Attempted Terrorism
Bruce thought he had experienced enough crazy things that Gotham has to throw at him. First with the Joker, then with Scarecrow, then with Man-Bat, and then with the alien invasion… nothing really should have shocked him anymore… and then he got the call from Shayera. Normally, whenever Shayera comm-links him it's normally for advice or guidance on how to handle a case. This time? He can hear Harley Quinn in the background as Shayera talked to him.
"Batman?"
"I told you not to call him!"
"Ow! Harley, stop! Batman! I'm going to need help on this one! OW!"
"You back-stabber! I told ya I didn't want Bats involved!"
"Harley! OW! Batman we're on the roof of the Gotham Merchant Bank—HARLEY!"
With that the comm-link was cut and Batman remained sitting in his chair wondering exactly what had just transpired. He clicked on the tracker and sure enough, Shayera's signal was coming from the Merchant Bank. He got up and decided to get over to the bank quickly, it didn't sound like Shayera was in serious danger but Harley has always been known to be unpredictable. He hopped in the Batmobile and sped on towards the bank with questions running through his mind. What was Shayera doing in Gotham? Why was Harley with her? What was the connection? He reassured himself that he will soon have his answers once he reached the bank. It took only about twenty minutes to reach the bank and when he got on the roof, he was met with the comical sight of Shayera pinning a struggling Harley down by sitting down on top of her.
"What's going on?" he asked as he approached the pair. Shayera got up from Harley and Harley jumped up attempting to smack Shayera on her head. Shayera spread her wings and began to block Harley's assaults.
"Harley! He can help! Forget about your stupid rivalry!"
"This was a really stupid idea, you feather brain! He's not going to help!"
"No! You're idea to break into Arkham without any real plan is a really stupid idea!" retorted Shayera.
"Enough!" said Batman as he approached the two. They both glared at each other before stopping with Harley turning her back on the both of them.
"Care to tell me why you're collaborating with an ex-criminal to break into Arkham?" asked Batman. While not really angry, he was still a little irritated that Shayera would get involved in a scheme like this and in his city of all places. Shayera removed her mask, which surprised Bruce because they were in such a public place and with Harley with them. Although with the level of non-hostility between the two, he figured there was more than meets the eye. Shayera took a deep breath and began to tell him about all that had transpired between herself and Harley in the last three months.
Bruce was surprised that Shayera managed to keep it a secret from the others and himself for so long. If he had Quinn talking in his ear at the most random times he was sure that he would have gone insane. Shayera though was once again proving that she can still surprise him at times. Now that he knows that Quinn is not a threat to himself but maybe for Shayera for calling him, he decided to ask, "Why are you trying to break into Arkham?"
Quinn's form shook in defeat and she turned to face him, shocking him when he saw tears running down her face.
"You won't help! You don't care!" she cried out. Shayera cautiously moved towards Quinn, not wanting to have to block her blows again, but Quinn moved and hugged her in support. Shayera gently rubbed her back and asked, "Why won't he help?"
"It's my best friend, Pamela! She's in trouble!" cried our Harley.
"Uhm, who?"
"Poison Ivy," supplied Batman with a slight growl in his voice. Shayera had the Absorbascon blast images and information of Dr. Pamela Isley, better known to Gotham and the world as Poison Ivy. An Eco-terrorist with a penchant of killing mostly male victims when she enters into her 'passionate' fits.
"You want to break Ivy out?" asked Shayera.
"You don't understand! They're torturing her in there!" cried Harley.
"What?" asked Shayera.
"They're doing experiments on her! Almost the whole committee of board members agreed on this deal with TIER Labs! They're a shady corporation that works for Kit Nosawa! She's always hated Pammy for not joining her terrorist league! They want to use Ivy for her plants and the guard in Belle Reve told me that once they're done with her, they'll kill her!"
