My thanks to RebelByrdie and Magician Girl Mirani for their kind words.
Batman & Benson 6
Chapter Eleven
"Who's hunting you?" Alex asked, as she retrieved her cell.
"Army agents," Banner replied. "They look like special forces guys."
"You said before that 'we' were being hunted. Who exactly is that? You and who else?"
"My girlfriend, Betty Ross, and myself," Banner told her. "There are also several others whom we've encountered in our travels, meta-humans who're also being hunted, as well. But, for now, it's just the two of us: Betty and myself."
Alex hesitated in making her phone call as a cold stab of fear sliced through her insides. This was sounding very scarily like the bad old days of Cadmus. But that organization had been vanquished, its top leaders in jail, facing prison. 'But then again,' Alex reminded herself, 'I was only just recently told that my testimony wouldn't be needed, because of some shady backroom deals that were being made with Hardcastle and the others. Perhaps the same old Cadmus tactics are still being used, only now under a new name.'
Alex called Rachel, just to see if she had heard anything about metas being hunted on the streets of Gotham City once more. But Rachel's secretary cut in and told Alex that her boss had been called out of the office for a special meeting with the mayor.
'Damn it,' Alex thought. She was trying to get an assessment of who or what Bruce and Betty were up against, yet she had no choice but to hold off on that for now. Giving Bruce a 'hold on' gesture, Alex sped-dialed another number, one for her friend and comrade in arms, Marguerite Pena.
When Alex first arrived in Gotham City, it was back when she was still with the Witness Protection Program. Unable to work as an ADA, she had begun a battered women's shelter on the South Side of the city. It became a safe haven for abused women and their children from their abusive spouses. Marguerite was one of Alex's first residents at the shelter, and the young woman had blossomed in the protected environment to the point where she had become a trusted helper and ally. Once the Batman had scared off Alex's would-be assassins for good, allowing her to return work as an ADA, Marguerite took over running the shelter full-time.
Alex's connections to the shelter proved to be very helpful when the Cadmus nightmare had descended down around all of them. During that battle, Marguerite once more became a valuable ally in helping Alex to hide fugitive metas in essentially the same manner that they hid battered women.
Marguerite answered after the first ring, and when Alex asked about a possible opening in the shelter for two, Marguerite said she had a place for them. Alex told her that they would be right over.
She ended the call, hating like hell to have deliberately kept certain details vague from Marguerite, but her experience with Cadmus taught Alex that she couldn't be too careful. She'll tell her everything once they arrived.
"You need to come with me, and we'll get you set up," Alex told Bruce. "Where's Betty?"
"At the hotel. I didn't want to risk her getting caught along with me," Banner said.
"You took a big risk just coming here," Alex replied, with a glance at the exterior of the DA's office. "This place is crawling with security cameras."
"Not this part of the courtyard," Banner pointed out. "There are no cameras in this walkway, nor on the stairwell leading up here. I'm going back down that way. Look, how about I'll meet you on the corner of Broadhurst in five minutes?"
"Make it ten," she said. "That'll give me enough time to bring the car around."
As she turned and walked briskly towards the garage, Alex shook her head miserably and thought, 'And here I figured I was all done with this paranoid stuff!'
She called her secretary and tried to see if she could either cancel or postpone her only appointment for the afternoon, with Mike and Andrea from the SVU. They were supposed to discuss their strategy for an ongoing case they had against a suspected rapist who had targeted a local high school. But Alex was pleased to discover that Mike and Andrea had left a message saying they had to cancel their meeting, due to being called out to another crime scene. This left Alex free for the rest of the day.
She drove her car around to the corner, and looked for Banner. Then she spotted him. He was leaning against the side of the building, with his head down and cap pulled over his face, looking for all the world like a drunk begging for change. He even held a paper cup in one hand.
When Alex beeped once on her horn, Banner tossed the cup in the garbage and raced over to her car, getting in on the passenger side. He slinked down in the seat, pulling the cap over his face and pretending to be asleep.
"Where'd you get the cup?" Alex asked.
"Found it on my way there," Banner replied. "Figured it might help me to look the part of a derelict."
