Hunter's Night
By Christy
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Dick Grayson
It'd been a long night so far. Long, and quiet. No attacks. No one coming out from the shadows. Too quiet.
After attempting to hunt down Deadshot without much success, Diana and Cass headed back down to the docks to question a few workers there and follow up some leads in several Gotham museums to try and figure out the identity of the Cheetah woman. Dick hadn't really gone with just Batman in a while, if ever, but after a few months of training, Dick felt a little more confident going alone with his adoptive father.
But only a little. Batman was still intimidating, and without Wonder Woman, even a little harsher and more abrupt. He sank into the Dark Knight and would not resurface. The fact that they were being hunted down didn't help Batman's mood.
But Dick desperately wanted to get to know Bruce better, to connect with him in the way that he'd connected with his father. Granted, he and his father hadn't had the best of relationships, due to Dad always training and pushing him to train. Bruce reminded him of Dad that way. But there was something about Bruce that Dick connected to... Something that he wanted to hold onto.
Being Robin made him happier than he'd been in a long time.
"So, I've been doing some digging," said Barbara's voice in their earcoms. "Looking into Maroni's bank accounts."
"How the crap did you do that, Red?" Robin demanded.
Batman shot him a glare to be quiet.
"What do you have?" Batman asked.
"I'm finding a few money transfers to his account. The exact amount that's on your heads."
"Who gave him the money?"
A pause. "Hang on... I don't know. It was a cash transfer. Hard to trace. But I'll keep digging. Maybe I can find another link from another assassin. Oh, here's something. Oswald Cobblepot - owns the Iceberg Lounge near the Narrows. He's been moving money around into different accounts, various low-level hitmen."
"Hiring someone else to do his dirty work," said Batman dryly.
"Looks like. I can't tell where the money's coming from yet, though. I'll keep you posted."
"Good work," Batman said.
A pause.
"Hey, do I get my own codename?" Barbara asked. "Something cool like... Wheels?"
Robin grinned. "Wheels? No way." He hopped into the Tumbler after Batman, and the two sped off towards the Iceberg Lounge. "What's wrong with Red?"
"Too cliche," Barbara argued. "And I have red hair. Robin is personal... I want something personal."
"Let's discuss this issue later," Batman intervened shortly. "Is Cobblepot at the lounge?"
"Yes, sir. Hacking into their camera and security systems... Oh, man. This guy's got a sweet money laundering deal in the back room."
Robin's jaw dropped. "How'd you find out about that?"
"I hacked into one of the guy's cell phone video cameras," said Barbara, without sounding arrogant.
Batman and Robin exchanged glances.
"You know she could do that?" hissed Robin.
A hint of a smile touched Batman's lips.
"Facebook Messenger can do it, too," muttered Barbara. "No reason why I can't."
"Time to pay a visit to Mr. Cobblepot," said the Dark Knight. They sped through the night and abandoned the Tumbler a few blocks away from the Iceberg Lounge. Swinging onto a building facing the lounge, Batman and Robin scanned the area. There were a lot of people around, more unsavory-looking than most. This was, in fact, merely a block away from Gotham's Red Light District, butting right up against the Narrows.
A slight crackle, and Wonder Woman's voice came through the earcom.
"How you boys faring?"
"No luck on Deadshot. He's laying low. We're paying a visit to the Iceberg Lounge," answered Batman. "You?"
"Meeting with a museum curator. Doing some digging on some mythological aspects of this Cheetah woman. I'll keep you updated."
"Roger that."
Robin watched Batman scope the place out. "So... we going in?"
"Yes."
"Okay... where?"
"Cobblepot's in his office. We'll go in quiet."
Robin saluted. "Roger that, sir."
Batman shot him a look and rose to his feet. "Stay with me," he said, and leaped off the building, spreading out his cape into memory-fabric wings. Robin followed after him, and the two soared down and landed on the ledge just above Cobblepot's window. Batman put a finger to the glass and listened in.
