Araneae's anger showed, thugs got beaten; rapists got beaten nearly to death and others where lucky as they didn't even get a scratch.
She was leaving a trail though so it didn't really surprise her when she heard his husky voice, "What's changed?"
"You asking why there are criminals that are nearly dead or the ones that just have a few injuries?"
Before Araneae knew he was there, not even her spidey senses could have helped her since she was so distracted, he had grabbed her and turned her around, "You help people, you don't hurt them."
"You really think?" Araneae got out of his hold then went to the edge of the building, "At least I'm helping people and the gits won't think twice about hurting people again." She dived off the building not letting her web attach itself to a building until she almost hit the ground.
--- Bat's POV ---
Bruce at first thought there was fights between the criminals but it was soon very obvious what was going on, in the shadows of a fire escape Batman listened to the police officer asking the victim/criminal what happened.
It's a funny day when the criminal admits what he did instantly, "I was about to rape this hot chick when that Spider Girl, raneae or whatever she goes by started beating me to a pulp, she didn't even give me a chance to defend myself."
That was all he needed to hear, it was a few blocks away that he was seeing a pattern and it happened to be a trail in the direction Araneae had gone.
Sure enough at the end of the trail of broken and beaten criminals was Araneae stood looking over the city, "What's changed?"
It wasn't her answer that irked him but how she could say so nonchalantly, "You asking why there are criminals that are nearly dead or the ones that just have a few injuries?"
It was if she was proud in some way of what she had done, he was tempted to say it wasn't their decision to hurt people or even kill them but instead he grabbed her and turned her around, "You help people, you don't hurt them."
"You really think?" Araneae got out of his hold then went to the edge of the building, "At least I'm helping people and the gits won't think twice about hurting people again." She dived off the building and Batman watched her and he thought she was stupid not letting her web attach itself to a building until she almost hit the ground.
He helped the city that night and did not like the amount of criminals he found beaten up or criminals with broken limbs, yes when it is necessary hurt them but what she was doing was just for fun.
When he had got home he couldn't help but think that Araneae had changed, she wasn't completely like him at all, there was a true darkness inside of her. He was however thinking over what he had heard at Gordon's office and what happened afterwards.
--- Araneae POV ---
The thrill of the chase was something Araneae had missed when she had chased down her dad for killing her mother, now she was chasing someone who happened to get away. She grabbed him with her web then flung him backwards making him hit the wall behind her, she smiled when she heard him scream.
Turning around she bent down to the man, "Even think of raping someone again and I will kill you, got it?" However she didn't hear his answer of yes he got it, she had a sudden realisation on what she had been doing that night and the fact she had meant her words then scared her.
She felt a sudden urge to find someone and curl up in their arms and ask for guidance but it wasn't going to happen.
She didn't have a mother to do this with, nor a father and she sure as hell wasn't going to go to Peter, Joan or MJ. They would say they told her so.
Gordon?
Not quite the hugging sort but he did give good advice. Well when she was Ann he did.
She arrived in his window, seeing him no where in his office she was about to take a seat in his chair to wait for him when the door began to open. A young lad entered and placed some files on his desk, walking out he never noticed the masked vigilante on the ceiling who was cursing at the fact she was not only hurting people but she was also getting sloppy.
--- Gordon POV ---
Lieutenant Jim Gordon was tired when he entered his office, he could not believe the amount of calls made in that night about one of Gotham's vigilantes.
He sat at his desk and read the papers on it, Araneae seemed to pop in a lot of the written confessions to crimes, not because she caught them but the damage she caused to them. It was hard to think that only the previous night she was saving a baby from a burning building.
"I guess this wouldn't be a good time to ask for advice then?"
She shocked him but he tried not to show it, he turned and sure enough in the top corner of his office was sat Araneae, well sat upside down, "You're asking me for advice?"
"I hurt people tonight, letting my personal anger fuel me which caused me to hurt people and mean the threats I said. I am sorry for what I did but at the same time I am not."
Gordon sighed pinching his nose, "I should be arresting you."
She dropped to the floor and held out her arms to him, "I'm not stopping you Gordon."
