In the morning, Bruce and Laura got dressed in silence. They each caught the other glancing at them and felt a pang of fear, pain, and guilt. When they were getting breakfast, they would both reach for the same thing, draw their hand back and wait for the other to grab it. Every time Bruce's skin touched Laura, she flinched. When it came time to leave, they both headed to their separate cars, but paused at the doors and looked at each other. "Do you…" they started at the same time. Laura pursed her lips and signaled Bruce to go ahead.

"Do you want to ride with me? I want you to have the car." Laura nodded and got into the passenger seat. Bruce got in and started the engine of the Lamborghini. He looked over at her. "Are we going to ignore each other the whole way there?"

She bit her lip, afraid that she was going to cry. "It might be easier that way." She looked at him. He looked so hurt she almost tangibly hit herself. "Then again…" She grabbed his head and yanked his lips to her own. When she couldn't stand the pain of loss in her gut anymore she pulled away. "Ok. Let's go."

When they pulled into the parking lot of the press room, they had trouble finding a spot. It seemed everyone was interested in what Harvey had to say. They got out and looked at each other over the roof of the car. Bruce smiled every so slightly at her which made her heart soar and break at the same time. Laura reached across and took his hand, squeezing it before heading inside.

She took her place next to Dent on the podium. He waved at her and she painfully smiled back. He then took his place and began to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming today. I've called this press conference for two reasons. First, to assure you all that everything that can be done about the Joker killings is being done. Second, because the Batman has offered to turn himself in."

"So where is he?!" someone cried.

"First, though, let's consider the situation. Should we really give in to this terrorist's demands? Do we really think that…"

"You would rather protect and outlaw vigilante than the lives of citizens?" someone else asked. The crowd all called out agreements.

Dent raised his hand for silence. "The Batman is an outlaw, but that's not why we are demanding that he turn himself in. We're doing it because we're scared. We've been happy to let the Batman clean up our streets until now."

"Things are worse than ever!"

"Yes," Dent answered. "They are. But the night is darkest before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming. It always does. One day the Batman will have to pay for the laws he's broken but to us. Not to this madman."

The crowd seemed to accept his words until a cop cried, "No more dead cops!" Then they quickly roused up again. Dent looked at Laura. He had lost them and they both knew it.

Dent nodded. "So be it. Take the Batman into custody." Laura looked out and met eyes with Bruce. He sighed and began to walk forward. "I am the Batman." Laura straightened, realizing it wasn't Bruce who said it. She turned back to Harvey. He was offering his wrists. She stared at him. He nodded, so she slung handcuffs on him and led him away.

She got him into a cop car and got behind the wheel. "What in God's name are you doing?!" she cried.

"Something clever," he hedged.

When they got back to M.C.U. Laura had no choice but to lock Dent in a holding cell until evening, which he said was the right time. About that time, Rachel came running down there. "Laura! What's going on?"

"Don't ask me! Go talk to Harvey." So that's exactly what they did. Laura felt really out of the loop for being the next in line for Lt.

Rachel ran into the cell. "What are you doing?"

Dent was being led out by officers. "They're transferring me to central holding. This is the Joker's chance. When he attacks, Batman will take him down."

"No!" Rachel protested. "This is way too dangerous!"

Laura said, "He's using you as bait! He doesn't even know if he can catch the Joker. He hasn't so far."

"How do you know what he's thinking," Harvey asked, nonchalantly.

"It's just… I do."

Rachel came back in. "Harvey, this isn't just about you. What about all the people who are counting on you t turn this city around? Tell the truth…" Harvey kissed her soundly then pulled out his lucky coin. They were loading him into the SWAT truck. He tossed the coin to Rachel.

"Heads, I go through with it."

"Harvey, this is your life. You can't leave that up to chance."

"I'm not," he said, but the closing door nearly cut off the end.

Rachel flipped the coin over in her hands and saw that is was double-headed. "You make your own luck," she mused after the leaving truck.

Laura stared after the truck, nausea setting in. She didn't like this plan one bit. There was something seriously wrong going on if she had not been told about this. It was obviously Dent's idea and not her office's, but she still should've been informed.

As the last truck disappeared, she suddenly realized she had nothing to do. They hadn't sent her as an escort, so she was free to worry that Harvey was going to get himself killed. She didn't even know if Batman…Batman! Was he aware of the plan? She grabbed her cell and dialed the number she had been given to get a hold of him. He answered after one ring, his voice disguised. "Laura."

