BATMAN/NCIS-The Boby in the River

By the Hamster

Petty Officer Danny Hutchins was in a bind. That is to say that the 35 year old naval NCO was all tied up and decomposing. Once he washed up out of the Potomac he was discovered by the daughter of a local congressmen. The body was mauled horribly and large chunks of it were missing but fortunately the dog tags of the recently missing man were still on him. So far there was no hint of a motive. Not one of his friends or family could think of anyone that would want to kill the man.

It was moonlit and special agent Ziva David was walking along the banks of the river where the man washed up wondering who could have wanted to tie him up and toss him in the river. She was dressed in a black t-shirt, combat boots and khaki pants. She was hardly paying attention to where she was walking and ran straight into a man wearing a cape and cowl.

"Oh shit!" She said as she backed up and drew her gun.

"Special Agent Ziva David." Said the man with a very deep voice.

"You know my name? Should I be flattered or frightened?" She asked, although she was actually a little bit of both. She recognized him, the large black bat symbol on his chest was a dead give away.

She lowered her weapon. She was willing to listen. This was all good. Batman needed police cooperation if the murderer was to spend anytime at all in prison. Also, The former Mossad agent had a sexy accent.

"You are wondering who would want to kill Petty officer Hutchins but you are asking the wrong question." Said Batman.

"And what is the right question?" Asked Ziva.

"The right question is WHAT was it that killed him." He replied.

Ziva's brow furrowed. "Are you always this cryptic or are you just messing with me?"

Batman turned to the river and pressed on the button of what looked like a small electronic car key. A small but sleek and futuristic black submarine surfaced and then glided to the shore where the Batman waited.

"Care to join me Special Agent David?" Batman asked Ziva.

"Call me Ziva." She said with a fetching smile.

Batman helped her onto the Bat-Sub, which had two seats side-by-side.

"This thing is like an alien space ship." She said.

"You obviously haven't seen as many alien spaceships as I have." Batman replied.

The sub silently sank into the river. The river was murky and a special search light of the Sub's lit up the river bottom so that both Batman and Ziva could see what lay below.

"Our divers went over the area." Said Ziva.

"They missed something." Batman replied. "The killer ate his victim's completely, bone and all."

Ziva stared at Batman. What could have done as he suggested? This wasn't Florida.

"Are you trying to tell me that an alligator made it this far north and then handcuffed the man before eating him.? Or perhaps it was a bullshark." She said.

"South, not North and it wasn't an Alligator, it was a croc." Batman replied.

"A crocodile?' Asked Ziva disbelievingly.

"No, a metahuman cannibal and thug. Computer, pull up file Batman/most wanted/killer croc." Batman said.

On the computer screen in front of them there appeared a file with a picture. The man was actually a monster. The computer's voice came on and casually detailed the charges he was wanted on. Including 12 counts of murder and more assault charges than Ziva had ever heard attributed to a single person.

"But why is he in DC?" She asked.

"He is here on a job most likely. It's difficult for him to find work even among criminals except in Gotham where freaks are fairly common." Batman explained. "He's probably working with one of my other priority criminals."

"Is priority Criminal your term for 'deranged psychotic in Halloween costume'?" Asked Ziva.

He did not answer. The sub stopped in front of a log half buried under the sand there were some branches sticking out the sides. The light of the Bat-Sub shone on one of these.

There caught on one of the branches was something red.

"Tell me agent, what does that look like to you?" Asked Batman.

"A bandana." Replied Ziva.

"I also found a piece of bone nearby. I ran the DNA through the Bat computer and it matched that of a gangster that had his blood tested in jail. The gangster has been missing and reportedly killed along with all of his running buddies." Batman explained.

"What does a gangster and a naval NCO have in common?" She asked.

"That is what we need to find out." Batman said.

Somewhere else…

Doctor Anechka Galenka was the unluckiest person in the entire world. In her home nation the attractive blonde woman had been a world class medical researcher. Unfortunately the corrupt government she had worked for had forced her to use her talents to creat weapons. The Justice League had put an end to that and put her nation's old regime, crushed their corrupt leader and brought freedom and justice. That was the beginning of the doctor's problems. She was demonized by the new government for performing the experiments that she wanted no part of to begin with. She fled before she could be arrested. She made her way to America and found that the United States was happy to extradite her home. Anechka hid her identity and began to sell her services without a license to anyone who wanted medical attention and was afraid to report injuries that could only come from criminal behavior. If you had money she'd treat you and keep her mouth shut too. She treated hookers, abused wives who didn't want their assholes husbands to get arrested, kids whose bigger asshole parents didn't want to get arrested, girls who wanted abortions and for nobody to know, burglars, and gang-bangers. It was one of the latter who died on her table from blood loss. His gang blamed her, it didn't matter that it wasn't her fault, they wanted someone to hurt. She was beaten and then raped and left for dead, tossed in the river. It was there that she was found and 'rescued' by the Killer Croc. He'd have killed her had she not been a doctor. He needed someone to patch him up in case he needed it and to provide him with some necessary medication. She needed somebody to make sure that the gang didn't come back after her. He was more than happy to kill every last one of them and to make sure that the word on the street was that you didn't fuck with the doctor. Killer Croc slammed into the crappy apartment that Anechka was using to treat people.

