A/N - If you're keeping track of the timeline - Steph died on Sunday night. Bruce calls Tim Monday afternoon and then Tim and Conner find out they're soulmates; Cass confronts Bruce Monday night and then meets Jason; on Tuesday Bruce calls Dick and then Dick calls Jason, who drags Slade into the phone call. This chapter flashes back to Crystal's POV all day on Monday, the day after Steph died.

Chapter 12

Earlier Monday morning

Crystal jumped out of her seat at the rap on the glass window. Shit, she must've dozed off, or spaced out, or something.

Arthur was sitting in front of her, his ear to the visitor's phone and a look of surprise-mingled-worry on his face. Crystal sighed and picked up her phone receiver.

"Hey, Arty," she mumbled.

"Crys," Cluemaster said back cautiously. "Kinda surprised to see you here, babe. What's up?" Arthur said.

"Stephie's dead," Crystal said flatly.

God, it felt weird to say that out loud. Like she was living in a soap opera. The whole damn morning felt like a soap, come to think of it, because who the fuck goes to Arkham Asylum to tell their no-good-wannabe-criminal-husband that their daughter's dead, anyway?

And he had to be behind bulletproof glass. Of course he did. Not like Fate could cut Crystal a break so she could sock the sucker right in the jaw for dragging their Stephie into all this shit, getting her running around in capes and becoming a hero as her final act of teenage rebellion.

Crystal had dared to hope that Stephie's teenage pregnancy was the last of her wild child days. As if, as the kids said. Did kids still say that? Crystal didn't know. She said it, anyway. As if.

Oh, was somebody talking to her? Oh, fuck, it was Arty again.

"What?" Crystal said very coherently into the phone with great annoyance.

"Stephie's dead?" Arthur said in almost a shout, and Crystal was kind of hungover, not gonna lie, but it seemed like Arty might be freaking out a little bit.

He'd better keep it down, or he'd get a nightstick to the head, is what he'd get.

Scratch that, keep hollerin, Arty, Crystal thought. Make a big scene. Get a nice big duck egg from a guard. Would be the least of what he deserved, after all.

"Yeah," Crystal spat back at the man Fate had paired her with. "Yeah, Arty. Our baby girl is dead because you are a motherfuckin piece of shit. Had to go out there thinkin you were somebody when you was nothin and nobody, huh? Way to set an example, you jackass."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Arthur snapped. "What the fuck happened to Steph?" he said in a panic.

"Black Mask killed her!" Crystal yelled right back at her soulmate. "He tortured our baby girl to death, shit head. Drilled into all her vital organs," Crystal said, her voice cracking on the last part.

"What the hell?" Arthur panted, starting to hyperventilate now.

Yeah, Crystal knew that feeling. Been there, done that, had no sympathy. Nope, none, because it hadn't been her fault that Stephie died. It was the asshole sittin right in front of her's.

"Why did Roman do that? She's really dead? Oh, God," Arthur said, putting his hand in his mouth and biting down hard on it. "I ain't never had no beef with Black Mask, baby, you gotta believe me -"

"It wasn't about you, dumbass!" Crystal shrieked at him.

A guard stepped closer and gave Crystal a look.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Crystal babbled. "Our daughter's dead, I'm a little distraught."

The guard's face only softened the slightest bit.

"Keep it down," she warned.

"Yes ma'am, yeah, yes, ok," Crystal said before turning back to Arthur and whisper-shrieking into the phone this time - "Did you know she was Spoiler?"

"Who?" Arthur said dumbly.

Tears were leaking from his eyes and he looked like he was working pretty damn hard to keep it together, chewing on his hand and side-eyeing the inmates on visitor's calls next to him, and looking over at the guards at the door. Like he had face to save. Whatever. Everyone in Arkham had to know that Arty was a little bitch. Hell, Crystal wondered whose bitch he was.

"Who was Spoiler, Crystal?" Arthur snapped impatiently.

