Author's Note: Realized as I was posting the new chapters that the old ones were missing line breaks that make the narrative easier to read. They were present in the original word documents but apparently don't appear on this site. These have been fixed, along with a couple of misspellings, and the chapters reposted.

Chapter 8

Bruce and Selena stared at each other.

"How? How can they know?" Selina asked, her voice shaky.

"I-I don't know. They can't know." Bruce replied, his own voice lacking his usual confidence.

"Maybe it's a coincidence?" Selena suggested.

"Perhaps. But I'm not taking any chances," Bruce answered. He pressed a button on the console. "McGinnis, get out of there."

"But I haven't gotten the-"

"That's not important. The mission's been compromised. Get out of there!" Bruce demanded.

"Got it," Terry replied.


It took Terry some time, but he methodically worked his way through the vents and headed back to the room where he'd gotten in. He remained silent as he did so, noticing as he travelled that it sounded as though there were more guards than there had been before. At last he reached the room. Thankfully, there were no guards, but he could hear them prowling in the hall just past the door. Quickly, quietly, he went to the window and started to open it…

…and stopped when he saw what was outside.

Moving on silent feet, he rushed back to the air duct and slipped back into the ventilation system.

"Wayne? Are you there?" he asked over the com, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

"What is it, McGinnis? Are you out?"

"No good. The guards outside are facing the building with their weapons," Terry said in a harsh whisper, "They know I'm in here!"


Bruce growled in frustration, as he muted the mic.

"How?! How do they know?!" he shouted, slamming his fist on the console.

"Bruce, calm down," Selina said, "We need to think of a way to get Terry out of there."

"You heard him. There isn't a way out. The cloaking on the suit won't last long enough for him to walk out and they'll see the thrusters if he tries to use them."

Selina was silent for a moment, thinking.

"Have him complete the mission," she finally said.

"What? Forget the mission! What's important now is-"

"He can use it as a bargaining chip, Bruce. The nuclear material. They won't dare shoot him so long as he has it." Selina explained. "Besides, all we know right now is that they know he's in there. They don't necessarily know exactly where he is."

Bruce stared at his former lover for a moment, then finally turned towards the console.


Terry had been sitting in an uncomfortable silent for only a few minutes (that felt like hours) when Bruce finally called over the com, "McGinnis, do you hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you."

"Okay, we have a plan to try to get you out of there. You're going to check the rooms where the nuclear material could be stored one-by-one. Once you find it, you need to obtain it at all costs." Bruce explained.

"You sure about this, Wayne?"

"Once you have the material, you can use it as a bargaining chip to get out of there."

Terry frowned. This whole thing was sounding like a repeat of what had happened 27 years ago. It definitely sounded like Selina's plan. He thought back to everything Selina and Bruce had told him about that mission. He thought of guns and falls, injuries and possible death, the toll on his brother and mother. They would take it hard, especially after what had happened to his father. So would Dana and Max. Then he began thinking of what would happen to them if he was caught and slow anger began to burn in the pit of his stomach. He thought of a woman losing her ability to walk, thought of a baby never getting to know her mother, thought of an kind old woman murdered in her own apartment…the simmering anger grew to a boiling rage. All his fear was gone. Those men who had caused those atrocities…they were all around him right now. He could rush out of any vent and start throwing punches. They would all deserve it. These were monsters who would attack innocent women and children. He could start taking them out right now…

Terry forced himself to take a breath. That was the old Terry's way of thinking. Get in a fight, think of the consequences later. He needed to be smarter about this. Especially this. If he was caught, his family would pay the consequences. He took another deep breath, forcing that boiling rage to become a cool anger he could make malleable. Use your anger as a weapon. Don't let it use you. Mr. Wayne had told him that many times—so many times- when he'd first taken on the mantle. Okay. He had to do this carefully. Methodically. Be absolutely certain not to get caught.

Until he got the canister of nuclear material. Then all hell was breaking loose on these guys. Screw the bargaining chip.

"Alright," Terry said into the com link. "Tell me where to go."


"You'll stay on the floor you're on now. Go straight, then turn left, then take the first right. The second shaft is where you'll want to go," Bruce directed.

"Got it," came Terry's reply. Bruce muted the mic then looked over at Selina. His gaze was hard and penetrating.

"Relax, Bruce. This kid's gotten a lot better in the last week. And that suit gives him a lot of possibilities I didn't have," she said, calmly. Bruce didn't believe the words, not really. He didn't think Selina truly did either. But they were her way of trying to make him feel better about a situation he couldn't make any better, so he didn't try to argue them. Instead he silently waited for Terry's report.

"Um…guys? Bad news. That room was full of guards too." Terry's voice carried around the cave.

"Any sign of the canister?" Bruce asked.

"Not that I could see." Terry answered. "I didn't get a very good look though. They were all watching the air vent again. It's like they know my next move before I make it."

