Author's Note: Hey guys and gals how ya been. Yes I know its been a hot minute since I posted a chapter, but FEAR NOT! I have not forgotten, I just haven't been in the mood to write, not until I finished my side projects. Essentially I had to sit down and force myself to write a chapter, so if the flow of this chapter is a bit shaky I apologize, but it is what it is. Also this chapter consists of mostly flashbacks. I did this because I wanted to add some context to certain things or events to explain why and how things are the way they are. I hope you enjoy and check back with you at the end of the chapter.

P.S: I do not own Kryptonite, or a super suit, nor do I own any DC characters from the show or in general. THX

Several Months Eariler

Blackgate Penitentuary - Gotham City

After a few hours the rain had started to let up, swiftly changing from a mild downpour to a light drizzle. This was a welcomed reprieve, especially for the 8 heavily armed GCPD officers, who waited outside, in the courtyard of Blackgate Penitentuary; a maximum security facility built just on the outskirts of Gotham. Everything about this place is shrouded in mystery, from its staff down to its residents; even what goes on inside is a mystery to those outside its walls.

Regardless of this, the facility has wide-spread support from both the city of Gotham and the state itself, which is why these officers are here, waiting. A few of the officers appeared exhausted, leaning against the the two black SUV's, while others stood around, smoking cigarette's and chatting among themselves to pass the time. Despite their calm demeanor, every officer here was both anxious and restless; this included their CO, Captain Harkness, who leaned against the grill of the first SUV, waiting.

He glanced back at his men, watching them joke and gossip, before checking his AR-15. After pulling back the slide and checking inside the chamber, he flipped the safety off then on again, finishing his inspection. As Harkness adjusted his strap and swung the weapon off to his side; less than a second later he retrieved a flask that he had hidden away under his ballistic vest. After taking a few sips he placed it back under his bailistic vest, afterwhich he took a look around the yard, more specifically at the Blackgate guards riddled throughout.

He glanced from one guard to another, taking note of how they were eyeing him and his men; to be quite honest, the way that they stared at them made him uneasy, off balanced. His brow furrowed, as he continued to watching them, that is until his earpiece started beeping; he reached up and pressed it, listening the instructions coming through. After a few seconds, he turns to he subordinates...

Capt. Harkness: "Look alive boys and girls!"

The chatty officers fell silent, quickly turning and staring at their CO who already had his weapon at the ready. The other officers followed suit, checking their weapons and flipping the safeties off just as the 10 inch thick steel gates started sliding open. Seconds after opening, an heavily armored transport van passed through and entered the courtyard. Once inside, the A.T.V backed up to a set of doors metal doors, above its frame was a sign that said Prisoner Transport Area.

After the vehicle parked, the passenger side door opened upon which the passenger, stepped out. The man, in his mid 40's, sporting a long brown trench coat and grey fedora, scanned around until he found Capt. Harkness, walking over towards him. As Harkness' men walked over to the A.T.V., Harkness himself stood in front of the man, who extended his hand out first.

Capt. Harkness: "Gordan, 'bout damn time." (Smiles briefly, before taking the extended hand and shaking.)

Gordan: "Nice to see you too Jack."

Capt. Harkness: (Nods in agreement as he retrieves his hand.) "Yeah I bet." (Glances at the A.T.V. behind Gordan briefly before returning his gaze.) "So, that's him huh?"

Gordon: (Glances over is shoulder at the armored van.) "Yep, that's him all right." (Looks back at Harkness.) "All the paperwork has been pushed through. What about-"

Capt. Harkness: "We're all set here; just waiting on the warden..."

Less than a second after, the sealed doors to the Prisoner Transfer Area open up. A man, mid to late 40's, bald sporting a cleaned-up mutton chop-do and wire-framed glasses steps out into the courtyard. Gordan looked the man up and down as he leisurely approached, taking note of how well kept the man was. The man had a badge clipped to the outside of his jacket pocket, one which had his picture and to the right of that picture a name.

?: (Gives a sinister grin, one which fades just as quickly as it forms.) "Ahh, you must be Commisioner Gordan. Such a pleasure to finally meet you face to face. Allow me to introduce myself..." (Extends a hand out towards the stern-looking Gordan.) "Strange, Dr. Hugo Strange; I'm the overseer here."

Gordan glanced down briefly at Stranges' extended hand before returning his gaze to the man himself. Despite his reservations towards this Hugo Strange fellow, he had his orders, orders to play nice with the good doctor; despite his own distaste he reluctantly took Stranges' hand and the two shook.

Gordan: (Through gritted teeth, he spoke calmly.) "Pleasure, I'm sure." (After retreiving his hand, he gives the doctor a tentative look.) "So, you're the one responsible for all of this." (His words and tone made it more of a statement than a question.)