He gave her the address of the hotel where Betty was staying, and as Alex drove over there, she asked Banner to tell her exactly what happened since they left Gotham City.
Banner told her about how, after the Cadmus mess was over, he and Betty had settled into a nice little cottage in a college town-where he'd been hired to help conduct research into abnormal mutations of human DNA. For several weeks, he and Betty had put their days of being fugitives from Cadmus behind them as they lived a blissfully peaceful life in the little town. Until one night, when a team of special forces soldiers stormed their house. They were both in bed, and Banner told Alex that, when he awoke, the soldiers had already knocked Betty unconscious, and had just shot him with a sedative dart when he had abruptly "Hulked-out" on them.
When Banner reverted back to human form hours later, he saw that, as the Hulk, he had taken Betty and escaped from the dragnet that had descended on their home. Betty had later called her father, General "Thunderbolt" Ross, for help…only to discover that he had not only approved of the operation, but helped to set up Bruce in the town as a way of baiting them so they could be captured. Ross pleaded with his daughter over the phone to leave Bruce and come home.
"What'd she say?" Alex asked.
"Told him in so many words to 'get stuffed'," Banner replied with a smile.
"Smart girl," Alex said, grinning.
"That was when we decided to come back to Gotham City," Banner said. "We'd figured since you'd protected us once before, you could again."
"Good move." Then Alex thought of something that instantly sobered her up. "These soldiers who invaded your home, what'd they look like?"
"They wore these fully armored suits," Banner said. "You couldn't even see their faces."
"Did the face mask have these big, owl-like goggles that glowed blue?"
Banner nodded with a surprised look on his face. "Yeah, that's them. You've seen that type of armor before?"
"Only on the troops that Cadmus employed to be their muscle," Alex said with disgust. She was all too familiar with them. "Damn it, you'd think it was just business as usual with these bastards! That the whole fight to bring them down was for naught."
"You did bring them down," Banner told her. "But it looks like they rose up again, under a different guise."
They stopped off at the hotel and got Betty, who had dyed her hair from a brunette to a blonde. Alex then took them directly over to meet with Marguerite at her office on the south side. After being set up with a new place to stay in a safe house in Gotham City, both Bruce and Betty thanked Alex and Marguerite profusely.
"Don't worry. Just sit tight for now, and I'll try and see what I can find out about this situation," Alex told them. She did a double take at the small TV that Marguerite had in her office. It showed what looked like a major crime scene unfolding somewhere in the city. "What's this?"
"Oh, it's terrible," Marguerite said sadly. "The news just broke, now. They found a bunch of dead bodies in one of those big mansions. The man who was running against Ms. Dawes in the election has been identified as one of the dead."
"Thomas Enrick? They found him dead?" Alex said with alarm.
Marguerite nodded solemnly. "And they're saying, unofficially, that it was the Batman who killed them."
Just when Alex thought she couldn't be any more startled than she already was, she felt her eyes bulge out behind her glasses in shock. "Um, excuse me, I've gotta go make a few calls…."
B&B
"Dear God in heaven," Renee muttered, when she saw the body of Thomas Enrick. His bloody corpse sat up in a chair, still bound to it, with something wedged between his teeth.
She stood at the crime scene with Harvey and Sam Spade. The MCS was called out the very moment a frantic maid called 911 about seeing dead bodies in the living room. Jordan Cavanaugh had also arrived with her forensics team and they were just setting up.
"You see what's jammed between his teeth?" Harvey asked her.
As much as she didn't want to, Renee took a closer look at the corpse's mouth. When she saw that the metallic object that had been rammed between his teeth had a familiar Bat-shaped design, she stared at both Harvey and Sam in disbelief. "No way this is possible!"
"It's a frame job," Harvey said. "Has to be."
"Or maybe that psycho who likes to dress up as a bat has finally snapped," a uniformed officer said derisively from the corner.
"Batman doesn't kill people," Renee angrily told him.
"What are you, Batman's girlfriend?" the uniform asked her, with obvious contempt. "I thought that was Benson's job…."