"They're taking Dent to central! I can't do anything about it! Not one person will tell me anything!"

"Calm down. I'm on my way."

"Wait, you knew about this?"

"No, I just have extremely useful spy gear."

"Whatever. Watch your back! The Joker's gonna be out there and he's after you, not Dent."

"He thinks Dent is me." He hung up. Laura replaced her phone, exasperated. She jogged up to the radio room and listened to the convoy's communication.

A man squawked, "Be advised! Obstruction ahead! All units divert down to lower 5th!" Laura shook her head. This was going to fail. For the next few minutes, no one said anything, but then… "Joker has arrived! I repeat, he's here! Careful, men, he's… aaaaahhhhh!" An explosion.

"SHIT!" Laura screamed. She ran out to one of the cop cars in the lot, got in and drove off, constantly keeping a monitor on the radio. When they said they were going topside to get air-support she yelled into the radio, "What's your position?" They answered and she quickly made her heading adjustments to intercept with them. "Has the Batmobile showed up?"

"Yeah!" an officer cried.

"Well, has he done anything?!"

"He took a bazooka shot for us." Laura didn't respond, but if anyone had been with her, they would've thought her eyebrows were going to fly away they shot up so high and fast. "Looked like his car was pretty smashed though. Haven't seen him since he dropped behind after the hit."

"Alright. Thanks. I'm on my way to join you."

"I wouldn't advise it Sgt. It's getting bad out here. Woo! Air-support!" Silence. Then, "That's not good. Ok, that's NOT good!"

"Hey, what's happening? Guys?"

"Copter's down!"

"I see you, I see you!" she yelled into the radio. The SWAT truck was just up ahead. But, then it stopped. "What are you doing?!" The driver got out and started back towards a semi-truck… that was flipped upside-down. Laura drove the car towards the SWAT truck and got out. The Joker was being taken into custody, but Batman was lying on the ground. She dashed past the cop holding the Joker and knelt by Batman. "Hey, you ok?"

"Fine," he mumbled. "Like my new ride?" He gestured to a motorcycle looking thing that was on its side by the semi.

"Did that… what…?"

"It's the Bat-Pod. Sort of my escape route. The car couldn't quite handle the bazooka round."

"Well, we found its one and only weakness then."

Reporters behind her were crying for Dent to say something. One said, "Your office has been working with the Batman the whole time?"

"No," Dent said. "But I trusted him to do the right thing."

"Which was?"

"Saving my ass." They all laughed. Ramirez brushed them off and got Dent in a car.

Batman got up and rode off into the darkness when Laura wasn't looking. She just shook her head and stood up. Then she walked into the mess of cops and yelled, "Where's the driver of that SWAT truck?!" A man held up his hand. She stared at his face a long time, and the people around her grew silent. Then she ran at him and shoved him. "How could you do that to me?!!" she cried.

Gordon regained his balance and answered, "It was necessary, Laura. I'm sorry. I couldn't put my family at risk. And it was you who said that the less people who know, the safer the operation is."

She regarded him with such respect she thought she might burst. "It's great to see you, boss." Then, throwing everything to the wind, she walked up and hugged him. He chuckled and hugged her back.

"It's good to see you too, Sgt."

They rode back to M.C.U. together and barged into the Holding area where the Joker was being kept. People were staring at him, some getting close to the bars.

"Stand away! All of you! I don't want anything for his mob lawyer to use, understand? Handle him like he's made of glass," Gordon ordered.

The mayor was there and shook Gordon's hand. "Back from the dead I see."

"I couldn't chance my family's safety, sir."

Garcia nodded and then looked over at the Joker. "What do we got?"

"Nothing," Laura blandly stated. "No matches on prints, DNA, dental. Clothing is custom, no labels. Not a thing in his pockets besides knives and lint. No name, no alias. Nothing."

He shook his head. But then he turned to Gordon. "Go home, Gordon. This clown will keep until morning. Get some rest. You're gonna need it. Tomorrow you get the big job." Gordon looked at him, surprised. "Oh, you have no say in the matter, Commissioner Gordon!" The cops in hearing range started to cheer. Laura clapped and grinned ear to ear…until she glanced into the holding cage the Joker was in and saw him clapping and smirking directly at her.