his arms bound behind his back by the strait jacket he wore. “No! No! Stop! Stop! Please!”

He was dreading seeing her again. The blonde woman.

She had filled all his nightmares, fueled his worst fever dreams. Her scream, the way she would punch him. The way she looked at him! Like he was nothing! Nothing more than a piece of garbage beneath her boots.

When he first saw her in his aborted assault on the asylum, seeing her had brought him back to his youth and all the horror it entailed. 

“Crane the creeper! Hanging around the girl’s bathroom!”

“Crane the creeper! Crane the creeper! Crane the creeper!”

The image switches to his home life, and the blonde cheerleader fades into his memory to be replaced by his father raising a belt.

“Embarrassing me like that! Do you realize we have a name that’s worth something!”.

The belt had been brought down upon him like a whip, and it certainly left marks. Over the years, the marks had grown and grown until there wasn’t a single piece of his body that hadn’t been marked in some horrid way or another.

It all came back to him at the sight of the vigilante called Black Canary. 

‘She! She caused all this!’ he screams and curses in his mind before he begins to trash around.

“Woah, easy there slugger. Gonna blow yourself a gasket. Hehe”.

“Please. Gotta have something better than that”.

“Well I don’t Jester my boy. Maybe you should come up with something too. It doesn’t always have to be me running the gags”.

Jester...and that voice? Those two things sounded familiar. Especially the voice. Crane looks up from his position on the floor and sees the face of the clown that he’d broken out of maximum security. 

“You”.

Joker moves onto his knees and smiles, taking off the guard’s hat he wore atop his hand. Behind him stood a younger man wearing another guard’s uniform, apparently taking up watch at the door.

“What do you want?” Crane asks.

“To return the favor. You see, you did a nice thing breaking me out of this dump which has...horrid security if you ask me” he says before chuckling. “I mean, if I’m here? I guess they’ll let any ole’ riff raff in. But you? Ohh Craney boy. You’ve got moxey. I saw what you did to Doctor Quinzel. I wonder what kind of things she saw in there. Would you be able to tell me?”

Jonathan was certainly interested, and he moves to his knees to be eye level with the clown. “I can’t. Each person’s fears are individual. Like a fingerprint”.

Joker’s smile turns into a frown and he sighs while wiping off his knees.

“That’s too bad. I was hoping she would have some naughty dreams about me”.

“Pops. The Dee Dee’s are coming down the hall” Jester says from behind him.

“Ahh, excellent. Right on schedule. You took down the security cameras didn’t you?”

Dick lets out a sinister smile and nods. “Yup. That was the most fun about this whole thing so far”.

“Ohh trust me Dickie, it’s gonna really...hehehe, blow up from here on out”. Joker turns back to Crane and retracts a knife from one of his pockets before grasping the man by the neck and turning him around. 

For a moment the man was concerned that the clown was going to kill him, but he’s pleasantly surprised when instead he finds his hands freed. He was still in the strait jacket, but now? He had a whole range of movement back.

He turns to glare at Joker, seeing him replace the knife in his back pocket. 

“What’s your plan here? Why do you need me?”

“Ohhhh a smart one. Well, it’s not that I personally need you. It’s you that needs me. And I..need you? Well it’s all very complicated but my point is, I like what you did to Arkham”. Joker turns to Dick and gestures for him to hand something over. 

“Ohh right, right, right”.

Dick reaches into his back pocket and pulls out the mask and tosses it to Joker, who catches it in one hand before inspecting it.

“Ohh yeah, this is the source of your power isn’t it?”

Slowly the white skinned man brings his hand forward, and Crane’s eyes are drawn right to the object in his grasp.

His mask.

It sat there in his palm, calling out to Jonathan in a way he never even thought was possible. “Go on. Take it. Become that big mean scary thing I saw again. I think Gotham city is eager to meet him”.

Crane reaches out and takes it while his mind reverberates with that one word. ‘Gotham. Gotham. Gotham. The city of fear’.

He pulls it open and into the air while working on pulling it over his face. Soon, his vision was black, but it returned to him quickly enough, and he felt...strong again. Slowly he stands and looks around, the world in a whole new light as he peers out through the two holes in the burlap sack.

“My, my, my. Aren’t we ready for trick or treating”.

“We’ve got him Mr. Joker! We’ve got him!”

Two women enter the room, both dressed in much skimpier versions of the guard’s uniforms. The buttons were undone halfway down their chests, and they weren’t wearing a bra. The pants were worn lower too, exposing the drawn up strings of their thong panties. 

The women were just like the men in the fact that they were white skinned, with green hair, and the same mad gleam in their eye. “Well howdy Dee, whatcha got there?” Dick asks, slapping the one nearest to him on the rear end, ending with an appreciative grope.

She melds into his chest for a moment, leaving the future containment of their hostage who was squirming to escape his bondage and the gag about his mouth, to her compatriot. “A nice little surprise for my Dickie!” she teases, letting the young man grasp her chin between his thumb and pointer.

“Pfft...as if he could shine a candle to my Mr. Joker” the other teases with a wink in the older man’s direction. Joker smiles back, but in his mind he could care less for the gas created sycophant. She was a stand in and nothing more. 

‘No. Harleen will always be my real prize! Always’ he soothes himself, imagining how Harleen herself would look, sculpted in his own image.

“Bring our little substitute for Mr. Crane in here doll” he urges, letting Dick take his time with his Dee Dee, while his own pushes the man forward.

“Pfft, as if you’d want to trade in a new model for the old”.

“Bitch”.

“Cunt. Bet you got dust in your cooch now that you let that old fart in there!”

“Girls, girls, let’s not argue, especially not in front of our brand new friend here!” Joker says, making the process smoother by giving “his” Dee Dee a matching swat on the rear.

“Ohh” she giggles out cutely before throwing the man she held in her arms to the floor. “Dee, mind getting the gasoline?” Dick asks while kissing the other woman’s cheek. “Anything for you Mr. D!”.

She rushes from the room, more than eager to please her lover whom already had her complete loyalty. When she returns, she is carrying a jerry can. She promptly gets to work and undoes the top, beginning to pour it over the man who squeals out as the flammable liquid covers him.

“What are you doing?” Scarecrow asks, grasping the Joker’s arm. It wasn’t lost on the Joker that the man’s voice was different now, in fact his whole demeanor. He puts his nose up and purses his lips, trying to affect a look of high distinction.

“Why Mr. Crane, even one such as you with, I would say in my professional opinion as a professional psychopath, multiple personality disorder, obsessive compulsive tendencies mixed in with a panic disorder of a very serious caliber annnnnd...an intense panic disorder that manifests itself through your obsession with phobias...where was I going with this? Ohh yeah”.

Joker pats the man’s chest and pulls him out of the room, urging the other three to follow him. “We’re staging your death buddy! After all, what are friends for?”

One of the Dee Dees steps out of the room and lights a match, laughing to herself before chucking it into the room.

The man’s screams increase in intensity, and the flames are almost instantly licking at the padded cell, even into the hallway. 

“We gotta go Crane. We’ve got some people to introduce you too. And we’ve got a truck. A really big one! We’re going to get us all out of here”.

“And when we get where you want us?” Crane asks, moving along with the clown themed group for the moment. 

“Well...let’s think. How about a...second Halloween in Gotham?” he says, just as more and more flames lick out to engulf more of the aging and decrepit wing.

The Asylum’s alarm system had only just kicked on, alerting all staff to the fact that something was wrong. By that time?

Nobody was questioning the group of three guards escorting a wounded prisoner outside. 

Even if they did look a little pale.

LexCorp Construction Zone 3

“This had better be good if you’re going to drag me one hundred feet below the surface Jeremiah” Lex says to the foreman who was working on leading his bald boss through the quickly dug tunnel.

“It is sir, It is”.

“Aside from that, how far along are we in laying down the blast shields? And the lead casings?” he asks, brushing some dirt that had fallen off of the ceiling onto his shoulder. He was underneath the new Lexcorp headquarters, a small and rather unimposing building, but for now it would do.

Aside from that, his major operation was happening underground for the time being, and the full extent of such an operation became visible as they exited one of the walkway tunnels and broke out into a huge cavern.

Hundreds of feet below them was a massive array of tools, material and workers, all busily setting down steel plates encased in lead and a very thing layer of synthetic kryptonite. It was one of his latest inventions, though he refused to take all the credit. 

Mercy had come up with it one night while they were...cuddling.

‘Me. Lex Luthor. Cuddling’.

“Lex baby? I had an idea” she said while laying her head on his chest. “Yes Mercy?”. She sits up a bit to look into his eyes. “Well, what if Superman is able to get at the city from beneath us?”

He just chuckles. 

“I already thought of that sweetie. He can’t risk going as deep as I plan to go, or he’ll wind up going through the Earth’s core in an attempt to get to Gotham. I don’t think anyone, even him, would be crazy enough to try that”.

“But what if one of the other heroes does? And you really want to do this basically all under Gotham?”

“As much as I can without destabilizing the city” he responds while rubbing over her lip and thigh. ‘Dammit...this woman distracts me’.

“Why not encase it in the fake kryptonite?” she queries. “We have tons of it. More than we can really use at the moment. And we can make more. It would prevent him from getting through in case someone like Martian Manhunter shielded him”.

He had sat upright in the bed and frowned to himself, shocked that the Martian’s abilities hadn’t gotten into his mind. “Did...did I say something stupid?”

He just smiled down at her and shook his head, smothering her face in kisses. “No! No! Mercy you’re a genius!”

He shakes the dopey smile off of his face, refusing to let any of his employees see the effect that the burnett was having on him in his personal life.

Still, it had been a genius idea. 

More than genius.

Superman was the one they had to be most concerned with keeping out of the city and with Mercy’s quick thinking, yet another avenue to be used to keep him out. ‘Still...gotta figure a way to keep that damn Martian out too’ he thinks to himself as they enter another tunnel.

“We found it when we were digging out another passageway for a dome. We’re doing the tunnels so we don’t hollow everything out completely”.

“I understand how it’s being done Jeremiah. I’m the one who told you to do it” Lex explains patiently. Jeremiah turns his head and nods. “Sorry my Luthor. It’s easy to forget how hands on you are”.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lex asks, partially insulted. 

“Nothin’ sir. Nothin’”.

The man was beginning to pant, through Lex could see where they were going, or at least what was the source of all the interest.

“Are those...bricks? No...stones”.

“Yes sir…” Jeremiah says, pointing out the entrance that they’d made through the stones into the dark cavern. “And what the hell...is this a cairn?” he asks, stepping into it and being well pleased at the fact that the digging crew had already set up a system of lights inside. He was shocked, utterly shocked by what he saw.

As he looked around his eyes landed on all sorts of different items that would make an archeologist go insane with desire.

“It looks like a burial mound” Lex says to himself before turning and seeing the large stone slabbed coffin in the middle of the chamber. Atop it was a artistic rendition of a knight, though...the knight seemed different. 

He places the lamp atop it and begins to read what’s carved into the stone while his other workers, having been appraised of the man’s presence, join in. “It’s old Norse” he explains, shocked at that mere fact. “Not Miagani. They weren’t capable of this kind of craftsmanship”.

“Norse...ain’t that uh..Vikings?”

“Very astute whoever that was, but that’s not all. There’s also old English”.

“Can you read it?”

“I can...but I need you to be silent for a moment”.

The group heeds the demand of their boss and zip their lips as he begins to decipher what there is. His eyes widen as he gets to the end and he stands up straight. “Gentleman, get back to work but know this...you’ve made one of the greatest archeological finds in centuries. Also...call Mr. Wayne”.

“Why?”

Lex turns and smirks. 

“He has a bit of family history here for him to discover”.

Chapter Text

Bertinelli Compound

She sat in her father’s old chair and just stared at the picture that hung over the fireplace. She didn’t exactly remember where her father had gotten it, or even why. All she knew as a child was that it was frightening.

The painting was done to represent Lucifer falling from the heavens above, and all around him he is ringed by his fellow angels who cheer on his demise. Helena remembers her father speaking about the painting at length, and how he perceived the other angels to be hiding their true intentions.

“You see Helena” he had said while moving onto his knees to be at eye level with his daughter. “The other angels? They wanted the same thing that he did, but they weren’t brave enough to try it on their own, and they were to selfish to aid Lucifer in his own attempt because then? Well, then they’d have to bow down to a different God than the one they already hated”.

She didn’t understand it then, and her mother usually chastised her father for telling the little girl “blasphemies”.

“Ohh mother. If only you’d realized then how much blasphemy is actually true”.

The phone begins to ring and Helena makes a show to herself of reaching languidly for it, apparently seeing the act of rushing on someone else’s behalf as beneath her dignity.

She picks the phone up off of the receiver and places it against her ear.

“Cobblepot?”

She goes silent for a minute before nodding, the voice on the other end of the line speaking. 

“And we have an agreement?”

“Good. I’ll see you then”.

She hangs up the phone without any further acknowledgement, not seeing the stout little man as anything more than a freak who was meant to do her bidding without asking any questions. Soon, she’d have Mandragora in her net, and she wouldn’t have any more need of the Penguin and his daughter.

In fact, they’d soon become a liability.

Her attention turns off of her future business and instead moves back to the painting on the way. She stands and pushes the chair back into the desk.

The office was cold and lonely, as her entire life seemed to be from the moment she left Gotham to when she came back. The fires of revenge burning deep within her chest could only sustain her for so long, and now, with vengeance so close at hand?

She was afraid of what would happen when they were fully snuffed out.

The mantle and the liquor contained atop it provides a comforting distraction, and she quickly makes to take advantage of it. A glass, some ice and a slight pour of whiskey were all it took to put her mind at ease.

“I will not fall from the heavens papa” she says to herself, downing her glass and placing the empty cup back on the mantle. “No. I was never from above to begin with. Gotham is hell. I don’t want to rule it. Not like you did”.

She moves to the window and thinks about Mandragora. How he gunned down her mother and then her father. How he was able to live happily for all of these years. 

“I just want to kill the one who does”.

Lexcorp Dig Site 3

“And you’re telling me that baldie found something relating to your family?”

“Yes”.

Harleen moves along behind her husband, her hand interlocked through his as they keep going through the tunnels. The worker had fetched them and was leading them, but so far he remained mumb on the subject of what it was that Lex had found.

