Disclaimer: I don't own Batman the Animated Series.


Batman

"Black Mask..." I mutter to myself, holding the robotic head Nightwing brought back.

"Think he's working for Joker?" Nightwing asks, curious.

"Doubtful, or else he would have waited his turn."

"Two-Face didn't." Batgirl points out.

"He needed to lure you away." I remind her. "Black Mask had no reason relating to Gotham Tonight."

"Doesn't he have some sort of vendetta against you?" Nightwing inquires.

I nod. "Yes. However, a random attack is out of place. It was too poorly coordinated. There's another reason for the attack. We just need to figure out what."

"That won't be too hard." Alfred's voice grabs our attention. We turn our heads to see him walking down the stairs. "He wasn't exactly subtle about his attack, and I'm afraid he's using it to his advantage."

Alfred reaches us and leans over to type a few commands into the Batcomputer. A video file of a recent news cast pops up.

"Today's leading story. Last night Gotham was lit up by gunfire as two motorcyclists were chased throughout the city." And aerial picture is shown depicting Nightwing being chased by the helicopter. However, the picture is blurry, so it isn't clear that Nightwing is the one on the motorcycle. Only knowing Nightwing's account of the situation allows me to realize this.

"The motorcyclists managed to get away, but our city was left with more scars due to the rocket launchers used. These rocket launchers seemingly left a message. One that doesn't bode well for Gotham's future." Nightwing's picture is replaced with another.

Batgirl growls. "They can't be serious."

The picture on the screen shows several buildings ablaze, but that isn't what troubles my protégé. The problem is that the fires form the distinctive shape of a bat.

"Seriously?! The news channels are so stupid that they're buying this?!" Nightwing yells in indignation. "It's obvious that it's a set up! We don't even have a helicopter!"

"People will believe anything they're told." I mutter, more annoyed than concerned. "As long as it sounds even vaguely possible."

"Plus, it's not like people don't already fear us, this changes nothing." Batgirl huffs.

Nightwing sighs. "Fair enough, I forgot I'm not a hero in Gotham. I'm a vigilante."

"Subtle difference." Alfred notes.

"But significant." I add.

Turning off the TV, Alfred rushes us all to bed. "Now off with you lot. Master Bruce, you have a meeting tomorrow bright and early, so no late night for you. You two" He addresses Nightwing and Batgirl. "Are still teenagers, so lots of sleep is needed. Now shoo!"

Alfred coaxes us out of our suits and into our respective beds. I lean back in mine, thinking over the night's events.

So many questions swirl in my head: How many villains will we need to fight? Where is Joker broadcasting from? What's Two-Face's stake in this? Just money?

Giving up on my troubled thoughts for the nights, I allow myself to fall asleep, and slip away from my problems, at least for a while.

Robin

I wake up. My entire body STILL aches unbearably, and this is only day two..

Growling, I glance at my clock. 7:30 in the morning. I tilt my head further to peer outside my window. The rain thunders around the mansion, beating down the branches of trees and creating an army's worth of noise.

Yesterday was hell, I stayed in my bed the whole day, writhing in my discomfort. I'm not going to do that today. Alfred might tell me to stay in bed, but I won't. I can't stand doing nothing. If I'm going to be stuck with this ache, I might as well do something productive while I recover. Plus, doing something might take my mind off the ache.

Slowly pulling off my covers, I slip off my bed. My legs aren't too burnt, they were the second most protected part of me aside from my chest area.

My shoulders and neck are another story. They feel like they're super-glued into position.

I don't bother to change out of my pajamas. Light clothing is best at the moment anyways. Opening the door is painful, as it requires me to move my stiff shoulders, but I manage to open it. I shuffle down the hall, making as little excessive motion as possible.

"Just had to be oil barrels down there." I mutter. "Couldn't have been just a couple dozen meters further down the dock."

I crack a grin. "At least I got to cook my first seafood dish." I remember Killer Croc being electrocuted and blasted out of the warehouse.

"Does crocodile even count as seafood?" Dick muses, stepping out from his room.

"No idea, don't ruin my moment." I reply, still managing a painful smile on my peeling face.

"What are you doing up and about? I thought Alfred wanted you staying in bed all week."

"He does, but I'm not siting around all week being useless, no matter how much wants me to."

"That's my little brother." Dick says proudly.

"So what are YOU doing up? I know you're a training nut, but normally you tone it down when you come to Gotham."

"I'm just going to use the computer, Cyborg is keeping me updated on everything that happens in Jump."

"You don't trust your own team to manage themselves without you?" I tease.

Dick blushes. "N-No. Not exactly. I just can't help but worry about them, they're family."

"You mean you can't help but worry about HER." I say, poking fun at his obvious discomfort.

"You're not going to get off my case about that are you?" He sighs in defeat.

"Nope."

Grumbling, he makes his way down to the Batcave. I chuckle and enter the kitchen.

My back feels terrible as I bend down to grab a box of cereal out of a cupboard. My shoulders howl in pain as I reach up to the fridge for milk. I grit my teeth and bear with it.