Strange: (His right brow raises as he stares knowingly at the Comissioner.) "Why...whatever are you referring to?"

Gordan: (Puts his hands in his pants pockets, while staring at Strange; annoyed with his coyness.) "Don't play games with me Strange. I've been a cop long enough to know when I'm being played."

Strange: (A slight smirk crosses his lips.) "Mr. Gordan - - -"

Gordan: (Quickly interjects.) "Commissioner Gordan. I believe that I've earned the rank and respect that comes with it."

Strange: (His upper lip twitched slightly to the right.) "My apologizes...Commissioner Gordan, I assure you that there is nothing foul going on here, nor am I playing any sort of game. I'm merely doing my part to insure justice is truly served; especially to those deemed criminally insane by law enforcement and...vigilantes alike. For the sake of Gotham City, of course."

Gordan: (Gives a knowing smirk.) "Right." (Leans in closer, towards the doctor.) "Is that how you convinced the City Council, Judge Keaton and Mayor West to authorize a transfer of one of the most dangerous criminals in all of Gotham, to your facility?"

Strange: (Gives a sinister smirk before walking up beside Gordan.) "On the contrary; I merely professed that my facility would be better suited for dealing with the likes of Gotham's so-called "Super Criminals" and they agreed wholeheartedly." (Turns back and walks over to the A.T.V.; he stops and glances over at said van.) "So Commissioner...if you are done with your interrogation..." (Turns to his side and glances sideways at Gordan and Capt. Harkness.) "Shall we begin..."

Present Day

DEO HQ

Kara's eyes twitched every few seconds as she continued to lay there, as she continued to dream. She dreamt of Mon-El, laying next to her in her bed, smiling that perfect smile; from there it only grew worse, more terrifying when saw a hedious, monstrous creature towering over her. When she tried to speak, she found herself mute and when she tried to move she found herself seemingly frozen by terror, by fear. All she could do is watch as the creature reared back its massive claw-like hands and swipe at her.

It was then that her eyes fluttered open and for the first few seconds, everything seemed blurry, out of focus. After closing her eyes and opening them once more, everything seemed to clear. She looked around, confused, wondering why she was in the medical bay of the DEO. Slowly she sat up, swinging her legs over and letting them hang off the side of the bed. Her head was pounding, while a numbing pain ran up and down her left side. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and released it; when she opened her eyes again she looked up from the ground and saw something unexpected laying in the bed next to her.

Kara: "James!" (She quickly stood up, only to find that the sudden movement caused the pain to change, from numbing to sharp. This caused her to yelp out, just as a familiar face walked in.)

Alex: "Kara!" (She quickly rushed over to her sister, holding the Girl of Steel by both shoulders.) "Whoa, whoa easy there Kara, take it easy." (Kara slowly sat back down on the bed, while Alex stood in front of her, looking concerned but estatic at the same time.) "You shouldn't move around too much, especially since you're still recovering from that fight with Croc."

Kara: (She looked away as she slowly remembered.) "Croc?" (Everything came rushing back to her at once and once more she grew frantic.) "Mon-El, J'onn, are they-"

Alex: (Places a hand on her shoulder once more.) "They're fine. Aside from a few bumps and bruises they're fine."

Kara: (Their was still fear and pain in her eyes, especially when she looked over at James once again.) "What about James? Is he..." (She couldn't bring herself to finish asking what she wanted.)

Alex: (Kara's gaze stays fixed on James, as he lays in the bed; bandaged and unconcious.) "He took quite a beating, but he'll recover. He'll be fine Kara."

Kara didn't realize that she had been holding her breath, waiting for a hopeful answer until she slowly released it. She was grateful, but also upset at the same time; this was the reason why she wanted James to stop being the Guardian, out of fear of something like this happening to him and now that fear became a reality. After taking another breath, she pushed aside the conflicting emotions and re-focused her attention back on the mission at hand.

Alex: (She looks at her sister, more specifically, the look of determination plastered all over her face.) "Don't even think about it sis'."

Kara: (Looks up at Alex coy-ly.) "What?"

Alex: "Don't "what" me, I know that look."

Kara: (Slowly gets to her feet.) "Croc or Jones or...whoever he is needs to be stopped otherwise he'll just keep attacking and killing people. I can't let that happen, I won't. I-we need to stop him."

Alex: (Crosses her arms in front of her chest as she stares down a clearly anixous Kara.) "And how exactly are you going to do that with 3 broken ribs and a concussion? Kara...whatever Cadmus did to him made him strong enough to take out Mon-El, J'onn, James and you; all at once. We can't go rushing in head first we...we need a plan."