Harleen stumbles over a rock, and she almost falls fully forward. She closes her eyes, ready for one hell of a face plant into the soil, but finds her downward descent halted. Bruce had caught her about the waist, and was now holding her close to him, stereotypically as if he had just swooped her down to kiss her.

“You alright?”

She didn’t know how he could pull it off at almost every turn, but he looked so suave.

“Yeah. I’m fine as long as I have my puddin’ with me”.

He brings her back up to her feet, though his hand remains on her back to steady her. “Harleen, are you sure you’re okay? You don’t need to be here if you’re not feeling up to it”.

“Bruce, I’m fine. I need to get back into the swing of things” she says, kissing his cheek. “But I find it cute when you fuss all over me”.

The man smiles and turns back to the patiently waiting guard. “Sorry, we’re just, heh, I guess we’re just used to this kind of exertion”.

Harleen raised her eyebrow at that and smirked, knowing that Bruce was still playing a part for those outside of the family to fall for. ‘We exert ourselves ten times more than this every night Brucey boy’.

“No problem Mr. Wayne. We can take it a little slow if your wife need…”.

“I’m fine” Harleen interjects. “I’m fine. Let’s keep going Bruce. Wouldn’t want to keep Mr. Luthor waiting”.

That was something else that Harleen had to swallow and swallow quickly. ‘Partnering with Lex Luthor to save Gotham, defeat Superman and basically create a whole new country with Harvey as the president? Really treading into strange waters’.

She had agreed with Bruce on this issue and on the issue of his alliance with Cobblepot. She didn’t exactly “like” it, but when she found out about everything that was going on in Gotham? She knew that she had no choice. 

THEY had no choice.

‘Better someone like Cobblepot than Mandragora or Bertinelli anyways’.

She wants to turn her thoughts away from plots and wars and all the other nasty stuff, and instead wants to talk to her husband about something much cheerier and more important in her mind. And as they move along this tunnel to an uncertain destination? It was the best time.

“So...I’ve got a bit of news to share with you myself puddin’”.

“Ohh yeah?”

“Uhhmm. Barbara and Jason have gotten….closer”.

That stops him, and he turns down to look at his wife with a curious glance. He was going to ask what she meant before it settled on him, and his eyes widen in shock. “Ohh”.

“Yeah. Ohh” she giggles cutely, squeezing his hand. “I had a talk with them about being safe and making sure their mama doesn’t walk in on them when they want some private time”.

“I...I’m not sure how I feel about this”.

“Aww come on puddin. You knew this day would come eventually. They’re perfect for one another and we all know it” she pleads.

“It’s not that” he defends himself, already having a feeling that he was going to be made a fool of by his wife. “It’s...well, Barbara. Not really sure how comfortable I am knowing she’s being...intimate with someone”.

Harleen chuckles at her husband, and shakes her head. “Sweetie, she’s old enough to make those decisions...safely” she reiterates. “Of which I have been ensuring that such things will be done safely”.

“The pill?”

“And condoms for Jason”.

“You went out and bought condoms?” he asks.

“Duh, yeah. I’m not embarrassed by that kind of stuff Bruce. Also...I noticed that it was Barbara you were concerned about making love now. Not Jason. Any reason for that?”

She reaches to his chest to rub it gently. 

“Well...it’s different for boys I guess”.

“Is it?”

“Yes”.

Harleen frowns for a second, not liking how Bruce had seemed to dig in his heels on that point of view. “It’s one of the few things we’ve gotten the long end of the stick on”.

“Ohh really?”

“Yup”.

The two slowly smile at one another and Harleen shakes her head. “Never change Bruce. Keep being my big, old fashioned brute”.

“I think that’s easily done”.

His expression turns serious again and he nods to himself, apparently having come to a conclusion of what he had to do himself. “I’m going to have a talk with Jason. Man to man. I want him to know that sex...it isn’t just sex. It’s…”.

“Shhh...already told him that sweetie. He knows. Our Jason? He’s a good boy and Barbara? Well, deep down? She’s still a good girl. This’ll be good for her I think”.

“And is that your professional medical opinion?” he teases her.

“Yes it is, though I also have tons of experience studying someone who was a lot like her” she says knowingly. “And who would that be?” 

Their conversation is interrupted by the humming of motors and other machinery which seems to just buzz along without any real rhyme or reason and as they stop at the end of the tunnel, they see how they would get to the lower layer that was apparently the source of so much interest for Luthor, and apparently Bruce.

The three enter a small elevator that had been constructed atop the dig site, and from there they could see how expansive Luthor’s operation had become. Harleen drops the subject for a moment to marvel at the feat of engineering that was happening before her very eyes. “Wow...he’s really going all out huh?”

“Ohh yeah. Mr. Luthor doesn’t do anything half assed” the worker says, reminding the two of his presence. 

Harleen curls herself into Bruce, unable to stop the fear that seemed to wedge itself in her heart at the fact of what was going on in the world around them. She didn’t want to tell anyone, but the thought of coming face to face with Superman? Or Wonder Woman?

It terrified her.

Bruce leans down and kisses her forehead. 

“Who is like Barbara?” he asks as the gears begin to crank on the machinery that brings the car slowly moving downwards to the lower levels.

“Huh?”

“Who does Barbara remind you of? You said you had experience in dealing with someone like her”.

Harleen smiles and looks up at the man, remaining close to his chest. “You. She’s a lot like her father”.

The man didn’t seem to understand what she was driving at until it hits him and he nods. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. So, you’re thinking Jason can pull her out of it, the way you pulled me?”

“I’m thinking he can at least be there for her in ways that we can’t, and yet she still needs” she explains, trying to outline why she believed Jason and Barbara would fit together outside of her own desires to see the two as a couple.

“Yeah”.

She notices his sullen attitude and works out what was bothering him quickly enough. “Just because she’s a woman now, that doesn’t mean she stops being that little girl we took in you know?” she asks the man, wanting to ensure that he knew that. 

“As for Jason, well, at least she’s not dating some random scumbag we don’t know. She’s dating a good boy. The best!”.

Slowly Bruce smiles, putting those worries at least out of his head. “Yeah. That’s true”.

Kane Memorial Catholic School

Things were going well in Jason Wayne’s world. Or at least, as well as he could hope. He had a girlfriend now, something that was in and of itself quite confusing, especially considering WHO said girlfriend was.

His grades were excellent, he was a star baseball player and secretly? He had one of the most thrilling and rewarding night lives anyone could ever wish for. As Robin he was helping protect this city alongside the rest of his family. What more could a young man want?

Nothing.

That was the answer. Nothing.

He had everything he could want and yet he still felt as if there was something waiting around the corner. Some other piece of greatness, not for himself necessarily, but more of...a true purpose. A calling. 

“Hi Jason”.

He was broken from his revelries by the intruding voice, and it puts a pit right in his stomach at who it was. ‘Dammit…’. He slowly turns and smiles as best as he could, closing his locker while coming face to face with Jenny Cobblepot. 

She looked nervous, though he really couldn’t place why. “Ohh, hey Jenny. How are you doing today?”

“I’m good. A little worried about that math test in fourth period. But other than that? I’m fine”.

“Yeah, me too” Jason chuckles to himself while rubbing the back of his head. “Math really isn’t my strong suit”.

Jenny shrugs. “I’m good at it. But...not when you add all sorts of letters and stuff to it. I like my english and math separate thank you very much”.

Both share a nervous chuckle with one another, and it was clear that they were both trying to avoid the conversation that both really wanted to have out of embarrassment. Jenny was the first one who was brave enough to break the deadlock.

“Jason...about the other night. I know that all must have seemed insane to you. Maybe even a little...sketchy? I just wanted to apologize for that. I don’t want you to think badly of me and I really want to make it up to you”.

She reaches out and takes his hand to squeeze, blushing as she looks down. “You see...I really like you. I have for a while, I guess I was just too nervous and scared to say anything” she explains, making Jason feel even worse. ‘If this had happened a month ago? I would’ve jumped at the opportunity’ he thinks, reflecting on how his fortunes had so rapidly changed.

“I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner and a movie. Something a little more traditional. I love the lounge but maybe it was a bad idea for us to go there. It might’ve given you the wrong impression of my father and I”.

‘Ohh Jenny...I don’t have an impression. I have the truth’. He hated that on all technical counts she was a criminal, either by act or by proxy. He couldn’t move past that. 

“Jenny...I...ummm..”.

He sees how her eyes fall, especially as he takes his hand away from her. “I just want to be openly honest about everything that’s going on” he explains, adding a mental caveat of ‘as honest as I can be’. This whole situation was uncomfortable for him, and it showed.

“That’s usually the right way to go” she says in response, trying to keep her voice neutral. 

“I’ve...well, I’m with someone now. It kind of happened...very quickly and I know that sounds awful but…”.

“Hey Jason!”

Someone else joins the fray, though it was clear that she was much more upbeat than he or Jenny was at that moment. Barbara inserts herself without even thinking twice at this point, so elated was she at finally having what she felt was hers by right that she seemed to not even take notice of the world around her. 

“Barbara…” Jason says, put a little off balance as the redhead wraps her arms around his shoulders and kisses him openly, drawing the attention of numerous other students. “Oooooohhhhh” some of them call out, causing the very popular athlete to blush wildly. Barbara didn’t care at all, only caring for the feeling of Jason’s lips upon her own, and his hands on her waist. 

“Ms. Wayne!” a scandalized nun who happened to be passing by calls out. “Cease and desist your public display of vulgarity immediately or I shall have you brought before the dean!”

Barbara rolls her eyes but slowly complies, making a show of faux shame as she puts her head down and folds her hands behind her back. “I’m sorry Sister Heather. It won’t happen again”. Unbeknownst to anyone watching, she crossed her fingers behind her back, while Jason just blushes and looks away.

The nun turns her eyes on the boy and sadly shakes her head. “I know she is not your sister Mr. Wayne, but I would’ve hoped you would see how...scandalous this could appear”.

“Well...I don’t see it as scandalous” Jason defends himself, and by extension Barbara, causing the redhead to smile. Jason had never so much as uttered a peep back against an authority figure. “But...I apologize for...our public display of vulgarity” he says, definitely meaning that part.

The last way he’d wanted his relationship with Barbara to be exposed was through a public kiss. 

“Hmm...well...be careful Mr. Wayne. And you” she turns back to Barbara. “Watch yourself”.

With that the nun walks away and Barbara blows a kiss at her back before looking at Jason with a wide smile. He didn’t know why, but suddenly? Her enthusiasm was infectious and her behavior more….charming than it used to be.

Barbara turns to look at Jenny Cobblepot, a desire in her to humiliate her one time foe mixing with an innate sympathy for the shattered look in her eyes. “Ohh..hello Jenny”.

Jenny reaches up to wipe a tear away, trying to hide the fact of its existence, though both of the adopted Waynes saw it, they make no comment in order to spare Jenny some humiliation. “Hi Barbara. I...I didn’t know you two were...well…”.

“It...it just happened” Jason interjects.

Barbara looks at him over her shoulder and turns back to Jenny, for once feeling in a much more conciliatory mood towards an opponent she’d defeated. ‘Damn...why don’t I just want to gloat and rub her face in it?’

“I’ve felt this way about Jason for a long time Jenny” she explains. “And a few nights back, it kind of just bubbled out between us”.

Jenny holds up a hand, trying to stall any possible further conversation about what Barbara and Jason had gotten up to. “It’s fine. Hey, Jason and I only went out on one date” she says, laughing to cover her brimming tears. “And that got interrupted so it’s not as if I have any real claim over him. No need to apologize”.

Barbara smiles happily, taking the girl’s words at face value. Jason however, felt that his heart was breaking for Jenny. 

“But anyways, regardless, Jason...I’d still like to be your friend. If...if you thought that would be okay, and if Barbara wouldn’t mind it”.

“Of course he’ll be your friend” Barbara says, placing an arm around the other girl’s shoulder. Everyone was shocked, Barbara the most. She couldn’t explain it though. She felt like she was walking on sunshine, and when her mood now was compared against her mood of the past few days nobody could help but notice a marked improvement.

“I’d like it if I could be your friend too Jenny. I mean, having a rich buddy? That’s always the best”.

Jenny found herself confused by that statement.

“But...Barbara...you’re richer than me…” she almost stutters out, not sure of what to make of everything. “So that means we can’t be friends?”

“No, no, I was just saying…”.

The bell rings just then, ending any prolonged further conversation. “How about this. Sometime next week, we’ll all go out and do something. How’s that sound J?”

Jason was flabbergasted at the open enthusiasm and happiness emanating off of Barbara, but he didn’t want to embarrass her by calling her out on it now. No. It would have to wait. 

“It sounds good Barbara” the boy says, finally making to speak for himself. “Jenny...I’d love to be your friend” he adds to the other girl, finding that he fully meant at least that sentiment. Jenny smiles and nods, gripping her book bag close to her chest before she turns to walk away. “I’ll...I’ll see you two later”.

She walks down the hallway, leaving Barbara and Jason alone pack their own bags up that would be needed for their next class, which was oddly the one they took together. “What’s going on with you?” 

“What?”

“Don’t play innocent with me. You’ve NEVER been nice to Jenny, let alone offered to be her friend” he whispers, trying to keep his voice down as they talk. Barbara just shrugs, nonplussed by the whole issue apparently. “Maybe I just want a friend aside from you dweeb”.

“Pfft…”

She senses that Jason doesn’t believe her, nor did she expect him too. 

“Look...I’m just...I’m feeling really good this morning. I don’t know why. I can’t really explain. But I just do. Maybe you screwed a smile permanently onto my face or something”.

Jason blushes even harder and sighs, trying to cover up the fact that she was getting to him. Barbara though, she picked up on everything when there was something of interest to her. She elbows him in the side and moves in closer.

“I won’t tell Father Blood about you fucking me in every corner of your room if you tell me how I was”.

“What?” Jason asks scandalized.

“You heard me” she teases as they continue to walk forward. “Tell me how I was in the bed or...I might just feel a sense of Christian shame”.

“As if”.

She begins to fake the act of sniffling as she folds her hands in front of her. “Could you..imagine, me going to Father Blood and confessing to my horrible sins?”

Jason sighs, knowing that this was just yet another game he was going to have to get used to playing along with. “I’d...be in tears Jason! In tears as I told him about how you used your tongue…”.

“You were an angel”.