Harvey leaned over the smaller man with his hefty bulk and roared, "No, she's your superior officer, you fricking dipstick! And you don't say squat unless she asks you a question! Now get out of my sight!"
"Actually, Detective Bullock, I wouldn't mind a little more room in here to work," Jordan spoke up.
As Harvey loudly cleared the crime scene of nonessential personnel, Sam came over to Renee and said, "I really don't like the looks of this. I mean, it's a frame up of the Batman, for sure. But why make it look like Batman killed Enrick?"
"Why not?" Renee replied. "Quite frankly, Sam, I'm surprised this hasn't happened more often."
Harvey started walking back over to them, until his cell rang. He answered it, spoke for a few brief seconds, then ended the call. "That was the Commish. He's busy with some kind of a meeting right now, so he can't get here right away."
"The only other candidate for the Gotham City district attorney race is found dead in the home of his financial backers. This is as hot as it gets," Renee said, stunned. "And the Commissioner can't come over because he's in a meeting?"
"Must be one hell of a meeting," Sam muttered.
B&B
Rachel was surprised to see Vincent Sezary was waiting for her in her office. They weren't supposed to meet until later that afternoon. But perhaps this was just as well, because Rachel couldn't wait to tell him about how Bruce was on board with appearing in the ad.
"Rachel, I've already taken the liberty of preparing a public statement for you," Vincent said, his tone very grave. "You can look it over and tell me what you think."
Rachel stared at him in puzzlement. "A public statement? For what?"
Vincent somberly nodded in understanding. "You haven't heard yet."
He took the remote from her desk and switched on the TV. Rachel watched, her eyes steadily growing wide with shock, as she learned of the deaths of Thomas Enrick and his backers, the Hartfords. "Good God."
"You might see a dip in the polls from this," Vincent said. "But, in the long run, you can easily count on getting a second term, now."
"Oh, Jesus, Vincent, no!" Rachel cried. "Not like this! I didn't want it to be like this!"
Her phone rang, and when she picked it up, it turned out to be Jim Gordon. "Jim, are you watching the news?"
"I've got Harvey, Renee and Samantha down there now, overseeing the crime scene," he said.
"You mind if I come with you?"
"We're not going to the crime scene just yet. Our presence has been requested at the Mayor's office. Right now. I'll meet you there."
"Great, just great," Rachel said with disgust as she hung up. Instead of doing her job by going to the crime scene of a newly developing major case, Rachel and Jim were now being called before Garcia like a pair of errant school kids. She glanced sheepishly at Vincent and said, "Sorry I blew up at you just now, Vince."
He waved it off. "No worries, kid. You leaving?"
Rachel nodded. "I gotta go meet with Jim and the Mayor right now. Talk to you later."
She took her limousine over to City Hall, where she met with Jim on the front steps. "Thought I fill you in on what little details we have so far," he said, as they ascended the steps. "Just spoke with Harvey, and he tells me that the bodies were discovered by a maid about an hour ago. There are four bodies in all, Enrick, the Hartfords and their butler. All of them were tied to chairs and tortured to death with what looks like a knife."
"Dear God," Rachel said with a disgusted moan.
"That's not everything," Jim solemnly said. "They found what looks like a Batdart lodged in Enrick's mouth."
Rachel went completely cold inside with fear when she heard that. "Oh, Jim, you don't seriously believe that Batman would…."
"Of course not," he angrily snapped. "But whoever killed Enrick and the Hartfords is obviously trying to blame it on the Batman."
Rachel just shook her head at the absurdity of it all. Just when it looked like they were gaining on the darkness, it threatened once more to consume them all. Gotham City was simply immersed in it.
They were ushered into the Mayor's office, where he sat with a short, stocky black woman in a business suit. She looked to be in her forties, maybe fifties, and had a stern, unyielding expression on her face.
Garcia made the introductions. "Rachel, Jim, this is Amanda Waller, head of the OHMR."
"OHMR?" Jim asked.
"Office of Human-Meta Relations," Waller said. "We're a newly formed organization that operates within Homeland Security."
