I own no part of the Batman franchise and make no money off this fiction. Boo-hoo.


"She doesn't know anything," Anton protested as the large man- she'd heard Anton call him Vodyanoy- lifted his hand again.

Vodyanoy didn't even bother looking at him as he sneered down at Molly's shivering form. "She knows more than she is telling."

"How would she know the Batman? She's told you all she can about the shooting. All she knows is what she heard and that is not much. She cannot even identify the shooters. Why did you bring her in?"

Vodyanoy brought his fist up under her chin again and she flinched away from it. He laughed and opened the fingers to slide them along her jaw in a caress. Her whole frame shuddered violently and she vomited without warning. The large man jumped back, snarling at the mess and swore loudly.

"Anton! Bring me a towel!" he commanded as the younger man stepped forward, as if to help her. "No, you will tend to her later. Right now, you bring me a towel. I will clean up dorogaya's mess myself."

Molly looked up into his face as she heard the door shut after Anton. It was a mistake. Her eyes met Vodyanoy's and his narrowed. "My presence unnerves you, little one."

Molly shook her head, coughing on the remainder of the vomit as it finished trickling from her mouth. The smell was rancid in her nostrils, but at least it blocked his scent. She remembered him, remembered the smell of his cologne. How could she have ever forgotten when it was all around her, once? But he didn't need to know that. Not if she ever wanted to get out of here alive.

"I asked you once already, little one. You think you know me? Answer me!" he yelled at her, lifting his hand again to grip her jaw despite the mess, forcing her face up to his again. Forcing her to look at him.

"I never knew you," she finally hissed out, returning his icy glare as steadily as she could.

He continued to stare at her closely, eyes still narrowed, searching her face for recognition. Within seconds, he released her jaw and straightened up, his eyebrows high on his forehead in surprise. "Your name is not Molly," he said.

She looked away then and the man laughed softly, recovered from the initial shock of realizing what he held in his possession.

"What is you name again, little one?"

She pressed her lips together and refused to speak until he leaned forward again and grasped her upper arms. With an inhuman display of strength, he lifted her- chair and all- off the floor and brought her head up to eyelevel. Her face contorted with pain and fear as his hands crushed her arms and her legs dangled helplessly in the air. "Tell me your name," he said slowly, as if she were an idiot.

She spit at him and he dropped her with an angry shout. The jolt of the chair hitting the floor raced up her spine and she let out a cry of pain as it toppled over and her right side- the one already hosting a bullet wound- smashed into the floor. Her head suddenly felt very heavy and she was pretty sure it had bounced at the impact, but things were growing fuzzy again and the pain was back in large waves, making it impossible to think. Bile found its way up her throat again and she felt herself choking on it.

Vodyanoy's shadow crossed her and she could see his feet before her and then he squatted and filled her vision again. "I will find out anyway, stupid girl. Tell me now and maybe I will not lock Anton out of this room."

Molly continued to choke and struggle for air. When she opened her mouth again to finally reply, more bile and blood spilled from her lips to the floor in front of her. Vodyanoy's cruel face smiled at her struggle and he slammed a large hand against her back in what was supposed to be both a helpful and frightening gesture. It worked. Molly rolled her eyes up to his and flicked them away again just as quickly. The shivering set upon her body again and she let her eyes fall closed. She would pass out again soon.

"Your name, dorogaya."

He was right, there was no fighting it. Whatever he wanted to know, he would find out. He always had.

"Salome," she breathed. "It's Salome. Remember me?"

He rocked back on his heels and laughed delightedly, as if he'd just been presented with a shiny new gift.

"Of course! I recognized your last name, but now…now I recall everything, quite well," he remarked easily, letting a finger trail down her dirty cheek. "It will be a pleasure becoming reacquainted, dorogaya. It's such a shame you cut your hair. It was so beautiful. Tell me, how is your mother?"

"Dead," Molly answered weakly. "The same as you'll be, soon."

An expression of surprise crossed his face and he stood up again, grasping the back of her chair and righting her with the motion. Her head fell forward weakly and he laughed again.

"Oh, my dear girl. I wish you pleasant dreams, but I am not going anywhere. And I'm afraid that now, neither are you."


Bruce arrived back at the penthouse in the early hours of the morning, as dawn was just beginning to grey the night sky. Alfred heard him come in and met him at the doors to the balcony, helping him into the apartment swiftly and settling him in a seat while he bustled off to the bathroom for first aid supplies.

"No, Alfred. Wait," Bruce mumbled as he pulled off his mask. Alfred turned back to him expectantly and walked back over.

"Have you found her, Master Bruce?"

"No, but I'm close. I'm going to pass the information on to Gordon. Where's the phone?"

"You don't want to wait-"

"I can't afford to wait. If Gordon hasn't retrieved her by tonight, I'll go out again. But I can't wait all day without someone doing something. The stories I've heard about that man…"

"You're certain it was the renegade Russian?"

"Who else would it be? Damn it! If only I'd put that GPS on her person instead of her bag…this entire thing is my fault. Alfred, what will I do? What will I do if-"

Alfred knelt in front of his charge and boss quickly and took his shoulders. "Master Bruce, don't think like that. Don't even think that way. Miss Molly will be alright, once you find her and you will find her. Worrying about what might happen won't help her at all."