Barbara stops at hearing those words and blushes, tilting her head to look at her still thoroughly embarrassed boyfriend. Jason sighs and continues on with his true thoughts. “That was my first time...and yours as well, because...well”. He kept looking around the hallway, content that they were alone. “But, it was amazing. Awkward and amazing...and I love you”.

Barbara leans in and pecks his cheek, making sure to follow school protocol while in the halls of this sacred institution. “I love you too Jason”.

She was even happier now.

Out of the few things she wanted more than anything on this Earth, Jason’s love was one of the very high up ones. In fact, there was only one thing she wanted more, and that? Well, that was going to present an opportunity soon enough.

Ace Chemicals

He moves the barrel to the side of the room with the others, gently prying off the covering cap with a screwdriver he’d procured from somewhere within the abandoned confines of the building. It was laughably easy to find what he needed, and especially in such large quantities.

Jonathan Crane was busily at work, inserting a tube that would feed just the right amount of liquid at just the right time to create a perfect version of his fear toxin.

‘Yes! Yes! It’s all coming together! All of it! What luck!’

He still wore his mask, though he’d somewhat altered the rest of his clothing. His straitjacket remained in place, though the tears, tatters and dirt only added to the overall fear his get up inspired. The sickly sharpe sickles that hung from two makeshift holsters on either one of his hips certainly helped it along.

Scarecrow was changed, and he knew it.

“It all goes back to the clown!” he hisses gutturally to himself as he primes the pump to begin feeding the Joker toxin into his barrels. The green viscous liquid swirled about evilly in the suspended glass dome above him, secured only through manual labor and held up by the strength of rusted chains.

“It really is a genius idea to add your fear toxin to my own little witch’s brew”.

The Joker walked in, flanked by a figure he had been introduced too but had rapidly lost interest in when he was first brought to the factory. 

Joker continues on, seemingly nonplussed. “It’ll be a real hoot I’m telling you. Fear and laughter, all mixed together! In fact, it’ll be a real...heh...you know, I don’t need to come up with a pun for everything. It’s not my responsibility!” he says loudly before turning and grasping the older man by the robe and pulling him forward to glare. 

“Why don’t you do something fun huh? Or does your god put a moratorium on fun?”

Blackfire pushes the Joker away and makes a show of brushing himself off, as if the mere touch of the man was enough to disgust him. Crane was uninterested in all of their shenanigans and acted as if they weren’t there. He focused instead on his toxin, and dreamed of getting even with Dinah.

He tries to shake her laughter out of his mind, but he can’t, and the voices? They just keep coming back. 

“Creeper Crane! Creeper Crane! Creeper Crane!”

“Your mother hated you. You know that right? I wish you’d died that day instead of her”

“Shut up...shut up”.

Blackfire looks towards the man’s back, watching as he eagerly tooled with a beaker. “Your new...friend...he doesn’t look well”.

Joker found that humorous, more humorous than he should have.

“Seeing as you’re a sewer rat preacher and I’m a clown? I don’t think either of us have room to talk. Hehe”. With that he leaves Blackfire and begins to advance on the other man. “Heya Scarecrow buddy ole’ pal. How’s it all cooking so far?”

Crane stops and slowly turns his head to look up at the self styled Clown Prince of Crime through the eyeholes of his mask. When he realizes that the pale skinned man still didn’t fear him, he turns back to work, though he has the good sense to answer him.

“It’s going fine. Give me two days of peace and quiet and it’ll be done. Which means I don’t want to deal with this makeshift Moses’ preachings”.

Blackfire was angered by that, and he quickly advances on the two criminals. “I am not a fraud! I am God’s voice upon Earth! His eternal prophet! His…”.

Crane drops the now empty beaker, allowing it to shatter on the hard ground as it stops the man’s rant. With a speed nobody expected of the man, let alone a strength, he picked up Blackfire by his neck and began to choke him.

“Do you feel that...fear...fear is the only thing that all humans truly have in common” he begins, ignoring the man’s struggle for breath. Joker was smiling, practically giddy at the show that was happening right before his eyes.

“Understand this. I wish to subject you to the strength of fear as well, the one true religion. The one truth that has stayed with us since the days of rustlings outside of the cave...but, for now, you are useful to me”.

Just like that he drops the man to ground, causing the older man to moan from the added pain of the fall to his undoubtedly bruised neck. Crane turns back to his device and offers only a few more words to the Joker.

“Keep him away from me while I work”.

“No problem buddy. It will be done” the Joker says with a salute before yanking Blackfire up and pulling him from the room. “My advice? Listen to him. He’s definitely not going to be buying whatever it is you’re selling. Ohhh! I have an idea how to get him on your good side, just like me and Jester! Give him some grade a poon…”.

“No..” Blackfire shouts, pushing the man away now that they were out of earshot of the fear obsessed madman. “No..”. His voice was much quieter now, and he feels the guilt and weight of the sacrifice he’d been forced to make.

Two women, now lost to his flock. Given over to the demons who were assisting them for them to sate their pleasures on. Misformed, changed...broken.

He couldn’t even stand to look into their family’s eyes.

“Aww well, you sure you don’t have a but more tail to spare? I mean, look at the Dee Dees! They certainly don’t mind their makeover. They’re a lot happier now that they’re getting the ole’ pork sausage on a daily basis” Joker teases, mimicking the act of fornication in order to further pick at the man in front of him.

“No. Out of the question. I have committed a grave enough sin by handing the two I did to you” Blackfire moans out as he begins to descend the stairs. 

“Wellllll...you had no choice. Dick really needed the release. Ohh, how about you help yourself by helping Crane? That redhead wife of yours has got to be bothering you by now right? I bet if you slipped her into Crane’s bed, a little Jezebel like her would get him to listen to your preachings”.

Blackfire gripped his staff tightly, barely resisting the urge to strike the man down. Only the knowledge of what would happen to him if he did keeps him from acting. 

Joker was pleased though. He was going to keep picking at this scab until it bled over and then? He’d have a lot more than an army in someone else’s hands to occasionally use. 

No. He’d have his own. 

A laughing gaggle of friends, lovers and other assorted madmen. 

‘With me and Harleen...oops...Batwoman, or...is it both? One or none? Two? Hehehee’.

“Do not speak of the holy mother in such a way” Blackfire says, his tone taking on an honest pleading dimension. 

“Ohh alright. I suppose you might love your old lady a bit or maybe...eh, I don’t know. Don’t care. Just busting chops old boy!”.

“Mister J!!!” 

His face falls and he rolls his eyes. “Gee, stick your baby maker in her once and she’s already acting like she’s got a ring on your finger” he whispers through the side of his mouth to the Deacon before looking up at the overhanging catwalk where one of the Dee Dees was standing.

“Yes dear?”

“We’re hungry. Jester is going out for food. What do you want sweetie?”

He scrunches up his face and thinks it over, giving Blackfire enough time to return to the relative safety of his flock on the lower floor. As he moved down the rickety stairs, his only question was to himself, and it repeated over and over. ‘Why Lord? Why do you send demons to my aid in place of angels?’

Cobblepot Manor

“And we’re agreed?” Mandragora asks on the other end of the line.

“We are”.

“Good then. I’m glad to see that the Cobblepot’s are still smart. At least what’s left of them. Let’s keep it that way”.

Abruptly the mob boss hangs up, and Oswald sets down the phone fuming. “Another cocksucker wants to threaten my daughter. Well, trust me. Batman is gonna make a right mess of alla’ yer’ fookin’ plans” he says to himself. Quickly he calms down, trying to reign in his anger.

“You swear like a cockney whore when you’re angry Ozzie”

“I know love. I know. I’m sorry”.

It helped to imagine what his wife would say when he was close to losing it. Still, he had hope now. Batman. What a strange place for hope to come from for a man like him.

He hears the front door open and slam down the hall, and the rush of foot steps right after that. “Sweetie? Jenny dear, are you home?”

He doesn’t get a response, at least not one of words as all he hears is crying. Instantly he’s out of his chair and on his feet, moving with a speed he’d never thought himself capable of at any other time’s except for when his daughter needed him.

He rushes down the hall, calling out her name and getting only her sobs in return. 

“Jenny! Jenny! Dear, are you okay? Jenny!”.

He finally makes it to her room and the sight that greets him is just as heartbreaking as he thought it would be. Jenny was laying, face down on her bed, and bawling her eyes out, her bag thrown to the side of the room.

“Sweetheart...what…”.

“Get out!”

She had never snapped at him before, and it hurt him to see her do it now. She looks away from him and moves back onto her bed, tucking her knees up under her chin and then wrapping her arms about herself. 

He slowly moves into the room, not being good at these kinds of things.

“Jenny...what’s wrong?”

Jenny keeps crying, but slowly she looks up and puts her arms out, eagerly wrapping them around the man who hugs her back. “Daddy...I’m sorry for snapping at you…”.

He rubs her back and coos into her ear. “Shhh...it’s okay love. It’s okay. Just tell me what’s wrong”

“Jason...he’s...he’s dating someone else”.

Oswald’s heart fell at that, and anger swelled up within him at the boy. ‘What’s wrong with him? Can’t he see how amazing she is? How could he just go off with some other tramp?’

“Who?”

“Barbara Wayne”.

“His sister?!!” Oswald asks, utterly scandalized as his eyebrows hit the top of his hairline. Jenny couldn’t help but chuckle at that, though the tears were still present. “No daddy...well, I guess legally maybe but...no. They’ve never really looked at themselves that way”.

“Still…”.

“Trust me” she sniffles. “It’s not like that. I...I was too slow. I always liked him. And over time...well, I...I see how amazing he is and I just...I lost. I was too late. And then the other night with Bertinelli…”.

He hugs her close and sighs, hating that his world had come to interfere in Jenny’s so much. When she’d first started working for him, he’d only wanted her to make a bit of money. Learn how to be independent and such. 

He didn’t want...this.

“Well...what did he say?”

Jenny just smiles and shakes her head, laughing lightly before tearing up again. “He was so sweet to me even then….he didn’t want to hurt my feelings. I can tell” she says before collecting herself. “But..he and Barbara...they both want to be my friends”.

That was...a surprising silver lining.

“Well sweetie...I think, well, you’ve always had a problem making friends. So….this might be a good thing believe it or not”.

“You think so?”

He strokes the side of her head and kisses her forehead. “I know so. Sometimes, a friend is a lot better to have than a significant other. And who knows? Relationships fail all the time. If you really care about this boy, it’ll show and eventually? He’ll see. If he and his sis...girlfriend” he says, shaking his head to try and correct the orientation of the two’s relationship in his mind. “Do break up? You’ll be there. Unless you meet someone else you like along the way”.

The thought settles in Jenny’s mind, and for some reason, it’s a comforting one. “Did you...did you have to wait for mom?”

“For years sweetie. Years” he chuckles. “But she was my special one. And I would’ve waited forever for her. If he’s your one, don’t give up. But if not? A friend is worth having too”.

She goes in for another hug and Oswald just holds his now much calmer daughter, happy that at the very least, things were going to get better. ‘As soon as Mandragora and Bertinelli are gone sweetie...I’m going to buy you a pony...or...well, whatever you want. Something nice’.

Burial Chamber

Bruce was in awe of what was in front of him, and so was Harleen.

“Wow...puddin’...this...why did Luthor want you to come? I mean, it’s amazing but...what does this have to do with you?”

“Everything Mrs. Wayne” the bald man himself says as he enters through the same hole that had been cut into the side of the burial chamber, holding the hand of a shapely woman in a driver’s cap and uniform. 

“The skirt doesn’t really fit down here”.

All eyes turn to Harleen, and the woman who her comment had been addressed to smiles. Harleen herself was embarrassed and slaps a hand over her mouth. “I am so sorry. I...I didn’t mean to say that out loud”.

“No, no. It’s fine. Honest people are hard to come by Mrs. Wayne”.

Lex steps forward towards the casket and stands next to the couple. “Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, this is Mercy Graves my driv…”.

“Girlfriend” Mercy corrects.

“Ohh right, yes sorry love I...I’m not good with...this”.

“It’s okay Lex. I’m here to remind you. Now, help Mr. and Mrs. Wayne here understand why they were brought hundreds off feet below Gotham” she teases before pecking his cheek.

“Ohh I like her” Harleen whispers to Bruce who was still looking around the room, utterly in shock at what he was seeing. 

“Mr. Wayne seems to already have an idea” he says, moving towards the base of the sarcophagus and brushing his hand over the lower portion. “I didn’t realize you read Norse Mr. Wayne. Where did you pick up that skill?”

Bruce doesn't respond, his eyes still fixed on the runes that dot the stone. The intricate work done to carve out the likeness of whoever was buried there alone was fascinating, but the words….the words held much greater meaning to him.

“Puddin...what’s wrong?” Harley asks, concern lacing every syllable of her sentence.

“This can’t be true…”.

“It is. Unless you know of anyone else with your name who has such a pedigree. Also, the family crest on there?” Lex says, gesturing to the side of the stone slab to reveal the crossed swords over a celtic cross. “That’s an archaic form of your family crest. It evolved over time, but my top researchers say that it belongs to your family. Also...look at the face”.

All eyes are drawn to the stone face atop the sarcophagus’ cover. It was now well lit through the usage of electric work site lamps and it only takes a minute for Harley to recognize it. She looks back and forth between it and Bruce, not knowing what to say.

“Bruce...he...he looks like you”.

“Aside from the long hair?” he says, turning to his wife. “Yes”.

“We believe we’ve found the remains of one of your ancestors Bruce” Lex says, stepping forward and gesturing for Mercy to give him something. The woman reaches into the knapsack that hung at her side and retracts an ancient looking book, before handing it over to Lex who proceeds to hand it to Bruce.

“What is this?”

“A journal apparently. We found it amongst the grave goods. Your ancestor was quite a writer as well”. Bruce opens the book and sees Norse runes now mixed amongst archaic english. “Apparently, the Waynes were here a long time before the first colony was set up. This is your ancestor Bruce. From what we can gather he came here on a voyage from England. His name was Jarl Leorblak Wainson”.

“Wain. The root is English. For cart. The word that the modern Wayne is descended from”.

“Ahh a linguist as well” Lex says, genuinely impressed. “Did you know what his first name means? It’s kind of funny considering that this is Gotham and all” Lex teases cluelessly. Bruce already knew, though he plays dumb. “What?”

