I really don't know what to put as an author's note other than that there's literally maybe only three or four chapters after this one to write until it's done, and that's kinda bittersweet to think about because I really have enjoyed writing this story, even if it has taken me absolutely forever to do so. But I can't be sad because I have to remember that there is a sequel to this that I literally already have like three or four chapters already written out for. They need HEAVILY edited, but I think I have an idea on how I want to go about posting chapters for that one based on my current class schedule, so that's at least good I'm giving myself a week to put out new chapters once I get into the full swing of my college classes happening.

Read, Review, Favorite, Like, the whole shebang!

THIS CHAPTER WAS UPDATED AND PROOFREAD FOR TYPOS, GRAMMAR, AND PLOT/TIMELINE ISSUES AS OF 7/18/2020

XXX

"People are still missing including GCN's own Mike Engel," the reporter that was covering the Gotham General explosion spoke in a panicked tone.

Anslee was sitting on the couch in the same spot she was in before Bruce had left. She kept waiting and hoping that she'd get some word from them about what happened to Harvey. Her mind raced and her stomach was doing back flips on an endless loop.

"I'm now being told that we're cutting to a video that the GCN has just received!" he quickly exclaimed.

Ans and Alfred exchanged worried glances before their eyes went back to the television screen.

The image cut to Mike Engel, the same man who had been interviewing Coleman Reese just an hour earlier. He looked beaten and ragged. Behind him was a handmade banner with big black letters messily painted on it reading 'BrEAkinG NewS'. Upon closer inspection, Engel had a red smile painted on his face.

"This is Mike Engel with Gotham Tonight," the man started before he began to look down at a piece of paper in his hands. He was reading off a script given to him no doubt by his captor. Both of the people sitting in the room had a pretty good idea about who had taken the man.

"What does it take to make you people want to join in?" he read in a shaky voice, "You've failed to kill the lawyer, I've got to get you off the bench and into the game."

"Bench. Game." A voice behind the camera spoke followed by scoffs of amusement.

"Come nightfall the city is mine."

"Mine." the voice mimicked once more.

"And anyone left here plays by my rules. If you don't want to be in the game. Get out now,"

"Get out. Get out." The Joker's voice hissed into the microphone.

"But the bright and tunnel crowd are sure in for a surprise, ha-ha ha-ha."

Manic laughter was heard, but this time it was much louder. The camera was taken off of whatever was holding it and the lense turned to The Joker, who giggled and smiled into the camera as he fidgeted with the stop button so the recording would end.

Anslee leaned back against the couch and sighed. Joker really wasn't giving up until he let Gotham know he really meant business. For all she knew, he had Harvey. Whether he was dead or alive was still a mystery to her.

"Anslee, Alfred!" Bruce called from the secret room with all the computer screens and nifty gadgets.

Both got up from their places on the couch and quickly made their way back to the room to see what was so urgent. Upon entering, Ans could see each computer screen was lit up with blue and white flashing images of different rooms and places. No one was the same as another. If this was the thing Bruce called them in there to see, neither Alfred nor Anslee knew exactly what it was.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Bruce asked as he glanced back at the two people.

"What is it?" Anslee wondered out loud as she approached the computers.

"I've turned every cellphone in Gotham into a microphone and a high frequency generator/receiver. I took Fox's sonar concept he gave me when I went to Japan to get Laue back here and applied it to every phone in the city," Bruce explained.

Anslee frowned, "That was when you took the entire Russian Ballet out on your yacht...you needed them as a distraction from what you were really doing in Japan."

"Precisely," Bruce nodded, "See, I told you it would all make sense soon.

"But with half of the city feeding you sonar...you can image all of Gotham, can't you?" Anslee asked as she studied the computers a little closer before looking back at Bruce, "This is so wrong."

Bruce sighed, "I've got to find The Joker, Anslee, you know that."

"At what cost?" Alfred stepped in.

"The database is null-key encrypted, it can only be accessed by one person. That person will be Lucius Fox. There's a bigger version of this in the R and D Department at Wayne Enterprises."

"That's too much power for one person.." Anslee chimed in.

Bruce looked over to her with a smile, "Which is why I'm giving it to Fox, but I need you to be there to help him. But only he can use it.

"I think Mr. Fox would agree that spying on thirty-million people is not a part of his job description, Master Wayne," Alfred added.

But Bruce ignored him, instead he walked over to the edge of the disk and hit a button. Immediately the voice of The Joker from when he was speaking earlier on the television began to play.

"This is an audio sample," he looked over at Anslee, "If Joker talks within range of any phone in the city, his position can be triangulated."

"How am I supposed to figure that out?" she asked nervously.

"You won't have to, Fox will have everything under control. But there will be many more screens to be keeping track of and Fox will need another set of eyes watching things. I'll explain everything to him. I just need you to drive to Wayne Enterprise and wait outside. I'll tell him to come get you once I leave," Bruce informed her.

Anslee looked back at the screens for a second, "Do I have a choice in my involvement with all of this?"

"Of course," Bruce frowned, "I'm not gonna make you do something you wouldn't want to. I just thought that maybe after you were so keen to help Alfred earlier, you might want in on this. But if you don't then you don't have to."

