It was almost ten o'clock by the time Edward left the Iceberg Lounge. He'd had another shot of whiskey and conferred with Oswald about their information gathering, then bid him adieu. As soon as he stepped back out into the chilly December night, he dialed Penny's number.

"How did it go?" she answered immediately.

"Oswald and I are back on speaking terms," Edward said, walking briskly to his car. Just faintly, he could hear her let out a sigh of relief. "Our arrangement still stands and he's been made aware of my partnership with Batman."

"How did he react?"

"He wasn't all that surprised." Edward huffed. "He said he's been expecting this to happen since Bane." He reached his car at last, then fumbled in his coat pocket for the key. "I'd say it went about as well as it could." He considered telling her about the waiter, then decided against it. It could wait until he saw her in person. He unlocked the car door, opened it, and shut it quickly to get away from the chilly breeze. "I'm on my way back to my apartment for my rendevous with the Dark Knight."

"Will you come back here tonight?"

Edward smiled. "Of course, darling. I'm not sure how long I'll be with Batman, so don't feel like you have to wait up for me. I'll text you when I'm on my way."

"That's fine. I'll leave my key under my mat for you. I'll see you later tonight. Good luck."

"I'll see you soon, Penny. I love you." Edward hung up the phone and started his car, cranking the heater to full blast. There was a part of him that wanted to turn around, go back to Penny's apartment and take her to bed, Batman and investigation be damned. Another part of him, a louder part, was almost excited about the prospect of Batman finally acknowledging his skill and intellect. He put the car in drive and began the trek to his apartment. Penny would be waiting for him, time to go to work.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Edward had pulled into his parking lot and did a doubletake when he saw a familiar, long black car parked alongside the street. As soon as he parked his car, the top of the black car opened, and Batman came out. Edward opened his car and met the vigilante in the parking lot halfway between both vehicles. "My my," he drawled. "Aren't we conspicuous tonight?"

"Where have you been?" Batman asked.

Edward frowned at the demanding tone in the man's voice. "I just came from the Iceberg Lounge. Why, were you waiting for me?"

"I take it you came to terms with Cobblepot," Batman answered without answering, in that infuriating way he did.

Edward huffed, then shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "We did. It's back to business as usual." He narrowed his eyes. "That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

"No. Not as long as you stay out of his more underhanded dealings."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Yes, father." He nodded towards his apartment building. "So, shall we go inside before we freeze to death?"

Batman turned his back on Edward and started walking towards the Batmobile. "No. We're going for a ride."

Edward stood rooted to his spot, not sure if he'd heard the man correctly. "What, in the car?"

Batman paused, then looked over his shoulder. "Are you coming?"

In the car. In the actual Batmobile. He was going to ride in the front seat of the Batmobile. How many times would he get an opportunity like this again? "Lead the way, Dark Knight!" Edward followed, with a spring in his step not too dissimilar from Ellen whenever she was excited. He waited as patiently as he could for Batman to open the front of the car, before laying his cane on the car floor and climbing into the passenger seat. Immediately, his eyes went to the dashboard, taking in every light and button on the dashboard, memorizing their location, and speculating what their functions were. He let out a low whistle as his gaze drifted across the dashboard, to the steering wheel. It was a sleek, beautiful car, and he'd admired it as much as he'd dreaded the sight of it in the past. "Nice car," he said. "Don't remember if I've ever been in it conscious before."

"Don't touch anything," was Batman's only reply as he entered the car and closed the hatch behind him.

Well, that had been nice while it lasted. "Wouldn't dream of it," Edward sassed. Batman put it into drive, and soon, the pair were hurtling down the street away from Edward's apartment and towards downtown. The sudden acceleration pushed Edward back into his seat slightly, but he quickly recovered, taking note of the horsepower. A car like this couldn't come cheap. Edward leaned back against the stiff leather seat and propped one leg over the other. "So," he asked. "How did your meeting with Commissioner Gordon go?"

"The Mayor's angry with him about how he handled your encounter with the other Rogues," came the terse reply. "There's going to be a special session of the city council Monday night and he and Strange will be presenting their findings from their investigations. There's a chance the council will ask him to resign."