Kara: (She glances away, her gaze drifting back over to James which only seemed to filled her with a mixture of sadness and rage. After a brief moment, she looks back at her protective sister.) "So, what do you suggest we do? Wait?"

Alex: (She lets out a soft sigh as she takes a seat next to her sister.) "For now yes. Until you and the others are fully recovered. In the meantime Maggie has most of Special Crimes out looking for Croc and Winn's coordinating everything from here. J'onn is also interviewing Lena, seeing if she knows-

Kara: (She turns and shoots a confused look at Alex.) "Lena? What does she have to do with this?"

Alex: "L-Corp was attacked, shortly after we brought you and the others in. It was Croc." (Seeing Kara's eyes widen, full of fear she quickly placed her hands on Kara's shoulders.) "She's fine I promise..." (She could see Kara take a few deep breath's as she slowly calmed down. Her eyes dart to the bed behind her.) "Thanks to him."

Kara's faced scrunched up as she slowly turned and looked behind her; once more her eyes widened, not expecting to see Batman laying there.

Kara: (Quickly jerks back around, which aggravated the already numbing pain that she was fighting through. She ignored it as she once more shot a confused look at her sister.) *whispers* "What-how..."

Alex: (She grinned while watching Kara flustering, trying to form a cohesive question.) "Its a long story..."

2 hours earlier

Most of the agents still had their guns drawn, as they stood there, dumbfounded as they stared at the urban myth himself, Batman; laying unconcious on the floor of the DEO, while senior agent Alex Danvers stood there staring, phone still pressed against her ear.

Alex: "Uhh babe, I gotta call you back."

Upon ending her call she quickly rushed over to the Dark Knight while sliding the phone in her back pocket. She kneeled on the other side from Lena Luthor, who was also kneeling over him. Winn stood in front of the crowd of agents that had gathered, looking just as stunned and amazed. Alex cautiously placed one hand on his arm, the other on his neck; unable to check his pulse properly, she hovered her hand in front of his face, feeling faint, warm breathes against her skin.

Alex: (Glances at Lena.) "He's alive." (Turns her gaze from Lena over to Winn.) "Winn, a little help." (She looked away momentarily to focus on Batman. When the tech agent didn't answer, she glanced back up, only to see the young agent standing there, still staring at the barely moving Dark Knight.) "Agent Schott!" (Her tone was stern, commanding.)

Winn: (Her words snapped him from his thoughts, as he looked over at her.) "Yes-um wha-what?" (Still in shock, he could barely find the words, much less form a cohesive sentence. Alex raises her brows and subtly jerks her head towards Batman; a subtle, silent command, for assistance.) "Yeah-yeah I got you-or him I mean."

Winn rushed over, kneeling on the opposite side of Alex, afterwhich the two each hoisted Batman's arms behind their necks.

Alex: (Looks over at Winn, who in turn looks back.) "On 3. 1, 2...3."

The two let out a straining grunt as they lifted the Dark Knight off the floor, while the rest of the DEO watched on in uncertainty and awe. Agent Vasquez stood among the other lost and confused agents, however; she managed to put aside the confusion as she holstered her weapon and turned to the group.

Agent Vasquez: "Alright people, make some room; c'mon make a hole!" (The authority laced in her voice snapped the curious agents from their dumbfounded trance; following the senior agents' order. She turned to Alex giving her a subtle nod and recieving one in return.)

The group split apart, making a path for Alex, Winn and their two guests; as Alex and Winn moved through with Lena in tow, Agent Vasquez stayed behind, trying to get things back under control.

Agent Vasquez: (Some of the agents turned around, still looking a bit confused as to what's going.) "What're you all standing around for? We still got a Croc to catch so let's move people!" (With that the group slowly disbanded, going back to their duties that they were doing before.)

Alex and Winn turned the corner, heading down the hall towards medical, but paused just ouside when J'onn exited into the hall. Despite the injuries that he suffered barely an hour earilier, he looked mostly well, aside from a few bruises and cuts that have yet to heal. He stood there, taking in the scene of Alex and Winn literally holding up Batman while Lena Luthor stood anixously behind them.

J'onn: (His brows knitted together as his gaze shifted from Batman to Alex; quickly jerking his head towards the room that he just left.) "Inside, quickly."

Without hesitation Alex and Winn dragged Batman inside and with the help of J'onn, holsted him up and onto the medical table. Lena followed them inside and stood beside Winn.

Lena: (Looks at Batman intensely, before looking at Alex and J'onn, who stood side by side across from her.) "What can I do?"