Lex’s face falls. “Leorblak. Bat” he explains before chuckling. “Imagine that? Your ancestor, one of the first Europeans to reach this land, was named Bat Wayne”.

Bruce chuckles but looks away, back at the journal as he tries to decipher this absolutely mind blowing situation. It was also an attempt to move the conversation away from Bruce Wayne and bats at the same time.

“Apparently, from the grave goods we’ve found, your great, great...well, I don’t have time for all the greats, but Leoblak was here to try and forge a kingdom of his own. But...I’ll let you figure this all out for yourself Bruce” he says, patting the man on the shoulder and making to exit.

“Wait! Wait!” Bruce calls out, getting the other millionaire to stop. “Why..why hand this off to me?”

Lex shrugs. “Because it has no bearing on my job here though I’m working to preserve it and make sure no damage is done. You can get your own team down here though if you want. I really don’t have time. We have a Superman to keep at bay”.

“None of this makes sense” Bruce says. “My family came from England when they came over in 1635. This...this is almost a thousand years before then”.

“I don’t know Bruce. This is all for you to find out like I said. This isn’t a Luthor family history” he says, feigning disinterest as he moves off. Mercy stays behind for a moment, turning to the couple. “He likes you two. Otherwise? He wouldn’t have bothered”.

With that? She turns and joins her boyfriend in his return to overseeing the construction underneath the city, leaving the two Wayne’s alone. Bruce continues to flip through the journal, trying to make out the utterly faded letters held within.

“It’s amazing this has been preserved so well”.

Harleen was focused on a stone slab to the right upon which writing was spattered about in tepid strokes. “Bruce...what is this? It doesn’t look the same as the other squiggly writing”.

Bruce closes the book and moves over, knowing that he would have much to discover from the faded, animal skin bound journal. “What?”

“Over here..it’s...it’s something else” she says.

He squints at the wall and sees what Harleen was talking about, and the letters jump out at him much more clearly. “It’s gaelic”.

“Can you ready it puddin’”.

“Yes..one second” he says before slowly enunciating each word. “I call to the spirits of the four winds, to carry us forth, spirits interwoven, never to part. I call out to thee, Lugh, knower of thine own vengeance, heed the prayers of one of your sisters and a daughter of Ogygia” he says before stopping to turn to Harleen. “Ancient Ireland” he explains.

She nods and gestures for him to go on, feeling a strange sense of eagerness. This whole chamber...it gave her deja vu in a way she never expected to feel.

Bruce complies with her desires and continues his translation.

“Smite those who brought shame down upon my husband, whom they swore fealty too. Bring us vengeance, a taste which we long for. Until then, our spirits shall remain together...I swear this to thee, I, Harleigha of Dubloch, wife of Leorblak. I shall rest forever with my love”.

Both looked at one another and tried to make sense of what they’d just read, when a look comes over Harleen’s eyes, as if she’d just thought of something. She rushes back to the sarcophagus and begins to try and push it open. “Puddin’, get over here and help me!” she shouts out, and Bruce asks no questions as he moves to his wife’s side. Together, they gently push the top of the container off, keeping it from smashing to the floor as best as they could, not wanting it to break.

It kicks up a lot of dust, a lot more than they had been expecting. They fight to clear it away with their hands, and they cough as it worms its way into their mouths. Still Harley was insistent, and as soon as it’s cleared, they peak over the side into the confines of the ancient grave.

What they see shocks them.

One skeleton was laying on it’s back, a sword which seemed to not have suffered a single bit of rust grasped within its hand. However, to its side, an arm pressed over its chest as if cuddling into it, was another.

The grave held two bodies.

Chapter Text

Vinland, 873 A.D, Modern Day Gotham

The cold lapped angrily at the walls of the longhouse, and Harleigha shivered despite herself. ‘Should be used to the cold by now’ she thinks, reminding herself that this was her first winter here in this new land. ‘Very different from Ireland’.

The wooden door opens, and a large man walks in beside three others. “Close the door! By Bres! Close the door”.

The lead man eagerly complies, himself shivering off some of the snow that had settled atop his shoulders and cloak. “Which fool is it that went out in this weather?” she asks, moving towards the group of men. “And for what purpose?”

The lead man lowers the hood that covered his head and a hearty laugh fills the inside of the Jarl’s home. “A pity. Odin must weep tears on the day a man’s wife does not recognize him”.

Harleigha’s eyes go wide and she rushes at the man, caring not for the cold while throwing her own cloak away. Her arms wrapped around the man were the only thing she desire at that moment. “Leorblak!”.

He hugs her tightly back and nuzzles into her neck, kissing her skin softly. She chuckles at how his beard feels against her bare skin, though she loves it all the same. She falls back a bit to face him, though she doesn’t let her arms move from him as she reproached him. “I should have known. It’s not just any fool that would lead his men into Cailleach’s embrace willingly. Should I be worried? Is there another woman whom calls out to you in the snow?”

Leorblak reaches down and caresses her cheek, calming her anger and providing a soothing balm to her jealousy. “No my little Irish flower. Not even Freyja herself could convince me to revoke my heart from you”.

She leans into his chest and nestles her head under his chin, rocking her body back and forth. “Ohh you are so cold”. She takes his hand between hers and rubs it, all the while she gently blows warm air upon it. Slowly he warms, though she doesn’t release his hand. Blue eyes stare into one another, connected in a way that nobody within their clan could truly understand.

Harleigha tears her eyes away for a moment and studies the other men. “And which fools joined their Jarl in his madness?”.

“I as always Harleigha”.

Another man lowers his own hood, and she instantly recognizes him by the streak of white which lines his otherwise dark head of hair. The man gives her a light smile and bows in deference. None of this shocked Harleiga. “Ohh Jason of Norwich. Your white Christ can’t protect you in this new world you are aware correct?” she chides good naturedly.

“On the contrary Harleigha. My God follows me everywhere. In time, you shall come to accept him as well” the man says, handling his own warming up precautions. Leorblak smiles and laughs heartily at his friends words. “Ohh Jason. You croon on about this God of yours incessantly”.

“He is worth worshipping my Jarl”.

“Ohh? Then how is it you find yourself the housecarl of a filthy pagan and his beautiful and wild wife such as I?” he asks, leaning down to kiss said wife’s head as she cradles herself into his side. Jason just smiled and works on removing his coat, though he was having quite the time of it due to the ice which still seemed to course through his veins.

“Ohh Jason, let me help”.

Harleigha rushes forward and assists the man in casting off his armor and outer soaked robes. “Thank you Harleigha”.

Leorblak just smiles and crosses his arms over his chest before noticing an abandoned horn of mead behind him upon the table he was leaned against. Harleigha is quick to notice and smiles. “That’s mine mousse” she teases, using her nickname for him. “Ahh...then it shall taste even sweeter for the touch of thine lips”.

Without reservation he reaches out and takes a sip from the horn, making a show of savoring it as deeply as possible. Harleigha smiles and laughs at the antics of her usually forlorn husband. “When you get married, find yourself a woman who shall humor your antics Sir Jason”.

Jason nods and shrugs. “I highly doubt that I would find such a woman who would rest easily with my attendant quirks” he says, his eyes holding the secret meaning to his words as the demon within him cries out. “I think thee are over dramatic. A woman could easily love one so handsome and kind as you, especially when you’re so brave as to follow this fool on all his adventures” she teases, moving back to Leorblak. 

He accepts her back into his chest with open arms and he rubs her gently. “Ahh but who is the greater fool? He who binds himself by strength of arms to a strong, yet foolhardy man, or the woman who decides to share her life with such a madman?”

Harleigha seemed to be thinking it over and quickly comes to the conclusion that she was indeed the less one of the two. “I must apologize love. It appears my dear husband is able to fight as well with his tongue as he is with his sword”.

“Well, what a wonderfully naughty insinuation”.

The new voice came from the second of Leorblak’s comrades, and as he lowers his hood, his sickeningly wide smile is the first thing to come to sight. Harleigha shivers at the sight of his pale skin, only a few degrees away from being like the snow that covers the landscape like a blanket. 

“Sigurd Loki Born, I did not see you” Harleigha says.

“Well now you have Harleigha, now you have. Would you mind helping me as you have helped this braying, yet sullen Christ worshipper”.

He spat vindictively at Jason, who took it silently. Harleigha, all for having a good laugh with her friend about his unorthodox religious beliefs, was not in favor of mean spirited mockery. She rushes forward and glares into Sigurd’s deep and dark eyes that hid all of the deceitfulness that would give him his moniker.

“Jason is free to worship his creator as he sees fit. He is a thousand times more welcome in Odin’s Hall or at the hearth of Aengus Og than a vile wretch such as you would be”.

Sigurd was enraged by the shapely blonde’s words and it shows. He makes ready to move forward, his hand in such a position as if he was going to strike her. He doesn’t even get the chance as Jason and Bruce have moved up before the woman, their hands on the grips of their swords. 

“You aren’t thinking off striking my wife...are you Sigurd?”

Leorblak’s voice was filled with rage, and his eyes blazed with an intensity that Harleigha only saw when he was in the midst of battle...or, well, a particularly intense bout of lovemaking.

Sigurd draws back, though his hatred was far from quenched, and he glares balefully at Leorblak, though a smile comes to his face. With a bow, he intends to win back a trust he knows he never truly had in the first place. “A thousand pardons my jarl. The trek, it was long and hard. You know how I am without my mead. Harleigha, I hold you in the highest possible esteem, and my anger stemmed from that. I apologize to you, and would seek your pardon”.

“You are a snake Sigurd Loki Born. You do not have my pardon. To Dubnos, Helheim AND Hell with you and your honeyed words”.

With that she turns and rushes to the room set off on the side of the longhouse, stopping only at Jason to deliver a quick peck to his cheek that makes the man blush. “You however, have my friendship and that of my husband Sir Jason of Norwich. Whether you worship my gods, my husbands or your own. Who knows. Perhaps you are right and you will wear down my husband into being baptized one day”.

She casts a smile at Leorblak who was still working at keeping Sigurd in check before slipping into their room, obviously angered. It did not help that even in anger and rage, Sigurd’s eyes ran over her body, appreciating its form and lusting after it for himself.

Leorblak did not let this fact escape his notice, and he turns to the man who was supposed to have been honor born to him, but who had done little but dishonor him in their time together. “You are released from your bond Sigurd Loki Born. Not from fulfilling it, but from proof that you shall never amount to anything other than a mockery, like your father for whom you’re named”.

Sigurd’s eyes open in fear and in anger, knowing what this would mean. 

“You mean to banish me lord? In this frozen wasteland? Alone to perish for the crime of speaking crossly to a woman out of her place?”

Leorblak was unmoved, especially as Sigurd continues to insult the woman he loved. “Harleigha’s place is where Harleigha wishes it to be. While I wish I was as cruel as you, I am still called Leorblak the Just. You are to be granted one horse, and you shall ride to our outpost on Norn’s Rock Island to await the spring longship”.

“That is the island of the natives! They will surely slaughter me. My Jarl, if you’d only grant me one…”.

“Enough” Leoblak cuts him off. “I’ve given you enough chances. I shall not give another. If you fear the natives then you are a coward. If not, then go and await out longship. Tell them that their Jarl orders you to be returned to Norway. From there you can do what you wish. If you do not survive, at least meet your honorable end with your axe in hand if you wish to go to Valhalla”.

Leorblak says nothing more and turns to advance into the room he shared with his wife, leaving Sigurd to glare at his back. “This is not over Leorblak the unjust!” he says, perverting his title. “I shall revenge mysel…”.

“Come on. Out with you. We are all sick of your braying” Jason says, carrying out his Jarl’s orders and working on shoving the man back into the cold and wanting to ready a horse for him as quickly as possible.

Sigurd would not be easily led however, and his rage was an all consuming fire sent by Surtr. “I shall burn everything you hold dear to the ground Leorblak! And I’ll make you suffer! I swear it!” he then descends into a fit of laughter, something he was wont to do at random and inopportune times, and Jason had to shiver off the cold he felt at the harsh embrace of that sound over his spine.

In the Jarl’s quarters, Harleigha had sat down on a wooden bench to work at pushing a whale bone brush through her long blonde tresses, wanting to work out her anger as she readied herself for bed. She feels his hands upon her shoulders, and she quickly yields the comb to his fingers.

“Do not heed the words of a fool”.

He begins to run it through her hair for her and she finds herself more than comforted by his touch. “It is a wise man who….ohh….hmmm that feels nice Leorblak”.

“I knew it would”.

“Have you sent him away?”

“I have. Never to return”.

“Good” she says, not caring if the man perished in the snow. “He is evil. The way he treats prisoners. What he did to that priest in Dubloch” she shivers, remembering the sight of the blood eagle being done on the hapless man. Only the support of King Harald had stopped Leorblak from interfering.

“He hates what he does not understand. And those who follow this White Christ, their Nailed God, he does not understand them”.

“You sound as if you do?” she teases lightly.

Leorblak shrugs and massages her shoulders lightly, enjoying how her flesh felt through her red and black dress. He never quite understood why she sewed it in that particular pattern, but he loved how she looked in it regardless. “Jason tells me many things of his faith. It is strong in his god and I find myself...lacking in fighting his ideas”.

She turns her head back to look up at him, and her eyes close while she reaches up with her hand to stroke his cheek. “Kiss me”.

He was all too eager to oblige such a request and he leans down to capture her lips between his own. When they separate they remain close, and Leorblack reaches down to cradle his wife as he carries her to the bed. She yields to him, as always, and allows him to carry her onto the bed. 

They fall, with Harleigha comfortably nestled beneath the man. They continue to look into each other’s eyes, caressing the flesh of the one they loved. “Tell me what you thought of me when you first saw me again?”

Leorblak nuzzles his nose against hers and begins the tale again.

“When we raided Dubloch, I only expected gold. I never expected to find such a beautiful woman, let alone a goddess in flesh”.

Harleigha blushes at this, fighting the urge to stop him from making such a statement while also reveling in how such words felt against her heart. “I also didn’t expect her to pick up axe and fight me so bitterly. I was entranced by the way you moved Harleigha, and fighting you...it was like dancing”.

“Until you knocked me off of my feet and pinned me against that table” she giggles.

“Until then, yes. What made you kiss me?”

“Hmm...I don’t know. Maybe that fire in your eyes. That urge to claim me. I didn’t realize it but...I wanted to be conquered by you” she says, leaning up to nibble on his ear lobe. “Just as I want my husband to conquer me now”.