Anslee thought about it. It honestly was kind of exhilarating to be helping Bruce/Batman with his work. Racing against the clock earlier to save Reese was kind of exciting and intriguing.

The teen pursed her lips for a few seconds before eventually caving, "I do want to help. I want to be there."

"Good," Bruce smiled, "You've got this, Ans. I have to suit up, but I want you to go ahead and go. I'll let you know when I get there, but like I said, Fox will be out to get you."

Anslee nodded and turned around to leave the room so she could throw on some shoes and grab her car keys, but an idea popped into her mind. She stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder.

"Can I take the Tesla?" she grinned.

Bruce turned around and frowned, "Sure, but you scratch it, you buy it."

"Coming from the man who just wrecked his Lamborghini," Ans called behind her as she left the room.

XXX

By the time Lucius had come to get Anslee from her car, night was beginning to set in as the sun began to disappear from the sky over Gotham Bay. The same bay that carried two ferries being loaded with citizens trying to escape the city and Joker's reign of chaos.

"So you're father's roped you into this too, hm?" Lucius looked over at Anslee as she began to put a pair of headphones on so she could get a better idea of the noise coming through the sonar system.

She stopped and looked over at the older man, "Not exactly roped...I had a choice. I want to help bring the man who killed my mother to justice. This son of a bitch has a cell at Arkham with his name written all over it."

Lucius chuckled, "Where have I heard that one before?"

Anslee gave him a smile before slipping one of the headphones over her ears and leaving the other one off so she could hear if Batman were to say anything over their comm link or if Fox were to say something to her.

Immediately, chatter was heard over the radio frequencies they were tapped into and images of all kinds flashed over the hundreds of computer screens in front of Anslee and Lucius.

"Fox," the gruff voice of Batman spoke, "there's something going on on the ferries."

"I can hear them, they're trying to call to one another, but their signals been jacked, their messages aren't coming through to each other," Anslee responded as she stood up and looked over each computer screen on her side.

"I think I'm getting something," Fox spoke a few keyboards away from Anslee as he rapidly typed on it.

With the clicking of a few more keys, the voice they'd been searching for finally could be heard.

"Through the magic of diesel fuel and ammonium nitrate, I'm ready right now to blow you all sky high. Anyone attempts to get off their boat, you all die," his malicious voice threatened.

Lucius was typing as fast as his hands would let him while they continued to listen for The Joker's voice.

"I'm zeroing it," he informed the two.

"Each of you has a remote to blow up the other boat."

"The voice is on the ferry," Anslee spoke, looking over at Fox, "but it's not the source."

A second passed before one of the screens began to flash red and beep loudly, indicating that it had located the Joker.

"West!" Lucius quickly shouted so that Batman could make his move on finding the clown.

"Joker's not done," Anslee reminded Fox.

"At midnight, I blow you all up. If, however, one of you presses the button, I'll let that boat live. So who's it gonna be?" his voice taunted, "Harvey Dent's most wanted scumbag collection? Or the sweet and innocent civilians? You choose...oh, and you might wanna decide quickly because the people on the other boat may not be quite so noble."

With a touch of radio feedback, the line cutoff and the radios from the ships went silent.

Anslee continued to scan through different radio frequencies to make sure they kept their coordinates on the Joker steady. If they lost sight of him, things could turn south.

As she scanned through, she didn't hear anything worth taking a look into until she heard something she found interesting.

"Barbara? It's Anna Ramirez," the familiar voice of a cop she'd met while at the precinct the night she'd been abducted spoke, "Jim needs you to pack and put the kids in the car right away."

"But the units outside," another familiar voice that belonged to Barbara Gordon responded obviously confused.

"Those cops can't be trusted," Ramirez responded.

Anslee frowned. Wasn't it Ramirez who had tried to kill Reese earlier? Why would Jim be ordering her around if she was one of the crooked cops in the city? There was no way that this was real.

"Jim needs you away from them as soon as possible," Ramirez informed the woman, "I'll call them off for ten minutes, and you'll have to move fast."

"But..w-where am I supposed to take them?" Barbara asked worriedly.

"250 52nd street," the cop quickly responded, "leave as soon as the patrol car rolls out.

"Okay," Barbara responded before the line went dead.

Anslee threw off the headphones and stood up to retrieve the keys to the Tesla. Fox looked over at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" he questioned her.

"I..I have to go. Something bad is happening and I have to go and figure out what it is," Anslee responded quickly before grabbing the keys off the desk in front of her.

"Miss Wayne, I highly advise you stay here, it's dangerous out there," Lucius called after her as she began to stalk away towards the doors to the room.

"I'm sorry, Lucius," she called over her shoulder, "I have to go!"

Anslee was now at a full sprint so she could get out of the building and to the car. She got such an off vibe from that entire conversation between Ramirez and Barbara. There was no way that Ramirez was still in Gordon's jurisdiction after everything. Barbara had to be in trouble, that had to be it.

When she got to the car and got inside, she fumbled with the keys so she could press the button and start it. Once it was on, the engine revved to life and Anslee quickly took off down the street to where Ramirez had told Barbara to take herself and the kids.