"Hey! You watch your tone with me," Crystal said angrily. "Stephie was Spoiler, you stupid dumbass. She was Spoiler and then she was -"

- and Crystal's brain was fuzzy and drug-addled, yes it was, but the Bat had told her not to tell Arthur - or anybody - about Stephie being Robin, and he had made it sound important, so -

"She was tryin to be a hero," Crystal stumbled out. "Wanted to be the opposite of you," she sniped mercilessly at her pathetic husband, who had tears leaking out of eyes that were getting redder and redder.

"Why the hell would Stephie try to go up against Black Mask?" Arthur wheezed, looking slightly nauseous now.

Good. Maybe he'd throw up all over a guard and get his ass beat.

"Fuck if I know!" Crystal cried, exasperated. "Why did Stephie ever do anything, Arthur? Except to get back at you?"

"No," Arthur mumbled, shaking his head. "No. No, this was not my fault. It wasn't - she's really dead?" Arthur asked, wiping his eyes on his hand and then his nose on the long orange sleeve of his jumpsuit. "You're sure?" he whimpered.

"Fucker askin me if I'm sure," Crystal growled. "I'm a goddamn nurse, Art. I know what a dead body looks like and I sure as hell know what our daughter looks like - better than you do, in fact, for as little as you've ever been around - and yeah, she's stone cold dead," Crystal snapped.

"Fuck," Arthur whispered, sagging in his seat all floppy like Pinocchio when he lost his strings. "Fuck, fuck," Crystal's husband mumbled as he started to shake. "Why - why why -"

"I don't know why!" Crystal screamed at him, good and loud now, which drew the guard over to her again.

"Ma'am," the guard frowned. "This is your last warning. You can't keep it down, then your visit will be over."

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry," Crystal babbled. "My husband's just a piece of shit, you know? I'm sure you gotta know that, you work here," she said appeasingly.

The guard's mouth twitched which Crystal took as an affirmative.

"He makes me so damn mad," Crystal huffed to the guard, gathering steam. "Asking me why our daughter went and got killed like I got some magical answer for him," Crystal pouted. "Like the only answer ain't that he's a no-good father and husband who should've been at home takin care of us the right way instead of making up dogshit clues that Batman don't even care about -"

"Hey!" Arthur snarled from his end of the phone. "I'll have you know -" Cluemaster roared, slamming his hand down on the counter in front of him.

"That's it," Crystal's guard barked when Arthur's guard stalked over beside him, bending down low to yell in his ear. "Say good-bye," the slightly kinder guard added to Crystal with a modicum of mercy for a grieving parent.

"Bye, jackass," Crystal snapped into the phone. "I hope you rot in hell for what you did to our baby!"

"What about Black Mask?" Arthur said in a panic, clutching at the phone as his own guard tried to force him up from his chair. "Where is he?"

Crystal glared at her husband before giving him an evil smirk and shrugging cluelessly.

"I'm ready," Crystal said to the guard, stumbling to her feet and almost tipping her chair over while Arthur's guard dragged him off.

"Don't forget your purse," the guard sighed with an eye roll.

Later that night, Crystal picked up the number she didn't recognize on her cellphone with a weary "H'lo?"

Prob'ly one of the nurses from the hospital calling to console her again. Everybody from work was being so damn nice to her, donating leave and dropping off cookies and deli platters and her supervisor had managed to work out some kind of shift swap so her unit could show up at either the viewing or the funeral for her and that was really so kind, Crystal was truly overwhelmed by how good and loving some people could be.

It didn't make up for her husband being a lowlife piece of shit who'd dragged her and Stephie through hell, and it sure as hell didn't make up for Stephie being dead, but really, well, it made Crystal so proud to be a nurse. Greatest damn profession in the world with the greatest people in it, she thought to herself, the way they were all gathering around to take care of her. Laura had even managed to nab her some more oxy from the locked supply, plusan actual legitimate scrip for Xanax from one of the less assholey doctors on their shift.