J'onn: "Ms Luthor-"

Lena: "Don't even start. He saved my life, so now its my turn to save his so..." (Her intense gaze shifts from J'onn to Alex.) "What can I do?"

Alex: (Turns to J'onn, giving him a we-could-use-the-help look. After a quick second to think it over, J'onn glances back at Alex and gives her a knowing nod; she in turn nods back and flashes a brief smile, before turning back to Lena.) "I need you to help me check for vitals; think you can do that.?"

Lena: (She supresses a grin as she gives a confident answer.) "Of course."

Alex: (The senior agent turned her attention towards Winn.) "Agent Schott, I need you to remove his mask so we can check for cranial trauma or swelling."

Winn: "Uh technically its a cowl so-" (Alex looked up, shooting a look at him that quickly made him regret correcting her.) "Uh yeah no, nevermind.

J'onn: (He remained an silent observer for the most part while the others worked. But there was something knagging at him, something that he couldn't put his finger on, not until he saw Winn's hands touch the cowl.) "Careful!"

Alex and Lena looked up in time to see the sparks shoot off the cowl and watched Winn recieve a sudden and powerful jolt which caused him to quickly reel his hands back.

Winn: (Shook his hands back and forth before clenching them tightly as he took a few breathes."YAOWWW, ow, ow, ow son of a...what the hell was that?"

Lena: (She studied the cowl closely before making her assumption known.) "He must have some sort of security measure in place to keep anyone from removing it. Impressive."

Alex: "More like paranoid."

Winn: (He scanned the cowl closely, during which he noticed the reflective lens on the left eye was missing a piece; enough to see the Batman's eyelid twitch slightly.) "Hey guys," (He raised his hand, placing it a few inches from the cowl.) "I think he's sleeping."

Suddenly, either out of reflex or instinct, Batman quickly grabs Winn's hands, slowly squeezing it tighter and tighter. Once more everyone turned, bewildered, just as Winn slowly started hunching forward.

Winn: (Pain washed over his face, as Batman's grip continues to tighten.) "Nope, definitely not sleeping." (A crackling sound eminated from his hand, causing him to groan out from the increasing pain.) "Holy Kung-Fu grip, this guys' strong. Seriously guy's...a little help. Please."

Now

Conference Room

Exhausted and still a bit un-nerved, Lena sits alone, staring at her hands, which were shaking slightly; she clenched them tightly, making a fist and held it for a few seconds before releasing. The shakiness slowly started to wane, afterwards she laid them flat, palms down on the glass table. She had tried to focus on the here and now, trying to convince herself that she was safe, that she could relax even just a little bit.

But the questions and thoughts that swarmed her mind kept shifting her focus, which only made her uneasy. She closed her eyes, and takes a deep breath in, only to slowly release it a few seconds later. Suddenly, the door opens, snapping her from her thoughts and back to reality; she turned to see the man from before, J'onn, walking towards her, a glass of water in his hand.

J'onn: (He walks over and sets the glass down in front of Lena, who glances up at him. He gives her a placent smile.) "Here, I thought you might be thirsty."

Lena: (Gives a small smile as she takes the glass in hand.) "Thank you, Mr. J'onzz is it?"

J'onn: (He gave a subtle nod before making his way over to the seat across the table from hers.) "J'onn J'onzz, yes. But you can call me J'onn." (He pulls out the he chair and takes a seat.)

Lena nods and gives a small smile back before she takes a few small sips of water; afterwards she set it aside, then suddenly out of nowhere a single thought crepted to the forefront of her mind...

Lena: "How is he...Batman I mean?" (She didn't ask strictly out of curiousity, but also a sense of genuine concern. After all, he did save her from a giant crocodile man; it seemed only appropriate to ask how he was doing.)

J'onn: (He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table and clasping his hands together.) "He's resting now, but knowing him; he'll be up and around before too long. He's too stubborn to stay down. Not long anyway." (He lets a smirk slip.)

Lena: (She shares a smile with J'onn, before letting out a small chuckle.) "He sounds like an extraordinary individual, but also; quite a handful."

J'onn: (He finds himself smirking once more while nodding in agreement.) "You have no idea."

Once more the two share a chuckle, one which quickly gave way to a long silence. J'onn stared at her and her at him, both knowing full well what was coming next.

J'onn: "I know that your exhausted and maybe a bit shaken from what happened, but I need to ask you some questions; about what happened at L-Corp." (His tone was soft, and steady; sounding almost like a father comforting a child after having a nightmare.)

Lena: (She takes in a deep breath as she glances down at her hands once more. Her skin tingles just thinking about what happened, but she knew it was necessary and was willing to help in anyway she could.) "I understand J'onn, but...I don't know how much help I'll be. To be honest I was scared out of my mind through most of it." (She gave a fake chuckle, in the hopes that it would help calm her; it didn't.)