Leorblak smiles wide and pulls the furs over the two of them as they hastily begin to undress. “A siege well worth mounting”.

“Haha”.

Miles away now, Sigurd was riding towards Norn’s Rock Island, only a shallow causeway separating the two pieces of land at this time of night. His mind was wrought with jealousy, desire, hatred and rage. ‘I will have my revenge upon you Leorblak. All that is yours shall be mine! By Loki I’ll take it all, and bed your woman upon your wooden throne! She’ll mew like a whore for me!’

Outwardly, all that could be heard was his laughter, warring with the winter winds.

The Batcave, Present Day

Bruce closes the diary and reaches up to rub the bridge of his nose and eyes, trying to make sense of this live changing revelation.

“You okay puddin’?”

Harley had moved down into the cave, her footsteps echoing off of the stone walls as she carried a tray with a mug of coffee and some toast on it. “I know you like dipping toast in coffee so I brought you some”.

He rushes up to take the tray from her, abandoning the old and tattered journal on the table. She deftly avoids him, and places the tray on the table as well before leaning back against it and glaring at him. “Bruce...stop treating me like an invalid. Okay? I’m fine. A lot better now”.

“We’re never gonna stop worrying about you Harley” Dinah says, advancing down the stairs, already changed into her uniform. 

“Why is that blondie?”

“Because you’re you” she teases out. “Nobody takes more unnecessary risks than Harleen Wayne...well, except for Bruce Wayne maybe. Anyways, are you coming out with us tonight?”

Bruce looks at Harley and tries to gauge what she had to say before speaking. “Yeah. I am”.

“Harley are you sure…”.

Without even flinching Harleen sighs and reaches behind her, grasping three batarangs in her hand. With only a second or two of looking, she tosses them out across the room and sends the small sharp objects flying through the air. Just as Bruce and Dinah turn their eyes to where they went, all three make their mark, and bury themselves in the wooden targets that they used to hone their skills.

“Bullseye” she says while moving over to the changing area.

“I’m coming with you Bruce”.

The man was left astonished at his wife’s display of skill, and he knew that there was no way he was going to convince her that she wasn’t ready to get back into the field when she was practically recovered.

“She’s incredibly stubborn isn’t she”.

Bruce just nods to himself and then smiles at Dinah. “Most of you are”.

“I heard that” Harleen calls out, slipping into her suit with practiced ease. When she’s done she exits from behind the divider and moves out into the cave with her cowl in her hand. “Get in there and get changed puddin’ and while we wait for Babs and Jason to get down here, you can tell me what’s with the book”.

The man acquiesces with a sigh, and makes to get dressed as well.

“What’s with this book?”

Harleen turns to Dinah just as she’s putting on the cowl, and tries to fill the blonde in a bit more than they’d been able to before. “Apparently, Bruce’s family has been here a very long time. A lot longer than anyone would’ve thought”.

“Ahh so that’s what Luthor found?”

“Yup, some sort of tomb I’d say”.

“And they found this cool looking sword inside?”

The two blonde women turn to look back at the computer where the sword was leaned up against it. Barbara was standing there, inspecting the weapon and moving it between her hands as if to feel the heft. “Doesn’t look like it was underground all that long?”

“It wasn’t”.

 Bruce had returned, fully dressed in his batsuit, just as everyone else was now. “Alright, I’m never going to get over how all of you move like freakin’ ghosts” Dinah says. “How the hell did you sneak in her so quick? And did you get dressed up in the manor?”

Barbara was already wearing her Robin suit, though she was much more focused on the sword than the conversation or questions being posed to her. “Yeah. Jason did too. He’ll be down in a minute”.

“Ahh...having some last minute prep...owww”.

Dinah looks over at Harley who’d hit her lightly upside the head. The woman gestures towards Bruce whose discomfort was given away by the tight line his mouth had formed. Barbara just blushes and pretends to swing the sword. 

“Don’t taunt the poor man” Harleen whispers.

Dinah makes a zipping motion across her mouth, nonverbally agreeing to not tease Barbara, Jason, and by extension Bruce, about the physical relationship between Barbara and Jason. Bruce hadn’t said anything, but it was clear he wanted too.

“The sword is even older than the bodies. I’ve used carbon dating to ascertain the age of it and it comes from the sixth century, a full three hundred years before Leorblak and Harleigha were...entombed”.

Harley didn’t like the way he said “entombed”, and she knows she has to ask about it. “What do you mean puddin’?”

“I mean that both died of unnatural causes. A wound to the chest for Leorblak and a self inflicted knife wound to Harleigha’s throat”.

“Ohh god...she killed herself?”

“Right in the sarcophagus” Bruce says. “A knife was found clutches within her hand. DNA analysis showed long dried blood on it, blood that matches with Harleigha’s remains”.

“Damn” Dinah says. 

Harley was quickly piecing it together though, and it seemed to click in her mind. “So...maybe Leorblak was killed, tombed up and….Harleigha joined him of her own free will?”

“It’s not uncommon in viking funerary rights to have a slave, or rather a thrall join the deceased on their journey” Jason says, moving into the cave alongside Vic. 

“But this isn’t a thrall, this was the guy’s wife. I thought viking women were more free or something” Dinah exclaims. “A lot of that information is falsified or exaggerated” Vic supplies. “So far we have only found one grave containing both a female skeleton and war goods at the same time. However, some evidence suggests the linkage of another corpse that had been washed away by erosion which was male. If the two are linked, it’s possible that the sole piece of evidence we have for female warriors is really just a wife being buried with her husband. This was all in Otsfold, Norway for anyone who is interested”.

“Party pooper” Dinah says, crossing her arms over her ample chest and pouting. “Wanted to believe in shieldmaidens and stuff”.

Vic walks up behind her, wearing his trademark mask, and begins to rub her shoulders. “You can be my valkyrie any time you want Dinah”.

Barbara had lost interest in the sword as she knew that there was no way Bruce would let her carry it into their upcoming fight. ‘Eh, don’t like swords much anyways’ she says, not noticing how Jason seemed to be entranced by it. He moves closer towards it, drawn in by a glow and...a voice which seems to come from far off.

“Holy knight, take up your sword for God!”

“Hey umm…” he says, trying to ignore the sound and sight and grab everyone’s attention. “If this was found in your pagan ancestor’s grave...why does it have a templar cross on the hilt?”

“I don’t know”.

Jason turns towards Bruce, another question on his lips. “What did the journal say?”

Barbara saddles up beside him almost subconsciously though it was noticed by everyone else in the room. Bruce appraises the two and decides to address the issue he wanted off of his chest before speaking about his discovery within the book’s pages. 

“I have heard that you two have decided to become...intimate”.

Even the couching of the truth in his gentle unobtrusive term was enough to make the two blush and look away. Barbara was the boldest of the two though, and she quickly regains enough courage to reach out and take Jason’s hand within her own. “We are”.

There was a certain challenge in her eyes that Bruce wasn’t surprised to see. ‘Everything is like pulling teeth with her’. 

“I just wanted to say that I agree with your mother. You’re both old enough to make your own choices. However, this new relationship of yours shouldn’t interfere with your grades, and it wont interfere with your training. Is that understood?”

“Yes sir” Jason says deferentially, happy enough to not be in trouble with Bruce.

“Whatever”.

Barbara, as usual was defiant, but that was the closest they were going to get to agreement when it came to her. 

“Good. I’m happy for you both….finding someone, someone really special, is something that you should hope for an aspire to”.

He wasn’t good at this naturally, but being in the cowl made him even worse at it. Luckily, Jason was good enough at discerning what Barbara needed at any given moment, and he leans in to peck her cheek. “I agree”.

“Shut up”.

She didn’t let go of his hand though, and that fact was enough to show she was just embarrassed. “Awwww that’s so adorable!” Dinah gushes while turning to Vic. “They’re already acting like a married couple!”

“Back to the journal” Bruce interjects, wanting to save himself and the two lovebirds the embarrassment. “Apparently, archaeologists and historians are wrong. The land of Vinland, a land supposedly encompassing the St. Lawrence river, is actually here in Gotham. Most attribute the discovery of Vinland to Leif Erichson around 1000 A.D, but according to this journal Leorblak, a Jarl originally from Norway, landed here a full two hundred years before that and established a colony”.

“Well...what happened to it?”

“I don’t know yet. His journal is surprisingly descriptive, which hints at some time spent in England where he would have learned to write in archaic english. All I really know is that their stay here was brief as no archeological evidence outside of the burial chamber has been discovered in Gotham so far”.

“Is there anything else that’s important to know?” Vic asks. 

“Only that his wife was entombed alive with him where she slit her own throat to join him in death. He was murdered and she was forced into the tomb. Before she killed herself, she wrote what appeared to be a curse on the wall in Gaelic” he explains. “That and the fact that Leoblak documents a raid in Ireland where he took an Irish wife, named Harleigha, is enough evidence for me to say that the woman with him is his wife”.

“And the sword?” Jason asks, his mind fixated.

“Certainly not of Norse craftsmanship. It’s much more in line with Saxon Briton weapon design which, again, makes it centuries older. The templar cross that Jason noted, was added much later”.

“Woah wait. The Templar order? They were founded in Jerusalem in 1191 and died out in 1312. That’s three hundred years at best between when this sword was added and when Leorblak and his wife so romantically died”.

Vic looked at his wife shocked, surprised that that information had come out of her mouth. Everyone else was equally shocked, and Dinah found herself a little offended. “What? I read too”.

“Canary is correct” Bruce says. “The timelines don’t match up”.

“That means...someone knew about this grave, centuries after it had been dug, and...came back to put the sword there?”

It was a discomforting feeling, and the thought sent shivers down everyone’s spine though they couldn’t exactly place.

“Sooo...someone is creeping around ancient tombs that we don’t even know about, and putting swords and stuff from halfway around the world, hundreds of years later, in them? What would they have to gain from all of that”.

Nobody could answer Dinah’s question, and that was perhaps the most frightening part.

“We can’t focus on this right now”.

Bruce looks up towards the time and realizes that it was getting closer and closer to zero hour. “Right now we have to focus on the Iceberg Lounge and the two major mob bosses assembling there right at this moment. Is everyone ready?”

“Yup!”

“Let’s go kick some butt puddin’. I need me some action!”

“I’m going to kick Mandragora’s fucking teeth in”.

“Barbara! Language!”

Jason wasn’t ready to join in with the random carousing, as his eyes were still being drawn back to the sword. He...couldn’t look away.

“You okay sweetie?”

He shakes out of his revelry once again as his mother comes up beside him to place a hand on his shoulder. “Ohh, yeah, yeah. Sorry, it’s just...a cool sword. Anyway’s let’s go. The sooner Mr. Cobblepot is freed from Bertinelli and Mandragora, the better”.

The boy turns and moves towards the batmobile. Barbara exchanges a look with her mother and follows after the boy, eager for a good fight as well. 

“It’s always great when we get to do these things as a family! Imagine how badass we’ll be when little Bruce, Rosaleen, Charlie, Victory, Mary and Martha can join us! A whole bat brigade!”

Dinah was enthusiastic about such a thought, though Harleen found herself worried about the day when inevitably the children would grow up, and like Jason and Barbara before them, they’d want to help. 

Still, that was a long way off.

And right now?

Kicking out the last of the mob, a scourge that had haunted Gotham for a century now, was right around the corner. 

She was ready.

The Iceberg Lounge

“Oswald”.

“Black Mask. So nice to see you tonight” the short little man says while extending his hand out to the woman. He was nervous, and it showed. ‘God I hope she doesn’t realize’.

Helena indeed didn’t attribute the man’s nervousness to the fact of his upcoming betrayal. ‘He’s much too weak and stupid for that’ she had thought to herself, knowing that if she were in his position she herself would pull a double cross of some sort.

She takes his hand as if it was infected, and barley shakes it. “Is everything ready?”

The men milling around her were just as eager, all being rather new to working for the frightening woman. Still, her promise of ruling Gotham city alone? Without having to kick back to the sole remaining crime family? That was a drug that was too difficult for them to ignore.

“It is. It is. Mr. Mandragora is already waiting inside with his lieutenants. He’s happy to meet with you to discuss this peace. We’re all waiting with bated breath. Finally Gotham can have a quiet night” the man jokes, chuckling softly while leaning into the woman.

“First floor janitors closet. You’ll find your weapons there. Get past the checkpoint and have your men take their seats on the right side of the hall” he whispers, moving them to the entrance to the club where one of Steven Mandragora’s men was waiting for her, apparently having been sent to ensure that the Black Mask’s men were following the rules of the truce. 

Helena smiles under her mask, salivating at the thought of being able to finally kill Mandragora. ‘No more haunting my dreams you fat fuck’.

“And what of his men? Did you check them? Ensure they are unarmed?”

“It’s already been done. Not a pocket knife between them” he says.

“Good. Very good. You’ve done well Oswald. After tonight you will find yourself handsomely rewarded” she says, having no intention of leaving the Penguin alive either.

“Well that would be nice to finally get some bloody recognition in this city”.

She turns to look at him blankly, a cue that he picks up on quickly.

“Well...I shall wait here and join you in a moment” he intones. “I have to use the restroom”.

“Yes. Ensure that you don’t piss yourself at the sight of blood little man” Helena jokes, drawing laughter from her crew. Oswald smiles and laughs along before turning and letting the smile fall. ‘Fucking cunt’.

He moves down the hallway and into the bathroom, not staying to watch all of Bertinelli’s men go through the checkpoint.

‘Batman...where the hell are you?’

His major fear was that as soon as it was discovered that neither side had any bullets to use it would quickly turn into a unified front against him. ‘Don’t leave me out to dry! Please! I’m not the bad guy here. Jenny needs me’.

Seemingly as an answer from above, his phone goes off, him having received a text.

“What in the bloody…”.

His eyes open wide as he sees who it is, or rather, guesses at who it is. The text reads “Montoya and her men are in position. We are waiting for the signal. Stay out of this”.

He puts the phone back in his pocket and moves towards the door, having prematurely sealed all other exits from the outside. The main entrance was the only way in or our now, and he was going to seal it. 

“Knew you wouldn’t give up on me bats” he says as he exits the building and closes the doors. He quickly stoops down to the bush on one of the sides of the door and retracts a chain and lock. “Merry early Christmas bats” he hums out to himself while he slips the chain around the door handles and clicks the lock closed through the links.