God bless nurses, Crystal thought contentedly as she answered the phone.

"Mrs. Brown?" said a clear, brisk woman's voice that Crystal didn't recognize.

"Yeah?" Crystal said, wiping the cookie crumbs off of her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Ma'am, my name is Mercy Graves. I'm Lex Luthor's personal assistant and I'd like to start by saying how sorry I am, how sorry we all are for the loss of your daughter Stephanie."

"What the hell?" Crystal spluttered. "Don't tell me Lex knew Arty, too," she said in frustration.

"No, ma'am, I'm afraid not," the businessy lady said patiently, "but Mr. Luthor's son Conner just found out today that he's Premarked with Stephanie's best friend, so both families will be coming down to the viewing and funeral."

"Lex's son is Premarked with that little autistic girl?" Crystal said, blinking. "Is that where she's been, up in Metropolis? She hasn't come around lately. You know, I wanted to call her and tell her what happened but I don't even have her phone number."

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"No, ma'am, Conner is Premarked with Timothy Drake, from Gotham," the lady said. "Tim and his father moved to Metropolis several months ago," what'shername said.

"Timothy Drake?" Crystal said in confusion. "That rich kid? Drake Industries? Stephie didn't know him."

"Are you sure?" the woman said, now sounding confused herself. "I met Tim today and he's absolutely devastated over Stephanie's death. He said they were best friends and my impression was that his father was also aware of the friendship."

Crystal blinked, trying to remember, but… she would have known if Stephie had been friends with a rich boy, right? Sure, there was a lot going on sometimes, between Arthur and her job and her constant exhaustion and stress and Stephie getting knocked up in the midst of it all, but -

"I don't know," Crystal said finally. "If they were friends, I didn't know nothin about it," she said. "Maybe Stephie didn't want to bring him around because of her dad…" she trailed off, wondering how many other things her baby girl had kept secret from her.

Stephie had been Spoiler, for crying out loud - and then Robin! Secretly stashing a rich BFF was probably a piece of cake for her daughter.

"I understand," the woman was saying, sounding kind of sympathetic, but very respectful.

Kind of like her nurse pals. Not blaming her for stupidass Arthur and his shit. That was nice, Crystal thought. Not a bad chick who Lex had working for him.

"Are you a nurse?" Crystal idly asked. "What'd you say your name was?" she added, because for the life of her she couldn't remember.

"My name is Mercy Graves," the woman said again.

Graves. Well that was a hell of a name, wasn't it, Crystal thought sourly. No wonder she'd blocked it out.

"I'm not a nurse, no," Mercy was saying. "I'm Lex Luthor's driver and personal assistant."

"Oh," Crystal mumbled. "So what did you want, then?" she said.

"Mr. Luthor was wondering if you'd like some assistance in paying for the funeral," Mercy said, "and also he'd like to pick you up tomorrow night for the viewing in our limo so you don't have to concern yourself with transportation."

"Oh!" Crystal said, straightening up a little bit now.

Well. That was something. Go Stephie, having friends in high places, and all that, except now her baby girl's friends were in the highest place of all, and how come the angels got her, because it wasn't like the angels needed Stephie. Not like Crystal did.

Goddamn these tears, they just wouldn't stop, Crystal quietly fumed. What was she supposed to be answering? Oh, the limo.

"Yeah, a limo, that would be nice," Crystal said. "Thank you," she added somewhat awkwardly.

"You're most welcome," Mercy said. "And the funeral costs…?" she asked again.

"Oh," Crystal said, rubbing her head. "No, Batman said he was gonna pay for all that."

"Oh!" Mercy said, now the one sounding startled. "I didn't realize -" she paused.

"What?" Crystal said suspiciously.

"I didn't realize Batman was involved," Mercy said hesitantly. "With Spoiler," she added, "or - the situation…" she tried to say delicately.