Batman and Shayera were stupefied at the information that was given to them. Batman though was feeling very angry at not doing his investigations better. He supported having TIER Labs work in Arkham based on their pitch that they were going to find new drugs that cures the patients permanently… he never knew they meant this permanently though. Bruce knew that by sunrise it will be too late to save Ivy if he held this off. He won't have another death burden him if he can help it.
"We'll help you, but we're doing it my way." said Batman. He could see that even with her mask on, Shayera knew she had done the right thing by calling him. While grateful that she had decided to let him in on her secret friendship with Harley, they still needed to talk about it. Batman jumped down the roof to the Batmobile and began to type in the computer. Harley and Shayera had followed him down the building and waited for him outside the car. He came back from his research and said, "Not even I have enough clearance to get inside the medical wing of Arkham. Much of the board members except for a few don't know what's going on."
"I bet Bruce Wayne has no idea." said Quinn. Shayera and Bruce were actually surprised to hear her acknowledge Wayne as an innocent that Batman asked, "What makes you say that?"
"He's a nice guy. He didn't press charges on me the one time I stole his car. He was pretty understanding that I was having a bad day the day he talked to me in court." explained Harley.
"If you recall, I was the one who said that we all have bad days." said Batman.
"Yeah you did," said Harley, "But I don't know what your days are like. Bruce Wayne… everybody in Gotham knows."
Shayera glanced at Bruce to see him looking at Quinn in a new light. Bruce knew that there was still a small form of Harleen Quinzel in Harley Quinn, and this just proved it. "Listen Quinn," he growled, not wanting to appear soft or compliant, "When we free Ivy, she's going to be placed in another holding facility. She's still a public menace."
"Fine! Just get her out of there!" said Harley, happy and surprised that the big bat was actually going to help her. The trio made their way to Arkham with Harley riding in the car with Batman and Shayera flying overhead. It was awkward to say the least. Harley was half tempted to press any one of the buttons in the car but restrained herself, remembering the last time she did they had almost crashed years ago.
"So Bats," said Harley, not liking the silence at all, "What's you deal with Shay?"
"None of your concerns." said Batman, irritated that Quinn had to pick a very controversial topic that has taken hold over the Wayne household. After the Scarecrow incident, not only has Alfred decided to drop not so subtle clues about his and Shayera's relationship but Barbara has seemed to want to play matchmaker, trying to set up Bruce Wayne with a date every Friday night. Whenever Bruce voiced his displeasure, Barbara would slyly remark how he should invite Shayera over then to spend the night. Tim was the biggest supporter though, openly telling Bruce how he thought he and Shayera would make a good couple.
"Come on Bats," teased Harley, "I don't mean anything like romantic! I just want to know, how'd a sweet gal like her end up being friends with a dark guy like you?"
"That's still none of your concerns." said Batman. Harley gave a snort at his words and said, "Well you're no fun."
"Let me ask you something," said Batman, wanting to turn the tables, "Why did you leave the Joker?"
"Are you kidding me?" asked Harley, "After what he did to Bud and Lou… to me? Not anymore…"
Batman was quiet as he went over her words, feeling a small form of respect for Harley. It did take a lot to give up a drug after all.
"Why did you make Hawkgirl keep your correspondence a secret?" asked Batman.
"Well since you asked so nicely," said Harley snidely, "I was running from Waller. I've heard at the time that she was looking for recruits to this… team. I just had my freedom and she wanted to lock me up in Belle Reve for loitering in front of the library."
"What team?" asked Batman.
"Can't say, let's just say that the trigger word is just dying to go boom." said Harley. Batman felt his brows furrow but decided to investigate on it later, he needed to keep asking questions as long as Harley was being honest.
"So why go to Hawkgirl then?" asked Batman.
"The first time I had met her, she looked like the hit and ask questions later type of girl. So imagine how surprised I was that she didn't attack me and just kept the mood friendly. I knew I could count on her if something happened to me so I asked her to be ready for anything. Long story short, we became friends." said Harley.
"Why a secret though?"