Jim exchanged a wary look with Rachel as they took their seats. "I don't wish to be rude," Jim said. "But there's been a major crime committed, and the District Attorney and I are really needed at the scene."
"That's exactly why I'm here," Waller said, "to discuss this latest crime committed by the Batman."
"Wait one minute, here," Rachel said, with a flash of anger. "Nobody said Batman was the perpetrator of this crime."
"You haven't seen the video?" Garcia asked Rachel and Jim.
"What video?" Jim asked.
Waller got up and presented them with a laptop. "This was posted to the internet at precisely 4:10 this morning, eastern standard time. We weren't able to track where it came from, or who posted it. Just hit 'enter' to start it."
Rachel watched, horrified, as the video from a hand-held camera showed all four of the bodies at the Hartford crime scene in great detail. It even made a point of showing the Batdart that was lodged in Enrick's mouth. The image then changed to that of an official-looking black Bat symbol on a yellow background, with a typed notation on the bottom that listed the time and date, and the words, 'Latest kill. Mission successful.'
The video ended at that moment, and when it did, Rachel glanced up at Waller, who stared coolly back at her. "I find that last image to be very interesting," Waller said. "This appears to be some sort of a trophy video that Batman took for his own personal files. But somehow, it was leaked to the internet. Whoever did such a thing, to expose the Batman for the vicious killer that he truly is, should be commended."
Rachel was so livid, she wanted to scream her head off that it couldn't have been the Batman who killed these people…and she should know, because at four am this morning, Bruce was in bed, making wonderful love to her. It killed Rachel that she could easily clear Batman of this frame-up right now, but by doing so, she would have to reveal his true identity.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Jim exclaimed. He stood up and placed the laptop on the Mayor's desk. "This entire crime just screams the Joker!"
"I understand that the Joker is given to making manifestos in his videos," Waller said. "How could this be the Joker's work, if he did not even appear in this one?"
"The Joker is obviously trying to frame the Batman, Ms. Waller," Rachel said. "It would stand to reason that he would suppress his usual M.O. in order to blame it on the Dark Knight, right?"
Waller gave them a disapproving look. "You've already made up your mind regarding the Batman's innocence without even visiting the crime scene."
"They would be there right now, if it weren't for your insistence that they be here," Garcia reminded her. "And you still haven't stated the reason you wanted to meet with all of us, yet."
"I simply wished to offer the services of the OHMR to Gotham City," Waller said, her tone softer. "Our specialty is dealing humanely with rogue meta-humans. Believe it or not, but we are all on the same side here."
"The last government group that 'dealt' with meta-humans locked them up without a trial, or without even charging them with a crime," Rachel said. "And many of those meta-humans who were locked away were children."
Waller made a disgusted face. "What General Hardcastle and Cadmus did was reprehensible. And, I assure you that the OHMR is not in the business of locking up anybody without just cause. We are only out to apprehend the criminal element of the Meta community. Unlike Cadmus, we are bound to obey the law, just like everyone else."
Waller's voice grew soft once more. "Please believe me when I say that it was not my intention to come here to start a fight. I just figured that, since the OHMR is already here, trying to locate a fugitive meta, I'd also offer our help with the Batman."
"Who are you hunting?" Jim wanted to know.
"They're after the Hulk," Garcia replied. "Bruce Banner has been spotted here, in the city."
Jim glared at Waller. "Shouldn't you be giving us the common courtesy of letting us know of your operations before you get set up in our fair city?"
"The case against Bruce Banner is a federal one, and we're a federal agency," Waller said, as if that explained everything. "There's also been a sighting of another meta in your Showcase Square Mall last night, Mayor Garcia. A large, clay-like gentleman. It would appear that Gotham City is rife with fugitive metas. You really could use our help."
"Thank you for the offer, Ms. Waller," Garcia said carefully. "But I must decline at this time. The Gotham City Police is well-versed in dealing with meta-crimes. However, should the need arise, I will consult with you."
Waller nodded as she stood up. "Very well, Mr. Mayor, Ms. Dawes, Commisioner. I'd like to thank all of you for your time."
As she turned to leave, Rachel called after her: "Back to the hunt for the Hulk, I take it? Will he be receiving a fair trial once you've captured him?"
