I'd like to thank FutureForensic, theoldman, D.J. Scales and RebelByrdie for their great words of encouragement.

Batman & Benson 3

Chapter Seven

'Dear God,' Olivia thought, as she stared at Barbra, who sat on the floor of the back seat of her car, dressed as Batgirl.

She quickly put away her gun and leaned into the car so that she hovered directly over the distraught girl. "Barbra, what happened, honey? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," she replied, her chin tucked on top of her knees. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, which were pressed up against her chest. She looked like she was about to cry. "I'm just so embarrassed…."

Olivia reached out and gently lifted the girl's face so that their eyes met. "Talk to me, Barbra. What happened?"

"The place went into lock down, and there was nowhere for me to go!" she said. "The rooftop had all this barbed wire and stuff. And when I made it to the street, there were police everywhere! I didn't know where I could go, until I saw you. And I figured I could hide here in your car…I'm sorry, Liv."

"No, no--you did the right thing," Olivia softly said, as she rubbed the girl's shoulder. She shook her head in disbelief. "You're the Batgirl whom the media keeps talking about? You've been going out, dressed like this, every night?"

"Yes," Barbra said, bursting into tears.

"Barbra…honey," Olivia said gently. "Why?"

"I just wanted to help him," Barbra said, crying. She removed the mask from her face so she could wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Help who? Batman?"
"Yes, I just wanted to help him, Liv," she said, sobbing. "I feel so stupid. I am stupid!"

"No, don't say that," Olivia told her, as she swept the weeping girl up in her arms. "Don't you ever say that. You're not stupid Barbra!"

"I just want to go home, Liv! I don't want anybody to see me like this. Please, can you help me?"

"Barbra, no, I can't--"

"Please, Olivia!" Barbra pleaded. "Just drive me home, that's all I ask."

Olivia shook her head. "I'm in charge of the Gotham City Police Special Victims Unit, sweetie. I'm sorry, but I must do what's best for you. So I can't--" Olivia glanced up and saw a familiar limousine pull up to the crime scene. "Oh, crap, your dad's here."

That started Barbra on a new crying jag. "I will die if he sees me like this, Olivia! Please, please, please don't let him see me here, dressed like this. I'm begging you!"

"Barbra, stop--stop it, now," Olivia gently, but firmly, told her as they broke their embrace. She got out of the car and removed her jacket. "Now, here, I want you to put this on. You must be freezing."

Yet Barbra kept staring at Olivia with a tear-filled, pleading look as she helplessly knelt on the back floor of the car. "Olivia, please, I beg you…."

As Olivia held out her coat, she saw Gordon was walking over to her now. And, at that moment, something within Olivia melted.

Instead of making Barbra get out of the car to put on the coat, as she originally intended, Olivia promptly tossed the coat over the girl, covering her.

"Get down, and stay down," she told Barbra--who, now covered by the coat, quickly lay back against the floor.

"Thank you Olivia!" Barbra said, sounding muffled through the coat.

"Shhh! Just be still…and quiet." As she shut the door and went to meet with Gordon, a part of Olivia's mind screamed: 'What the hell are you doing, you crazy bitch?!'

"Olivia, fancy meeting you here," Gordon said with a smile.

"Yeah, I was just in the area when I got the call," she replied, hoping to God and all above that she sounded casual. Olivia couldn't help but be constantly reminded that she now spoke to her boss, whose daughter was presently in the back seat of her car. "Batman's here, as well. I saw him flying over."

"Inspector Benson?" the sergeant called. "The Star Labs guys have just arrived."

"Great! Bring them over." Turning to Gordon, she added, "We still don't know what the hell happened here, thanks to the facility having been placed on a complete security lock down. It looks like an automated system that won't let anybody in or out."

The sergeant led a trio of nervous-looking men in suits over to Olivia and Gordon. They introduced themselves as Larson, Watts and Greene, the chief administrator, head of security and lead researcher at the lab, respectively. Olivia introduced herself and Gordon.