"... Not going to let a hack like Lawton get the better of me," grumbled a low, warbled voice. "The man's got no taste. Gunning down the Batman and Wonder Woman in the dead of night is not the answer."
"Then what, sir?" one of his henchmen asked.
"Yeah, boss, want me to take 'im out?"
"Lawton is an idiot, but he's not stupid," muttered Cobblepot. "He has safehouses all over the city - in only the best hotels, of course. The man is an egotistical sham. Thinks he's a professional just because he can put a bullet in someone's head without getting caught. His ego will get him caught one day, and I won't be the person to stop that. He's bad for business. My business," he added sourly.
"What a creep," muttered Robin.
"What if the Bat finds out Maroni hired you, boss?" Cobblepot's henchman asked a bit nervously.
Cobblepot scoffed. "He wouldn't dare come after me. I'm a reputable businessman."
"Right, and I'm an Amazon," muttered Robin.
Batman gave him a sideways look. Robin shrugged innocently and waited for Batman's signal. Once the henchmen left, Cobblepot left his desk and went over to one of his several birdcages, feeding one of several squawking birds.
"What a weirdo," whispered Robin.
"Do you ever stop talking?" muttered Barbara in his ear.
"Only when I'm eating. Or sleeping."
"Shame," sighed Barbara.
"Quiet," growled Batman. "Or I'm pulling you both off the team until further notice."
"If you do I'll tell Mom," whispered Robin defiantly.
Batman just looked at him.
"What?" mumbled Robin.
"It's time," uttered Batman shortly, and quietly opened the window and tossed a smoke bomb inside Cobblepot's office. By the time Cobblepot's henchmen had burst into the room, their boss was long gone.
Atop a taller skyscraper a block away, Batman yanked the hood off Cobblepot's fat head and held him over the edge, glaring down at him. Robin had to admit that he found his adoptive father a bit terrifying. He hadn't seen him so furious in a while. Well, that was all relative, but still. The wind whipped at their capes, and Robin buried himself into his suit, which thankfully kept him warm in these Gotham winds.
"I know Maroni wasn't the one who hired you to kill us," snarled Batman. "Who did?"
Cobblepot blinked, stringy hair askew and long, pointed nose red, then glared up at him. "You don't want to do this."
"Wrong," snarled Batman flatly.
"He really does," Robin put in, folding his arms over his chest. "Trust me."
Cobblepot eyed him carefully before returning his attention to Batman. "I'm a reputable businessman, Batman," he blustered. "How dare you kidnap me and accuse me of wrongdoing."
"I know you were hired to kill me," snarled Batman. "You're on a list of assassins after us. I know you wouldn't do the dirty work yourself, so obviously you hired out. But who hired you?"
"You know I can't tell you that," said Cobblepot stiffly. "If you were smart enough for your own good, you'd get out of Gotham and stay out. This city can be dangerous." He smirked up at him.
"I know," said Batman coolly, his lenses narrowing.
A bead of sweat dribbled down Cobblepot's chin. "You can't hurt me. I'm powerful in this town, Batman. You may have a super-powered slut for a partner -"
Robin's jaw dropped -
And so did Cobblepot. Batman released him instantly, letting him fall stories below with a wretched shriek. Batman looked down, leaned over, and waited a few seconds. Robin hated to admit it, but he honestly didn't care if Batman just let him drop, period. No one talked about his mother like that. Especially not some weirdo creep like Cobblepot. But, they weren't killers like most of Gotham. Batman shook his head slightly and shot a grapple gun after him. The line went taut, and Batman yanked Cobblepot back up, letting him hang a few feet away from the roof's edge.
"You... you..." Cobblepot was gasping for breath, bright red. "I'll kill you for this."
Robin rolled his eyes. "Uh, yeah, that's why we're here, stupid."
Cobblepot still managed to glare up at them. "I'm not telling you anything."