J'onn: "I don't doubt it, but whatever you can remember could help us find him; you are safe here Ms. Luthor, I promise." (His tone was still soft and steady as he tried to get her to open up, to relax even.)

Lena: (Once more she felt herself waning as she stared at J'onn who stared back, ready to absorb what she was willing to tell. After thinking it over for a quick moment, she let's out sigh and gives a nod.) "Where do I start?"

J'onn: (He slowly leans back in his chair, taking note of how quickly her demeanor had changed.) "Let's start from the beginning..."

L-Corp: A few hours earlier

Unrelenting terror, overwhelming fear. This is what Lena was feeling as she stared up at the monstrous creature towering over her, watching in fright as it snarled at her through curved-yellow teeth. Her breathing grew more labored the more she stared at the creature, but; when her eyes drifted upward, meeting its murderous gaze, she felt an icey chill shoot up and down her spine. She desperately wanted to look away, to flee, but found herself unable; was it its hypnotic glance or was it the paralyzing fear that encumbered her...perhaps a bit of both.

Meanwhile, Croc stood there, sneering at the helpless prey before him, relishing in the fear eminating from her. She is what he was looking for, she would lead him to them; he was sure of it. Wasting little time he took a step forward, which caused the near-helpless, cowering woman before him to stumble backwards. She frantically tried pushing herself away, her hands and feet skidding and squeaking across the tiled floor.

Lena quickly found her back literally up against a wall and the creature closing the gap between them. She looked around, desperate to find something, anything to defend herself with; unfortunately it was too late. Croc was already on her, inching his jowls closer and closer to her face while she quickly turned her head away and clenched her eyes shut. His nostrils flared mere inches from her cheek, as he sniffed the air around her, familiarizing himself with her scent.

Meanwhile, it took every effort and every reflex not to gag as she felt his warm, putrid breath against the side of her face. All she could do was sit there, still while he continued sniffing her; the scientist in her figured that this was a show of force, of dominance to instill fear in its prey, its prey being her. And it was working. Inspite of this, and the fact that any other rational person would simply remain still, either out of fear or what have you; she summoned every ounce of strength she had left within to ask...

Lena: "Who, are you?" (Her question towards the creature recieved a quick response, one in the form of a gutteral growl which caused her to flinch. And yet, she continued with her query.) "Why are you here? What do you want?" (Each word was drawn out under shaky, trembling breath.)

Croc: "What do I want?" (His tone suggested that he was furious, either at the question or the recipent who asked it. In reality, it was both.) "I Want Cadddmuussssss..."

Upon hearing that name, Lena's eyes slowly open and for a moment, the fear dwindled albeit only slightly. She turned, giving Croc a quizical look.

Lena: "Cadmus?" (She mumbled.) "This has to do with..." (Her voice trailed off, as her mind began to ponder what Cadmus and her mother were up to now and how she was involved. For now, her attention quickly returned to the creature, who continued to stare her down.) "Look, my mother works for Cadmus, not me. I have nothing to do with this-"

Before she could finish her explaination, Croc formed a fist and drove it through the wall behind her; this caused Lena to once again turn her head and shut her eyes. Croc was growing more impatient by the second...

Croc: "STOP LYING TO ME!" (He violently pulled his fist out of the wall, bringing with it dust and bits of concrete and the like. Lena kept her head turned and her eyes shut, which only infuriated him more.) "LOOK AT ME!"

With no other choice left, she slowly turned her head and opened her eyes to the the creature's rage building behind his eyes.

Croc: "Your mother and Cadmus did this to me; made me into thisss. Worse than a freak, they turned me into a monster." (His words were ful of anger, of pain, but suddenly it all became clear to Lena.) "They will fix me. Or else..."

Lena: (Before she could stop herself from blurting it out, it was already to late.) "Or else...what?"

Croc: (He leaned in close, his eyes peering into hers with deadly intent.) "Or else...I'll tear the flesh from your bones with my teeth..."

Lena: (She gulped hard at the less-than-veiled threat.) "Listen please...I don't work for Cadmus and I don't know where they are I swear. Please you have to believe me."

Croc: (As he stared at her, more intently than ever before, he lets out a gutteral growl. His had finally reached his limit.) "If that's true...then I have no use for you."