Edward steepled his fingers in front of his face. Despite their history, he didn't wish that fate for Gordon. Not when that could bring disastrous consequences for Penny. "That's unfortunate. This session won't be open to the public by any chance, will it?"

"I doubt it. I'll find a way to listen in though. The further you stay away from city officials, the better." Edward bristled, but he could also see Batman's point. "Do you still have Lyle Bolton under surveillance?"

Edward looked askance at Batman, then huffed. Of course, he knew. "I did, up until Saturday. I had to pull the informants I had watching him so they could find out more information about the attacks." A sinking feeling of dread came over Edward. "Strange didn't hire him back, did he?"

"No. Mayor Sharp hired him as his security chief. Gordon said that he was practically the Mayor's shadow."

Edward took a deep breath. Of course, Sharp would be that stupid, that vindictive, and now if he didn't already know about Ellen's existence, he would as soon as Bolton opened his fat mouth. "Well, as soon as I'm at liberty, I'm putting someone on his tail again. If that neanderthal takes one step near my daughter, I'll make what I did to him this last year look like child's play."

"I won't let that happen, Edward. I'll help keep an eye on Bolton. You should also talk to your daughter as soon as you can."

"I've already told her to stay away from Sharp and anyone connected to the Mayor's office." With how much of a spitfire Ellen was though...he'd have his hands full making sure she didn't go chasing after Bolton herself. As much as he didn't want the other Bats around her..."I wonder if she'd listen to Stephanie," he muttered.

The Batmobile came to a sudden stop, jerking Edward forward. Only his seatbelt kept him from crashing into the dashboard. He turned his head, ready to yell at Batman only to shrink back when he saw the glare the vigilante was giving him. "What did you just say?" he growled.

Edward furrowed his brow. What had he just-Stephanie. Oh, that had been a stupid, stupid move. "I suppose it's no good keeping it from you," he said, aware that he was about five seconds away from the Dark Knight's hand wrapping around his throat. "Seeing Arthur a few days ago jogged my memory. I know his daughter is Batgirl."

Batman's eyes narrowed even further. "And just what do you intend to do with this information?"

Edward forgot his fear long enough to lean forward and jab his finger towards Batman. "Just what do you think I'm going to do with it?" he asked, outraged. "Do you think I'm going to sell out the girl who took a bullet for my daughter? Who would I even sell her out to? Unless he's a complete idiot, Arthur has to know, and I'm not exactly on speaking terms with the other Rogues!" Batman's face retained its tight expression and Edward recognized it. It was the same expression he'd had minutes ago when he thought about Ellen. Batman didn't see the other Bats as his minions, he realized with a start. He saw them as his children. "I don't intend to do anything with it," he said calmly, lowering his finger. "I never even intended to bring it up. It was a slip of the tongue."

Batman's eyes remained narrowed, but Edward noticed his grip on the steering wheel loosen. "Don't bring it up again," he said, at last, his voice a low warning. "And don't even think about snooping around."

"As if I have the time," Edward retorted. "What happened to wanting to trust me?" Batman said nothing, but turned his head back to the steering wheel and put his foot back on the gas pedal. The car moved forward, and the pair sat in silence for a long while. Edward looked out the window and noticed that they were driving through the lower East Side. "Where are we going, anyway?" he asked.

"Gordon has Detective Montoya and Officer Cash looking into police officers who might be connected to the attacks," Batman said as if he hadn't been about to shove Edward face-first through the windshield minutes before. "Two names have come up as potential suspects: Barney Jacobs and Talbot Shaw."

Edward blinked on hearing the last name. "Oh? What makes them suspects?"

"Jacobs has been absent from duty since the attacks, and Shaw's movements can't be accounted for." Batman looked at Edward from the corner of his eye. "What do you know about them?"

"About Jacobs? Nothing, yet. Shaw, however, you can clear as a suspect."

"He's an informant of yours, isn't he?"