"Wild Card! Hello!" said Harley as though it was the most obvious thing. Batman blinked in surprise but maintained his cool feature. Shayera and Harley both acting as Wild Cards is actually an interesting concept and he decided to think more on it later. If Harley was cooperative then he can have an informant deep inside the criminal world with Shayera as a correspondent.
"I'm at Arkham," said Shayera's voice in the communicator, "Where are you?"
"Still on our way. Harley and I will be by the East side of the island, there's a hidden drain pipe that we can use to gain access." said Batman. Harley was surprised to hear about the drain but said nothing, not wanting to give Batman any reason to distrust her at this crucial point. They reached Arkham Island silently, with Batman pressing a button that had the whole vehicle go dark. The windshield was suddenly lit with night vision, allowing them to navigate through the island silently. Harley was amazed at the level of tech that was used in this car and quietly said, "Wowee."
They parked the car well away from prying eyes and walked to the thicket of oak trees where they heard rustling. Looking up, Bruce couldn't help but smirk at the night predator appearance Shayera looked. The mace glinted menacingly at her side while her talon hand was clutching the branch to keep her balance.
"Let's go." said Batman as he walked towards the covered drainpipe. Moss and fungus grew over the wood planks that covered the pipe, making it blend in well to the side of the island. They climbed in one by one with Batman taking lead, Harley following behind him and Shayera covering from the back.
Shayera kept her wings folded in as tight as possible, not wanting to deal with preening her feathers for sewage. Preening was already a tedious chore and she did not want to spend a whole day in her attic trying to get rid of the smell. Shayera kept close to Harley and Bruce, not wanting to get separated from them in this network of tunnels. The Absorbascon could only give her the layout of the Asylum, but this network underneath the building was outdated and probably hasn't been explored since it was first built. Shayera wondered where the passages led when Batman suddenly signaled them to stop. A crunching sound was heard as it echoed through the pipeline.
Batman signaled for them to silently crouch and walk forward. Shayera had no idea what to expect. Aside from Joker and Scarecrow, Shayera never actually fought with any other of Batman's Rogue Gallery. She was feeling a little nervous, after remembering the incident with Scarecrow and hoped that she wouldn't have another psychotic episode. They walked along the wall and turned a corner to see a scale-skinned behemoth eating a leg. Shayera felt sick as she watched this… monster… eat the leg of a deceased officer. His corpse—or what's left of it—was rotting away next to the crouched creature. Shayera felt bile rise up in her throat but she quickly swallowed it, wincing at the acidic taste. Harley gently patted her back, giving her a small smile of support as Batman signaled for Shayera for both to move forward on his signal.
He walked directly behind the creature, gave the signal and yelled, "CROC!" Shayera led Harley forward quickly to avoid the creature's peripheral vision, successfully navigating behind him.
"Batman," growled the creature, Croc, as he dropped the leg and stood at his full height, "Nosawa did say to expect you tonight."
"What's Nosawa doing here?" asked Bruce.
"None of your concerns," snarled Croc as he charged at Batman. Batman successfully dodged his attack and threw a couple of flash pellets. Croc was blinded but still attempted to swipe around, hoping to slash Batman in half. Batman easily dodged his swings and with a swift upper kick he hit Croc right under his jaw. Croc fell back with a startled yelp but he quickly got up and continued his attempts to hit blindly. Batman used his grappling hook to grip the ceiling and launched himself at Croc for another high-powered kick. He managed to kick Croc in the face but was suddenly hit by Croc's backhand. He groaned as he hit the wall and slid down on the ground. Croc managed to regain his sight and quickly gripped Batman by his cape and swung him around the area, hitting him against the ceiling, wall, and floor.
"Any last words?" snarled Croc, as he raised his clawed hand to finally Batman once and for all. "Big smile, crocodile!" Croc turned to see the winged hero of Midway City swing her mace and hit him upside the head. Croc cried out as electricity ran through his body and dropped Batman.