"Your building went on lock down, gentlemen," Gordon said to the men. "Care to explain why?"

"The building is designed to do that in case an experiment ever goes wrong," Greene explained. "Every door, vent and window is sealed. This way, nothing toxic can escape to the outside."

"It's a little late in the evening to be doing an experiment," Olivia commented. She rubbed her arms against the chill of the evening.

"That just it, Inspector," Watts said. "We're not running any experiments right now. The laboratory is supposed to be completely shut down for the weekend."

"Could the alert have been set off by an intruder?" Gordon asked.

"No," Larson replied. "This is a very specific alert that's designed only for a failed experiment with a potential breach."

"Just what are you working on in there?" Gordon wanted to know. "Anything dangerous?"

"Just standard research into deep space exploration technology," Larson assured him. "It's nothing lethal, nor is it anything that would pose a threat to Gotham City."

"Your building doesn't seem to think so," Olivia said, as she gazed anxiously at the flashing lights all around the perimeter.

When Gordon saw Olivia rubbing her arms once more, he asked, "Pretty cold night to be out without a jacket, Liv."

"Yeah, uh, I was out getting something from the store when I got the call," she explained. "I wasn't expecting to be outside for a long period of time."

"Go home and warm up," Gordon told her. "I've got this."

"Thanks, boss," Olivia said, feeling guilty. She hated like hell to have to lie to him--yet Olivia couldn't quite bring herself to inform Gordon that she had his daughter wrapped up in the back seat of her car.

She strode back to her car and quickly got in and started it up.

"Is the coast clear, yet?" Barbra asked, her voice sounding muffled.

"No, just stay put until I tell you," Olivia muttered, as she drove away from the crime scene. She shook her head at this bizarre situation she had found herself in.

'First I inadvertently find out Batman's secret identity, and now I learn who Batgirl really is,' she thought. 'At this rate, maybe I should pay a visit to Metropolis and try my luck at guessing who Superman really is!'

B&B

Through the infrared camera on the Batwing, Batman saw her running across the rooftops. She ran furiously, as if she knew she was being chased. Yet he kept the Batwing far enough away from her as to not give away his position; Catwoman couldn't have known he was up here.

Finally, several blocks away from the Star Labs building, Catwoman came to a stop and wearily slumped down on the roof of an apartment building. She looked as if she had collapsed.

'Something's wrong,' Batman thought, as he brought the Batwing down close to the rooftop. He placed it in hover mode and opened the canopy.

Getting out, Batman ran across the rooftop, towards the slumped over Catwoman.

She heard him and when Catwoman glanced up at Batman, what he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

Catwoman was crying.

"I-I couldn't help him," she said, sobbing. "All I could do was watch him die! And then…everything locked up on me, I couldn't even get to what I was going to steal…and now, I-I'm gonna lose Holly, as well!"

Catwoman reached up and fell into Batman's arms, where she bawled her eyes out against his shoulder.

Batman, stunned, awkwardly held her in his arms.

B&B

When they entered the security office of Star Labs, Watts accessed a console in the center of the room. He then spoke his name into a microphone and had his retina scanned for an ID. A computer screen then came to life, showing him a devastated area several floors above them.

"There's been some sort of explosion in one of the labs on Level 7," he told the group. "That area's completely contained; the rest of the building is clean."

"There," Larson said, pointing at a screen on the security console.

Gordon and the others watched the prerecorded events with morbid fascination as a man in a white lab coat began an experiment in the lab designated Level 7, just a few stories above them. He was working at removing some sort of extremely cold liquid from a large tank when the pipe ruptured, spilling the gassy liquid all over the lab.

The man tried to run away, but something off to the side had an averse reaction to the gas and exploded, igniting both the man and the lab in a blizzard-like whirlwind of cold.

That was when the automated alarm went off, causing the doors to seal themselves shut.

"Can we still reach him?" Gordon said urgently.