Waller paused at the door. "I understand your reluctance to trust the OHMR, Ms. Dawes, I really do. If I were in your shoes, I'd feel the same way. All I ask is that you please give us a chance to earn your trust."
When she left, Rachel turned back to Jim and Mayor Garcia, who both also had skeptical expressions. "You believe her?" Rachel asked them.
"Hell no!" Jim said.
"I trust Waller about as far as I can throw her," Garcia muttered with contempt. "But we really need to be very careful in our dealings with the Batman from this point on."
"What do you mean?" Jim asked.
"Officially, he's wanted for questioning by the Gotham City Police," Garcia said. "Now, we know he's never going to politely come in to police headquarters and answer our questions. Therefore, we must distance ourselves from the Dark Knight as much as possible."
"Did you see the security footage from the Showcase Square Mall, sir?" Jim asked. "Because it showed Batman was fighting for Gotham City all the way through. And thanks directly to him, Harvey Dent is back behind bars."
"I don't ned to be reminded of what Batman has done for this city, or what he's continuing to do on a nightly basis," the mayor shot back. He gestured at where Waller once stood. "But trust me when I say that this was a courtesy call by the OHMR. Waller essentially let us know that her agency is now watching Gotham City under a microscope."
"But she can't just step in whenever she pleases," Jim said stubbornly.
"Just the fact that we've got this clay face guy running around would be enough motive for her to do so, Jim," Rachel replied. "The feds usually aren't obligated to let us know of any operations they're running in the city, especially if they're undercover in nature. She's clearly using that precedent to let her boys hunt the Hulk as we speak."
"And if Waller sees fit to step in to go after Clay Face, she will," Garcia added. "But let's not give her that opening. I want this Clay Face character to be caught, pronto. Not to mention the Joker, Poison Ivy and whatever other crazies are presently roaming the streets. If we can show the OHMR that we can manage our own house, then maybe they'll stay out of it."
"And what about Batman?" Rachel asked. "We now treat him like he's an outlaw?"
Garcia nodded. "Couldn't have said it better myself."
"That really sucks," Rachel said dismally.
"It's politics, Rachel," Garcia said. "Oh, and by the way, speaking of which, congratulations on the elimination of your opponent. I look forward to your new term as our DA."
Rachel still had a repulsed look on her face as she and Jim left the Mayor's office to go to the crime scene. As they rode down in the elevator, Jim said, "You know, I'm very sorry for what happened to him, but don't shed any tears for Enrick; he was a major idiot with no qualifications whatsoever to do your job."
"I know that, but to congratulate me because my opponent is killed?" Rachel said with a shake of her head. "What's this world coming to, Jim?"
"Politicians," Jim said with a heavy sigh, "you gotta love 'em…."
B&B
Logan awoke that morning to find Sam was already gone, having left for work. She left him a hand-written note that expressed her love for him, as well as her half-joking hope that he'd still be naked when she came back. Smiling, he got dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen, where he found Alfred busy working by himself. For Logan, it was great being back at Wayne Manor, for no other reason than to enjoy Alfred's superb cooking. After breakfast, and an enjoyable time spent catching up with the elderly butler, Logan was about to go down to the Batcave, where Alfred said Bruce was, until he heard a commotion from down the hall.
He peered in through the dooway of the gym and spied on Dick Grayson and Barbra Gordon as they practiced martial arts moves on a padded mat. Both barefoot, they were clad in just sweats and t-shirts. When he saw Barbra block a move by Dick, Logan shook his head and called out: "Higher, always bring your hand up higher."
When Barbara gave him a confused look, Logan stepped onto the mat and showed her, grasping her hand and holding it up where he thought it should be. "If you're fighting somebody bigger than you, and with a little thing like yourself, that's going to be every time, it's always best to keep aiming high. That way, you'll always land on target. Got it?"
"Yes," Barbra said in an overly gushing manner. She looked really pleased to see him. "Thank you!"
'Whoa, major crush alert!' Logan thought, as he quickly released her hand and stepped away. He glanced at Dick and saw the young man stood there glaring at him as if Logan was interrupting a private party.