He looked up when she said his name, it was obvious she knew him but still to have two vigilantes coming to him was a bit much, "I'm not going to arrest you, I should but I won't."
"Why?" If he wasn't married he would have said the little cock of her head was cute and the true confusion in her voice made her sound more innocent than she was.
"Gotham needs people like you and Batman, you slipped up one night, I hope you don't do it again because next time I may just arrest you."
He could practically feel her eyes scrutinising him from under her mask which he noted was different, it covered her whole head instead of showing hair, "You're giving me a chance?" When he nodded she sighed, "If I was you…"
"But you're not." He stood looking down slightly at Araneae who needed advice and obviously seemed to have no one else to get it from, "You asked me for advice and I will give it you, learn to control your emotions and don't let them control you. Otherwise next time we meet, you may have done exactly what you did tonight and I would have to arrest you."
She held out her hand which confused him immensely, but he took it and she shook it, "Thanks Gordon." With that she turned around and jumped out of the window over the fire escape, running to the window he saw her swinging away.
It was then he realised Araneae wasn't as injured as others would expect.
"Any time Araneae."
--- Batman POV ---
Bruce had arrived at Gordon's office and was about to drop him in some information on the mob when he heard Araneae's voice, ""I guess this wouldn't be a good time to ask for advice then?" He pressed himself against the wall listening in on the conversation inside the building.
"You're asking me for advice?" Bruce could hear the slight shock in Gordon's voice, he was obviously not expecting to get visits off both vigilantes.
"I hurt people tonight, letting my personal anger fuel me which caused me to hurt people and mean the threats I said. I am sorry for what I did but at the same time I am not." For some reason Ann popped into his head when Araneae said this, if… if Araneae was Ann then her anger may have been his fault but at the same time how could it have been Araneae.
His brain instantly began putting things together but he personally thought he didn't have enough to prove to himself that Ann was Araneae.
"I should be arresting you." Bruce went closer to the window and watched what was happening inside.
She dropped to the floor and held out her arms to Gordon, "I'm not stopping you Gordon."
"I'm not going to arrest you, I should but I won't." When Bruce heard Gordon say that he was relieved, not only because Araneae was helping not only Gotham but him as well, but because she genuinely needed to be given a chance by someone.
"Why?" Bruce was not married so when he saw her cock her head to the side he found it cute and endearing, however the hand that she placed on her hip drew his eyes to that part of her body, his thoughts began to think to when he had somewhat felt her body against his.
Bruce didn't really hear what Gordon next said, "Gotham needs people like you and Batman, you slipped up one night, I hope you don't do it again because next time I may just arrest you." But it did register in the back of his head that Gordon was indeed giving Araneae a chance.
When she spoke his eyes where drawn away from looking at every aspect of her body he could see and where drawn to her head where he noticed the mask had changed it now covered her hair as well, which was clever since someone could try and figure out who she was by her hair, especially if they found the root of the hair, ""You're giving me a chance?" When he nodded she sighed, "If I was you…"
'I would have arrested me the minute I spoke.' He felt like that was what she was going to say or at least something along those lines since her voice practically was laced with, guilt and… if he thought about it, her voice was also laced with sadness.
Then Gordon spoke, well he actually interrupted her sentence before she could say 'If I was you…' "But you're not." He stood looking down slightly at Araneae who needed advice from Gordon, "You asked me for advice and I will give it you, learn to control your emotions and don't let them control you. Otherwise next time we meet, you may have done exactly what you did tonight and I would have to arrest you."
Bruce couldn't help but think if Araneae knew how to contact Batman would she have gone to him for advice instead of Gordon?
When she held out her hand to Gordon, Bruce couldn't help but think of kids who ask their parents for advice and want some kind of contact with them, "Thanks Gordon." With that she turned around and jumped out of the window over the fire escape, Bruce smiled ever so slightly but again noticed that Araneae wasn't as hurt as she was the previous night.
"Any time Araneae."
After Gordon had turned around, Bruce waited a few minutes before making his presence known, "I have some information on the mob."