Larson shook his head sadly. "No, he was killed instantly. Besides, it'll be a while before we'll even be able to get inside that lab, anyway."

Greene pointed at another screen on the security monitor. "Look!"

Gordon was stunned to see Catwoman. She was just outside of the lab, on the opposite side of a wall of glass. Catwoman frantically pounded on the glass as the scientist inside the lab tried to escape.

When the glass, along with the entire lab, began to ice up, Catwoman desperately tossed an office chair in an attempt to break the glass--but to no avail. The glass barrier between her and the scientist held firm, despite her constant pounding on it.

Catwoman stopped pounding when the automated alarm sounded. Casting one last look at the poor scientist, who was now obscured by the ice all over the glass, Catwoman reluctantly ran down the hallway.

"Catwoman was here," Gordon said. "Does the security system report anything having been stolen?"

"No," Watts replied. "She probably didn't get a chance to steal anything before the building was put in lock down."

"But how did she get in?" Greene asked. "Or out?"

"She's Catwoman," Gordon said, by way of explanation. "She's a master burglar. You might want to run a check on all your vents that lead to the roof--that would be the most likely place for her to break in from."

Gordon couldn't help but note that Catwoman had tried to help the poor scientist who was trapped in the lab. 'Nice to see she's not completely cold-blooded,' he thought.

"What was that scientist doing, anyway?" Gordon asked. "Did he have authorization to be here?"

"No," Larson replied. "Apparently, he was working on a science project after hours--something to do with his field, which was cryogenics."

"He was always talking about trying to find a way to freeze his wife, who's terminally ill. She doesn't have long to live," Greene said. "But nobody thought he was truly serious about doing something."

"What was his name?" Gordon asked.

"Dr. Victor Fries," Larson said, his voice tinged with sadness. He stared forlornly at the doomed figure on the computer screen. "Oh, Victor, what were you thinking?"

B&B

"You were hired by a woman named Mercy?" Batman asked.

"I wouldn't say she hired me," Catwoman said. "As long as they have Holly, they have me over a barrel. I do whatever they want--which was break into Star Labs."

They stood on the apartment building roof, several blocks away from Star Labs. Catwoman had calmed down enough to tell Batman everything. He had to admit that he was surprised by her honesty. But then, this was a special case--a woman's life was in the balance.

"What did they want you to steal from Star Labs?" Batman asked.

"Irradiated marine life specimens that were brought back from the space shuttle," Catwoman said, giving him a shrug. "Don't ask me why--that was what they wanted."

"Irradiated fish?" Batman said thoughtfully.

"Mollusk, shellfish, clams--bottom feeders that the astronauts deliberately exposed to interstellar radiation, outside of the shuttle, while they were in space," Catwoman said. "That was what they wanted me to steal."

"Very curious," Batman said.

"Maybe they're looking for a new fish and chips recipe?" Catwoman suggested lightly. "I don't know, and I don't care. When that poor soul got freeze dried in there, the entire Star Labs facility went into lock down mode. I couldn't get anything. If it weren't for my escape route through the vents, I'd probably still be in there, as well--waiting for the cops to arrest me. Since I now don't have the glowing seafood--nor any way of getting to it--Holly is a good as dead!"

"No, she's not," Batman said firmly. "You mentioned before about how you were supposed to call them once the job was done."

Catwoman nodded. "And they'll arrange a meeting, right. But I don't have what they want!"

"Yes, but they don't know that," Batman told her.

For the first time that evening, Catwoman burst into a broad smile. "Oh, I like this plan already…."

B&B

Robin parked the BMW about a block away from Boss Thorne's spacious mansion. He ran down the street and scaled the security wall by climbing an adjoining tree and jumping across the distance. He deftly landed on the top of the wall, easily maintaining his balance--which was just as well, since it was an almost two story drop on the other side.