"You done?" Dick asked curtly.
"Uh, yeah, carry on," Logan replied.
"Wait Logan!" Barbara excitedly said. "You could watch me, and make sure I'm doing it right."
The annoyed look that Dick gave Barbra right at that moment told Logan that he had a major crush on her. And that Logan's presence was seriously crimping his style. "That's ok, I need to talk to your boss about something right now. Have fun."
Just as Logan started walking towards the door, he watched as Dick tried to tackle Barbara from behind, only to be expertly blocked by her with a swift kick to the groin. Logan flinched at the ferocity of the attack.
"OH GAWD!" Barbara cried in horror, when she realized what she had done. "I-I'm so sorry! I should have pulled the kick! Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," Dick replied, his voice slightly higher in pitch. He crouched down on the mat in pain. "Just need a second…or an hour…."
'Well, it's safe to say that he won't be making any moves on her for a while,' Logan thought, grinning, as he left the gym.
He found Bruce down in the Batcave, staring at something intently on the Batcomputer. Logan was stunned to see it was a video that showed a quartet of bodies, all tied to chairs. One had what looked like a Batdart stuck in his mouth. "What the hell is this?"
"Thomas Enrick, the canditate running for district Attorney against Rachel, was found dead in the home of his backers, the Hartfords," Bruce said, sounding like this was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. "The Joker killed them, but he's trying to set it up to make it look like Batman did it. He posted this video on the net, complete with fake bat symbol."
Logan frowned when the video ended with a Bat symbol. Bruce just chuckled softly. "It's brilliant work, really," Bruce said. "That little Bat design at the end really sells it."
"No doubt it's there for the morons too dense to notice that he's sitting there with a Batdart wedged between his teeth," Logan said, puzzled. "Hey, Bruce, hope you don't mind me saying this, but for a guy who just got framed, you're taking this awfully calmly."
"For one thing, I'm not the one being framed, Batman is," Bruce replied. "And Batman has never let public opinion of him affect the job. Besides, we've got another problem. You ever hear of the OHMR?"
"Can't say that I have."
"The Office for Human-Meta Relations," Bruce said, as he called up some information on the screen. "Rachel just called me. She just had a meeting with their leader, Amanda Waller. Rachel seems to think it's a new group that's replacing Cadmus. I also just got a call from Alex, and apparently, the OHMR are already on the hunt here in Gotham City for Bruce Banner. And, thanks to the Joker's frame-job, they now appear to be getting ready to move against the Batman, as well."
Logan was enraged to hear this. He shook his head. "What the hell just happened? Did they let Hardcastle out of prison entirely?"
"No, actually, despite all the bluster he's made in the media, Hardcastle's looking at serving at least twenty five years…which, for a man his age, might as well be a life sentence," Bruce replied. He gestured at the screen. "From what I've been able to find out about them online, the OHMR are completely open and above board. Their goal is better relations between the human and meta communities."
"By hunting them down just like Cadmus?"
"They say they're only going after the criminal element of the meta community."
"Bruce Banner is no criminal," Logan said. "He can barely control himself when he's the Hulk, and he doesn't have any control over when he hulks out."
"I know. I'm just repeating what it says on their website. But I have my suspicions about them, as well. Usually, when the government starts a new agency, there's always a lot of pomp and circumstance about it in the media. But if the OHMR is truly supposed to be so open and honest, then why have they quietly begun operations without anybody ever hearing about them?"
"Because, underneath the flowery rhetoric, it's still Cadmus," Logan said with a snarl. "They tried it with a military man in charge, and that didn't work, so now they're coming back with a meek little pencil-pusher in charge, like that will make all the difference."
Bruce grew thoughtful. "Cadmus' heavy-handed tactics alienated a lot of people. It cost the last President, as well as a lot of other politicos, their jobs. And they're still not even out of the woods, legally speaking. If this is another attempt to reign in the Meta population, it would make sense to try a more kinder, gentler approach. But there's something you should know about, Logan. Something about one of the advisors on the board of OHMR. I think you may know him."