"Try," snarled Batman, and let the line down a few feet. Cobblepot released another wail.
Robin's leaped around to the edge near Cobblepot. "I'd probably start talking," he said conversationally. "Trust me, bossman is not a happy camper when you don't talk."
"Threats won't intimidate me," growled Cobblepot, but his expression relayed otherwise. "I've dealt with worse people than you, Batman."
Batman's lip curled. "Not anymore."
And he let the Penguin drop once more.
Not a second later, a bullet sang through the night sky, right for Batman's head -
The Dark Knight ducked to the side and hurled several Batarangs through the sky.
"Gotcha," growled Batman, a small smirk on his face, and he took off the roof, leaving Penguin to hang below.
Robin stared after him. "You're kinda freaking me out when you smile like that," he called, and burst after the Dark Knight. More bullets rained down on them, and they both ducked.
"Are you all right?" Barbara shouted in their ears.
"We're on Deadshot," snarled Batman. "This ends now." He burst up into the sky, swung himself up onto a roof, and dove down after Deadshot. The assassin continued to shoot at Batman primarily, ripping holes in the Dark Knight's cape, and Robin was horrified to see Batman get a few bullets in the arms and a nick in his side. But Batman gritted his teeth, swooped down, and drop kicked Deadshot back several feet onto the glass roof the assassin had been sitting on. Lawton rolled over and quickly recovered, pulled out two semi-automatic pistols, and fired continuous rounds at the Dark Knight.
"Down!" roared Batman, and Robin took cover behind the roof. But Batman whipped out two more batarangs, which hit both guns, knocking them out of the assassin's hands. Robin shot back up, using the roof ledge as leverage, and flipped over to surprise Lawton from behind, kicking him back in Batman's direction. The Dark Knight and the assassin fought for a minute, but Batman was the clear leader in hand-to-hand combat. Batman finally punched him through the roof, and the two of them dropped into a private hotel room. Deadshot scrambled to reach for another pistol, but Batman was on him and knocked the gun out of his hand. He shoved him down and cuffed him, then pushed him up against the wall with no small force.
Alarms went off as Robin dropped down through the roof after them.
"We're in a museum!" Robin groaned. "Crap!"
"Base, shut the system down," growled Batman into the earcom.
"On it," came Barbara's voice. A second later, the alarms went silent.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then, Batman turned and ripped Deadshot's mask and eyepiece off. Floyd Lawton grinned toothily back.
"Nice going, Bats. Was kinda hoping I'd get your partner."
"Disappointment abounds," said Batman icily. "Who hired you?"
"And if you say you won't tell us, that's not going to make him happy," Robin said matter-of-factly. "Ask the Penguin dude if you're not sure."
Deadshot laughed. "Aw, c'mon, Bats. From one pro to another. I can't tell you that anymore than you can't help beat the living hell outta every thug in Gotham."
"What about Bruce Wayne?" demanded Batman. "Who hired you to take them out?"
"Yawn," said Deadshot. "Unless you wanna gimme a piece of that gorgeous babe of yours, Bats, I got nothin' to say."
Robin and Batman exchanged looks.
"Man," said Robin, "Seems like a lot of people are not super chatty tonight, Batman."
"That will change," said the Dark Knight, and swooped down to break Deadshot's right hand. The assassin screeched and tried to move, but Batman held him down. "I will break every finger one by one," snarled the Dark Knight. "If you don't tell me who hired you."
Lawton gasped for breath. Batman tightened his grip on his broken hand, and Lawton hissed through his teeth. "I don't know, all right?" he gasped. "I don't know who the guy is."
"Don't waste my time," warned Batman.
"Look," rasped Lawton, "All I know is that he's got a lotta money, and a lotta power. But I don't know who he is. Maroni doesn't even know what the guy looks like. I think he wears some kinda bandages on his head or somethin'. But I ain't never seen his face. All I know is that he paid Maroni to hire the best of us out here to get you. That's it."