Harley restrained Shayera earlier in the fight when she wanted to fly in and help Bruce. She . Harley had whispered to her, "Stop! These pipes are about as old as Gotham! It can't handle having more than two fighting!"
When Croc had his clawed hand raised to kill Bruce, Shayera felt Harley release her and whisper, "Go get him!"
Shayera used her own talon hand to swipe at Croc, managing to leave a few gashes in his body. Her rage was clouding her mind. Seeing Bruce getting thrown around had awoken a side of herself she didn't know she had. The last time she felt this much bloodlust was the brief time she had thought Bruce had died during the Imperial Invasion. Croc was soon lying on the ground trying to protect himself from Shayera's blows with her mace. Shayera didn't hear Bruce yell for her to stop but she did feel when his bolas constricted her movement.
"Stop!" ordered Bruce. Shayera looked over Bruce as she calmed down. He looked fine and wasn't too hurt so Shayera easily snapped through the bolas and stepped behind him.
"Now," said Bruce as he stepped into Croc's view, "unless you want me to let her have another round with you, I'd suggest you start talking now." Croc turned his frightened eyes to Shayera who was making a point by swinging her mace around.
"Alright! Alright! Kit paid us all off to keep you from getting into Arkham. She already paid off a few members of the Arkham board members to keep the others from finding out about her trade. Ivy refused to work with Kit and now the bitch is going to get what she deserves." confessed Croc.
"What did Kit pay you? It's obvious you have no need for money." said Batman. Croc grunted and said, "Wasn't it obvious?"
The corpses on the sewer floor were enough to tell Batman why there wasn't an alarm raised. Shayera gave a low growl threateningly when Croc attempted to stand up and he immediately backed down. Croc didn't want to admit it, but she was the first to actually break through his skin and it frightened him that he wasn't as invincible as he thought he was.
"What does she plan to use Ivy's powers for?" asked Batman.
"Some bio-weapon she wants to unleash on Gotham. She needs Ivy though to grow some of the extinct flowers needed for It." said Croc. Batman narrowed his eyes and used his knockout grenade to render Killer Croc unconscious. He used his glue grenade to hold Croc in place and walked away, signaling Shayera to follow him where Quinn was hiding. Shayera followed Bruce and tried to stop herself from walking closer to him. Her heart still clenched whenever the image of Bruce getting thrown about flashed through her head.
"Wow, Shay," said Harley as they continued down the pipes, "Never knew you were quite vicious when you let loose."
"Drop it Harley." said Shayera, not wanting to explain her actions although she knew that she was going to be confronted about it by Batman later. They walked until the reached the basement that interconnected with the sewers. Batman quietly moved the door open and checked the hallways leading into the Asylum. He motioned for Harley and Shayera to follow and they crept along the hallway, with Batman leading them to avoid detection. Batman stopped in front of the security room door and quietly opened the door. Shayera heard several guards laughing and talking amongst themselves.
"Ha Ha Ha! Hold on boys just a few more hours and we end up a couple of million dollars richer!" boasted on of the guards.
"Eh boss? You're not worried that she might back out of the deal?" asked another.
"If she did, then we can easily just turn the tables on her. It's her word against ours." said the other guard. Batman threw a smokescreen in the room and rushed in, knocking out every guard in the room. When the smoke cleared, Batman had tied up all the guards and shoved them in the closet.
"Wow, Bats," praised Harley, "That was way faster than going in and just bumming them on the head."
"Not everyone likes to have a brawl Quinn." said Batman.
"I can name you several benefits in having a brawl." said Quinn.
Shayera looked at the monitoring screens and saw several areas in the Asylum that seemed a bit off.
"Where are the rest of the guards?" she wondered out loud, seeing that the Asylum was mostly empty.
"Eaten by the crocodile or paid off by Nosawa." said Harley as she looked at the screens as well. Batman felt his grip tighten as he realized that much of Arkham was slowly unraveling in front of him. He thought he managed to keep corruption out of the board and that the guards that went through the examination process.