When Logan glared at the all too familiar name that Bruce pointed out on the screen, he said the first thing that came to his mind: "You traitorous son of a bitch!"
B&B
"Excuse me," Logan said, as he raced towards the elevator.
"Where are you going?" Bruce called after him.
"To beat some sense into somebody who I thought was my friend," Logan growled.
Bruce was about to caution him not to do anything foolish, but then realized that he was talking to Wolverine, and telling him to be calm was about a futile as trying to talk a hurricane down to a tropical storm.
Lucius Fox entered the Batcave just then, looking concerned.
"Did you just run into Wolverine?" Bruce asked him with a grin.
"Yeah, he's really…intense, isn't he?" Lucius asked.
"You caught him in a good mood," Bruce replied.
"The message you left, about how you wanted to see me," Lucius said, "it wasn't about him, was it?"
"Not at all, Lucius." Bruce then spoke of his desire to create a beefed-up version of the taser. This was so that Batman would have a more effective weapon the next time he came up against Clay Face.
Lucius nodded, as he stared thoughtfully at the standard taser which he'd picked up from the workbench. "It cold work. Of course, we'd have to amp up the voltage, and that would require much bigger power pack…probably way too big than what you're looking for. I've seen this guy, this Clay Face dude, on the news, Bruce, and in order to take him down, you're gonna need a cannon that's powered by a dedicated car battery."
"Makes it a bit hard for me to lug around," Bruce said.
"Not unless you've got a tank." With that, Lucius pointed at the Tumbler. "And there it is."
Bruce eyed the Tumbler critically. "I'd have to be sure to get him out in the open, in a place where the Tumbler would have easy access for a clear shot at him. Could you attach it to the Prowler?"
Lucius shook his head. "No room. And the added weight would throw off the balance. Sorry, Bruce. Speaking of which, how is the Prowler working for you?"
"Fantastic, just fantastic," Bruce replied with sincere enthusiasm. "You truly outdid yourself, Lucius."
"I aim to please," he said with a smile.
"Very well," Bruce said with a nod. "Let's work it up and get it attached to the Tumbler. I'll figure out a way to corner Clay Face with it the next time I see him."
"There's something else, Bruce." Lucius was grim as he put down the taser. "We just got some bad news…."
B&B
When Olivia walked out of her office and into the SVU bullpen, she was startled to see Katie sitting at her desk. The young woman still wore bandages on her wrists from the ligature marks she had from when she was a bound captive of MacElroy.
"The hell are you doing here?" Olivia asked her.
Katie stared up at her, taken aback. "What? I do something wrong?"
"You're on sick leave, Katie, remember?"
"Oh, I came in to give my deposition for the DA's office," she replied.
Olivia leaned over her and said, "Ok, great, but you should have just went home, sweetie. You should be resting and taking it easy."
Katie held up a paper bag. "But John forgot his lunch, so I thought I'd stop by and…."
Katie ceased talking when she saw the strange look Olivia gave her. Then Katie abruptly grew very sheepish. "Oooo, I probably shouldn't have mentioned that John and I were staying together, huh?"
"No, actually, you didn't mention that at all," Olivia said, her hands on her hips, "until just now."
The look of horror on Katie's face was simply too precious for Olivia not to enjoy. Katie turned out to be one of Olivia's best detectives, yet she was still such a geeky little kid at heart, which charmed Olivia to no end.
"Relax, Katie," Olivia assured her. "I'm just kidding with you."
"But I thought the regs stated that-"
Olivia nodded. "Yes, yes, police officers aren't allowed to fraternize, I know. But I'm not a Nazi about it. John's your partner. There's nothing wrong with just spending the night at his place."
When Katie's face suddenly turned a bright red in color, Olivia realized right then and there that they were doing a lot more with each other than just sleeping in the same house.
Luckily, before things got too awkward, Linda came over to tell Olivia that she got a phone call. When she answered the phone in her office, it turned out to be Bruce.
"I'm in the city," he said, his tone urgent. "I need to see you right away. Can we meet for lunch?"