“I hope you remember…”.

He feels something cold pressed against his neck, and his heart almost stops as he knows exactly what it is. “Who the hell are you?”

“O...Os..Os…”.

“You Cobblepot? It’s too dark to get a positive I.D. You look short and fat enough to be him”.

“Y….yes...I’m...I’m…”.

He’s roughly grasped by the arm and pulled away. “Stop yer stuttering. Ain’t gonna kill ya. I’m a cop. Harvey Bullock. Now shut up and pull back. Don’t need you screwing anything up”.

He heaves a sigh of relief as the pistol is taken away, and his smile is as clear as the nose on his face. “Ohh thank God officer. Thank the Lord”.

“Yeah, yeah. Should probably thank Batman. Told Montoya to give you a break for this shit. If it were up to me? You’d be locked up with Mandragora and the Bertinelli girl” he says, casting a look both ways across the street as he tries to clandestinely lead the Penguin to the hidden police units.

“But she listens to the bat and you seem to be an asset so, be an asset, and shut up”.

Oswald didn’t want to go into how the exact opposite purpose of an asset was for them to “shut up” but he knew that now wasn’t a good time to try and crack wise. All he knew was that if something happened he wasn’t going to be right in the middle of it.

‘Now, I can only hope they don’t burn down the Lounge’.

Iceberg Lounge Main Ballroom

Mandragora was seated at the table, heaving deeply as he tried to breath. “Guido, my oxygen mask” he calls out barely, allowing the other man who was his servant to help him strap the plastic breathing aid over his face.

He slaps the man’s hands away and takes deep breaths, feeling a bit of rely now that the oxygen was being pumped into his lungs. Since he’d taken power, he’d grown lazier and his already massive frame had grown more corpulent. Most of his guys were amazed that the chair itself could hold him up.

“Guido...are the men...ready?”

“Yes Don Mandragora. The weapons were right where Penguin said they’d be”.

“Good. Very good. Let the...cagna talk...but...when I raise my hand...have them kill her and her man for daring to betray me”.

“Yes sir”.

One cue the woman entered the hall, and she walks with a purpose towards the table. The two mob bosses glare at one another as Helena takes a seat, two of her most trusted men beside her while the others filter into the empty ballroom.

“Hello Uncle Mandragora”.

He couldn’t help but smirk at that, having already guessed at her identity. “ I figured it was you…” he wheezes. “The little piccola ragazza”.

Helena doesn’t respond and only casts a glance down at the food set about on the table. “I’d invite you to eat Helena but...I figured you wouldn’t want to. Not with your little...security blanket” he chuckles before descending into a fit of coughing.

“You’re a lot fatter than I remember”.

He glares the the younger woman and hates that he cannot ascertain anything but the emotion in her eyes, the rest of her face being hidden behind her truly frightening mask. “Is that what being on top of the world does to a man?” she asks. “Does it make him lazy? Indolent? Did you really think nobody would ever come for you”.

“Well...with Falcone dead there was truly nobody left”.

She wags her finger in disapproval, lightly tsking. “You know that’s not true. You see...when you killed my father you left me alive. You, of all people, should know that that’s never a good idea”.

“Do you want my honest answer?” he asks with a smile. 

She nods, not saying a word.

“I figured...you’d do the smart thing. Run off to Italy...find a nice boy. Get married. Have a life. An actual life” he wheezes out. He gets a faraway look in his eye as he thinks back to the past. “That’s what I wanted for you…”.

“You killed my father”.

It was a simple sentence, but in their world? It explained everything. 

Mandragora looks down again and shakes his head. “No I didn’t”.

Helena slams her fist down on the table, shaking everything and startling the men who move forward. “DON’T FUCKING LIE TO ME!!”

“I’m not...I killed...Franco...Bertinelli...but I didn’t kill your father”.

That stopped Black Mask in her tracks, and she stays with her hands palms down on the table, continuing to glare at the man. “What are you talking about. Stop lying…”.

“I’m dying Helena” he says. “You can see it. I can see it. In our line of work, what business….does a dying man have with a lie?” he chuckles. “The city can’t prosecute a dead man”.

“You’re lying. Franco Bertinelli and Maria Bertinelli are my parens. You killed both of…”.

“You’re right on seventy five percent of it. As I said, Franco? Hehe, he wasn’t your father” he explains. “You see...Maria? She was very lonely when Franco married her. He was very demanding of her and one foot out of line? Tsk tsk tsk, that would earn her a beating. Luckily, she had guards around her the whole time. Most of them were Franco’s friends. Including one”.

The wistful look returns to his eyes and he shakes his head. He turns to look into Helena’s eyes. “I loved your mother….and I hated her too. I offered her everything I had...and she said no. She wouldn’t leave Franco. But...I always took pleasure...in knowing, that in the end...with you? I’d won”.

“No...no..” Helena says, searching the man’s eyes for any trace of a lie.

“When it came time to clear Gotham, reset the board, I jumped at it. I killed your mother for not loving me. For using me. Playing with me out of her boredom and anger. I killed Franco, for keeping the one thing I truly wanted away from me”.

“You’re a lying coglione!”.

She didn’t have the depth of conviction in her voice that she desperately wanted. Needed even. Something about his words...the way he said them….

She couldn’t deny that he was convincing. 

“There’s a reason you feel hate when you stare in the mirror Helena” he says. “You see me, because you are me. In too many ways. I let you go that day….like I said, wanting you to go on and be happy. Forget this city and her wars. But you didn’t. You are me Helena. My greatest disappointment”.

He moves his hand upwards and signals for his men to come out of their hidden positions. “But...today, I do what I should’ve known to do all those years ago. Killing my own daughter...heh...how many others, can say that they’ve given so much up for this life…”.

“Cobblepot” Helena seethes.

“You’re still so new to this game Helena...maybe if I’d tutored you...this wouldn’t have happened”.

“Not as new as you think” Helena says, signalling her own men who, to her surprise, also exit from the other side, carrying assault rifles. 

“Heh...you really are my little girl”.

“Don’t fucking call me that”.

“Are you really willing to die? Just to kill me? Your father?”

Helena smiles under her mask, trying to contain the rage that was causing her body to shake. “Who else can say they’d given up so much for this life?” she taunts, turning her had and shouting, “Ice these fuckers!”

On cue, all of the armed goons open up with their rifles, and Helena has just enough time to duck and get onto the floor while Mandragora can only flinch in shock and fear. 

The firing goes on for many seconds, though nobody falls. The firing slowly stops, and all of the goons realize that their rifles weren’t loaded with anything other than blanks. “What the fuck...Cobblepot set us both up?” one of them shouts.

Helena’s mind was working as quick as possible though, and she sees the steak knife that had fallen to the floor when had dived, taking the table cloth and the items atop it with her. She reaches out and grabs it by the hilt, knowing exactly what she had to do.

She jumps up with the intensity of a loaded spring and before he can even react, the guard standing to Mandragora’s immediate right had his throat slit open. Blood spurts out everywhere, like a geyser and he attempts to staunch the bleeding by bringing his hands up. This doesn’t work, and all he accomplishes is to slow his rapidly approaching death. The guard on the left of the corpulent man fares no better as he finds a fork wedged into his eye. 

The pain alone is enough to distract him, leaving Mandragora open to attack. He gasps as Helena descends upon him, landing atop his body and sending the chair he was in careening backwards. The knife plunges downwards and buries itself into his chest before anyone can react.

That wasn’t the end though, and Helena keeps bringing the knife up and down, stabbing the man in various parts of his body. She doesn’t hear the glass of the ceiling above her shatter, nor does she focus on the smoke that had quickly begun to fill the room and disorientate all of the men within.

She focuses on bringing the knife up and down into Mandragora’s face. His struggles were becoming much more feeble as he attempted to stop her, and his hands had fallen limply to his side.

All around her, dark shapes were rushing through the mist, punching and knocking out her and Mandragora’s men at will, moving like ghosts that nobody could land a hit on in their state. All that mattered to her was the blood...blood that she knew was pumping through her veins at that very moment.

“BASTARDO!”

Her whole life had been a lie. Her desire for vengeance was focused on a man who was not her father and a mother who had betrayed her by the very act of lying to her, convincing her that the life she was given was something that it wasn’t.

She’d thrown everything away for this life. Everything! She knew that she deserved better, but was unlikely to ever receive it.

Mandragora was dead now, and his body barely resisted the inward thrusts of her knife as she carved him up. Dying by a steak knife? It was a strange way for a mafioso to go, especially the only one who had managed to survive the Bertinelli-Falcone War, the Owl War and the subsequent crackdowns of Mayor Harvey Dent and the Batman.

But still, her he was, dead, and Helena couldn’t help the tears that were slowly sliding down the inner portion of her mask. 

She’d come all this way, all these years….and she still felt so empty. Her life’s mission was complete. The man on the ground before her was dead. She was now free to rule Gotham.

The smoke begins to swirl in over her just as she ceases her attack upon the corpulent cadaver, and she coughs brutally as the knife falls away from her. She couldn’t breath, and her eyes were beginning to tear up. 

The last thing she sees is a shape moving at her from within the mist, and the last thing she feels before darkness closes around her is its fist reaching out towards her face.

So ended the Mandragora-Mask War.

Not with a bang, but a whimper.

Chapter Text

Gotham News Network

“This is Vicki Vale welcoming you to our nightly news bulletin. Last night an altercation occurred between Mob Boss Steven Mandragora, Carmine Falcone’s former lieutenant, and Helena Bertinelli, daughter of the late Franco Bertinelli, a rival of Falcone and Mandragora’s before he was killed”.

The woman looks down at her papers and almost grimaces at the grisly scene described, having even been given a few pictures by her personal photographer to showcase the scene of the crime. She collects herself and looks back up into the camera, wearing a stoic expression. “We have confirmed reports, and indeed photographic evidence of the Batman collaborating with the police on this bust, which was apparently a meeting set up between the two rivals with the intent of one or the other’s betrayal”.

The camera pans out to a scene that had happened right outside of the Iceberg Lounge following the quick and effective roundup by the Bat clan. It showed them overseeing and assisting with the transport of the many unconscious thugs. 

The camera pans in to show the commissioner speaking to Batman and Batwoman, Katana also having been involved in the raid. In the background the two Robins mill about beside Black Canary and the Question.

“This seems to be certifiable proof that the commissioner’s objections that she is not harboring a vigilante and his team is a lie. In past years the commissioner has been quick to stress that the cooperation she had with the so called, Bat family, was minimal and amounted only to asking for their help occasionally. However, one would be remiss if I didn’t point out that if they had cooperated on this case, it still led to the effective destruction of the only two functional organized crime families left in Gotham” Vicki says, refusing to take a completely anti-Batman stance, no matter how much her employers might wish her to do.

She shuffles the papers back into place.

“Unfortunately, the Batman and his group were not able to apprehend and stop Helena Bertinelli, a.k.a the Black Mask, in time to prevent her from stabbing Steven Mandragora to death. At this time she and all of her accomplices have been placed under arrest, alongside the remaining members of the Mandragora crime family”.

Vicki Vale looks into the camera and smiles slightly.

“It feels as if Gotham can breath for a little while. Maybe...maybe the worst is behind us and this can be a new chapter in our great city’s history. In other news…”.

The Batcave

“Dammit. How could she possibly have gotten that footage?” Harleen asks as they all stare at the computer screen.

“Well, she is a very good reporter. She probably has her ways. It looks like it was taken from a roof top across the street from the Lounge” Vic says, reaching down to pick up Rosaleen who was tugging on his pants leg. Bruce, Charlie and Victor were over on the other end of the cave, playing with Mary and Martha under Dinah and Elise’s watchful eyes.

They wanted to keep the kids out of the cave initially but it had proven impossible, especially with their older sister/cousin constantly serving as an accomplice. So they’d caved, pun intended, and now the children had a little play area sequestered on the opposite side of the work area.

“Dammit...Montoya isn’t going to like this”.

“Nobody is”.

The group turns to see Mayor Dent and Pamela descending the stairs, and the kids instantly drop their toys to rush at their aunt and uncle. “Uncle Harvey! Aunt Pamela!”.

In Harvey’s arms was a now squirming Harleen who wanted to join in on the fun with the other kids. “Alright my flower. Alright. Just be careful okay? No rough housing...and she isn’t listening” Harvey says, watching as his daughter is enveloped in hugs from Martha and Mary, in turn being pulled away by the boys.

“It’s been a while since she’s seen them...ooof”.

Pamela herself was quickly surrounded by Dinah and Harleen, both blondes hugging the redhead between them as gently as they could.

“Yeah, I missed you both too” she says, rubbing the women’s shoulders. “But, may I remind you that I’m pregnant? I’m already crowded enough as it is”.

Harleen and Dinah both back off, but remain as close as possible as they bring her to chair. “Sit down then Pam. Jeez, standing here with a bowling ball sized belly. Ain’t healthy”.

“You should know Mrs...I popped out four kids no problem”.

“Aww jealous?” Dinah teases.

“Hardly”. Pamela groans as she takes the chair, her hand moving to her back to try and work out the soreness. “I would like to stay in one piece during my labor thank you very much”.

Harleen was on her knees beside the chair, smiling at her friend up and down. “Ohh Pam, you look so beautiful”.

Pamela lowers her hands to her belly and rubs it lovingly. “You’re just saying that because you’re angling to be a godmother again”.

“Sorry Harls” Dinah interjects. “This one’s spoken for”. The Irish woman leans in and presses her ear to Pamela’s stomach, pretending that she could hear the baby. “She’s real excited to meet her aunt Dinah”.

“Pfft, you two are so childish. Stop treating my daughter like a freakshow exhibit please”.

The women good naturedly back off, though the smile remains on their faces. “Speaking of goddaughters. Harleen Jr.!”

The little girl hears her aunt Harleen’s call and quickly rushes over alongside Mary and Martha who already knew that they would be called upon to say hello to their own godmother. Harleen jumps into her elder namesake’s arms and the blonde bites her lip and twirls the giggling green skinned girl about.

“And how is one of my very many cuties doing today huh? Long time no see baby girl”

“I’m fine Aunt Harleen” she giggles.

“Daddy and mommy being sticklers for rules still?”

She turns back to her mother and blushes at the question, shaking her head no. “No huh? She letting you have any candy sweetie?”

“Nooo...candy is bad for her teeth”.

