"Mom!" Jade screamed. The dark figure didn't even turn at the sound. They shoved Paula to the ground, where she fell, not even doing anything to prevent her collision with the ground. Jade ran, her knives out, but before she could make a move, the figure stepped into the darkness and vanished without a trace through the open window. Jade charged forward anyways, intending to find the attacker and slit their throat.
"Jade!" Artemis yelled, kneeling beside their mother. "Help me!"
Jade changed directions immediately, the attacker completely forgotten. "Get a towel!" She yelled, her mind scrambling through all of the first aid training that Mom had ever given her. Blood was everywhere, staining the carpet and Jade's knees as she knelt beside her mother. A towel was thrown her way, and Jade snatched it out of midair, pressing it against Paula's throat.
"Mom, stay with me, please stay with me, Mom," Jade was crying. She spun around, tears pouring down her cheeks, towards Artemis, her eyes blazing. "Call an ambulance!" She yelled. Artemis, pale and wet-faced herself, darted towards the corded phone in their room.
Jade cradled her mother's head and kept talking. Paula's eyes were flickering open and shut, not focusing on anything in particular. "Mom? Mom, please. Don't leave us. I can't do this. Mom, please, I'm not ready. Mom? Mom? Answer me! Mom?"
In the background, she could here Artemis crying, begging the operator to send help.
"Artemis!" She yelled, suddenly feeling the pulse in Mom's neck flutter, then stop. "Artemis!"
Artemis was there in an instant. "Jade? Jade?"
Jade looks at her. She wasn't crying anymore. Her chest felt oddly hollow, as if someone had scooped out everything that mattered, and just left her behind. A robot Jade. "I... I..."
Artemis understood. She threw herself into Jade's arms, sobbing desperately. Jade wrapped her arms around her sister and started brushing her hair with her hand absently, not noticing the blood that now covered the two of them. Jade didn't say a word.
Maggie Sawyer hated days like this.
She looked down at the dossier in her hands. A murdered woman, two daughters made the call. They hadn't said anything so far. The two girls, one not even a teenager yet, huddled together, sitting on a bench in the interrogation room.
The older one wore a shirt several times too big for her, but her hands were still faintly pink. They'd been covered in blood recently. Her hair was dark, thick and bushy, hiding her face and expression. Her arm was around the shoulder of her younger sister-a blonde girl who had both of her arms wrapped around her.
Maggie checked her file for names. The dead woman's Texas driver's license claimed that she was Paula Brooks. But the girls had no identification, and, since the driver's license was hardly holding up to scrutiny, she doubted she could have believed it if they did.
"Hello," she said, closing the file and opening the door of the room.
The girls looked up in unison. The older one scowled as she took in the uniform Maggie wore, the badge displayed prominently on her hip. Maggie closed the door behind her and sat down across from them, placing the file down on the table between them.
"I'm Captain Sawyer," she said, offering them a small smile. "What about you two?"
"Jade," the older girl said, still staring at Maggie suspiciously.
"Artemis," whispered the younger one, finally releasing Jade from her grip.
Maggie nodded. "Now, I'm going to have to ask you a few questions about what happened..."
"Our mom died!" Snapped Jade, steely eyes flashing.
"I know," Maggie said, biting down on the instinctual I'm sorry that threatened to make its way out. "But did you see or hear anything? Anything that might help us catch whoever did this."
Jade opened her mouth, probably prepared to say something biting from the expression on her face, but Maggie's phone went off. With Superman's ringtone. She got up. "I need to take this," she said, trying to keep her frustration from showing. "Detective Allen should be in in a minute. If you need anything to eat or drink, tell him." Cursing everything, especially the town that she lived in, she left the room, pulling out her phone as she went.
"Detective," an unfamiliar voice said right outside the interrogation room. She spun on her heel and reached for her gun, only to remember that she had left it in her desk, since she had to deal with children.
She stared as her brain caught up with her instincts. Batman was standing there.
"What the hell are you doing in my building?" She demanded, noticing that the phone had stopped ringing. She didn't doubt it was his fault somehow. Superman had told her enough stories for her to recognize one of Batman's ridiculous gambits when caught up in one. "I am in the middle of a murder investigation-"
"Her name was Paula Nguyen, not Paula Brooks," the man cut her off with a wave of his hand. She folded her arms, unimpressed. She'd dealt with Lex Luthor, Toyman, General Zod, and the Parasite. She'd shouted at Superman, held off Lois Lane, and gotten drunk with Wonder Woman. She was not about to take bullshit from anyone, especially not a man in a bat costume.
He didn't relent. "She was an assassin for the League of Shadows, known as Huntress."