Robin ran along the top of the wall until he came to a decorative hedge that grew on Thorne's grounds. Robin jumped onto the hedge, which was cut like a massive chess piece, and scurried down the side until he hit the ground.

Then he began running towards the house.

'No dogs,' he noted with a smile. 'Good. This is going to be easier than I thought….'

Robin kept running until he reached the driveway. He figured he would follow the driveway straight up into the house, where he would break inside through a window, and hopefully would finally confront the bastard who killed his family.

However, he was distracted by the sound of a heavy engine. Turning towards the gate at the end of the driveway Robin was stunned to see a large armored car smash its way backwards straight through the main gate.

'Holy gate crashers!' Robin thought, as he dived for cover in the bushes alongside the driveway.

The armored car continued going crazily up the driveway, until it stopped and the rear doors swung open. Several men, including one fellow who was dressed in a weird half and half suit, tossed out a body onto the pavement. Then the armored car drove back down the driveway and out onto the street. The men in the back were calling and hooting wildly.

Robin ran towards the body, thinking there was something he could do for the poor guy. Yet he stopped halfway when he saw that the man--who was dead--had been severely burned to a crisp all along one half of his body. There was a hand-written note attached to what was left of the dead man's shirt that read, "Dear Rupert, you're next! Love, Two-Face."

Robin was further caught off guard when every exterior light on the property suddenly lit up. He saw a group of men emerge from the mansion, all pointing at him and yelling.

"Damn it!" Robin said, as he started running.

He heard gunfire. Obviously, the men didn't wait until they were close enough to hit him. Robin cursed when his exit through the smashed gates was blocked by two goons with guns.

Diving through some bushes, Robin found himself in a maze of sorts--one that was made up of hedges. He frantically ran through it, hearing the men who gave chase shouting to each other all around him. Once he arrived at an exit, he saw it was blocked by another goon with a gun.

The goon, gazing at him with wide eyes, turned to call the others.

"You're it, binky," Robin muttered, as he charged towards the man. He jumped onto his hands and leapt up into a perfect somersault--and when he landed, Robin thrust all of his weight directly onto the goon, knocking him to the ground.

As he fell to the ground alongside the goon, Robin expertly rolled his body and sprang up into a full run. He dodged several bullets, the ricochet spraying pieces of stone onto him as he hit the chess piece-shaped hedge and scrambled up it as fast as he could. Robin only hoped he could get back over the wall before they shot him.

"Stop shooting, God damn it!" a male voice shouted.

When Robin jumped back over to the top of the stone wall, he turned and saw a white-haired man who strode up to the goons.

"We almost had him, Mr. Thorne," one of the men said.

"The cops are here," Thorne told him. "So put the heat away and try to act normal."

'Rupert Thorne,' Robin thought angrily. He was so close, and yet so damn far….

Reluctantly, Robin ran back down along the top of the stone wall. His vengeance had been delayed, but it would wait.

B&B

Olivia pulled the car into the parking lot of an all-night supermarket. She shut the engine off and said, "All right, Babs, come on up."

Barbra quickly and easily rolled over the front seat cushion and sat down next to her. Olivia noted that Barbra kept the jacket over her like a blanket, covering her costume in a self-conscious gesture.

"Are you cold?" Olivia asked. "You can wear that, if you want to."

Barbra shook her head in the negative. She had a shame-filled look on her face, and it appeared she might burst into tears again.

Olivia gave Barbra's cape a gentle tug. "Did you make this by yourself?"

The girl nodded. She wouldn't look at Olivia. "You must think I'm really crazy, huh?"

"Actually, I was admiring your handiwork," Olivia told her. "You did a great job on this costume, Barbra. You mind answering something for me?"

Barbra glanced up at her. "What?"

"Why did you feel the need to help the Batman?"

Barbra turned away from Olivia, and muttered something so low that it was barely audible.

"What?" Olivia asked. "Honey, please, speak up. I can't hear you."

"I said I love him," Barbra repeated, her eyes closed. "I-I love Batman, ok?"