Harleen winks and begins to carry the girl away. “Let’s get you some candy”.

“Harley!”

“Just getting my goddaughter some candy from my secret stash. Girls...give your godmama some lovin’ while we’re getting some candy”.

Martha and Mary latch onto the woman’s side with a wide smile on each of their faces as Pamela can’t get away, refusing to abandon the two cuties in her lap while also being much too pregnant to move too quickly.

She hugs them and nuzzles their foreheads, giving each one a kiss. “And how are you two? I’ve missed you tons..HARLEY DON’T YOU DARE GIVE HER…”.

“Too late”.

Harley returns from around the computer with little Harleen, who was already chewing on a chocolate bar. The little girl was quick to defend herself. “Aunt Harley said it was alright!”.

Pamela couldn’t help but smile and shake her head, bouncing Mary and Martha lightly. “I wish I had the same knowledge of how to corrupt your kids as you do mine”.

“Aww let her live a bit Red” Harley says, delivering one quick final kiss to her cheek before putting her down and giving her a little push towards the other kids. “Now that you’re all sugared up sweetie, go play with the boys and burn off your energy”.

The girls inhabiting Pamela’s lap did the same, leaving the three women alone for the moment. “Harleen...you’re going to kill me”.

“Nah don’t worry” Dinah says with her arm around Pamela’s shoulder. “She’s still on track to being the first female president of the United States, or the first astronaut to land on Mars or whatever it is you and Harvey are training her for…”.

Harvey meanwhile had approached Vic and Bruce, and had shaken both of their hands in greeting. It was clear that there was something important on his mind though. Something he wanted go over. “Harvey...how are you?”

“I’m alright Bruce. Well as can be expected. And you?”

“Fine myself”.

Harvey feels his eyes narrow as he stares at the man, shaking his head and sighing. “Bruce...we have a problem”.

“What’s going on?”

“That little stunt you pulled with Mandragora and Bertinelli” Harvey angrily hisses before calming down. “Do you realize how this makes me and Montoya look? The city council is screaming for your head. They’re saying it’s your fault that Mandragora is dead. Not that they really care”.

“Harvey” Bruce begins tepidly, knowing how hard the position of mayor was for someone who had to deal with the Batman’s presence on a constant basis. Add this to the preparations being done by Luthor?

He doubted it was easy for the man.

“Why didn’t you tell me this was happening Bruce?”

“We had to keep it quiet Harvey” Vic says, wanting to stick up for Bruce. “We had to act fast and telling you kind of slipped through the cracks. We’re sorry”.

“Slipped through...slipped through the cracks really? Bruce...I need to know about these things in advance okay? That way I can do some damage control without it seeming like I’m doing damage control. Now I’m looking like the idiot who is covering up the Batman while pretending he isn’t”.

Bruce was cowed a bit by that, the last thing he had wanted to do was embarrass his friend. “I’m sorry Harvey. Does Montoya feel this way as well?”

“No, she doesn’t because, guess what..you clued her in on it and involved her. How the hell did those pictures get out anyways?”

“We’re not really sure right now. Best we can say is some shutterbug happened to notice or hear all the commotion and decided to look out the window” Bruce says. “Undoubtedly the sight of Batman standing beside the police commissioner while leading a few bound men out of the lounge was considered worthy of a photo”.

Harvey places his face in his palm and nods along to the man’s reasoning. “Alright, yeah, I guess that would make sense. Dammit. Bruce...I still need to be clued in on these things, especially when it’s this big. Is that too much to ask?”

“No, it isn’t Harvey”.

“Alright good. Damn. Sorry I lost it a bit with you there. You just don’t know what it’s like to have the city council on your ass” Harvey says, suddenly sheepishly. 

Bruce smiles and nods, knowing that he indeed didn’t quite know what that was like. ‘Thank God I stayed out of politics’.

His face falls when he realizes there was one key fact he was omitting and in fact had been omitted with the express permission of Renee Montoya. “Harvey, there’s another thing”.

“Ohh jeez, what now?”

“This whole thing...it wouldn’t have worked without Oswald Cobblepot. He was instrumental in setting the two of them up”.

Harvey was set aback by that, and he didn’t quite know what to say. “So..let me guess, nobody else knows about this?”

“Nobody else besides everyone in this cave” Bruce admits.

“So you’re going to use Cobblepot to what? Spy on the criminal underworld?” Harvey asks incredulously. “And what does he want in return?”

“To continue running his rackets. Small time, non violent…”.

“Bullshit!”

“Harvey, calm down buddy” Vic says, slowly approaching the man. Harvey ignores him and advances on Bruce, whose eyes had taken on the coldness of steel. “You’re making a deal with a criminal. Call it what it is. You’re allowing a criminal to commit a crime, major crimes”.

“We have no choice” Bruce defends himself. “Someone is going to fill that power vacuum. They always have in Gotham. With Superman and the League encircling the United States, and Luthor’s plan underway, we can’t afford to leave this up to chance”.

“Motherfucker…”.

“Language!” Pamela shouts from across the room, the women now watching the interaction nervously. Harvey looks down at the floor and angrily shakes his head. “Bruce...I swear to God, if this goes further? I’ll pull you down to the station myself. Do you hear me?”

Bruce is quiet, trying to gauge his friend and the reaction he was having to this news. “I understand. Just know this Harvey, it’s for the best. Oswald isn’t a bad man. With him in our camp we can know what’s going on the streets with pinpoint accuracy, and even work to control his excesses”.

Harvey turns away to watch his daughter playing with the other kids. It was one of the few things that calmed him down when he lost his temper like he did. “Alright Bruce. Alright. I wont argue on it anymore. Let’s just...be smart alright? We have a lot of eggs in our basket right now”.

Bruce doesn’t get a chance to respond in the affirmative as Alfred and Elise are at the top of the stairs, apparently wanting to summon the family up for dinner.

“Ladies and gentlemen! And...younger ladies and gentlemen. Dinner is served!”

The group excitedly moves up out of their seated positions, with Harleen practically dragging the woman away in order for her to eat.

“Come on Pam. Alfred made your favorite. Stuffed Eggplant with Fettuccine cheese”.

“Well...that does sound pretty good”.

It was clear from the furtive glances she was throwing backwards that Pam was concerned for her husband who seemed to still be quite agitated. He waves her on though, not wanting her to worry.

“Let’s table this for now...but if he gives you any actionable information? You will let Montoya know about it before making a move. We clear?”

“You don’t give me orders Harvey” Bruce says before softening. “But as your friend? I’ll do that for you”.

32 Years Prior, Smallville, Kansas

“I said shut the fuck up Martha”.

“Why? You gonna hit me again you drunken piece of shi…”.

The man swerves the truck, and the woman sitting in the passenger seat was so sure that that was indeed what he was planning to do that she flinched and hid into herself, hating that she was so weak at that moment. 

“What the hell...did you see that?”

The truck had come to a stop, and that was enough to warn the woman that she wasn’t going to get hit….for now.

“See what?”

Jonathan Kent, her husband, turns to her and rapidly points out of the window. “That big ass ole’ meteor thing that buzzed across the road. You blind and dumb woman?” Before she could say anything back, he’d opened the door and was rushing into the cornfield, following the burning trail that the meteor, or whatever it was, had apparently left.

“Hold on! Wait up!”

She hated the man, but she was still afraid of being left alone, and his company was better than no company after all. The blond haired girl followed after the man, rushing through the rising stalks of corn that were endemic to this region. 

She could only hear the sound of his footfalls from far off as not all of the corn had been burnt through. “John! John! We shouldn’t go chasing after this...oww”.

She trips and falls over a rock, twisting her ankle harshly as she stays on the ground to try and touch it. The tears were already falling down her face at the pain the trip had caused her. “Jonathan! Help me please! I’m hurt!”.

She gets no response from her husband, though she knows he’s close enough nearby to have heard her. She hears his cursing and excitement, and part of her wants to know what had so interested him. Slowly she moves to her feet, and begins to limp towards the area.

Every step was torturous, and she couldn’t help but cry out and almost fall again. “Dammit John, please...help me!”

“Get your fat ass over here and see this crazy shit Martha!”.

It takes a few more minutes, but eventually she breaks out into the clearing where the meteor had crashed. She was angered by her pain now, and she wanted to scream and shout in frustration at the man who’d left her behind. That is...until her eyes land on the object that had crash landed

It was most certainly wasn’t a meteor.

“Is...is that a space ship?”

“Gee nothin’ gets past you does it? Of course it’s a spaceship ya moron”.

Jonathan was standing around the edge of the crater, looking down into the hole. “Get on in there and see if it opens”.

Her eyes go wide at that and fearful, her mind flashing with all the times an alien had come from a spaceship to kill some poor unfortunate couple, just like they were. “Ain’t you gonna do it?”

“Nah, I’m the one who works. I get hurt and whose gonna feed ya?” he asks with a malicious smirk. “Certainly ain’t that family of yours. They hate yer guts for stealing from ‘em”.

She becomes indignant at that.

“That was you! Not me! I just took the fall for you so you wouldn’t go to jail and you know…”.

Before she could say anymore, Jonathan Kent reaches forward and pushes her into the crater, not caring for her already injured ankle which, mercifully for her, was not injured any further. She falls and lands on her back atop the metallic object. “Ohhh…” she groans out in pain.

She sees Jonathan peak her head over the side at her, grinning like a madman.

“You dead?”

“I wish I was…”.

“Well move your ass. We ain’t got all night. See if it opens or some shit. Better you get eaten than me”.

Suddenly, a cry can be heard, and Martha instantly knew what it was. “That...that sounds like a baby” she says, moving up slowly and looking over the rocket like device. “A baby? How the hell a baby get alla way out here?”

She begins to crawl over the object and sees what looks like a hatch. “It’s coming from inside the rocket”. She looks into the glass and indeed sees a little baby, swaddled up in a blue blanket and throwing its arms about as it cried. 

“Ohh sweetie...shhh...it’s okay. I’m gonna get you out of there”.

Martha looks back and forth, seeing only one possible way to open up the device. She reaches forth and grabs the hand, opening the hatch which unleashes with a whoosh of air.

She doesn’t waste any time in reaching in for the dark haired little baby, which still cries as her hands go to his waist to pick him up.

“All it’s got is some fuckin’ baby in there? You shitting me?”

Martha ignored her husband and instead looks at the little boy, forgetting her pain for a moment as she brings him into her chest and rubs his back. “Shh awww, ain’t you a little darlin’. Shh it’s okay. It’s okay”. She lightly bounces him and eventually the little boy calms down. The baby places his thumb inside of his mouth and begins to suckle on it and his eyes, bright blue, close slowly as he’s comforted by the sound of the woman’s heartbeat.

With one hand, Martha reaches down to twirl her finger through the little thatch of dark hair atop his head.

“Shit...you know what this means?”

“No. What’s it mean?” she asks, focused only on the child.

“We’re gonna be fucking rich. Here, hand the brat up to me”.

She turns to see Jonathan reaching into the pit and recoils in disgust. “You’re not taking him from..”.

“Relax you dumb bitch. Hand him up so I can get the two of you out of that hole.This little thing is gonna make us rich! Think about it! He’s an alien”.

Reluctantly, Martha hands the child up to Jon who takes it and turns, walking back to the truck. “What about me?!” Martha calls out, though Jon ignores her and focuses on the child he was irresponsibly holding in his arms. ‘The baby!’ she thinks, rushing out of the hole and pulling herself up as best as she could.

“Jon! Jon! Support his head!” she calls out as she peaks over the side, just barely getting up.

“You’re gonna make me millions. I’ll come back here tonight with my tow truck and bring the rocket back. Don’t want anyone knowin’ about you until we know what do with ya. Tell the government and they’ll dissect ya without us even getting a red cent”.

The baby wasn’t aware of what the man was saying, and he didn’t care. All he knew was that he didn’t like being handled by him, and he missed the touch of the woman who had been doing so moments before. He begins to cry out, having quickly awoken from his slumber.

“Eh he’s crying”.

Martha had just caught up to him, having limped the whole way to catch up to the man and ensure that the baby wouldn’t be hurt by his negligence.

“Here” he says, practically throwing the bundle into the woman’s arms. Martha stumbles but is just able to catch the boy before she drops him. She glares at Jon’s back and slowly starts to move to the truck. Her mind was on the little boy in her arms though, and for some reason, he instantly brightens her spirits.

“I’m going to name you...Clark. How do you like that name huh? Little baby Clark”.

The boy wasn’t aware of what the words meant, or even what a Clark was, let alone if he liked it. All he really knew was that he was back in the woman’s arms, and comfortable. He drifts off to sleep just as Martha manages to slip back into the passenger seat of the truck which instantly takes off down the road.

Gotham City, Rooftop of GCPD, Present Day

“Are you sure he called me to be here tonight Renee?”

Tatsu was nervous and it showed in her voice. The commissioner reaches out to rub her girlfriend’s cheek, pulling her close to ward of the winter chill. “You’re cute when you’re nervous. Yeah, he called me to tell me to bring you up here tonight”.

Tatsu blushes and rolls her eyes, looking into the night sky as if searching the Batman out herself. “I hope he has decided to judge me as honorable”. 

“I’m sure he has. After all that work you did on the Bertinelli bust? And these past few years? Trust me. You’re in”.

The japanese woman wasn’t too comforted by the woman’s words, and instead tries to retreat inward and search out an inner peace. ‘If only I hadn’t killed on that first day in Gotham’ she laments, having heard it from the man himself that her lack of aversion to killing was one of the reasons he didn’t feel she could be trusted just yet.

She respected that, and since she saw him as a more than worthy leader she was willing to earn his trust. In six years, her sword had not fatally tasted blood. The soultaker screamed out for it, but she denied it that pleasure.

“Katana, Commissioner”.

The voice comes from the dark as usual with the man, and he steps forth to expose himself to the two women. He wasn’t alone though as Batwoman stood beside him.

Tatsu instantly bows, wanting to show deference to the man who she was desperately hoping would become her leader, and accept her into his clan. “Battoman kyo no aisatsu”

Batman gently bows as well, returning the sign of respect to the woman. Batwoman just smiles and crosses her arms while looking at Batman.

It seemed that they had had a conversation, something that wasn’t uncommon between the two, and had mutually come to an agreement about what was to be done with the woman. 