Bruce let out a heavy sigh. This was turning into the situation from before. And there was no way he could see to get his protégé out of it.

"Let's try the next room, Bruce. The one on the first floor," Selina prompted. "You only have there or the basement left, right?"

Yes…," Bruce agreed, giving her another hard look. "McGinnis, keep heading forward. When you reach the main vertical shaft, head down one floor."

"Right. On my way," came the reply.

After a couple of minutes, Terry's voice came back over the com.

"Okay, where to, Mr. Wayne?"

"Pick a room." Bruce replied.

"What?"

"What?" Selina's and Terry's surprised reactions came at about the same time. "Bruce, what are you doing?"

Bruce gave her another cold look.

"Testing something," he answered. To the com he said, "Pick a room, McGinnis."

"Oookay," Terry replied, uncertain.

A few moments of silence followed, before Terry came back on the com, "Alright, the room's clear. I'm in, but there's nothing here."

"Exactly," Bruce stated, turning to Selina. A cold rage filled his eyes.

"I knew you were bitter about what happened. And whatever hatred you may have for me, I deserve it. But that boy does not!" he shouted, pointing at the console. Selina stared at him in shock.

"Excuse me?" she said in incredulous shock.

"I never thought you would stoop so low…" Bruce continued. Selina's green eyes flashed with anger.

"You think I did this? Have you lost your mind?!" she nearly screamed at him.

"How else do they know his every move? Every step of the plan…unless I suddenly change it!" Bruce hollered back.

"How dare you!" Selina's hands gripped the arms of the chair and she looked as though she was about to leap out it.

"You have plenty of motive."

"Oh! And I suppose I did this to myself 27 years ago!" Selina gestured at her legs. "Never did figure out how Tiger's Claw found me then, huh, Bruce?"

"That-"

"After everything I lost to help you, you dare accuse me-"

"Um…guys…?"

"I have no idea how Tiger's Claw found out about the plan 27 years ago. But it wouldn't surprise me if some deal went south for you."

"You think I would ever help these murdering lunatics, you're crazy!"

"Mr. Wayne…you didn't mute the mic…"

"And now Terry's the one paying the price for it!"

"This whole plan was your idea! You called me, you son of a-!"

"GUYS! ENOUGH!" Terry's voice crackled through the console speaker, followed by the sound of gunshots. "Whoa!"

"Terry!" Both adults shouted at the same time, turning their attention back to the console. For a few moments there was silence. Tentatively, Bruce called, "Terry?"

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm okay," Terry's breathless voice came over the com. Bruce sighed in relief, then glanced over at Selina. The relief in her eyes was evident. He turned back to the console.

"Glad to hear it," he said, before muting the mic again. He continued to stare at the console, filled with shame.

"Selina, I'm sorry."

"Can it, Bruce. You should've known better." Selina snapped. "As if I would ever help those psychopaths."

"You were always one for a double cross back in the day."

"Mmm. True. But I would never put the kid in danger. He's important to you. I would never do anything to take him away from you." Selina replied. Bruce lifted one hand and began to rub at his eyes, exhaustion, guilt, and frustration eating at him.

"Still doesn't answer how Tiger's Claw keeps figuring out where we are when we hit them. What's the common factor?" Bruce asked aloud, finally lowering his hand.

"Who knows? Could be some kind of tracking beacon—but I used my own equipment back when I pulled this off. Well, except for the couple of gizmos you gave me."

"Yeah. And if they had that kind of technology, they would know his exact location in the ducts. For that matter, they would've known…" Bruce suddenly froze, realization coming over him.

"The com link! That's the common factor!" he suddenly exclaimed.

"Wait. What?"

"The com link. That's how Tiger's Claw knows our every move. They're literally listening to me say it." Bruce explained. "The only time they didn't know was when Terry picked out a room at random. Or when he returned to the room he'd started from. They didn't know exactly where he'd gotten in."

"Don't you have that thing encrypted?"

"Of course. They must have cracked it somehow."

"You better let the kid know."

Bruce paused over the console.

"Bruce, what are you doing? You've got to let Terry know they're listening." Selina said.

"I know," Bruce replied. "But if I do, whoever's listening will know we're onto them. I'd rather they not figure it out."

"But how are you going to let Terry know that?"

Bruce glanced at her and smiled.


"Batman. Do you read me? Over."

"Yeah, I hear you," Terry replied. "Took you awhile, I gotta say….wait, what did you call me?"

"Batman. Listen to me very carefully." Bruce repeated. He was talking strangely, unusually slow. "You've been reading the contingency plans on the computer, correct? Over."

"Uh…yeah. Some of them," Terry answered, completely confused.

"Do you remember plan Delta Charlie Five Two? Over."

"Uh, is that the one with the bees?" Terry asked. There was a long silence on the other end of the com link.

"The penny in the cave is tiny, the gun we used to defeat Inque shoots fire, and I voluntarily gave you the suit the first time you asked me. Do you understand? Over." Bruce replied.