"You mean like a crush?"

"It's more than a crush," Barbra said. She shook her head. "It's hard to explain."

"I think I can understand what you're feeling," Olivia replied.

"You're gonna tell me it's just a dumb, schoolgirl crush, right?"

"No, not at all. Believe it or not, Barbra, I've been there, where you are right now. I've once had a major crush on a much older guy when I was a kid, too."

"I've told you, this is more than a crush…."

"I know Batman personally, you know that, right?" Olivia asked.

Barbra nodded. "You're Batman's Buddy. Everybody knows that."

'Batman's buddy?' Olivia thought, as she inwardly cringed. 'Oh well, I guess there are worse things to be known as….'

"Yeah, that's me, Batman's Buddy," Olivia said with a smile. "And, as such, I can tell you that he's spoken for. I'm sorry, sweetie, but Batman is already seeing somebody special."

Barbra stared at her in shock. "Who is she?"

Olivia shook her head. "I can't tell you that, or else you might figure out who Batman is. I swore an oath, you know."

"Batman's girlfriend, is she pretty?" Barbra asked.

'Oh God, the poor girl's got it bad,' Olivia thought. "The point I'm making is: it would be best if you found another direction in which to focus your energies, Babs. Because what you're feeling right now isn't love, it's an obsession. As I've said before, I know, because I've been there myself."

When Barbra lowered her head, Olivia reached out and gently raised her chin so that they gazed at each other. "He's too old for you, sweetheart," Olivia told Barbra. "It would never work out, even if he didn't have a girlfriend. So you really need to just move on. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Barbra said, her voice tinged with a sob. She glanced down at her Batgirl outfit and muttered, "I'm such an idiot…."

"Oh, please don't say that, honey," Olivia said, as she swept the girl up into a warm hug. "You're an intelligent young woman. And even smart people make a wrong turn here and there."

"I suppose you're gonna turn me in, now," Barbra said, after they broke their embrace. "Not that I don't deserve it…."

Olivia had given this plenty of thought on the drive over here. "How did you get out of the house? You sneak out?"

Barbra nodded, looking ashamed. "My mom goes to bed pretty early, and my dad's working late tonight--as you well know."

"If I let you go back home, without telling your parents, then you need to promise me that you will never do this again. Batgirl's career ends tonight, understand me?"

"Yes, oh yes!" Barbra said gratefully. "I'll burn the costume as soon as I get home, Liv!"

Olivia chuckled as she shook her head. "No, nothing so drastic as that! Listen, just promise me that you will never go out as Batgirl again, ok?"

"I promise," Barbra solemnly swore.

"Ok. Now, understand, if I ever see you as Batgirl out on the streets, then I'm telling your parents."

"I understand, Liv," Barbra said. "Believe me, I'm done with it."

Satisfied, Olivia nodded. She realized that she should probably have told Barbra's parents about this situation. Yet, since their abduction last year at the hands of the Joker and Harlequin, Olivia had felt a special bond with this kid--who bravely did her own part to help both Olivia and Alex to survive that ordeal. And if this crisis could be resolved without it turning into a major catastrophe, then so much the better.

As she drove Barbra home, Olivia said, "You know, Babs, if you really have a yen to solve crime, you should consider becoming a police officer. At least then you'll have the training you need to survive the streets."

"I don't think so, Liv," Barbra said flatly. "I mean, all due respect, but tonight's disaster has cured me from wanting to fight crime in any way, shape or form."

Olivia almost pointed out that most cops didn't face the kind of situation that Barbra had put herself in--yet she decided to just keep quiet. If Barbra was truly cured of hitting the streets at night as a homemade crime fighter, then that was so much for the better.

Once they arrived at Barbra's suburban home, the girl unfastened her seat belt--and then surprised Olivia by reaching over and giving her a warm hug, along with a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks so much, Liv," Barbra said. "You're a lifesaver."

The girl got out of the car and walked up to her house.

