Apparently, I am alive. Between work, babysitting, lesson and uni - busy busy and then now I'm still busier than people assume. I am however working away. XD
Chapter Eleven
(Still very early Monday morning)
Max was half asleep, and yet she knew that even if she was still in the very big, comfortable four-poster that Bruce had let her sleep in, she wouldn't have closed her eyes anyway.
So, eyes widened almost painfully, she took in everything as Dick led her through the labyrinth-like turns of the Cave, to an area that was covered in desks and equipment. And while most of it was a good few years old, Max almost wanted to drool over the advance tech laid out for her – expensive, specialised and so very Schway. About halfway through the desks, she could make out what had to be Mr Dra-Tim. It was Tim, his hair a complete mess as he expertly moved through the forensic stages of testing. He was so absorbed in his work, he didn't do more that blink as they entered the tech corner of the Cave – and she wasn't sure if the nod he gave was to himself, or to them.
"The blood testing facilities are over here," Dick pointed, steering her the rest of the way with a small nudge in the back. The equipment was all custom-made; some she suspected that Bruce or some other Batbrat must have designed and built; others were built especially and then bought. Her hand started to twitch at her side, desperate to run and test out all the machines like she was a kid being set loose in a toy shop.
The twitching stopped when she realised she was going to get to try out most of the machinery... on her best friend and (practically) baby brother's blood. Then she wanted to be sick, she could almost taste the bile in her mouth but she swallowed and focused on the task at hand. Max would do anything, anything, to get her boys back home with her. Preferably safe and sound, but lately she was willing to compromise on that - if they were alive and somewhat sane. She took a deep breath.
"You okay, kid?" Dick's voice was low and soothing as he placed his hand carefully onto her shoulder. Without thinking Max placed her own hand over his, watching as he laced their fingers together and squeezed gently. His hand was warm, just like hers, but it felt so much stronger than Max's. I'm not alone, she blinked and squeezed back – whatever happened, from now on or with Terry, Max knew she wasn't alone. They weren't alone; there were people – family – who they could trust.
And she trusted Dick more than she trusted most adults in her life, and she'd known him for not even three days yet. What that said about Gotham, or the vigilante lifestyle, Max decided not to think about. She needed to not think about that.
"I'm fine, I... I miss them, that's all." She let go of his hand and turned to face the equipment in front of them. "So, which first?"
Dick smiled teasing a hand through his hair, "What do you know about testing blood?"
Max shrugged grabbing a stool to rest on, "I think I might have skipped that class in school."
"Well, no worries, I'll take you through the Bat-note version."
Considering all he had learned about her since meeting her; with what he had picked up from Barbara, Tim and Stephanie and through the general Bat criteria, Dick shouldn't have been surprised. With the level of concentration, intelligence and speed that Max picked up and digested everything that he taught her, it was no time before he was standing back and letting her test the blood. It was fairly easy to work the machinery, and being the tech wiz that she was, Max was soon running through the tests and equipment as if she had been doing it for months already.
And he was fairly impressed.
There was a lot about Maxine Gibson to be impressed with. He found himself admiring her courage, her strength of character, her wicked smarts, but most of all her cutting sense of humour and her deep-seeded loyalty. It cut him deeply to see the pain and uncertainly in the girl's eyes when she paused, even for a second, and severity of the situation smothered her – and then she was busy working again and the fear was replaced with a refusal to accept defeat. He didn't have the heart to tell her that truthfully it wasn't in her power to win.
No one had told Max what would happen if they didn't get Terry and Matt back. No one had to. Inside, the teenager was already aware of what failing to retrieve her friends would cost her, what it would cost Gotham overall. And the merest hint of Terry's death was driving the girl – driving her to do all and anything in her power to prevent it. Driving her quite mad.
She was a classic bat. And Stephanie had been right when she spoke about the girl as a perfect blend of her and Tim – upbeat, sarcastic, brilliant both with her intellect and her street smarts. Barbara was right too, when she moaned that she had cut links with the family years ago and wasn't in a position to take on another student. She really couldn't be a mother right now. Max wasn't Robin material – Robin, while she/he existed to keep Batman grounded and focused, also existed to learn and train under Batman. Robin was a sidekick and a student, a child in pretty much every respect that mattered.
Batgirl on the other hand was independent from Batman, someone who worked with him, trained with him and yet was still completely on her own. Batwoman was much like Batgirl, just – older, she had more power (if Dick was to be honest) than Batgirl. Ultimately she had as much sway over the children as Daddy Bat did. And seeing the trust but concern in Max's eyes, Dick realised that cape or no cape Max was already involved in this – Gotham already had a new Mamma Bat. As Batgirl, Batwoman, Oracle or whatever name she chose, Max was already Terry's partner.
Watching her pour her effort into finding her partner and their brother, Dick couldn't explain why that disappointed him. And nodding to Tim, he left Max working away and disappeared into the wider Cave, a plan already forming in his mind.