He was clutching his side and had a rolled up rag up against it to stop the bleeding.

"OK doc, I need you to get some bullets out of me. Most guns don't do squat, but this mother fucker had an M:16. Not enough to kill me but it fucking hurts." The Croc complained.

"I'll get them out." Doctor Galenka replied. "Drink this."

She handed the Croc a bottle of scotch. The man/creature drank down the bottle straight. Using what appeared to be normal pliers she dug into his bullet holes and pulled out each one. The Croc growled with the pain of the doctor's handiwork. It took several minutes for her to pull the bullets out. Once she was doing that she searched for a rag and soaked it in alcahol. He roared and made her jump as she cleaned out his wounds, but he did not attack. She completed her work and began to stitch the wounds.

"Good job doc." He said.

"Thank you." She said.

He suddenly stood and then pushed her up against a wall. His nostrils breathed in her sent and his long animalistic tongue shot out and slobbered over her face. She held her breath and stood stock-still in terror.

"Sorry baby but I'm hungry and I don't need you anymore. But you are a doctor, maybe you'll survive if you can work on yourself." Said the croc.

She screamed as he opened his mouth and bit into her upper arm and then ripped her arm off. He left her bleeding and screaming her head off as he walked away gnawing on her arm.

3 days later…

Special Agent Ziva David was able to flash her badge and get passed the guards, and into Anechka Galenka's hospital room. Once inside she made her way to the woman's hospital bed. A bribe of a large cup of Caff Pow had been all that Ziva needed to convince Abby to secretly have the pictures of Galenka's wounds examined. It was pretty obvious that a pit did not attack her bull, as she had claimed, but by something larger. Ziva's new secret partner, the Batman had managed to learn on the street that the doctor was under the Croc's protection and that was why the gangsters had been killed. Apparently Killer Croc's protection was a tenuous thing. She went to the window and opened it.

"Ms. Galenka." Said Ziva.

"Doctor. Dr. Galenka, please."

"Of course, I'm sorry. I want you to tell me something. What was it that really attacked you? No dog could have done that." Ziva said.

"Your right, but why should I tell you anything? You government is going to send me to my home country where I will be tried as a war criminal and put to death." She said.

"What if I can promise you a place in the witness protection program?" asked Ziva.

"Why would you do that?" Asked Galenka.

"Two reasons. First: The creature that did this to you is a threat to national security. Second: I believe that you were forced to commit your crimes against your will." Ziva said.

"He called himself the Killer Croc." Galenka started. "He is a monster."

"We know that Croc was working for some one, do you know who it might have been?" Ziva asked.

"He kept mentioning somebody called Bane." Galenka said.

Later…

It had been three days since he had started working with Special Agent Ziva David and the woman was growing on him. She had many of the qualities that Batman found attractive she was intelligent and beautiful she also possessed qualities that he did not like to admit that he found attractive. She was a little crazy and was more than capable in a fight. He waited outside the hospital for her.

Ziva stepped out of the building stepped over to the large black car with the tinted windows that were tinted to the point of being opaque and the bad embossed on the hood. The passenger side door opened to allow her access.

"Subtle, I'm sure that when you are tailing a car you just blend right in." she said as she got in the car.

"What did you find out?" Batman asked.

"Do you know who Bane is?" Ziva asked.

"He's a hit man who thinks he's a crime lord. He has an affinity for a drug that gives him enhanced strength and reflexes. He's very dangerous." Batman said. Batman actually considered Bane the second most dangerous of his enemies. "If he is involved then things are more complicated. Together Bane and Croc are much too powerful for me to put you at risk."

"That is bullshit!" She cried. 'You cannot leave me out of this, It's my case!"

"You don't know what these men are like." Batman said.

"You can work with me. Or you can risk me trying to find them on my own." Ziva said.

Batman scowled.

"Would you like to know what the doctor told me about Hutchins?" Ziva said sweetly.

Batman turned to her. "What did you find out?"