"That's not enough," said Batman flatly.
"It never is, is it?" said a new silky voice from behind.
All heads turned to see a woman peering down at them from the hole in the roof. She wore a cat-mask and a black bodysuit. She wore several glittering necklaces and held a golden cat statue in one hand.
A cat-burglar, thought Robin, unimpressed.
"Mmm, what's the matter, handsome?" the woman purred. "Cat got your tongue?" She licked her lips and gazed down at Batman. "You really are taller than they say you are, Batman. Tall, dark, and very handsome. I'm impressed. Poor Floyd never stood a chance, did he?"
"The alarms," hissed Robin.
The cat-woman laughed. "Oh, yes. Those. Well, I had... rescued these precious things from this prison, but then someone shut off the alarm system, making it so much easier for me to escape. Thank you for that, if that was you. Now I'd love to stay and chat, but a girl's got places to go, things to steal... Take care, boys." She blew a kiss to Batman and jumped off the roof and into the night.
"Crap," hissed Robin. "Batman, we're the ones who -"
"I know, damnit," snarled Batman. "I don't have time for this. Stay with him, Robin. Knock him out if you have to. And call Gordon." And he shot his grapple gun into the air and disappeared after the cat woman.
A pause. Robin glanced over at Deadshot.
"You really think you can handle me, kid?" said the assassin, amused.
Robin stared at him for a minute, then jabbed his fingers into his throat. The assassin sank to the ground, unconscious.
"Yep," said Robin. He hesitated, looked up at the roof. That cat woman looked really suspicious. What if she tried something on Batman? Something... feminine? He groaned. "Thanks, Batman," he muttered. "Hey, Red, where's the Dark Knight now?"
"He's heading towards the Red Light district again. What's going on?"
"He went after some sketchy cat woman," grumbled Robin. "I don't trust her. I gotta go after him."
"I'm sure he can take care of himself, Dick," Barbara assured him.
"Yeah, well... it's not him I don't trust." Robin knelt down, handcuffed Deadshot's feet together, and then handcuffed the unconscious assassin to a column, ensuring he wouldn't be able to move or get away. "Hey, can you call your dad and let him know we got Deadshot?" he asked Barbara, hurrying after Batman.
"Copy that. Wait, didn't Batman tell you to stay there?"
Robin shot his grapple hook and soared off the roof. "Yep. Too bad."
When Robin finally reached Batman's location, he turned a corner and found Batman and the cat-woman in a dark, narrow alley. But Dick stopped short in disbelief. The cat woman was practically wrapping herself around Batman, their lips nearly touching. "Whoa!" Robin squawked.
Batman shoved the woman away from himself and glared at Robin. "I told you to stay with Deadshot," he snarled.
"Gee, I wonder why," blurted out Robin. "What the crap is going on?"
"Guess the birdie's gotta have his wings clipped," sulked the woman, rubbing her wrists and shooting him a vicious glare. "Don't you know not to interrupt adults in the middle of a conversation, sweetie?"
Robin's eyes narrowed. "Don't you know that he's already got someone, ya kook?"
"Mmm. Seems a little uptight to me." She smirked up at Batman. "Looks like you're a little too tense as it is, Batman." A clawed hand touched his shoulder. "I think you need someone to help you relax..."
Batman grabbed her wrist and pushed her away again. "Hand over what you stole."
"Mmm... no."
"You know Wonder Woman's gonna kill you," Robin said, baffled and fiercely angered by this cat lady.
She just laughed. "Please. Little princess is too busy, from what I see." She swung herself up onto a dumpster and tossed Batman the necklaces off her neck. "I'll be getting those back at some point," she said airily, and disappeared over another rooftop. Robin knew that she'd kept the cat statue safely hidden with her.