"We'll take advantage of the lack of guards to move around Arkham. Quinn, you stay here and—"
"—Oh no Bats! Ivy is my friend and—"
"—Listen Quinn! You're too noticeable here and if they find out that you're working with us, can you guess how they would react?"
It was quiet until a slow smile spread across Harley's face and she asked, "Are you starting to care for me Bats? Well that's—"
"Quinn the next words out of your mouth and they will be your last." threatened Batman. Harley only laughed though and sat down on the monitoring chair. She pressed a hand to her ear and said, "Yo, Shay? Is this working right now?"
Shayera heard Harley through their comm-link and nodded and said, "I can hear you Harley."
Batman was still studying the screens when he turned to Shayera and said, "Shayera, I need you to fly above and circle above the greenhouse, when I give the signal I want you to charge your mace as high as it will go and demolish the entire building. Nosawa has several equipment set up in the area that needs to be destroyed, but only do it after I give the signal."
Shayera opened the window and flew up into the night sky, feeling her heart beat erratically at Bruce's plan. She had no idea if this was going to work but she trusted Bruce's judgment and waited in the skies.
"Quinn," said Batman as soon as Shayera left, "I need you to be my eyes while I work through the hallways. Ivy is being held in the medical wing where Nosawa has several guards posted. Once I get through to them, Nosawa is going to send more in order to stop me. I want you to give me a warning as soon as they leave their posts and in the greenhouse and to the medical wing."
"Righty-O Bats!" said Harley with a salute and turned her attention to the screens. Batman left the room and quietly made his way to the medical wing. It was going to be a very thin line he was going to walk. Much of the guards were sporting military issued armor, which meant that he was going to have to ditch using his standard tech and rely on his skill. He silently moved along the shadows on the wall and took advantage of the bored stance the guards had. As one yawned and stretched his arms over his head, away from his weapon, Batman quickly had him on a sleeper hold. As the guard fell, the other had already called in for back up but was distracted in his call to see Batman quickly incapacitate him from behind.
Batman quickly walked into the room and saw Poison Ivy strapped to a medical bed and had IVs sticking out in different parts of her arms. So far nothing it looked like life threatening was getting injected into Poison Ivy except sedatives meant to keep her under and quite possibly compliant. Batman quickly removed the needles and bandaged her up, carrying her out of the medical room and proceeding back to the security room.
"Yo Bats! Incoming on the west hall!" he heard Harley say in the comm-link. Batman quickly surveyed the room and found a grate. He removed it as quietly as possible and crawled through, dragging Ivy with him. He covered the opening with the loose grate to seem like it was still connected. He quietly crawled through the vents, careful with Ivy as he made his way to where he knew was an empty hallway.
"Hey Bats, if I'm guessing right," said Harley, "you should go left up ahead and then another left to get into the security room. I have this room barricaded incase they decide to show up."
"Good work, Harley," said Batman, "I need you to tell Shayera to demolish the greenhouse."
"Ivy is not going to be happy." muttered Harley.
"What she feels is not the current issue right now." said Batman.
Shayera was flying up high above Arkham and was awaiting Bruce's signal. She was worried when time passed on silently, not even Harley was attempting to have conversation. Harley's words echoed through Shayera's mind about Bruce's many past relationships. Would it be possible for her to have a relationship with him? She'd like to think so, but Alfred's words years ago also came to mind. Bruce was a very dedicated man to his cause and his pursuit for Justice, which probably meant that he had no time for a family. Shayera wistfully chastised herself, "Come on girl. You're not getting hung up over a guy."
"I could've told you that," said Harley in the comm-link, "I can tell you right now that it can lead to many unhappy years."
"Thanks Harley," said Shayera, a smile spreading across her face at Harley's attempt to cheer her up, "Has there been any word from Batman?"