Edward smirked. "Quick on the uptake, as always. Yes, Officer Shaw has been in my employ since I foiled Victor Goodman. He keeps me informed on the day to day running of GCPD headquarters, and in return, I help him afford payments on his new house."

Batman didn't look impressed, as always. "Is Shaw the only informant you have in GCPD?"

Edward didn't like that dismissive tone. "GCPD officers are a bit more expensive than your run of the mill informant," he groused. Not that Batman needed to know, but Edward was in the process of securing 'donations' from Arthur and Harvey to help with his staffing issues. "I could either have a multitude of informants in GCPD or my daughter could have a college fund."

This actually seemed to get a reaction from the Dark Knight, as his eyes widened, for just a moment. Only a moment, and he was back to his stoic self. "When was the last time you spoke to Shaw?"

"Yesterday. I told him to look into any suspicious absences from GCPD the last few days, just as Gordon has his officers doing."

"Call him. I want to know what he knows."

"So do I." In an instant, Edward pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. On the third ring, he heard the phone pick up. "Good evening, Officer Shaw."

"Mr. Nigma?" a young voice responded. "What's up?"

Edward put the phone on speaker, keeping one eye on Batman as he did so. He'd rather the man not announce his presence, lest he spook the officer. "I thought I'd call for a progress report. What have you heard around headquarters?"

"Rat Squads all over the place. They're talking to anyone Detective Schrader might have worked with. I heard they're at his old precinct too. Aaron and Detective Montoya have been asking around too, about what I've been doing lately. I think they might have made me."

Edward glanced towards Batman, but the vigilante remained silent. "I have an in with Officer Cash, don't worry about it. Tell me, what do you know about Officer Barney Jacobs?"

"Barney? I've talked with him a few times. He's kind of a dumbass, but he's ok. He's better than his partner."

"Oh?" This was promising. "What's the partner's name?"

"Mark Dietrich. He's a bossy prick."

"Any history of violence?"

"Nah, he's just a dick. He and Barney are always late coming back from their patrols. They drive dispatch nuts."

"I can imagine. Have you ever noticed either man speaking with Detective Schrader?"

"Nah. I mean, not more than any other beat cop in headquarters. They might have met outside in one of the cop bars though."

As soon as Edward had the financial means to do so, he was recruiting more GCPD informants. Shaw was competent, but he was only one man. "I've heard through other sources that Jacobs has been absent from duty. Do you have any idea why?"

"He's been calling in sick, but I heard Dietrich talking to him on the phone in the locker room, telling him to get his ass to work." Edward noticed Batman's eyes narrowing. He put the phone on mute and leaned over slightly.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Dietrich has been saying that he hasn't been in communication with Jacobs," Batman said.

It looked very likely that they had found Schrader's rats. Edward unmuted his phone. "Is Dietrich still on duty?"

"No, he went home about two hours ago. He skipped Wednesday Night beer night too-shit. Should I tell the Commissioner?"

Edward looked at Batman, who gave a firm nod. "The second I hang up, go to Gordon. Thank you as always, for your service, Officer Shaw. I'll check in with you on Monday."

"You got it." Edward hung up, placed his phone into his pocket, and turned to fully face Batman. The Dark Knight was pressing buttons into the navigational system of the Batmobile. A few lines of text appeared on the small screen, as well as a picture of whom Edward assumed was Officer Dietrich. Edward realized that what he was looking at was actually a small dashboard computer built into the Batmobile. It was fascinating and made him sigh wistfully. Oh, the mischief he could have gotten up to if he'd had access to Batman's tech in his other life...ah well.

"Officer Dietrich lives at 450 52nd Street," Batman said. "That's about a ten-minute drive from here."

Edward raised an eyebrow. "How convenient." Had this whole drive been a ploy from Batman to get him to reveal his GCPD source? He wouldn't put it past the man. "What about Jacobs?"

Batman hesitated before responding. "I have someone watching his home. There's been no sign of him."

"Which means he's on the run, and Dietrich probably knows where," Edward smirked. "So then, I'll be Good Cop to your Bad Cop?" A taciturn look was his only response. Edward sulked. "Fine: Bad Cop, Worse Cop."