"The Shadows?" Maggie rubbed her temples. "Shit. You know who killed her?"
"She betrayed the Shadows," Batman said, turning to look through the mirrored glass to look at the two girls. "There was a bounty on her head."
She pushed her bangs away from her forehead, exhaling deeply. "Well shit." She looked at the kids, who just sat there. "What about the kids?" She asked. "They in danger?"
Batman nodded. "My sources indicate that whoever killed Huntress is likely to attempt to abduct them."
"Goddamit," Maggie closed her eyes. "I don't suppose your Justice League could help with that?"
He turned to her, eyes promising death and destruction.
"Wonder Woman told me, you can quit that glaring," she snapped. "I've got two kids in danger, probably weapon trained and taught to distrust police, and you're worried about your secret superhero club?" She poked him in the chest. "I don't know who you think you're dealing with here, Batman, but I don't take shit from Lex Luthor, so I'm certainly not going to take it from you. You're going to tell me what I need to know, none of this "I'm the Goddamn Batman the mysterious crusader," bullshit, and then you're going to either help or let me do my job."
"I'll see what I can do," Batman said after a long pause.
"Are they trained?" She demanded, careful not to let herself stop looking at him. She'd heard Lois complain about his disappearing trick often enough not to let him have that opportunity.
"Most likely. I couldn't find weapons for Nguyen, so theirs are probably stashed with hers."
"You fought Nguyen before?"
"A few times," he said darkly.
Maggie crossed her arms. "Would protective custody be a good idea?"
"It might be able to hold them off for a while," Batman said. "I'll see if I can arrange something more permanent."
"Good."
Suddenly, Batman tensed, his fists clenching by his side.
"Something the matter?" Maggie asked.
"The Joker," Batman muttered. "He just broke out of Arkham."
Maggie swore. She'd met the Joker once. More than enough. "Go stop him then," she said, turning away. "I'll move them into witness protection for now."
"I'll be in touch." There was a faint rustle, and then he was gone.
Maggie closed her eyes and counted to ten. God, she missed Toby on nights like tonight.
A beautiful woman walked into the Metropolis Police Station. She wore a skirt-suit, an elegant black linen piece, with sheer leggings and sleek black leather pump heels. Her hair was an elegant black bob, her eyes dark brown, her skin pale brown. "Miranda Tate," she said, handing the man at the desk a business card. She smiled, showing off a set of straight white teeth. "I'm here to pick up two girls."
"Do you have the paperwork for it?" He asked, staring at the business card, uncertain. He was new and young, it was late at night, and his shift had been long and boring.
"Right here," she said, producing a thick set of papers from the black leather bag slung across her shoulder. He scanned through it, noting official looking signatures and seals.
"Seems to be in order," he said, setting it down. "I'll get someone to fetch them..."
"I'd like to get them myself. Could I have an escort?" Ms. Tate smiled again.
"Of course," he said, gesturing to a friend of his.
The door to the interrogation room opened. Detective Crispus Allen had just left, leaving the girls with sandwiches and soda from the vending machines. They looked up, mouths full.
"Girls," Miranda Tate stood there, her face serious. "I'm Miranda Tate, with Child Protection Services."
Jade nodded, grabbing Artemis's hand and tugging her off the bench. "C'mon," she said lowly. Artemis stared at Miranda like she was the second coming. Miranda held out her hands, and each girl grabbed one. They walked out of the police station.
"Keep walking," Talia al Ghul said quietly, eyes straight ahead. "I've got a car parked at the corner."
"You came," Artemis said quietly.
"I promised I would," Talia responded, opening the door of a silver Audi and ushering the girls inside. She slipped in after them. "Drive," she ordered the man behind the steering wheel. He nodded once and hit the gas, speeding off into the Metropolis night.
A glass divider raised, separating the driver from his passengers. Jade looked around. The interior of the car was made of soft grey leather, with wooden panneling. It was an expensive car, Jade was fairly certain, but she missed the old battered Ford that Mom drove.
Mom. A lump re-materialized in her throat. "Mom," she let out a broken sob. Tears poured down her cheeks. "Mom."
"I know," Talia whispered, holding Jade and Artemis close. "I know. I miss her too."
"What's gonna happen to us?" Artemis asked in a quiet voice, sounding very very small.
"You two shall stay with me," she said, petting Artemis's hair soothingly. "You will be safe. I promise."
"You'll help us find who killed Mom?" Demanded Jade, looking at Talia with watery eyes. "Right?"
Talia looked away. "I cannot."
"What?" Artemis looked up, eyes blazing despite the tears on her cheeks.
"Paula betrayed the Shadows," Talia said quietly. "I did all I could to protect her. But to take action against her killer would be to move against my father."