He reared his right hand back, unclenching his fist to reveal the razor-like talons pretruding from his fingertips. Lena's eyes drifted up towards his hand. a mixture of horror and sadness streaking across her face. She knew this was it, that this was the end and yet she still hoped, prayed that someone, anyone would save her as she shut her eyes one last time. Every muscle in her body tensed up, her pulse and heart pounding away, and she waited...and waited, but the end never came.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, only to see the monstrous creature, who just a few seconds ago was going to literally tear her apart, standing there. She noted how his head was tilted back, and how he looked like a wild animal as he sniffed the air around him. He quickly looked left then right, then behind him; something had his full undivided attention and for now, Lena was grateful that his attention wasn't on her.

Croc: (His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air once more.) "I know you're here...you can't stop me, not this time, hero."

When Lena heard that word, Hero, she felt relief rush over her and a small smile slowly formed on her lips.

Lena: "Supergirl...its about damn time." (Her tone sounded confident, relieved and happy all at once, as she continued to smile.)

Croc: (He turned his head, giving Lena a deathly pointed look, one which made her drop the smile.) "No, not Supergirl..." (He looked away, but not before catching Lena giving him a questioning look.) "Its something...worse."

His eyes darted back and forth, scanning every corner, every wall, every inch of the lobby. With his back turned, Lena saw this as an opportunity, her chance to sneak away.

Croc: "If you run and I'll tear out your spine before youeven make it to the door." (His not so idle threat stopped her dead in her tracks.)

When she looked up at him, watching him slowly turn his head to the side, just enough for him to send a deadly glare her way. In the back of her mind, she was pretty sure that he wanted her to run, just so he'd have a reason to chase her down and make good on his threat. This thought sent another cold chill down her spine, all the while using every ounce of strength she had to keep herself calm and collected. Suddenly, he heard something; a slicing sound piercing through the air, growing louder and louder until...

Croc: (He quickly turned around just in time to catch two batarangs with his left hand, mere inches from his face. As he glanced down at the devices, sneering at them arrogantly, before returning his gaze to the lobby.) "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice..." (With his tremondous strength, he easily crushed the batarangs, upon which they suddenly exploded, spurting forth a cloud of mysterious green mist. As the mist touched his face, eyes etc. he immediately dropped the pieces and grasped his face.) "GAHHHAAHH!"

He reared his head back, letting out a bloodthirsty roar, all the while thrashing about blindly as his eyes started burning from the green mist. Lena couldn't help but sit there, watching as he flailed about, striking and destroying everything within reach. Then, suddenly, she realized that this was her chance, perhaps her only chance at escape. She turns, looking in the direction of the lobby door, before returning her gaze back to Croc who continued shouting and thrashing around.

Once on her feet, she slowly inched her way to the right; her eyes darting back and forth from the exit to Croc, who had started swinging his tail wildly through the air. Confident that there was enough distance between them, Lena turned in the direction of the exit, only find herself face to face with someone she never expected, the Batman.

Lena: "You're-you're real..." (Her words were drawn out, full of disbelief, perhaps even shock.)

Suddenly, without warning, he grabbed her by shoulders and pulled her towards him, before leaping out of the way; mere seconds before Croc slammed down his massive tail, right where she was standing a few seconds ago.

Batman: (He glanced over, to see Croc still flailing and thrashing about, blind as a bat, though only momentarily. Next, he looked back at Lena, speaking with a demanding tone.) "We need to move; now!"

Without another word, he quickly got to his feet, helping Lena up at the same time; once on their feet, he grabbed her wrist, quickly leading her away from the Croc. Lena was still wrapping her head around the giant crocodile tearing through her building and now, she was being lead by none other that a living myth. It was overwhelming, trying to process everything, for most it would be too much, but if any one could, it would be Lena.

But she quickly pushed all the confusion aside when she noticed that he was leading her towards the stairwell door instead of the lobby entrance. Once they arrived at said door, she finally gave the confusion that had been flooding her was finally given a voice...-

Lena: "The stairs? The exit is that way." (Her words, though expressing her confusion, seemed to be lined with a hint of frustration. Which the Dark Knight no doubt picked up on.)

Batman: (After opening the door, he turned to her.) "For one, we can't risk him following us outside and tearing the streets of National City apart trying to get to you. Innocent civilians could get hurt or worse. And two, there's something in your office that I need to stop him." (He paused for a micro-second before adding...) "Any other questions?"

Lena: (She shot him a slightly annoyed looked, before realizing that arguing with this...man, would get her nowhere. So, for the moment, she would cooperate...seeing as how he did save her, at least for now.) "Fine, but the elevator will be quicker. The generators are still online so they should still be working," (She turned towards the elevator doors, which were a few short steps to the right.)

She stepped in front of the doors, rapidly tapping the button to her right. Suddenly, once again, just as the doors slide open, she finds herself being pulled away by Batman, mere seconds before Croc barrel's into the elevator. The combined force of the impact and Croc's own exceeding weight caused the cables above to snap, sending the elevator and Croc inside, plummeting down the shaft to the parking level below.