450 52nd Street was an old four-story office building on the edges of the East Side that had been converted to a cheap apartment complex some years before. Edward took a critical look at the old, drab building, barely illuminated by a few lights from the apartments inside, and shook his head. "You'd think Schrader would have paid his rats enough for them to afford better housing." He looked over his shoulder only to see Batman standing a few feet away by the parked Batmobile, his fingers pressed up against his cowl. No doubt he was communicating with one of his underlings, and not paying attention to a word Edward was saying. Typical. Edward huffed, then looked back towards the building. His grip tightened on the handle of his cane. A crooked cop was the most dangerous cop and they were about to confront one in his own home. Perhaps he should listen to Penny's suggestion of wearing a bulletproof vest under his clothes. He heard the sounds of heavy footsteps approaching and saw Batman in his peripheral vision.

"Your informant talked to Gordon," he said. "Gordon's put out an IPB on Dietrich and Jacobs. Backup should be here in about twenty minutes."

"Good to know," Edward said. He pointed the tip of his cane towards the building. "So. How do you want to do this?"

"Follow my lead," Batman ordered, stepping forward. "Jacobs may have come here after leaving his home. Be ready for a fight."

"After you then," Edward said with a sweep of his arm. Batman paid no attention to it and entered the building. Edward followed behind him, his cane at the ready. The pair silently made their way from the empty main floor up the rickety old stairs, the only sound being their footsteps. Edward followed Batman up to the third floor and tried to ignore the sound of his heart pounding. Adrenaline was starting to course through him, but not from fear. From excitement. At the end of the hall, Batman held a gloved hand up. Edward stopped in his tracks, then began to hear voices coming from behind apartment 12.

"We should go, Mark. He's going to kill us-"

"Shut the fuck up, Barney. He doesn't know shit. If he knew, he'd have come after us by now. No one knows what Schrader told us to do. Just come to work tomorrow and act like nothing happened. It'll be fine."

Officers Dietrich and Jacobs. Edward took a step forward, only for Batman's arm to block his path. The vigilante shook his head. Not yet. Edward frowned, but nodded, leaning forward to catch more of the pair incriminating themselves. Had they assisted at City Hall? Were they responsible for the Narrows bombing?

"Maybe we should go to Gordon," the first, desperate voice said.

"And tell him what? We didn't know what Schrader was going to do! All that prick told us to do was keep an eye on the Riddler freak! I'm not throwing away ten years on the force for that!"

Edward saw red. Those sons of bitches had been tailing him that day! While he'd been lying in bed grappling with his feelings for Penny, they'd been outside his home, waiting to bring him in. He surged forward again, but Batman's arm remained firm. The vigilante shot him a sharp look that said more than words could. Calm. Down. Edward glared at him, then took a deep breath. It wouldn't do any good for him to run into the apartment and bash their brains in, as much as he wanted to. Dietrich's voice rose.

"Just take a breath, and calm down. Riddler doesn't know shit, and if he tries anything, I'll stick that cane of his so far up his ass it'll come out his mouth!"

Well. That was just rude. Edward couldn't let that pass. He tapped Batman's arm insistently and finally, it lowered. Batman's hand went to his utility belt and pulled out a Batarang. Finally, he gave Edward a nod. Showtime. Edward stepped around Batman, went up to the door, and gave it three solid raps with his cane.

"What the fuck?" Dietrich's voice shouted. "Who's there!?"

"Pest control!" Edward shouted back in a brassy tone. "We've had some reports of vermin infesting this unit."

There was a pause before Jacobs's voice piped up. "Oh shit. Oh shit, it's him!"

"You made a mistake coming here alone, freak," Dietrich growled out. Edward heard the distinctive sound of a pistol cocking, before he heard the deadbolt being removed. Perfect. The morons had taken the bait.

Edward cackled. "Who said I came here alone?" He stepped to the side, giving Batman a nod. As soon as the door began to open, Batman kicked it down, sending Dietrich hurtling to the floor. Jacobs was standing in the living room, his own pistol in his shaky hand. His eyes were as wide as saucers and his face turned green as he saw Batman enter the small apartment.