Gordon jumped, turning to him he said, "I think two visits from Gotham's vigilantes in one night is enough." Bruce smiled ever so slightly but Gordon did not notice, "You mentioned information on the mob?" Bruce passed it him and before Gordon could ask about it he was out of the window going in the direction Araneae had gone.
He found it odd that he found her on the building she was on earlier in the night, "If you need advice you don't need to go to Gordon."
"Exactly how am I meant to come to you for advice when I don't know how to get in contact with you?" She turned to him, her hands on her hips once again.
He stepped forward and he could practically feel her eyes on his every movement, "We'll have to come up with a way to contact each other." The way she had said her previous comment made him think she had wanted to go to him for advice.
Araneae stepped forward, they where now centimetres apart and Bruce could feel the heat of her body even with the suit on, "We'd only contact each other for help?" She stepped closer so their bodies where touching, it felt like a fire was spreading through his body, his hands raised up to her face and rolled up her mask to her nose.
A smile was on her lips and before he could she kissed him, it was a very heated kiss and he certainly kissed her back with as much vigour. His hands traced the outline of her body which was pressed again his, when his tongue traced her lips she almost immediately gave it entrance. A moan escaped her lips and Bruce couldn't help but love the sound, he wanted to hear it again but the kiss ended. Much too soon in his opinion mind you.
She licked her lips, then a smile lit up the part of her face he could see, "Wow." There she showed her innocence again, underneath the mask the person was innocent in some ways. "I hate to say this Batman but I have to go." She placed a light kiss on his lips, "I'll think of a way I can contact you if you do the same." He nodded then she was gone.
--- Later That Night ---
When Bruce thought back on the kiss he couldn't help but think that the kiss was similar to the kiss he had with Ann, but then Araneae had not run away like Ann had or at least she didn't act like Ann had.
--- Ann's POV ---
Ann took off the mask and made some alterations, her nose was still hidden but her chin and mouth could now be seen, Batman sure knows how to kiss… She sighed dreamily and didn't notice Peter and MJ watching her from her doorway.
She smiled, "Batman definitely more man than bat."
--- Peter POV ---
After hearing Ann say that, he went to their room and sighed, "MJ…"
"Don't Peter, Batman is a good man and would be a good man for her."
Peter sighed again, "So you think they kissed?"
MJ smiled, "Didn't you see what she did to her mask, obviously she thought the mouth area was getting in the way."
Peter groaned, "I know Batman is a good man but I can't see her with anyone but Harry."
MJ kneeled down in front of Peter who was now sat on the bed, taking his hands she said to him, "Maybe that is why she stopped talking to us because not only does it make it harder for her to move on but she knows that you only ever will see her with Harry."
"I hate to say it, but I think you're right MJ." He stood and began packing their bags, "We should leave tomorrow, that way she can decide if she wants to stay in contact with us and she can move on with her life. But if I ever find out that Batman hurt her in any way I will come back."
MJ wrapped her arms around Peter, "I wouldn't expect anything else from you Peter, you're a good friend and she knows that."
"Then why is our friendship deteriorating?"
"It's not Peter, you're both just going through some rough patches with your friendship. Even if it does seem to end, it never really will because you both will know you have true friends within each other."
Peter turned around and kissed MJ, "Since when did you become so wise?"
"I always have been, its just took you awhile to figure it out."
--- Ann's POV ---
She lay down in bed but her mind would not let her sleep, for some reason the kiss also made her think of Bruce. If she ever wanted to be with him she would have to one day tell him that she had kissed Batman and has feelings for him, otherwise she would be lying to him daily.
Bruce…
A tear fell down her face.
"Mr Wayne." She had almost forgot the argument they had, her heart began to ache once again but instead of the reason being Harry it was Bruce, "I've ruined everything."
--- Bruce POV ---
After a shower to relieve the aches and pains in his muscles, Bruce went to bed and his mind went over what happened that day.
He had possibly lost his friendship with Ann.
He had kissed Araneae.
And somehow he was beginning to think both where the same person, even with the amount of things that said otherwise, he knew there was also a lot of things that when added together made complete sense.
Was Ann, Araneae? Will Bruce finally decide to find out if she is indeed Araneae? Will Ann try and mend the things she had done that day and night?
