The Batmobile came roaring through downtown Gotham, never once even attempting to slow down. Any of the other Gotham Knights would have noticed the reckless change in the way that Batman was handling his car, but they weren't around. Thanks to him. Despite how he desperately didn't want to think about it, the silent drive gave him the time to do so.

---TWO WEEKS AGO--

It had been a normal enough day, assuming that someone could call oddly attired vigilantes normal. Tim had been missing for close to a month now, and the silence of the underworld was starting to wear thin on Batman's nerves. Scarecrow had tried to gas the entire city with his fear gas via the sewer system - he heard Barbara telling him the specifics of the plan, but he wasn't paying attention as he sped towards the juncture in the streets where Scarecrow was hiding.

The city was going by in a blur of dull colors and streetlights, and he was fairly certain that he'd drawn blood from his tongue after biting on it so hard to keep from cursing Barbara out.

"Batman, did you hear me? Batman!"

He switched off the com link and pulled the Batmobile over with a mighty squeal of the tires, and off he went. Batman didn't remember navigating the sewers, only realizing that he'd done so when he got into the huge room that Scarecrow had set up in. There was a large machine here, which was no doubt responsible for pumping the toxin into the water. Batman said nothing and moved less than silently towards the catwalk where Scarecrow stood with his back to him.

"Boss, look! It's the Batman!"

Scarecrow turned, glaring down at the approaching figure stepping out of the darkness. His mutilated face pulled into a frown and he ordered his four henchmen to jump him. For once, a small ghost of a grin touched Batman's lips - it sent chills even down the Master of Fear's spine. Batman grabbed hold of a batarang from his belt, a motion that nobody could see thanks to the way his cape fell over him, and flung it up towards Scarecrow.

Everything became a blur to the Dark Knight as he sprung into action after that. He wasn't aware that he'd struck one henchmen so hard that he was given a concussion. He also wasn't aware that a left roundhouse kick had been executed with no restraint and had fractured yet another henchman's skull.

A minute later, Batman's shadow fell across Scarecrow. He began to back away, clutching at his wooden staff protectively.

"Stay back! I'll throw the swi--"

But Scarecrow never got close enough to throw the switch on the machine. Batman was on him before he had a chance to blink, suddenly lunging at him like a caged animal presented with a chance to leave its prison. He was seized by the throat and felt four of his ribs break under a vicious punch. The metal of the catwalk gave a mighty clang as his face met the floor, though Batman's grip remained on his throat.

"Tell me where Robin is, or so help me..." The grim voice hissed into Scarecrow's ear and he felt a knee pressed into his spine. The Master of Fear tried to scramble away, the blood pouring out of his nose and mouth suffocating him as he thrashed wildly in that unyielding grip. Batman yanked his head upwards suddenly, his back sounding off with a loud, wet snap - it wasn't broken yet, but it would be very soon.

"Well?!"

"I-I...don't know! I swea--agh!"

"That's not good enough. Think harder." Scarecrow's mind was racing with a way he could get out of this with his life, and, if at all possible, with his mobility. Batman clearly wasn't playing around, and he would kill him without a thought. He never got a chance, though. Something came whizzing past Batman's ear and got embedded in the metal behind him.

"Batman!" There, down on the floor, stood Batgirl with another batarang in her hand, raised over and behind her head, ready to strike. Batman looked down at Scarecrow and scowled, then released him. Without a thought to the contrary, he disappeared into the shadows and let Batgirl clean up - in the meantime, he had to see her father.

When Batman emerged from the sewers, he noticed that the signal was in the sky again. He sighed and walked towards the Ba--wait. Something was wrong. Batman did a double take and looked harder at the signal. Instead of a bat insignia, there was another figure. That of a huge grin.

"No...NO."

He jumped into the Batmobile and was pretty confident that he broke two hundred miles per hour on the way over to Police HQ.Of course, he stopped a few blocks away and took to the rooftops as he was used to doing. Batman glided down to the roof using his cape and looked about.

"Commissioner?" The only answer he got was a loud sobbing noise from the stairwell. He arched a brow when he saw who it was.

"Montoya. What happened?" He was trying to remain calm, but he was panicking already. This could not be good. She shook her head and turned around, heading downstairs. The Dark Knight followed solemnly, eyes widening when he reached the Commissioner's office. The window had been broken, and something had been thrown in, which had exploded. The office was in ruin with the furniture thrown about and papers scattered everywhere. What really set this whole scene is the corpse that was slumped in the corner. Commissioner Gordon had part of his bare skull showing, but the half that still bore flesh was horribly disfigured in a huge, unnatural grin.

--PRESENT--

Batman snapped out of his reverie as his car roared around a corner. He was here, and Bane knew he was. The huge man turned around after hearing the trademark roar of the engine and grinned, throwing his hostage to the side.

"Ah. Batman!"

He didn't slow down, as Bane was expecting. If anything, the car sped up and bore down on him - but Bane wasn't scared. He knew that the Batman didn't kill and that hitting someone with a car was not--

THUMP

Bane's body was thrown into the air as the Batmobile crashed into him at no less than ninety miles per hour. The black car screeched to a halt, completely turning around to face Bane as he fell to the ground. Batman was out of the car in an instant, running towards his fallen foe as venom began to pump through his veins. Not that he got very far with this, because as soon as he activated his wrist gauntlet, a batarang flew by, cutting the flow of the strength-giving steroid. Before Bane could even look up, Batman had kicked him in the face.

Bane stood up after rolling over with the force of the kick, only to find that Batman was right in front of him. He felt a crashing punch to his gut, which caused him to double over in pain. Big mistake. Batman drove him back with a shocking uppercut, and a running side kick to the chest. Even Bane flew back from the sheer force behind the kick, flattening the passenger side door of a nearby police car.

He was hoping for some time to get his breath back into his body, but a familiar shadow was on him in an instant. Batman gave a feral snarl as he began pounding on Bane while he sat, striking him continually with his fists across the face. Each punch forced his head deeper and deeper into the metal of the door, his teeth falling into his lap and his face swelling beneath his mask. Batman had hit him no less than twenty times before grabbing hold of his throat and applying pressure.

Bane gagged and bought both hands up to Batman's wrists, his good eye rolling as he felt his vision going cloudy.

"Batman, stop!" A bullet pierced the window just by Batman's head. He glanced over his shoulder to see Montoya standing there with half the Police force behind her. The Dark Knight released Bane, who slumped right after, unconscious, but alive.

"Now back away from him and put your hands over your head."

Batman glanced partially over his shoulder, then leapt over the car and disappeared into the alley behind it as the cops opened fire on him, holding their fire only when ordered to do so. A moment later, the Batmobile took off as well, going back around the corner from which it came.