Now it was Terry's turn for the long silence.

"Uh, Selina, is he having a stroke-?"

"You will refer to her as Catwoman! Is that clear? Over." Bruce snapped.

Terry paused, uncertain what was going on. Clearly, Bruce didn't want anyone using real names. Weird, it had never been a problem before. And what was with the military talk? He tried to remember what contingency plan Delta Charlie Five Two was.

"Why don't you tell me where to go next?" Terry suggested. He heard Bruce sigh on the other end.

"Very well. Head back to the main shaft. Over."

"Got it." Terry replied, happy to hear something that made sense. "Okay, I'm back where the main shaft and vertical shaft meet."

"Great. Now go straight and make your second right. Over." Bruce directed.

"Right. Got it." Terry replied, following Bruce's directions. He made the second right…and came to a dead end in the shafts.

"Um. Br—sir." Terry floundered, trying to think what to call his mentor besides "Bruce" or "Mr. Wayne."

"Go ahead, Batman."

"There's nothing here. It's a dead end."

"No, Batman. If you followed my directions like I told you to, that's exactly where you want to be." Bruce replied. "Once you've finished checking that room, you're to go to the main vertical shaft and go up. Do you understand? Over."

The penny in the cave is tiny, the gun we used to defeat Inque shoots fire, and I voluntarily gave you the suit the first time you asked me. Bruce's earlier statements returned to Terry's mind. All of them were the opposite of what was true. And now the directions Bruce was giving him were backwards from what the plan was. And he was calling him Batman, insisting no one be called by their real names, using military radio protocol, which meant…

Bruce wanted him to do the opposite of what he was being told for some reason.

And Delta Charlie Five Two…something about using code names, because… because…

The com link had been compromised.

Oh frag, Terry thought.

"Dark Knight. Understood. Checking out room on the second right, then going up ventilation shaft. Over." Terry intoned, speaking slowly like Bruce had been.

"Excellent, Batman. Let me know when you're on your way to the next target. Dark Knight, out." Bruce replied.

Terry headed to the next room, noting as he did so that there were only two guards in this room, and they were facing the door, not the vent. Bruce's plan was working. For once, he was thankful for the often paranoid and calculating mind that had thought up these plans. Well, when they weren't meant for him in any case.

A quick scan of the room revealed the room only had supplies and wooden crates, nothing that would've been used to contain the canister. Before he reported back to Bruce, Terry headed back to the main ventilation shaft, then headed for the auxiliary vent to what Terry estimated was two rooms further down the hall. After he took a quick look at the room, he headed back to the main shaft.

"Dark Knight, nothing in the 1st floor room except for two desks and a couple of clerks doing paperwork." Terry reported. That should help throw off whoever's listening in, he thought. Aloud, he said, "Returning to main ventilation shaft and heading up to 2nd floor to await further instructions. Over."

"Roger, Batman. Dark Knight, out."

Terry climbed down the ventilation shaft to the basement. Although the air felt colder, he noted the suit's gyro counter was slowly climbing.

"Dark Knight, are you seeing these readings?"

"Yes. Proceed carefully, Batman."

The Tomorrow Knight reached the bottom of the shaft. He didn't bother asking for directions. Just by following the suit's gyro counter, he could get a pretty good idea of where the canister was. He stopped at the first air vent he came across and looked around.

From his vantage point, Terry had a good view of the room below. The basement was about two stories high and nearly completely open. The only parts that weren't were some offices against the wall opposite from him. Pillars supported the building above. Although the radiation levels in the room were high enough to be detected by Terry's suit, they weren't at dangerous levels. Just the same, everyone walking around the room was wearing bright yellow radiation suits, even the guards with their weapons. Although he had a good view of the room below, he couldn't see the canister.

Terry continued down the vent, moving more quietly than he had previously. Although the set up of this ventilation shaft allowed him an easy view of the room below, it also meant the men below had a better view of his movements if he wasn't careful. And if the guards spotted him, he was a sitting duck.

Two vents down showed Terry what he'd been searching for; the canister sat upright in a glass pillar above a console. Two men in radiation suits were monitoring the console and occasionally adjusting knobs. Terry used the suit to magnify the view—from the reflection in the men's visors, the console was giving them radiation and energy readings from the canister. The glass pillar was perfectly sized for the canister and Terry could see a small door on the side for getting the canister out.

"Dark Knight," he whispered into the com link. "I have visual on the target. And we may have a problem."

"What is it?"

"Based on how everyone's acting, I think the canister may be leaking. I know the suit will provide some protection, but-" Terry heard shouting suddenly from the room below. He looked towards the sound.

A bald man in a black business suit emerged from one of the offices, a radio in his hand. He began screaming at the guards in the room and then pointed up at the ventilation shaft.

At Terry.

"Slag it," he muttered.