What had the Bat said? Don't mention Robin, don't mention Robin. Right. Well -

"Uh, Red Hood found her, he found Stephie and killed Black Mask," Crystal said, rubbing her nose, "and I guess he called Batman from the doctor's office where he took Stephie 'cause the Bat's his boss or whatever."

"Oh, I see," Mercy said slowly, still sounding confused, but only because she wasn't from Gotham.

The Bat had his fingers in everything. Every Gothamite knew that. Hell, you could hardly sneeze without the Bat saying gesundheit and offering you a tissue.

"Well, if you have any additional expenses or need additional paid time off from work, or anything at all, Mrs. Brown, Mr. Luthor is more than happy to be a resource," Mercy said. "Tim considered Steph his family, and Mr. Luthor takes care of his family."

"Ok," Crystal said, her mind buzzing a little bit. "Well, thanks. I guess I'll meet you all tomorrow, then?" she said.

"We'll pick you up at five," Mercy said.

Crystal pulled the afghan over her legs when she got off the phone, too tired and numb to even climb the stairs to bed. Fancy Stephie knowing rich little Tim Drake, and now Lex Luthor was coming to call! If only Stephie was still here to meet him, Crystal thought sadly. Her baby girl would've gotten a real kick out of meeting Lex Luthor, Crystal suspected, not to mention riding in a limo.

Stephie might've tried to scrape together some money with a few friends for a limo to her prom next year, if she'd had any friends in a nicer neighborhood where a limo driver would actually consent to pick them up. Maybe they all would have left from the Drake boy's house - hell, maybe Jack Drake owned a limo, for all Crystal knew.

No limos now for her baby girl, though.

Just a hearse.

Crystal awoke to a loud banging on her front door.

"What the hell?" she grumbled, wiping the drool from her cheek and blearily stumbling to her feet and - whoops, she was a little unsteady there.

Whoa. Room was spinning. She probably shouldn't have mixed the oxy with the Xanax - she was a nurse and yeah, she did know better, but fuck it, Stephie was dead and the less alive inside Crystal could feel, the better.

Well, she could still grope her way to the door. God knows it wasn't somebody she wanted to talk to pounding away like that. Her nurse friends would've called to wake her or left and come back later.

Crystal haphazardly pulled the door open and stared disbelievingly down at one Oswald Cobblepot, his hand halted mid-hammer.

"What the hell are you doin here?" Crystal spat as she slumped against the doorframe for support. "Look, if Arty sent you here to bitch at me -"

"No, no, no," the Penguin said appeasingly, pushing a black bag forward. "Eddie asked me to come by."

"Like that's any better," Crystal sniped. "What are you shoving at me, what? What is this?" she grumbled, refusing to take the bag that Cobblepot was insistently nudging towards her hand.

"Eddie wanted you to have some money for Stephanie's funeral expenses," Oswald said. "He would have brought it himself, but he's a little locked up at the moment."

"The Riddler wanted me to have some money for my daughter's funeral?" Crystal shrieked.

She snatched the bag from Penguin and threw it, hard, into his face. The old bird squawked in protest.

"That hurt!" he complained as he stooped to retrieve the case of money.

"Good!" Crystal screamed, kicking the bag away from Oswald onto the narrow dirt strip posing as her front lawn. "I oughtta kill everyone one of ya, getting Arthur involved in your stupid-ass shit and getting my daughter killed!" she screeched, kicking Cobblepot's shins now.

"Ouch!" he yelped, scooting away from Crystal and hurrying to reclaim his money. "We're only trying to help!" Cobblepot protested right before Crystal's keys hit him square in the back of his head, making his black top hat fall off as he jerked in surprise and let out another aggrieved croak.

Oswald hesitated, trying to decide whether to pick up his hat or the money first, realizing belatedly that pausing was a tactical error as a shrilly furious Crystal descended on him, kicking him in the knee before scooping her house keys up and clocking the Penguin square in the face, keys first.