"I just…I can't lose her like Rachel, Alfred. I can't do that again."

"And you won't. Now get out of that suit and go take a shower. The commissioner called after you'd already left last night, wanting to speak to you about her disappearance. Since you're officially a couple, he seemed to think you might know something."

Bruce cracked a weak smile. "Imagine that. Well, I'll get cleaned up. I'll call him after I've sent him the leads I found." His smile tightened and he clapped a hand on Alfred's shoulder. "Thanks, Alfred."

"Don't thank me yet, Master Bruce," the older man replied before he stood up and moved away, leaving Bruce to his thoughts.

Half an hour later, Gordon was being buzzed up to the penthouse. He entered cautiously, unsure of what he'd find, but he was greeted by a haggard looking Bruce Wayne.

"Mr. Wayne," he greeted. "Odd timing for a trip across country, yesterday."

"I had an unavoidable business meeting. I came back as soon as I could when I heard the news."

Jim Gordon's eyes narrowed appraisingly and he nodded once, making a note of something on a pad of paper. "So how has the charade been going?"

Bruce looked startled. "I'm sorry?"

"The charade of your relationship with Molly, Mr. Wayne. How is it going? Have you two been fighting, did she seem pleased with the situation?"

Bruce frowned. "Not that it's any of your business, but it wasn't entirely a charade. Miss Weil and I have…an interest in one another."

Gordon glared at the other man openly, not caring how tall he was or how much he bench pressed. He got up into Bruce's face and challenged him directly.

"Look, Mr. Wayne. I know we have history, but my history with Molly trumps anything you and I might have. Everything that goes on in this case that is directly related to her is my business so I suggest you get used to that right now."

Bruce stepped away from him smoothly without really giving any ground. "I understand that perfectly, Commissioner," he replied. "But I don't see how my relationship to Molly- whatever it is- is related to her being abducted by a lot of thugs."

"We received an interesting tip just a little while ago," Jim responded, changing the subject.

"Yeah? Good, let's hear it."

"There's some renegade Russian mobsters at work in the city. It's been reported they may be working with a gang that Molly tried to take down a few years ago. Sound familiar?"

"She did mention a few things to me," Bruce allowed. Besides, nothing the Commissioner said was surprising, considering all the tips came from the Batman.

"An anonymous caller told us that the Russians were holding her for information on the Batman. It seems the Batman was spotted at the shooting crime scene a few nights ago before the police arrived. They're assuming she knows him, somehow."

Bruce paled, but didn't give any other sign of agitation. This was new. This tip had not come from himself. "Someone from inside the operation called you," he murmured.

Gordon nodded. "It seems that way. Look, I'm sorry for asking those questions earlier. This situation is very stressful. We need to get her back alive and we're running out of time. Witnesses know what we're talking about, but are so terrified of this figure they won't say a word." He gave a frustrated snarl and slammed a fist against the door.

Bruce watched him carefully, unsure if there was anything he could say that would help. "She's not completely helpless, Commissioner," he finally murmured. "She knows how to take care of herself."

"I know that. But these are seriously nasty men we're dealing with, compounded by the fact that she's already been shot and we don't know how bad the wound is…"

"The boy couldn't tell you anything?"

Gordon's face grew even grimmer. "He died late last night. Never woke up," he said gruffly. Suddenly he looked up at Bruce, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How did you know about the kid?"

Bruce shrugged, working hard to keep his heart rate normal. He'd slipped up big-time, but it wouldn't do to let Gordon know that. "I hear things, Commissioner. This is practically my city, after all."

"Huh. Well, look. You'll get no more classified information out of my department. We have to play this close to the vest. I hope you understand that, Mr. Wayne." By which he was really saying, "I hope you can stay out of this and not endanger the rescue anymore."

Bruce nodded. He answered a few more of the commissioner's questions and promised to get the flight itinerary from the day before to him. Then he shook the man's hand and bid him a good morning. He leaned against the door wearily after shutting it and turned his head when he heard Alfred's steps.

"The police don't know much more than I do," he said. "But they have an inside informant. Alfred," he continued, turning around, "what sort of villain is most likely to inform on his cohorts if they're holding an injured woman captive?"

"Someone who isn't really a villain?"

"Right. But what sort of people work for these syndicates, but maintain some humanity?"

"If you're asking me seriously, Sir, I'd have to say someone who probably doesn't work for them full time. Whose career or home life keeps him grounded. Another school teacher, perhaps…but if Miss Molly is injured, they would probably some sort of medical professional close by, as well."

"A doctor, of course! That's where I'll start."

"Master Bruce, you do have some other appointments scheduled for today-"

"Cancel them all. I'm not going anywhere until I'm suited up again and that won't happen without more information." Bruce paused on his way to the apartment's office. "Actually, Alfred, I believe I will go out today. I want to check up on Molly's grandmother. She might know something about the gang that Molly never mentioned."

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Master Bruce. I'll telephone her and set up a time."

Bruce waved a hand over his shoulder and continued on his way. He was getting somewhere, finally. He only prayed Molly would still be alive when he got there.


AN: What will happen to Molly and how does she know Vodyanoy? Gasp! All will be revealed next chapter!