Barely half an hour after Dick disappeared; Max set the machines to automatic and before Tim could protest, vanished back upstairs into the manor as well.
BbBbBbBbBbBbBb
The night was cold.
The chill bit into her skin worse that the night before but as she tore through the Gotham skyline, desperation eating away at her, she didn't care. Right there and then, lost in the dark labyrinth of Gotham, feeling so much like a mouse in a cage, she didn't care about anything around.
Her brilliant white cloak billowed behind her, its light weight meaning it barely held her back. Every foot fall was designed to push her faster, further, harder than the last one. And when she reached the end of the roof, the momentum behind her meant she didn't need to twist her cape into a glider.
In her ears, however, she could hear the counting seconds as they tumbled by. Time was short, both for Silver Starr and for the McGinnis boys. Hitting the roof with enough force to make her knees creak, she didn't pause to gasp but kept running. Her target for tonight wasn't too far away. Doctor Logan Grey was a respected Doctor of Medicine at Gotham University. He also had some information that she wanted, badly. That wasn't a nice place to be.
A short jump, and switching to her glider, Starr was rapidly approaching the University campus and the accommodation it provided for its staff and students. She was careful to stick to the shadows, suit on full power, as she crossed the very exposed campus. The buildings were set somewhat far apart, making it easy to spot someone crossing from one to another, which was mostly likely what it was designed to do. In a place like Gotham City, security and safety could never be far from the mind in doing anything.
Adjusting her gear, she scaled one of the walls and made quick work of one of the windows to a storage room on the third floor. It was very easy, especially since she had already hacked the access codes earlier. She tucked the device she had designed to override security locks into her utility belt, she gently closed the window behind her, but did not activate the locking mechanism. She climbed over the stacks of boxes and cleaning equipment and opened the door. Checking that it was clear, she left the room and, with inaudible footsteps, walked straight to the Doctor's door.
He might as well have left it open for her. Sliding into the room, she pulled a small injection pen from her belt and entered the Doctor's room.
BbBbBbBbB
When the Doctor came to, in a confused and befuddled state, he was aware that he was cold – no freezing. And suddenly his room was filled with a cold breeze. His eyes snapped open, and stared with horror as the last of the sedative faded from his system.
"Good evening, Doctor." A cold, metallic voice greeted him but turning his head as much as he was able to, Logan wasn't able to see who was speaking. But tied up, sitting rather precariously on a ledge six stories up might distract a man anyway.
"W-what are you doing? What d-do you want from me?" He gasped, fear coursing through him – he was too scared to even move in case he dislodged himself from the delicate looking system of ropes his kidnapper had attached him too.
"Relax Doctor; I'm only going to ask you some simple questions. If you answer me to the best of your ability and honestly, I'll release you straight away and you can go back to bed." Logan noticed when something moved out of the darkness to his left. Batman, that was the only thing he could think – Batman had dragged him out of his bed and up onto a rooftop to torture him.
Then the Doctor noticed that figure was too small to be the legendary Batman, the costume was a dull silver and brilliant white... and it was a woman, dressed as an assassin. Tears started to run down his face, and he couldn't even bring himself to look the woman in the face.
She tilted her head to one side and lowered her voice to a growl, "Lie to me, even once, and you'll have just enough time to regret it before you hit the lovely stone cobbles."
He nodded rapidly, "What do you want to know?" And thinking as hard as he could Logan couldn't think of anything she'd want to know from him.
Silver Starr smiled beneath her mask, "Tell me about your good friend Doctor Xavier, why don't you Grey?"
The man fell silent, staring with blank eyes at the sparkling grey and black abyss he was hanging over. Then he shook his head, "No, I-I don't know him, I don't kn-"
CRACK.
His head snapped to one side and he cried out, blood leaking from his nose. Starr calmly reached over and grabbed a fist full of his hair and dragged the whimpering man closer to her. And nearer to the precarious edge.
"I warned you," she hissed, "Now, unless you really want to hurt, tell me about Xavier. Is he really worth the wrath of me, Batman, the whole of Gotham Police force and Bruce Wayne coming down on you?"
Logan's lips trembled, "I-I really, I don't know what he's doing, okay. I'm a Doctor for Christ sake; I don't get involved with him anymore!"
Starr pulled slightly harder, "Yeah, yeah, I'm aware of your past with him. Amazing what universities will overlook to get a good teacher, isn't it? ... Especially when you leave it out of your application and bribe the Chief of Security not to look into it." Logan blanched, shame flicking onto his face.
"I didn't have a choice; no one would look at me if they knew. I didn't know what Xavier was doing to those kids, or I'd never have recommended him." Starr released his hair, letting his head slump onto his chest. She shifted so that her boot was resting on the stone barrier between her and the sheer drop to the campus grounds, the same barrier that Doctor Logan Grey – also known as Doctor Lewis Gray – was sitting on.