"So?" Jade yelled, wiping her tears away furiously. "So? Mom's dead! You're just gonna... gonna sit there? Ask us to just be good and sit quiet and take that?"
"Do you even know who did it?" Demanded Artemis, pushing away Talia's arms, and scooting away, pressing herself against the firm wall of the car.
"I thought she was your friend!"
"Girls," Talia said, voice firm and controlling, a whip crack. "Stop. This is dangerous."
"No." Jade said quietly. "I'm not just going to sit back and take this. I'm going to find whoever killed Mom... and I'm going to see justice done. Even if I have to tear through the entire League of Shadows to do it, I'm going to make sure that they pay for what they did to Mom."
"So you've decided."
"We have!" Artemis declared, crossing her arms and glaring.
Talia looked at them and nodded. She pressed a button. "Stop the car," she said over the intercom.
The car pulled over on the side of the road.
"Do you know your mother's security codes?" Talia asked, reaching into her purse and removing a thick leather wallet.
"Yes." Jade said.
"The codes for the weapons caches?"
"Yes," Artemis replied, face growing more and more determined by the second.
"Excellent." Talia removed a wad of bills from her wallet and pressed them into Jade's hand. "Get out of the town. Batman will be tracking you, as well as the Shadows."
"We're not worried about the Shadows," Jade declared, throwing open the door to the car. Artemis scrambled across Talia's lap to join her sister. "It's them that better be worried about us."
The two of them vanished into the night.
Once they were gone Talia let her head fall into her hands. "I'm sorry Paula," she whispered, a single drop of water falling onto her skir. "I'm so sorry..."
The girls were gone. Maggie threw the sheaf of falsified documents that incompetent night-shifter had produced when Maggie had demanded answers across the room.
"You just let someone waltz right in and take important witnesses away, without so much as consulting me?"
The rookie was quaking in his boots, wishing that the ground would swallow him whole and save him from the wrath of Maggie Sawyer.
"You just put two young girls in extreme danger, compromised a murder case, and broke practically every regulation there is." Captain Sawyer's voice shook the coffee mugs set precariously on the many desks of the department. Most of the other cops kept their heads low, muttering to each other about how they'd feel sympathy for the poor guy, but he really deserved it. Maggie Sawyer didn't get angry very often, but when she did, it was a sight to behold. "Do you have a single excuse? Anything to say for yourself? Or are you just going to sit there cowering?"
The man tried to say something, but it came out as a high pitch whine that probably could be used as Krypto's dog-whistle. Maggie's glare intensified, and the rookie let out another whimper.
"Get out of my sight," she snapped. "I don't have time to deal with you." She spun on her heel, stomping to her office.
"Hope you had a backup career, rookie," Detective Crispus Allen said, shaking his head as he walked by. "Captain Sawyer ain't gonna forgive this easily."
"Hey," one of the other men laughed, leaning back in his chair. "Gotham's always hiring."
Allen laughed, shaking his head. "Only if the poor boy's got a death wish." He headed toward the coffe machine, muttering to his breath about freaks in capes.
Two Months Later
The grave was small. The name was Paula Nguyen Crock. The dates given were 1972-2006. It was surrounded by similar graves. A gloved hand reached out and brushed the carved words slowly.
A wreath of pink carnations lay on the newly growing grass, out of place in this graveyard of the inconvenient dead. The night sky was clear, unusually so for in a city.
"I'm sorry Paula," Bruce Wayne said, placing his hands in his pockets, his head bowed low. "I... I never meant it to be like this."
There was a long pause. He closed his eyes, as if imagining a response.
"I'll find them," he promised the headstone. "I'll find your daughters. I'll keep them safe."
He turned around and walked away. His black overcoat fluttering in the breeze, like a cape.
A/N: Okay a few notes on this chapter. Yeah, it was a bit of a filler.
Maggie Sawyer, for those who don't know her, was a big character in the Metropolis Police Department. She's been in Superman: The Animated Series and Smallville, if you're interested. However, she came to my attention through her role in Gotham Central, a phenomenal comic run featuring the Gotham City Major Crimes Unit. (You should all check it out, if you haven't read it!) Crispus Allen, who also appears in this chapter, is another major character in that story arc. I hope this wasn't too confusing for people who aren't as well acquainted with comics. In the rough draft of this chapter, it was Lois Lane, not Maggie, who interviewed the girls, but for obvious legal procedure issues, I changed it.
Furthermore, this chapter served to continue to establish Paula as a character, despite the fact that she's, well, dead. Her connections to Talia, the Shadows, and yes, Bruce Wayne, will continue to be explored throughout this series. I hope you all enjoyed it!