The warm, fuzzy feeling that filled Olivia's being was shattered when she witnessed Barbra abruptly climb up the front porch of the darkened house. When she was on the porch roof, Barbra did an elaborate somersault, which landed her right on the small patio of her bedroom window. Giving Olivia one final wave goodbye, Barbra casually strode inside.

'Sweet Jesus!' Olivia thought, as her heart hammered from the shock of what she'd just seen. 'Looks like I got to Babs just in time!'

B&B

The meeting was arranged within an abandoned warehouse along Gotham City's piers. When Catwoman arrived, she entered through the freight doors that had been left open for her. The lights had been turned on, and Mercy stood in the center of the empty storage space, surrounded by armed thugs. Holly lay on the floor in front of her, still trussed up, and still clad in the robe she had on from last night.

"Did you get the merchandise?" Mercy asked.

Catwoman held up the black bag that hung from her shoulder from a strap. "Right here."

Mercy smiled at her. It wasn't a very pleasant smile. "I see you are as good as they say. Toss it over--"

"No, you hand over Holly, first," Catwoman said.

Mercy shook her head. "You're really not in any position to make demands, Catwoman. But--in the interest of cooperation, why don't we play it your way?"

She nodded at one of the thugs, who hauled the bound Holly over his shoulder and carried her over to Catwoman--where he roughly placed her on the floor at Catwoman's feet.

He held his hand out. "The bag," he grumbled.

Catwoman gave it to him. Once he headed back to Mercy with it, Catwoman bent down and immediately untied Holly with her claws.

"You all right?" she asked Holly, once her blindfold and gag had been removed.

"Just dandy," Holly muttered sarcastically, as she got to her feet.

Catwoman smiled. Holly was just fine.

"What the hell is this?" Mercy angrily said. She had opened the bag that Catwoman handed to the thug and now held up a bag of frozen shrimp--the very same, everyday brand that was available in any supermarket.

"You said you wanted irradiated seafood," Catwoman casually told her. "So, just nuke that in the mircowave, and voila! Instant irradiated seafood."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Mercy asked her.

"Just giving you the same type of respect you've given me," Catwoman shot back.

Mercy shook her head in disgust. "You want to play it that way? Fine."

She made a big show of holding up her hand and snapping her fingers. Then she and the thugs waited expectantly.

When nothing happened, Mercy cast an annoyed glance at the ceiling above them and snapped her fingers once more.

"If you're waiting for the snipers, don't bother," a cold, inhuman voice called from the darkness. "Because they can no longer help you…."

With that, two men fell from the girders that ran over their heads. Their fall was stopped by the ropes they were entwined in, and the unconscious snipers hung above the crowd like a pair of damaged puppets.

"Oh, sweet Jesus," one of the thugs fearfully said. He pulled out his Uzi and frantically aimed it at the ceiling. "I was really hoping we wouldn't run into this guy…."

"Too late," Batman said, as he jumped out from behind a support beam. He knocked the man down with just two punches, then tossed something at the floor, which exploded with a flash.

Catwoman, sensing her cue, grabbed Holly's hand. "C'mon. We're getting out of here."

"Gladly!" Holly said. "You never told me you were working with the Batman."

"It's just a fling," Catwoman gaily replied, as they both ran out of the warehouse under the cover of the billous smoke that accompanied the flash.

B&B

After he threw the smoke capsule, Batman went after the tallest, most meanest looking goon in the gang first. 'Take down the alpha dog, and the mutts will follow,' he thought.

He walked up to the man, who was easily a foot taller than he was, and gently tapped him on the shoulder. When the goon turned around, Batman belted him across the face and then kicked him in the stomach. He collapsed like a chopped-down tree in a forest. Batman was almost temped to call 'Timber!'

Somebody opened fire within the smoky haze, causing Batman to dive low to the ground. His Batsuit was equipped to stop a bullet, if need be--but he didn't want to put it to the test unless he absolutely had to. Instead, he sought out the shooter from the noise his gun made and circled around him.