"Yeah, I'm keeping an eye on him for you on the screens. You know? After spending some years fighting him as Joker's girl, I never really saw the efficiency he uses. It's actually kinda scary to look at."
"Scary only to those who have a reason to be afraid." said Shayera.
"Does fighting him for almost five years and then quitting the cold turkey count?"
Shayera laughed and said, "Yes."
"Shay, I'm bored just sitting here!"
"Do something productive."
"Like what?"
"Erase the video footage of Batman and ourselves. We want to avoid public scrutiny if we are going to successfully free Ivy."
"Good idea! Oh hold on, Shay. More guards have been called in."
Silence that seemed to stretch on for ages tortured Shayera and then she heard Harley tell her, "Bats gave the signal! GO!"
Shayera charged her mace at its full capacity and dove down to the greenhouse. With her hawk-like vision, she can see that it was empty and she burst through the skylight, slamming her mace down on the ground and emitting a powerful electrical wave. The electricity shot through the equipments, overloading the systems and causing explosions to happen simultaneously. Shayera smelled fire and saw that the gardens were not spared from the charge, causing a wildfire. Shayera flew out of the building and heard Harley call in, "Alright Shay, we're together again and we're on our way out. Meet us back at the car."
Shayera flew quickly to the Batmobile, needing to see them safe. This was a very risky operation and Shayera was feeling the anxiety hit her just now. Shayera had it in good mind to use the Absorbascon to hack into the computers of this Kit Nozawa and had sent the files to the Batcave's computers for storage. With those files, they would be able to persecute the members of the board and put Kit on the wanted list. Shayera landed next to the Batmobile and waited for Bruce and Harley. Minutes passed by and Shayera was on edge. She wasn't going to lie and say that this island didn't freak her out. The night mist and the eery noises heard all around her was enough to put her on edge.
She heard movement coming from the east and saw Batman and Harley walking to the car.
Bruce was carrying an unconscious woman in his arms who Shayera guesses to be Poison Ivy. She had vibrant red hair and green tattoos running across her body. She wore a green and black leotard and was breathing heavily as Bruce gently placed her in the backseat of the Batmobile. Shayera was about to ask what was wrong with her when she heard quiet footsteps running at their direction. Shayera quickly flared her wings and covered Harley with the left and Brice with the right, allowing her wings to be impaled with several knives. Shayera grunted in pain but quickly swung her mace and caught the assailant upside her jaw.
The woman yelled out in surprise and was knocked back into a tree. Shayera quickly used her mace again to catch her on the left side of her torso, knocking her to the ground. Shayera then grabbed the woman by the scruff of her shirt and punched her across the face, knocking her unconscious.
"I give that a 10 for quick reaction but a 9.5 for that sloppy knockout." said Harley. Shayera smiled at her and lightly said, "Shut up."
Bruce had never felt that much fear and relief pass through his body until now. When she had covered both himself and Harley with her wings, he couldn't believe that she would handicap herself like that on the spot. Her perseverance to defeat the assailant though was as swift as her beat down on Croc. Kit Nozawa was soon tied up and hanged upside on the tree with a flare signaling her location to the incoming police officers. Batman had already explained the situation to Gordon who was quick to gather a squad and we're making their way to Arkham.
Shayera didn't realize her exhaustion until she fell forward on her knees, spots clouding her vision as she slowly bled from her wings.
"Shayera!" she heard Bruce cry out. She wearily lifted her head and said, "I'm fine. Just tired." She fell forward and Bruce caught her. He quickly ordered Harley to grab the medical kit in the a Batmobile and they quickly patched Shayera up. Shayera was thankful that her biology allows her body to quickly reproduce and replace blood loss. By the time they reached the Batcave with a blindfolded Harley, Shayera was healthy again.
Ivy was placed in an incubation pod where Batman ran diagnostics. Shayera kept an eye on a curious Harley and was quick to stop her from touching anything that could blow up.
"She's alright," diagnosed Batman, "Kit has injected her with a powerful knockout drug. She'll be fine as soon as we return her to Arkham. They'll be able to keep a better on her."