Cobblepot screamed, genuinely hurt this time, so Crystal took advantage of the fact that his hands were covering his bleeding face and kicked him in the stomach. The Penguin's goons, however, had exited their boss's car when Crystal had gone in on Penguin with the keys, and the grieving nurse found herself suddenly surrounded by snarling henchman.

"Get offa me!" Crystal spat, shaking and trying to shrug off the strong hands that were gripping her arms tight.

"You want we should take her down to the Iceberg, boss?" the chief goon asked the Penguin.

The old crone was wheezing and glaring at her, and despite her stomach full of drugs, Crystal suddenly felt a little nervous, until an idea hit her like a line of cocaine.

"Yeah, take me down to the Iceberg Lounge," Crystal sniffed in haughty disdain. "I'm sure Lex won't mind taking over one more business after he kills all of yous for putting your hands on me. Hell, maybe he'll even make me general manager," Crystal smirked at the sinister circle of angry villains that had her tightly pinned.

Oswald let down his blood-soaked handkerchief and stared at Crystal, narrowing his eyes.

"Why the hell would Lex Luthor care about you?" he hissed. "Your husband was nothing but a fourth-rate nobody who couldn't even manage to teach his drugged out wife to be appreciative of the generosity bestowed upon them by her betters."

"Eddie always was too good to your entire pathetic family," the Penguin continued to rant. "I told him not to bother helping you out with some cash, but would he listen to me? No, he would not. Insisted I come over here with my own resources - my money, mind you! - to help poor Cluemaster's wife out of a jam, and you have the gall to maul me like a wildcat!"

"I ain't mauled you half of what Lex is gonna do if you don't get your motherfuckin asses outta here right now and leave me the fuck alone," Crystal said with sinister glee. "Me and Mercy Graves just had the bestest phone conversation ever," she went on, smiling spitefully, "and it turns out that Lex thinks of me as family. Imagine that!" Crystal sang. "Little old me, Lex Luthor's family," she stressed, tightening her smile.

"Bitch is lying," one of the goons said. "Let's take her in, Penguin."

But Oswald was looking at Crystal apprehensively.

"Leave her," Cobblepot finally snapped. "Let's go."

"But Penguin -" the chief henchman cried.

"I said, leave her!" the Penguin retorted. "I'm not getting involved in Lex's games."

"Ain't a game," Crystal said sweetly as the goons reluctantly let go of their deathgrip on her arms and followed Penguin to the car.

"What the hell, boss?" his chief henchman muttered as he opened the car door for Cobblepot.

"Arthur never even met Lex," the Penguin murmured back, glancing over his shoulder at Crystal, "so he sure as hell wouldn't have told his dumbass wife the name of Lex's bodyguard," he added. "I don't know what Lex is playing at, but we're sitting this hand out," Cobblepot said, taking his top hat off to get into the car.

"Joey, go grab the money bag," he barked, sending one of his goons scuttling.

From her doorstep, Crystal watched with a smug look of triumph until the Penguin's car sped away, despite the anxiety tumbling around in her stomach. Fuck, she'd almost really bit it, huh? Goddamn Arthur and his no-good friends. They had no business coming around to rile her up, and then they're gonna kill a grieving mother for what? Being a little touchy? Sheesh. Assholes, the whole lot of them.

Lex, though, he seemed like a decent guy. Offering her money, giving her a limo ride, scaring off Pengy's goons, and best of all, not friends with her schmuck of a husband. Yeah, Crystal was gonna enjoy her newfound relation, that was for sure. Friends in high places, baby girl, she thought bittersweetly, you did all right, Stephie. Until she didn't, that was.

Crystal sighed and fiddled around on her phone to find the number she wanted, absent-mindedly wiping away some more tears.

"Hello, Mercy? It's Crystal Brown again," she said.

A/N - Thanks for reading! Comments are love. You can follow me on Tumblr as River9Noble. This story updates randomly but actively.

Please check out my other fics! Tons of Batman.