Lena: (After releasing her for a second time, she glances down the shaft at the twisted and distorted elevator below.) "Okay, nevermind." (She huffed as she continued staring down the shaft until...)

Batman cleared his throat, catching her attention before grabbing her wrist once more, where he ushered her into the stairwell seconds later. After closing the door behind him, he turned around and walked over to her, where without warning, he quickly scooped her up in one arm.

As she felt his arm loop around her back, pulling her closer to him, her body started reacting accordingly. Her stomach felt like it was in knots, her pulse pacing faster than she ever thought it could; her skin tingled, in a good way she thought, as she stared up at The Dark Knight curiously. She gulped hard as her eyes drifted, taking note of every detail, from the texture of his cowl to the stubbles of his 5 o'clock shadow. Eventually, her eyes return to his reflective gaze, where she promptly snapped out of whatever trance she was in.

Lena: *clears throat* "Umm, what do you think your doing?"

Batman: "Hold on tight."

Less than a second later, Batman reached behind his back and pulled out his grapnel gun, aiming directly above them. Before she form a sentence, he had already squeezed the trigger, firing the claw straight up with a cable in tow, where it wrapped itself around the railing on the top floor. Seeing where this was going, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, gripping him tightly as they were pulled upward at near blinding speeds.

Within seconds they had already passed the 10th floor and her grip around his neck continued to tighten, yet he seemed unfazed by this as. Unlike the Dark Knight, Lena had clinched her eyes shut during this extreme flight, trying her best not to yelp or scream as he carried her upward, to the top floor. When they reached the top, he released his hold on her and she slowly released hers on him.

After a brief moment to collect herself and regain some semblance of her composure, she opened her eyes and took a slow, deep breath.

Lena: (She took a quick glance around, before returning her gaze to Batman. After clearing her throat she started pressing her business shirt in an feeble attempt to hide how flustered she really was.) "That was...exciting." (She said, flashing a brief smile.)

She reached out for the door, but stopped cold when she heard a blood-curdling roar eminating from below. Both her and Batman quickly looked over the railing, down the stairwell; that is when Lena noticed several small devices magnetized to the sides of the stairs themselves. From what she could determine, there were at least 7 of these devices, all flashing red LED's in unison. Even though her eyes were shut during her flight up, she knew that only Batman could have placed them there, but for what purpose? And perhaps a more important question was... what exactly do they do?

Before she could ponder on these questions, Batman quickly pulled open the door and hustled her into the hallway, before quickly following. Just as they entered the hallway, Croc ripped and tore the steel door off its hinges, tossing it aside before manuevering through the doorway and into the stairwell. Though the burning sensation from the green mist had nearly faded completely, his vision had yet to fully clear, as everything he sees was a blur, but he had other, more heightened senses that he could rely on.

He began sniffing the air, where after a few seconds he caught a familiar scent; two in fact.

Meanwhile, in the hallway...

Lena: (She stood there, trying to conceal the fear that once again bubbled to the surface; she looks at the Dark Knight standing in front of her.) "I hope you have another plan for that...thing." (Croc lets out another bloodthirsty roar, quickly followed by a bellowing threat.) "You can run, but you can't hide ! I have you're scent's!"

Batman: (He looked away from the door, at the same time that Lena did and their gazes met. Behind her eyes, he saw confusion, ire and fear. He however remained calm, because he always has his contengicy plans.) "Always..."

In the stairwell...

After rubbing his eyes for a few seconds, his vision started to clear; that is when he noticed the small devices, the red LED's blinking faster and faster until the turned from red to green. At which point the devices detonated, exploding in unison with just enough force to blow apart the supports, causing the steel stairs and bits of debris that followed, crashing down towards Croc.

Croc: (A disdained, irritated look forms across his face.) "Son of a b- "

Before he could finish, he became buried under a few tons of steel and debris.

Back in the hallway...

Batman: (Her gaze quickly changed, from fearful to questioning as they shifted from him, to the door then back to him. Her lips started to move, but before she could speak Batman interjected.) "That will slow him down but not for long, we need to get to your office, now!" (His tone was stern, yet calm as he stared at her waiting for a reponse.)

After a quick glance at the door, and a brief moment of wondering what kind of damage laid beyond and if her insurance would cover it. and gives him a simple nod before leading him to her office door.

Lena: (She jerked her head to the right, signaling for him to follow her.) "My office is through here." (The two made their way to her office door, where she immediately turned the handle and pushed it open.)