Harley's lip quivered and her eyes watered, making Batman believe that she was upset he was putting Ivy back in Gotham. Instead, Harley threw her arms around him and sobbed out loudly, "TH-THANK Y-YOU!"
Shayera hid her smile behind her hand at the shocked and uncomfortable look that she can see under Batman's cowl. Shayera teasingly said, "None for me?"
Harley threw her hands around Shayera and thanked her too. Harley was blindfolded again as they made their way to Arkham where Batman dropped off a stable Ivy to the medical doctors. Harley remained hidden in the Batmobile as they left Arkham and they converged on the top of the Gotham Merchant Bank again.
"Thank you again. You... you have no idea how much this meant for me." thanked Harley.
"No problem," Said Batman, "just remember that next time, it'd be better if you were honest."
"I promise!" promised Harley. The sound of screeching tires and men shouting filled the air. The three looked over to see military men crowding around the building and a man shouting, "I don't care if we have already checked this place! We will look again until we find the clown!"
"Aw crap! It's Flagg." Said Harley.
"Who?" asked Batman.
"Rick Flagg Jr. He's Waller's personal soldier. He goes out on missions for her and plays the perfect general." explained Harley.
"Well you can still make a getaway." Said Shayera.
"Nah. The only reason why I broke out of Belle Reve was so I can help Ivy. I do have something to ask of you two." said Harley
"What is it?" asked Batman.
Rick Flagg Jr. was getting frustrated at turning up empty in his search for Harley Quinn. He didn't want this to be the first failed mission in his record so he will search for that stupid clown until his feet bleed. Thankfully, the sudden sound of a shriek filled the air.
"To the roof!" ordered Flagg. Flagg and his men ran up the fire escape to be met with the sight of Harley Quinn battling Hawkgirl and Batman.
"QUINN!" yelled Flagg, "PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" Harley glared and sneered at him but complied, allowing Batman to quickly arrest her and hand her over to Flagg and his men.
"Hawkgirl. Batman." greeted Flagg. Batman only narrowed his eyes at Flagg while Shayera nodded in acknowledgement.
"We'll be taking Harley Quinn in our custody." said Flagg, feeling a little intimidated at the way Batman remained unmoving while still glaring at him.
"That's fine with us." said Shayera, watching as they hauled Harley away to Belle Reve. As soon as they left sight, Batman turned to Shayera and asked, "Why did you keep your correspondence with Harley a secret?"
"Truthfully? I promised her. I don't like breaking my promises." explained Shayera. Bruce nodded in understanding and said, "Then I need you to make me a promise."
"What's that?"
"Next time something like this happens, I'll be the first to know. We managed to stop a secret terrorist threat but if you had kept Harley's promise then the outcome would have been more different." explained Batman. Shayera felt shame well up inside her but she nodded her head in consent and said, "I promise."
It was quiet and the two of them stood on the rooftop surveying the unusual quiet night in Gotham. Shayera sighed as she looked at the city lights not realizing that Bruce was staring at her through his peripheral vision. Seeing Ivy weak on the backseat of the Batmobile had brought memories of the first night Shayera had on Earth, when he had first found her.
Looking at her now, he was honestly happy to have been the one to found her. He still didn't want to jeopardize their friendship though, but he was content to have her at his side. What he felt for Shayera was almost greater than what he had felt for Selina or Talia, even. He wanted to hold her in his arms, feel how her wings would feel around him as he kissed. Unknown to Bruce, Shayera was also having the same thoughts. She wondered what it would be like to be held by the dark and mysterious man next to her. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and kiss him on the lips. Her insecurity however held her back and she decided that it was better not to ruin the good friendship they have. The two lonely heroes looked out in Gotham, each content in the presence of the other.
Yo readers, what's up? How'd you like the chapter? Read and review please so I may know what you guys would want in later chapters. Thank you and good night :)