Olivia didn't like the tone in his voice, nor the fact that he needed to see her so soon. No doubt it had something to do with the Hartford crime scene that the Joker had tried to frame on the Batman. "Yes, Bruce. I'll be more than happy to meet you."
Olivia quickly set up a lunch date with him at Romero's, the renowned Italian place in the city. Once she hung up with Bruce, Linda appeared at Olivia's doorway with another message. "While you were on the phone, we just got a call. Cops have found a young woman bound and gagged in a motel room. She unconscious, and they think she might be the victim of a sexual assualt."
"Oh, great," Olivia muttered. Most of her detectives in the SVU bullpen were out right now, including Mike and Andrea, who were pulled off their usual caseload to help work the Hartford crime scene.
She didn't believe the rumors that Batman had killed them for a second, and was only too happy to send two of her detectives to help with the scene when Gordon called, requesting them. He said it looked as if the lone female victim might have been sexually abused either before or after her death. Olivia shook her head at the mere thought. Leave it to the Joker, that sick bastard, to truly sink to the lowest depths of depravity.
But right now, the only detectives she had available were John and Katie. Even if she sent John by himself, Olivia just knew Katie would try to tag along. She got the address from Linda and handed it to John, then explained the situation to him.
"I wouldn't even consider this if we weren't so shorthanded. But how is she?" Olivia asked John. "You think she can handle something like this so soon?"
"She has violent nightmares, for which she's talked about with the psychiatrist," he explained. "But I think she is still capable of handling this."
"Do me a favor and just keep an eye on her, ok?" Olivia asked. "If she appears tired, or if there's even the slightest thing wrong…."
"I'll take her home," he assured her. "And I'll make sure she gets to bed, even if I have to tuck her in myself."
Then John abruptly looked sheepish…much like how Katie just did before. "Perhaps I should not have worded it like that, Inspector. I did not mean to imply that we were…well, we are, actually, but officially, what we did last night is frowned upon by the GCPD, because-"
Olivia stopped him by holding up a hand. "John, I understand. Just take your partner and go, all right?"
Katie looked overjoyed to be going out on a case when John told her. She held up the paper bag. "Don't forget your lunch."
"I don't eat lunch," he reminded her. "Remember?"
"Oh, yeah, right." Katie then stared hungrily at the paper bag in her hands. "You mind if I have it?"
"Bon appetit," John muttered, as he and a grinning Katie walked out of the bullpen.
Olivia stared after them with a slight smile on her face. It was wonderful to see someone like John, who was all alone in this world, finally find somebody. She just hoped they did a much better job at keeping their relationship discreetly under wraps.
Linda walked up to Olivia and said, "You think those two are bumping uglies, or what?"
"Oh, Christ, so…um, on that pleasant note, I'm outa here!" Olivia said, with a little wave at her assistant. "Hold down the fort, Linda. I'll bring you something back from Romero's."
"How about one of those hunky Italian waiters?" Linda asked, grinning.
Olivia just shot her a wide-eyed look as she left the SVU bullpen. 'Is it me, or is everybody unsually horny lately?' she wondered.
When she arrived at Romero's, she was led to a private table in the back, where Bruce was already seated. He sat all alone in this section of the restaurant, and Olivia had no doubt that Bruce used his influence to get this sort of privacy.
"Ok, so what's the crisis this time?" Olivia asked, as she sat down with a weary sigh.
"Lucius has been contacted by the federal government," Bruce said. "There's a new agency, the Office of Human-Meta Relations, and they want Wayne Tech to consult on a special project they're working on; where a computer program can read a face beneath a mask. Lex Corp was doing the initial R&D work for the government, but they've run into a stone wall. The government now wants Wayne Tech to take a shot at it."
"Good God," Olivia said, shocked. "If this works, they can see who you are right under your cowl."
"Not just me, Sis," Bruce told her. "But you, as well. The OHMR have the security footage of all of us from the Showcase Square Mall, and Lucius tells me they're using that to try and determine our real identities."
Olivia was so stunned at this news, at the fact that she might be exposed publicly as the Huntress, that she simply sat back in her chair and stared in horror at Bruce.
To Be Continued...