“Katana...I have to thank you for the assistance you gave us at the Iceberg Lounge and all of the good you’ve done over the years”.

Katana was dead silent, allowing the man to continue on with his words despite the fact that her heartbeat was rushing against the confines of her chest. 

“We’ve all discussed it, and we’d now like to formally welcome you into our little group”. He reaches into his utility belt and retracts a communicator. “This will allow you to contact us or be contacted should you need us. Over time...I’m sure we’ll collaborate further”.

Tatsu was walking on air, but all she could do was bow and try to get out an adequate thank you, though she stutters. Montoya moves up beside her and places a calming hand on her back. “What she’s trying to say is that she’s honored and thanks you for welcoming her into the fold. Ain’t that right Tatsu”.

“Hai...yes…”.

“You’ve earned it sister. You kick some serious ass” Batwoman congratulates her. “And you’ve been a good girl all these years. No murderey stuff, so that’s good”.

Batman nods along. “Your commitment to the preservation of life, even those that you would normally deem unworthy, has been impressive”.

Tatsu was at a complete loss for words. She was finally part of the group, even as someone on the further ring of it, that she had been trying to be seen as honorable enough to join for years. “Call on me should you ever need me Shogun Batman, and I shall be right there beside all of you” she intones stoically. “I swear upon my honor”.

Batman turns to Montoya, accepting the Japanese woman’s words without question. “Montoya...we need to talk”.

“What about?”

“The photograph of us talking follow the Iceberg bust” he says, clearing up her confusion. “Ohh yeah...I’ve got some crap for that” she admits, rubbing the back of her head. “No more than usual though. It’s kind of an open secret”.

“I think it should stop being so”.

“What?” she asks in shock, remembering how secrecy about their partnership, as much as could allowed, was one of the prerequisites for him even working with the GCPD. “We think…” Batwoman says while stepping forward. “That for the sake of being more honest, it would be okay if you told everyone that yeah, you were working with us, no you didn’t know our identities, and no you won’t bring us in without just cause”.

“But…..”.

“Things are rapidly changing in Gotham” Bruce explains. “And we need to be ready for it. The kind of changes that are occurring? It’s best that our leadership is as transparent as possible”.

“I assume this has to do with Superman and Lex Luthor’s arrival within the city?”

Everyone turns to Katana, frightening the woman that she might have spoken out of turn. “You’d be correct Katana” Batman says, pleased by her ability to discern the truth so far. “We think, at your earliest possible convenience, that you should announce your intentions to the city”.

“Which are?”

“To keep it safe duh! But...kind of more so openly with our help. We know a lot of your cops still don’t like us. Still don’t trust us, but we’ve won over a good amount of them right?” Harleen asks curiously. 

“About half of the apartment trusts you guys, a quarter are neutral and the last quarter hate your guts”.

“Those are better numbers than we’d initially hoped for” Harleen says to Bruce. “Hmm”.

The blond turns back to the commissioner with a smile. “We’ll get them up to one hundred percent commish, or at the very least ninety nine percent but we can only do that by being honest”.

Montoya begins to pace back and forth across the roof, unsure of what she was supposed to do with this. What would it mean? Why now? What did they have planned?

“Anyone else know about this plan of yours?”

Bruce nods.

“He does but we’re going to let him give you his word on the matter Expect his call in a few days where he’ll ask to discuss “Our mutual friends” he says, using the code phrase that the hispanic woman was meant to look out for. 

“Alright. Damn. Can you tell me what’s prompting this though? All seems rather drastic. I mean, sure, we’ve all busted some big time scumbags in our time together but most of it has been petty crooks and shit. I know you said something about Superman, but what does that have to do with Gotham?”

Bruce was torn between wanting to tell the woman everything, and yet he knew it wasn’t time. Still he had to give her something. Trust was a two way street.

“Let’s just say that Gotham is going to be very important in the upcoming issue with Superman and his League”.

“Shit”.

Montoya’s eyes were wide open now.

“That means Gotham is going to be a war zone...again”.

“You hit the nail right on the head unfortunately” Harleen says.

Bruce was unfettered by the odds, and instead they only served as an obstacle he wanted to overcome. “It is commissioner. But we intend to be ready when it comes”.

Kane Memorial Catholic School

“Jason, a moment of your time if you can”.

The young man hadn’t expected to have the priest stop him, especially not with class being over as it was. He was just in the middle of packing up his book bag when Father Blood had come up behind him.

He casts a look at Barbara who shrugs and sits in her own chair, signalling that she would be staying if Jason so wanted her to. He shakes his head no, figuring that the animosity between the two, his favorite teacher and girlfriend, wasn’t a good recipe for him to experience at that moment.

“Umm...sure professor. Sure. Barbara...I’ll catch up to you in the cafeteria” he says, watching as the redhead slowly moves out of the room, casting a glare back at an unconcerned Jason Blood.

The man lets go of his shoulder and moves back to his desk, looking at Jason deeply as if he was studying him. “I’ve noticed that you have been distracted lately Jason. Is there something going on? Is everything alright at home”.

“No father. Everything is fine…”.

He hated lying, and he hated the fact that he wasn’t any good at it either. 

“Are you sure? Is it your girlfriend? I have to be honest Jason, I’m a little surprised. I thought you were quite sweet on Ms. Cobblepot”.

The fact that the priest had noticed was enough to make the young man blush and he shuffles on his feet uncomfortably. The elder Jason smiles and puts his hand up to calm him. “Alas, it’s probably none of my business. I just want you to be careful Jason. The way to heaven is slim but there are many paths to...well...you know”.

“Thank you father. I will” he says in response, not knowing what to make of it though he didn’t want to insult his favorite teacher by saying anything that might strike the man as back talk. 

“Pick up your sword knight! Do as thou has been commanded!”

He shakes his head and places a hand on his temple, moaning slightly at the headache that the voice was causing. Ever since he’d laid eyes on the sword...he’d been...hearing it.

“Are you sure you’re okay Jason? Would you like to go to the nurse and perhaps get an aspirin?”.

“No, no. I’m...fine”.

He felt strange, as if he was being pulled somewhere, and he knew that if he followed the sensation he would wind up right back in the cave, before the sword which gleamed like pure sunlight. 

The priest didn’t move but his eyes lit up and he turns to a drawer at his desk. “Ohh, I’d almost forgotten. I have a little gift for you. Something you might like as you are quite the history buff”.

He pulls out what appears to be a book, and he slides it across the desk. The boy’s eyes are instantly drawn to it and the symbol on the front that is instantly recognizable as the same cross that was etched into the hilt of the sword. 

He reaches forward for the book and takes it in his hand, gasping at how old it was. “Father Blood...this...this is…”.

“A very old book yes” the man explains, gauging the boy’s reactions. “I thought you might like it. It’s actually from the twelfth century. It was written in English by a knight in the service of king Richard the first, also as you would know…”.

“Lionheart”.

“Ahh as usual you fail to disappoint with your knowledge my boy. Yes. It was written by a knight under his command who belonged to a sacred order. He managed to write it between the siege of Acre and the battle of Jaffa”.

Jason rubs his fingers over the cover and reads the title. 

“A history of the Order of St. Dumas”.

Jason continued to study the boy as he opened the book and started to read through it, his eyes glued to the pages. He can’t help but...hear….or imagine he was hearing the ring of battle. Swords against sword, cries of the wounded and horns blasting to sound the charges of thundering knights who rode their steeds across the sandy battlefields.

“Do you like it?”

He is snapped out of his day dreams by the other man’s voice and he closes the book quickly. “Yes sir. Thank you so much. I...I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve a gift like this”.

Blood just smiles softly and nods. “We do not always know the paths that God weaves for us Jason, nor do we know why he does so. All we know for certain is that we should follow him and do our best for his glory. Now...run along to lunch. I’d hate to think of the slanderous ideas your girlfriend has already conjured up about me in her mind” he says waving the boy off dismissively. 

Jason moves towards the door, turning to thank the man one last time before exiting into the hallway and closing the door behind him.

He continues to watch after the boy, not noticing how his shadow misshapes itself on the wall behind him. Slowly the dark mass grows horns and its eyes glow a deep red.

“You’ve set the boy on a path so great, as he’ll be consumed by his own just hate”.

Blood rolls his eyes and turns around to face the shadow. “Be silent. We know not what he is to do with his life, all we know is that we are to assist him in accomplishing his task and reaching his destiny”.

The demonic shadow just laughs, its chuckle a dark and ominous low rumbling that would set the man at unease if he wasn’t so used to it at this point. “His  goodness will be his doom, as his destiny will bring him naught but gloom. This task you give him, he cannot complete, and he shall fall dead at our feet”.

Jason looks back to the desk and the papers he had still yet to work on grading. He retracts a pen from the holder and sets about his work, ignoring the beast which glares at his back. “You’re a pessimist. You’ll see”.

Ace Chemicals

It was done. 

Finally done.

All the barrels were filled and a near perfect elixir of fear had been created by the putrid mix of his own generic fear toxin and the chemicals used by the Joker to reform others in his own image. Twenty barrels had been made, alongside an effective means of distributing it.

His job was done, and all that was left was for him to tell the others.

That could wait though.

First? 

He wanted to marvel at the genius of his creation. He could imagine the screams already, and he could almost taste how they might feel against his lips were they a sweet nectar or ambrosia. Soon the city would be cleansed by a reckoning with their fears.

The strong, like him, would overcome them and rise to the top while the others? They would give in. The fear toxin would not only expose their deepest and darkest fears, it would make them their master. If the Joker toxin didn’t kill them first…

Jonathan Crane did not concern himself with that.

After all, he was a man of science, and he was well versed in the laws of evolution and natural selection. He’d be able to share his plans with the others and they would praise his ingenuity...or they would suffer.

“Creeper Crane! Creeper Crane! Creeper Crane!”

He looks at the floor and smiles, licking his lips at the thought of what he was going to do to the one they called Black Canary when he found her.

“I wonder what her fear shall be” he ponders aloud, tapping a beaker to watch the green sludge move about. “Cockroaches, ghosts? Or is it a much more primal fear? Ohh Canary, what would you most fear losing in your life? I wonder this. Perhaps your beautiful yet deadly voice?”

He had already come to the conclusion that no matter way, Canary would not survive what he was referring to as the Last Samhain. He would slit her throat as soon as she was finished viewing his genius. 

“You wont be able to even scream my dear. I shall ensure that”. 

He reaches down to take the sinister looking sickle off of his belt, having sharpened it just that morning in preparation.

“Ohh yes. Nobody will hear you scream. Except me”.

Chapter Text

GCPD, Right Before A Press Conference

Renee felt queasy, and she didn’t know why. She’d face down reporters numerous times and answered a lot harder questions than what she’d most likely be asked this time around. Half of it was common knowledge at this point anyways.

Still...telling the truth? Especially one that would get her a lot of backlash?

She wasn’t looking forward to it.

“Be brave”.

She feels the comforting hands on her shoulders, and the cheek pressed against hers as Tatsu leans over the woman who was hunched at her desk. Renee instantly straightens out and reaches back to rub at the Japanese woman’s cheek.

“It’s easy to say that when you’re a badass samurai chick you know?”

Tatsu smiles and closes her eyes, allowing her to focus on Renee’s unique scent that she enjoyed so much. “You have no realization of how much of my strength comes from you”.

“Come on Tatsu…”.

“No...you know what happened to my family” the woman says, shuttering slightly at the memory. 

“Tatsu run daughter!”

Okasan! Otasan!”

She shakes the thoughts and the voices they bring back with them away, wanting to focus on her lover at that moment. “When I lost my parents to the Yakuza, I hardened my hato, my heart. I threw myself into the study of bushido, and took up my grandfather’s sword. My life, until I met you, was one long quest for vengeance, not honor”.

She swivels Renee around in the chair and climbs into her lap, tucking her legs neatly on either side of the woman’s while taking her face in her hands to stare deeply into her eyes. Montoya reacts my staring back and placing her own hands on Tatsu’s cheeks. Slowly, Tatsu smiles and places her forehead against the commissioner’s.

“Loving you...it freed me. My seishin walks freely and lightly because of you. I am no longer interested in vengeance, the childish desires which guided my youth. No. I seek justice. True justice. You melted the ice that encased my heart Renee, and I will always love you for that…”.

Their lips press eagerly against one another, and Renee’s hands move slowly down to the woman’s lithe waist to assist in crushing her body to her own. “Anata wa watashi no chikaredesu”.

“I don’t know what that means” Renee says, leaning in to suckle at the woman’s pulse point, gently tracing over it with her tongue. Katana moans and presses on the back of the woman’s head with her hand to urge her on. “It means...ohhh...hai...hai, right there. It means you are my strength”.

Renee hears those words and gently draws back, looking over her girlfriend and enjoying for a moment how Tatsu looked in a pantsuit. She wore it while she was at the GCPD as the commissioner’s “aide”. Renee had never had the heart to tell her that there was no such position, and...she liked what they could get up to after hours. 

Now was not the time to think over the naughty aspects of their relationship but rather...what it could be. 

“Tatsu...I’ve never broached the subject but...how would you feel about getting married?”

The atmosphere turns silent and for a moment all emotion falls away from the other woman’s face. For Renee? The tension had gotten so thick that it could be cut with a knife, or even Katana’s...well, Katana.

The smile spreads softly and slowly at first until encompassing all of Tatsu’s face. “I’ve dreamt often of it though, I decided to wait patiently. You are...how do you say...the big spoon?”

Renee was confused by what she meant, though her heart was beating rapidly at the woman’s words. ‘She’s dreamt of it!’.

“What...what does cuddling have to do with you waiting to talk to me about it?”

Now it was Tatsu’s job to be confused, and as she laid her palms down on Renee’s shoulder she couldn’t help but blush. “Ohh...I always feel oroka when talking of these things. When we go to sleep. You are the one who holds me. Does that not make you the “man” of our relationship?”

She was just too cute when she was embarrassed and blushing, and Renee couldn’t help but chuckle. The act only further embarrassed Tatsu, who certainly didn’t like to be laughed at. Renee was quick though, and she pulls the woman closer to kiss her again.

“Sweetie...no, no...I wasn’t laughing at you...you’re just too cute. I guess I am the “man” she says, using the air quotation marks as well, “in our relationship. So, you’re right. It’s up to me to make the first move”.

“Well, you’ve given up the element of surprise. Now I know you’re going to do it” Tatsu pouts.