It had taken a lot of digging, but interested in at least checking up on 'Doctor Xavier', had yielded some pretty fascinating and disturbing facts about the dear Doctor. The torture and insanity of several mentally traumatised children under the Doctor's care had been an unexpected find for her – and alarming. Ten years ago, Doctor James Xavier had been arrested and charged with the physical and mental assault of no fewer than nine minors and a handful of young adults. And the murder of fifteen others. All of which had been recommended to him by Doctor Gray to deal with their extreme reactions to traumatic events they had suffered. The Doctor had manipulated events so that the children, more than he was charged with, were placed under his guardianship and then vanished with them.
She felt sick just scanning the notes involved. The whole scandal had been hushed up and Xavier had been confined to Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane after his mental state was declared to unstable to stand trial. Or at least until a year ago, after which Xavier disappeared entirely – no official discharge papers, no probation, no reassessment. Xavier had just walked out of the Asylum and no one seemed to think that was wrong at the time. Clearly some serious money had changed hands between some influential and anonymous people.
And while she couldn't put her finger on it, Starr was willing to bet big money on Xavier being involved in the McGinnis' kidnappings. He had experience, means – several of the children he tortured had been kidnapped out of thin air – and if he was working for Chang then he had opportunity. She still wasn't sure what the motive was – but from what she had overheard, she was fairly certain if he had a part in the kidnapping then it sure as hell wasn't money he was after.
But it sounded like he wanted the boys for something particular. For some other reasons than to experiment on them, and that scared her more that she was able to admit.
And she needed that answer, now.
"With very good reason, Doctor Gray. You honestly didn't notice when your best friend started to torture his patients – children? All of those kids, the ones not dead anyway, are still in sanatoriums and are probably going to stay there for the rest of their lives." She growled, resisting the urge to hit the man who had handpicked some of Xavier's victims.
"I swear I didn't know. It wasn't my fault – I tried to help those kids, really I did." Gray was red in the face, his eyes burning as he grinded his teeth. It hurt to think of those poor kids, but he did, every single day wishing he could have saved them.
"You can't, it's too late for them. But you can help save Xavier's newest victims Gray, by telling me what you know about your old friend." Starr tapped the man on the head seriously with the hilt of one of her daggers.
Gray's eyes widened in horror, "New... What are you talking about? J-Xavier wouldn't – he couldn't!"
Starr, playing with the dagger still, nodded grimly, "I'm sure you've heard of the McGinnis boys' kidnappings, it's all over the news. Xavier is involved, possible holding the boys and we both know exactly what he'll be doing to them. Right. Now."
A strong gust of wind slammed into them, causing Starr's cape to flap wildly and the edges of the Doctor's silk pyjamas to flutter. But neither moved an inch otherwise. The Doctor was still.
"He called me, about a week ago," the Doctor started croakily, "I hung up as soon as I realised it was him, I didn't even know they had let him out. They shouldn't have, after what he did." The man angrily shook his head, "but then he turned up at one of my lectures. I didn't have a choice in talking to him – b-but he knew who I was, he was threatening to hand me over to the police and I couldn't take that. James had destroyed my first career, my life and now he was going to have me sent to jail!"
Gray broke off, glaring furiously into the night, "All he wanted, or so he said, was access to some of his old supplies. I told him there was no way I could do that, I didn't have access. He just wanted these chemicals, god they were fucking expensive and highly restricted but I... I got them for him, like he asked." The Doctor's eyes were unfocused, something not quite anger and not quite like resentment was mixed in there.
"He said he wasn't going to use them again," the man whispered in a small voice, "and I believed him, I wanted to so badly. Just like before." Gray choked, a sob caught in his throat.
Starr didn't say anything to that; just let the Doctor struggle to keep his composure and suppress the grief he was feeling inside. She had an idea of what he must be going through, to see someone he had, and apparently still did, love do some many horrible things to those around him. But she didn't understand why Gray let himself continuously be taken in by Xavier, or how the smart man could have fallen in love and, slaggit, still love a monster. Apparently love really was blind, even to morality.
"Where is he?"
"I don't know! I never meet with him outside of the university. He sent someone to pick up the chemicals."
Starr shifted, "Describe them."
"Umm, young, mid-twenties maybe. Hispanic, dark hair and eyes – had these tattoos on his shoulders, like a snake curled around his upper arm, up and around his neck. Piercing in his ears and nose, maybe a little spliced but I don't know with what."
She made a note of that in her computer, to search the Police files from anyone with that description or any gangs beside the obvious that used snakes as a mark. "Any banger or jail tats?"
The Doctor's eyes misted over slightly. She suppressed a sigh, "I'll take that as a no then."
Taking a deep breath, Silver Starr cut the ropes, letting the Doctor stagger backwards and collapse shaking on the ground. When the Doctor looked up, the Silver woman was gone, not a trace left of her.
The police knocked on his door at eleven o'clock sharp the next morning and Lewis told them everything, though it was little, that he knew and accepted his punishment without protesting. It was the very least he deserved, and if it helped those boys then he wasn't going to fight it.
The end is nigh, sort of. The end is begining is more like it.