(Once inside she walked to the middle of the room before turning back around, in time to see Batman shut the door and lock it.) Yeah, right...like that will stop that thing from busting in here. (She thought.)

"Well, what now?" (Without a word, he brushes past her and heads over to her desk, afterwhich he slides the chair out of the way. Meanwhile, Lena takes a few steps towards him; confusion and frustration brewing within.) "What the hell are you doing now?"

Without a word, he placed his hand underneath the desk where he slowly slid his fingers across until he found it. Hidden from view and prying eyes, was a single switch one which he flipped without hesitation. In turn, the wall to his right popped forward before sliding to the left, revealing a previously hidden steel door. He turned to her, and she in turn gave him a stunned look.

Lena: "How did you know about-" (The words quickly became lost as she walked over to the steel door. She stared at it for a few seconds before turning back to the Dark Knight.) "Who the hell are you?"

Batman: (He walked around the table and stood in front of her, trying his best to hold back a grin.) "I need your Genetic Resonance Scanner."

Lena: (Her brow raised as she stood there, confused staring at the Dark Knight.) "How did you..." (She quickly threw away that question, when she remembered who she was talking to.) "Nevermind. Look, that device was built to determine who is an alien and who is a human its not a weapon."

Batman: (He took a step forward.) "Not yet."

She stood there, giving him a quizical look, but before she could ask or even ponder what he meant by that; a loud blood-curdling roar echoed from outside the room, catching both their attention.

Lena: (She quickly looks back at him and he at her.) "Okay listen, I'll get you the scanner, but under two conditions."

Batman: (He tilts his head slightly to the left, while under the cowl he sports a dis-sheveled look.) "Now is not the time for negotiations."

Lena: (She stood her ground, refusing to budge until she said what she needed to.) "One, you answer all my questions, starting with why the hell Killer Croc is here in National City tearing my building apart looking for me and why he's looking for Cadmus."

Batman: (Once more their attention was diverted towards the door, where the sound of heavy footsteps echoed on the other end.) "And the second?" (He looked back, meeting her gaze once more.)

Lena: "You let me help. If Cadmus is invovled then that means my mother is behind whatever is going on and whatever it is, I plan on stopping her, with or without your help."

Batman: (His jaw muscle clenched tightly as he lets out an annoyed sigh. And yet, he was somewhat impressed by her abrasivness.) "Anything else?"

Lena: "Well, you getting me out of here and away from him should go without saying..."

Batman: (The footsteps grew louder as Croc drew closer and closer. Out of time, he made his decision.) "Deal. Now, if you would please..." (He gestured towards the door.)

Lena: (With that she quickly went to work, placing her hand on the palm scanner that was fixed in the center.) *mumbling* "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon..." (A few seconds later the screen went green and the door became ajared.) "Yes."

She opened the door fully and entered the room, while Batman took a defensive stance in the middle of the room, waiting. The room within was a high-tech workshop, one which held every single piece of tech that she had created since coming to National City. She rushed from one side of the room to the other, frantically trying to find where the device could be.

Eventually she found it and quickly placed it in her pants pocket before exiting the room.

Lena: "I got it!"

His eyes remained fixed on the door, turned around to see her staring at him, while he looked down at the device in her hands.

Batman: (His eyes remained fixed on the door, never leaving it for one second.) "Good, 'cause we-"

Suddenly the floor beneath him splintered druing which a giant scaled fist spranged forth, connecting with his chest and sending him flying, crashing into the wall, before plummeting to the floor. Lena watched in horror as Batman kneeled there, coughing up spoltches of blood. As Batman struggled to get to his feet, Croc began breaking through the rest of the floor. Despite his injuries, he managed to get to his feet, during which Lena rushed over to his side, helping him stand.

Batman: (As blood dripped from his mouth, he spoke in a gritty, pain-filled tone.) " When you see an opening, run and get as far away as you can. Find Detective Maggie Sawyer, Special Crimes NCPD. She can protect you." (His eyes were fixed on Croc, who started pushing himself up through the floor. Meanwhile, Batman reached behind him and retrieved a device from his ultility belt.)

Lena: (She glanced at Croc, who slowly inched his way out of the floor, only to look back at Batman.) "Wait, what about you?"

Batman: (Without missing a beat, he replied quickly and in a determined tone.) "I'll buy as much time as I can."

Author's epilogue: I don't know if I spelled epilogue right, aw well. Anyways I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and FYI I think I'm going to finish this story in the next chapter or the next; no more than 2. Also I know this chapter was a bit shorter than the others again I haven't felt like writing, but I promise that I will finish this story. And with that let me know what you think about the story so far and what you would like to see in future chapters. Thank you for the follows and favorites, I appreciate it, THX. L8R.