Having made myself breakfast, I inch my way down to the Batcave to join Dick, grabbing the wall with my right hand and holding my cereal bowl with my left.

Eventually, I make my way down the stairs behind the grandfather clock and shuffle my way over to the Batcomputer where Dick, having donned his costume, was conversing with Cyborg.

"-caught Control Freak, Killer Moth, and Kitten." The metallic teen reports.

"Good work. I assume there were no issues?" Nightwing asks.

"Moth kinda messed us up when he kept blocking our vision with his swarm. Took a good hour to take him down, had to chase him all over town, but otherwise no."

Nightwing nods. "How are the others?" His voice becomes less serious as he asks this, obvious concern seeps into his voice.

"They're fine, mostly." Cyborg smiles. "Star is still feeling down, but we're doing our best to take her mind off it."

Nightwing sighs. "I wish I could be in Jump with you guys, but-"

"Batman and the others are family too." Cyborg finishes. "We get it. Star wouldn't want you to put her happiness over their safety, so just focus on what you need to do."

The homesick Titan nods. "Right. Then I guess I should get going. Same time tomorrow?"

"You bet." The call finishes, and Nighwing stares at the black screen for a moment before his shoulders square and he switches the screen over to the morning news.

"I bet they're still talking about your little fight yesterday." I say, alerting him to my presence.

Nightwing grins and peels off his mask, returning to being Dick Grayson. "Yeah, it's nice that I don't have to worry about negative publicity as much in Gotham. Not many people high up liked the Bat family in the first place."

"Missing your crowd of admirers?" I tease. "All the girl's thwowing themselves at your feet?" I put a finger on my chin despite the pain in my shoulder. "Or MAYBE you just miss Starf-"

"ANYWAYS." Dick interrupts, face red. "What do you plan on doing?"

"Not sure." I admit sheepishly. "But I have to do something. I won't be sitting in my room all day, that's for sure."

He thinks for a moment before stepping up and out of the main chair. "You can watch the news for me then. It might be best that I run through police reports anyways. Perhaps I can narrow down a list of our possible next opponents."

I smile at his thoughtfulness. I won't have to move my shoulders if I'm just watching the news. "I'm on it."

He nods and sits down in one of the side chairs, allowing me to be seated in the main one.

"Let's get to work then." He says.

Batman

No matter how much I want to be in the Batcave researching and clue-finding, Alfred's incessant reminders force me to acknowledge that I do technically have a company to run.

That's why, despite my reasoning, I'm sitting in my office at Wayne Enterprises signing paperwork and generally being useless.

'This must be how Tim felt.' I muse, remembering how peeved Altered had been to find the boy downstairs in the cave despite the fact that the old butler thought that he should be in bed, recovering.

"Mr. Wayne" My secretary's voice says over the phone. She sounds panicked.

"What is it?" I ask, voice steady. Something is clearly wrong.

"There's a Mr. Dent here to see you, apparently it's of the highest importance."

My blood chills. "Send him in." I compose myself for what is coming next.

I look calm and composed when Dent steps through the door. His mask from yesterday still covers up the bad side of his face.

"Hey Bruce." He rasps. "Long time no see."

"Indeed, it has been a while hasn't it?" I reply, motioning him to the seat across from my desk. He takes the seat and steels his fingers.

Two-Face sighs. "I wish I could say this was a pleasure visit, but we both know my line of work doesn't allow that."

I match his sigh. "I know Harvey."

"So I'm afraid I'm going to have to make demands of your company Bruce. Gotham Tonight's host insists on it." He looks almost apologetic. One of the few reminders I have that despite his bad side being predominant, the good Harvey still exists.

"Does he now?" I lean forward in my seat, locking eyes with my childhood friend. "You know, you could just tell us where the Joker is, I'm sure I could have him captured."

Two-Face shakes his head. "No can do Bruce. I'm getting too much out of this."

Sighing, I lean back in my seat. "What are the demands?"

He slides me a slip of paper. I pick it up and read. My eyes narrow and my lips form a grim line.

"This is..." I say slowly.

"The Man-Bat formula." Harvey finishes.

My mind spins as I consider my options. I don't want to give Harvey what he came for, but if I don't then my employees might be in danger. I could never forgive myself if their deaths could have been prevented.

"I'll get it for you." I growl.

"I'm gonna have to have someone accompany you." Two-Face says. "You know how it is. Making sure you don't call the police or give me the wrong stuff."

I nod. "Acceptable."

We both stand up. "I've got someone else in the waiting room. I'm going straight out, he knows to follow you. Just give him the stuff."

By this point we're at the door. Just as I'm about to open it Harvey stops me.

"I've given him orders not to kill you, but there's no sayin someone else mighta paid him to do it anyways. So just in case..." He hands me a palm-sized canister of tear gas.

I look at him questioningly. He returns my look intensely.

"Normally I would leave your life up to chance, but I'm making an exception for an old friend." He says softly. With that, he opens the door and we walk out.


Chapter 12 complete.