Once Batman came up right behind the man, he grabbed the lapel of his jacket and slammed his head into the steel girder that served as a support beam. The gunfire was instantly silenced.

Judging from the sounds of running shoes on the concrete floor, Batman realized the rest of the goon squad must be making a run for it. No doubt Catwoman and her friend were no gone by now--but Batman was willing to cut her some slack today.

Right now, he wanted Mercy.

B&B

"Get this thing up, now!" Mercy cried, as she and the remaining men ran towards the helicopter.

The pilot, who sat waiting for them inside, nodded. The helicopter motor began to whine as the rotors started to spin. The chopper was practically hovering about an inch over the ground as everybody climbed inside. Mercy was stunned to see that more than half of her men were missing.

As soon as everybody was aboard, the chopper began to rise into the night sky. Mercy let out a relieved sigh. "That's it, baby," she said, smiling. "We're free and clear!"

"JESUS, LOOK!" Donovan, the pilot, screamed, as he pointed out the window.

Mercy's eyes grew wide at the sight she beheld. A giant, bat-like shape emerged from the thick smoke that emitted from the warehouse. It flew straight at them, it's wings melting away into a cape as it landed on the side of the helicopter--its weight momentarily causing the helicopter to lose its balance.

"HE'S NOT HUMAN!" Donovan screamed, as Batman glared in at all of them. Mercy saw he was reaching for something in his utility belt. "HE'S NOT FREAKING HUMAN!"

"We've taken down Superman," Mercy snarled, as she pulled out a special gun. "So let's see if Bats is any tougher…."

She fired the EMP gun, which shot an energized pulse right at Batman, just as he threw something into the helicopter.

There was a flash, and before Mercy realized it, the entire interior of the helicopter was covered in dense smoke.

B&B

Batman grunted as the impact from the pulse gun knocked him off of the chopper. The Batsuit absorbed the worse of it--yet it was no match for physics: the blast itself was too strong to resist, and so he fell from the chopper.

Twisting about in the air, Batman instantly flicked his hands--however, his cape would not solidify into wings.

'That damned gun must have screwed with the electrical charge,' Batman realized, as he reached for a grappler gun. He shot it at the nearest building and hoped his aim was true.

It was. He felt the line grow taunt and instinctively swung up onto a rooftop.

Once he landed, Batman scanned the night skies for the chopper. Thanks to his flash capsule, they should be having some trouble of their own. And there they were, coming in for an emergency landing in a field next to the warehouse.

Batman raised his gaunlet to his face and said, "Come here."

As he waited for the Batwing to come for him, Batman glanced behind him and saw a young couple on the rooftop. There was a small folding table set up, with a candlelight dinner spread out on it. The man was down before the table in a kneeling position, with the woman standing before him, holding up her hand, which had a sparkling ring on one finger.

Yet this romantic moment had been shattered by Batman's arrival; the lovebirds now stared at him with disbelief etched in their expressions.

"Excuse me," Batman said, as the Batwing slowly rose up to greet him. Before boarding, he turned one last time and added, "Oh, and...congratulations."

"Uh…thanks…." the woman said, still looking shocked.

Once in the pilot's seat, Batman took control of the Batwing and flew it towards the field, where the chopper sat, smoke billowing from all of its windows.

Yet before he even parked the Batwing next to it, Batman already realized that his prey were long gone. Nixing a landing, Batman flew the Batwing in a slow circle around the field, hoping to spot either Mercy or one of her crew. But after a fruitless search, his radar picked up an incoming aircraft, and Batman glanced up and saw it was a police chopper--who were no doubt called in thanks to the antics of the helicopter in the field.

Veering off, Batman decided to call off the hunt…for now. Yet there was a clue, something that Mercy herself said about them having taken down Superman.

"Looks like I might be calling on the Man Of Steel," Batman muttered.

To Be Continued...