"The Petty Officer was selling Croc weapons and ammunition." Ziva said.

A warehouse.…

Bane was angry. His instructions had been clear but had not been followed. Hutchins was dead and so was his supply of weapons. Croc entered the room and Bane only barely managed to keep his anger in check at the sight of him.

"Your weapons are here Bane, where's my money?" Asked the Croc.

"I am not paying you, animal." Bane said calmly.

"What? What the fuck are you talking about?" Demanded the angry Croc.

"You heard me. You killed my supplier, and your eating habits have drawn unwanted attention." Bane said.

"I did what I needed to. That idiot took a look at me and started shooting." Said the Croc.

"And what part of that primitive reptilian brain of yours failed to understand that you were to wait for him to drop off the crates and leave the premises and only then were you were to show yourself?" Bane demanded

Croc stared at him hard for several minutes. The goons all waited tensely holding their firearms as the two villains stared each other down.

"I'm going to pretend we didn't have this conversation, now give me my money." Croc said.

"Get out of my sight." Bane said.

The Croc snarled viscously and then launched himself at Bane. Bane was ready and slammed his fist down onto Croc's back hard. Bane pumped the 'Venom' into his veins and nearly doubled in size. He was now actually larger than the Croc. The Croc roared and bit Bane in the arm. Bane's men did not dare to fir on the two brawling men. Thy may accidentally hit Bane. They only looked on as blood flew and flesh tore. Suddenly Several of the goons cried out in pain as their hands were struck by batarangs. The Batman leapt from his hiding place atop some crates and planted his fist in a goon's jaw. There was a loud crack as the man's jaw broke. Meanwhile Bane had crate full of ammunition lifted high over his head and he brought it crashing down atop the Croc. Croc staggered backwards and Bane was able to kick him in the ribs. Unfortunately there was no sound of breaking bones. Croc jumped on top of bane and opened his jaws wide then bit down on banes head. Bane pumped more Venom into his blood stream. One of the goons took aim at Batman but he was kicked in the nuts from behind. He collapsed to the floor with a loud groan and then was knocked out clean when Ziva kicked him in the head. Bane elbowed Croc in the ribs, this time there was a cracking sound. Croc roared in pain as he released Bane's bleeding head. Bane found a crobar and used it like a baseball bat across the croc's snout, he hit him again and again. But on the fourth strike, Croc bit down on Banes arm and made him drop the bar. Bane grabbed the Croc's nostrils and pulled up, forcing the Croc to release his grip. By this point all the goons had been beaten to submission by Batman and Ziva. Ziva took aim and fired several shots at the Croc which did little more than get his attention. But his sudden change in focus was all Bane needed. He lifted his leg and brought his boot crashing down on top of the Croc's skull. That was finally enough to knock him out. Bane turned his attention on Batman.

"Run." Batman said to Ziva.

He used his grappling hook to swing atop a stack of crates then leap down behind and pick up the discarded crobar. Batman swung the bar and connected with the of Bane's knee. Bane tried to punch down on Batman but only cracked several knuckles when Batman rolled away and all Bane hit was the cement floor.

"RRRRRRR Batman! You should have stayed in your precious Gotham City." Bane shouted as he took another swing at Batman.

Ziva had not left. While Bane was busy with Batman she got closer and closer to him. She jumped on his back and grabbed hold of the two tubes that piped the Venom into his blood. She planted her feet on the small of his back and bulled as hard as she could until there was a loud pop and the tubes came free and spilled the Venom everywhere.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" He cried as he reached around and grabbed Ziva. "You will DIE!"

He wrapped his hands around her throat and started to choke her. Batman ran at Bane quickly then did a baseball slide and swung at the man's ankle. Bane cried out in pain. Bane dropped Ziva and tried to hit Batman but once again missed the elusive caped crusader. Bane was losing strength and was bleeding from croc's attacks. Batman threw a batarang that connected sharply with Banes head and finally brought him down.

Batman strode over to Ziva and helped her stand.

"That was much easier than I thought it was going to be." Batman said to Ziva's annoyance.

Later…

Ziva sat comfortably in the passenger's seat of the Batmobile with her hands behind her head. Batman had delayed his return to Gotham so that they could meet one last time. The truth of it was that He liked having her around. The Croc and Bane where both taken to a super-high security facility designed for people with their abilities.

"So you go back to Gotham City and I never see you again?" She asked. Batman didn't answer. She turned and rolled over so that she straddled his lap and faced him. "I will leave you with a goodbye present then."

Ziva kissed him.

"Maybe now you have motivation to come to DC again?" She asked after they broke apart.

"I don't think I can rule it out." replied the Batman.

the end