"Oh God," the officer whispered. He reflexively raised his hand and Batman responded by hurling the Batarang directly at the gun, knocking it to the ground. Before Jacobs could even react, Batman had launched himself across the room, taking the hapless officer by the front of his shirt and pinned him against the living room wall, sending a framed picture crashing to the ground. Edward remained at the door, amazed, and not a little bit frightened at how fast Batman could move when he really wanted to. He caught movement at his feet and saw Dietrich attempting to get to his feet. Edward quickly flipped his cane and smashed the cop in the small of his back with the handle. Dietrich rolled onto his back and Edward unscrewed the top, pulled the blade out, and pointed it at the man's thick neck in a matter of seconds.

"What was that you were saying about what you'd do with my cane?" Edward asked acerbically. "I'd stay still if I were you, or else you get to see what I'll do with it." Dietrich's eyes flashed, but he stayed still. "Good decision, Officer." Edward looked up enough to watch Batman going to work on poor Officer Jacobs.

"We know you were working with Detective Schrader," Batman said. "When did he recruit you?"

"It was the day of the attacks," Jacobs croaked. "He told us that we had to keep tabs on Riddler, then to bring him in at 7:05 pm." That would have been after the attacks and after the bombs had gone off. No doubt, that was to cement the frame-up on him, Edward thought. "We didn't know what Schrader was going to do at City Hall," the officer pleaded. "I swear to God-"

Edward watched as Batman's hand tightened around Jacobs' throat. "Swear to me," he growled, and Edward felt a chill go down his spine.

"I swear!" Jacobs choked. "We were just supposed to watch Riddler and bring him in! That's it! I swear!"

"And it never occurred to you to ask Schrader why I needed to be brought in?" Edward asked Dietrich.

The officer gulped. "Schrader was a senior detective. Wasn't our place to ask questions."

"Of course it wasn't," Edward scoffed. "And I suppose it didn't occur to you after the attacks what Schrader's motive was?" The blank, expression on Dietrich's face told Edward all he needed to know. He made a disgusted noise. "GCPD's best and brightest. Who else was involved?"

"We don't know," Dietrich said. "Schrader didn't say if he talked to anyone else." Edward moved the cane sword just an inch closer to Dietrich, and the man shrank back. "It's the truth! We only know what Schrader told us! We didn't have anything to do with what happened at City Hall or the other shootings!"

"But you didn't say anything to Gordon after the attacks," Batman said. "Even if you didn't know what Schrader's plans were, you're still accomplices." He dropped Jacobs to the ground and the man immediately curled up. "Gordon's on his way here. You're going to tell him everything you told us, and you had better tell the truth, or I'll hunt you down." Batman gave Edward a nod, then began to walk towards the front door. Edward looked down at Dietrich.

"I may not possess the physical strength that Batman here does," he said in warning. "But I don't need it to make your life Hell. Regardless of what Gordon does to you, the two of you are going to find out why you don't want my attention." He sheathed his blade, screwed the top of his cane back on, and stepped aside to make way for Batman. Before he followed the vigilante out, he took one last look at the officers and the identical looks of fear they both wore on their faces. Edward smiled.

"Gordon will be here in about five minutes," Batman said as the pair exited the building. "I'll take you back to your apartment."

"Just one question," Edward said. "Let's be honest: you could have conducted that interrogation by yourself. You didn't need me to accompany you here." He crossed his arms. "Which begs the question: why did you bring me out here?" Batman's expression was blank, and he said nothing. "Let me share my theory: you've suspected since the attacks happened that Schrader had GCPD officers tailing me. You wanted to see how I'd react. Tonight was a test." Edward looked expectantly at the Dark Knight. "So: did I pass?"

Batman turned on his heel and walked to the Batmobile. "We need to go. We can talk about our next steps on our way back to your apartment."

Another answer without answering. Score one for Edward. "Lead the way, Dark Knight."

It was just after 12:30 when Edward pulled into Penny's parking lot. He and Batman had agreed to meet again Monday, after the City Council meeting. In the meantime, Edward was going to begin recruiting more informants, as well as begin surveilling Bolton again. He stopped his car and looked Heavenward. That was not a conversation with Ellen that he was looking forward to. He opened his car door and stepped out into the cold night again. At least he had some solace for a few hours. Once he stepped out of the elevator onto Penny's floor, he had a renewed spring in his step. Despite Batman's mind games, the evening had been productive, and the adrenaline was still running through his veins. It wasn't too late at night, perhaps Penny would be up for a little fun. He reached her door, then reached under her mat for her key. He unlocked her front door and opened it softly, in case she was asleep.

Penny was sitting on her couch, dressed in her pajamas, with a mug in her hand. She looked up as he entered and the relief was palpable in her eyes. "Hello, Edward."

"Hello, Darling," he cooed. He shut the door behind him, then hung his jacket up on her coatrack. He turned back to the couch. "Tea at this time of night?" he lightly scolded. "I told you you didn't have to wait up for me."

Penny rolled her eyes. "I'm aware." She gestured to the coffee table, where another mug stood. "I made some for you too, I know it's cold out tonight."

Edward grinned. "Thank you." He crossed the room to her couch then took a seat next to her. He took the warm mug and eagerly drank the green tea, letting the warmth seep through his bones. He looked back at Penny, who was leaned forward, her hand under her chin.

"How did it go tonight?"

Edward took another gulp of tea, then placed the mug down on the coffee table. "It was eventful." He told her a quick summary of the night's events from his meeting with Oswald at the Iceberg Lounge and the punishment he'd given the waiter, to the night with Batman. All the while, Penny listened, her face as impassive as the Dark Knight himself. "...And so, Batman wants to meet up after the City Council session. In the meantime, I need to start looking into expanding my informant network. I also need to talk to Ellen about Bolton. Knowing my little hellion, she's going to want to go after him herself."

Penny nodded. "I'm going to call Joan and Bruce tomorrow. Commissioner Gordon needs all the support we can give him ahead of Monday night." She bit her lower lip before she spoke again. "I want to come with you on Monday to speak with Batman."

Edward frowned. "Penny, you don't have to-"

"I want to, Edward. I'm still part of this investigation. I can more than handle Batman, and I don't want to spend my nights alone, waiting for you to come back to me." She reached over to squeeze his hand. "I'm your partner, in more ways than one."

"I know," Edward sighed, squeezing her hand back. "There's no way to keep you out of this." He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. "I seem cursed to love stubborn people."

Penny smirked. "I'm nowhere near as stubborn as you and we both know it." Edward laughed and leaned in to give her a soft kiss. When he pulled away, her ice-blue eyes had darkened slightly. "We can talk more about our next steps in the morning." She reached up to cup his face. "Come to bed with me?"

Edward got to his feet. "Darling, I thought you'd never ask."

Edward woke up well-rested and alone. He blinked, his eyes going to the clock on Penny's nightstand. 8:30. He'd slept in. Ah well, he thought as he got to his feet. So he'd be a little late getting to his office. His clients could wait an extra fifteen minutes or so. Penny, bless her, had probably been up for hours doing her busywork. At least she wasn't seeing patients today. Edward had just picked up his clothes that were neatly piled on the bedroom floor when he heard her calling to him from the living room. "Edward! Get out here!"

Edward dashed out to the living room, still clad in his boxer shorts and undershirt. He saw her standing rigid by her dining room table, her eyes fixed on the television. "What is it?" he asked.

She wordlessly pointed towards the television. Edward followed her gaze and saw that Summer Gleeson was doing a special report. "Breaking news this morning: We've gotten word that the entire Board of Directors of Arkham Asylum has resigned in the wake of the Gotham attacks. Mayor Sharp has announced a press conference to be held at 9:30 this morning to address the future of Arkham Asylum."

Penny looked to Edward, her eyes wide. Once Edward had recovered his power of speech, he rubbed his chin. "Strange has just made his first move," he said. "We're starting to see his true plan."