Robin shot a glare up to his father. "What was that ab-"
"Nothing." Batman looked even more pissed than before, storming past him out of the alley. He touched a few buttons, and seconds later, the Tumblr raced up in front of them. Batman and Robin hopped in.
But he couldn't let it go. "You're not telling Mom about this, are you?"
Bruce was hard to read under the mask, but Robin had been picking up little movements, revealing his father's discomfort. Batman's jaw flexed, and his fingers tightened on the steering wheel.
"Nothing to tell," Batman said.
Robin snorted. "Right, cause that cat chick wasn't hanging all over you like a Monet in the Met."
Batman shot him a look. "What's that supposed to mean?" his father demanded sharply.
Robin honestly had no idea. He shrugged. "You know what I mean," he bluffed, folding his arms over his chest. "And if you don't tell Mom about her - "
"I never said that."
"You just said - "
"There's nothing to tell because nothing happened," snapped Batman. "Mind your own business."
Robin rolled his eyes. "Gimme a break. Mom is my business, by the way."
"Focus on the mission, Dick," Batman barked. "This conversation is over."
Robin sank into the passenger seat. "Not hardly," he muttered under his breath.
Batman stopped the Tumbler short and pulled over. "I told you to stay with Deadshot," he snarled viciously. "You disobeyed my direct order. I'm pulling you from the field for two weeks until you learn to obey."
Robin, who had initially shrunk in the wake of Batman's wrath, now fired back angrily, "I was just trying to make sure you were all right. From the look of it, she was manipulating you and you weren't even stopping her -"
"I had the situation under control," snarled Batman, and pulled out the golden cat statue from his belt. "Lack of trust will get someone on this team killed, and we can't afford it. If you don't listen, you're going to get someone killed. Barbara," he barked, "Does your father have Deadshot?"
A horrible pause.
"No," said Barbara's heavy voice. "Dad just got there. Deadshot's gone."
Robin felt his gut drop into his legs under Batman's withering glare.
Bruce Wayne
He couldn't help it; he was fuming the entire ride home. Not only had they not gotten any solid information about the mysterious third party who had hired the assassins in the first place, but Dick had ignored his order, and because of it, Deadshot was gone. For all he knew, Deadshot could've already have fled the city, maybe deciding that fifty million wasn't worth a few broken bones. It would take a long time for his wrist to heal.
He should've broken Lawton's leg, instead. Made it harder for him to get away. Or someone to help him get away. It was entirely plausible that someone assisted him. But the security cameras had been deactivated once Barbara shut the system down on his order. Bad mistakes all around, and Bruce wanted to punch something very hard. He rubbed his unshaven jaw, stonily silent next to his young partner.
Then there was that cat-woman. Sultry, somewhat dangerous... a skilled thief. She'd annoyed the hell out of him. They would've gotten Deadshot had it not been for her interference. But she was low on the list - not even an important party. Still... She'd tried to use her feminine wiles on him... Tried to manipulate him. He'd needed to get the statue off her, so he allowed her to attempt her flirtatious banter and behavior...
But even though he'd gotten the statue and stolen items, he still felt a pressing weight of unwanted guilt on his chest.
He let his anger return as they pulled into the Batcave, and he jumped out, ignoring Dick completely. Diana and Cass were already back, and unfortunately they looked nearly as frustrated as he felt. Dick stormed after him, yanking off his mask. The boy pulled off his belt and stuffed into its case, letting it slam shut.
Diana raised her eyebrows, glancing between the two of them. "Well, hello to you, too. Is there something you gentlemen want to tell me?"
Dick looked at Bruce with narrowed eyes. "Yep."
Bruce glared at him and pulled off his cowl. "No."
Diana exchanged puzzled glances with Cass, who simply shrugged and signed, Boys.
"Okay, now you have to tell me," Diana said. "I spent all night hunting down leads that went nowhere. You were ambushed by Deadshot and almost got Penguin. What happened after you took down Deadshot?"
"He got away," snapped Bruce, running a hand through his hair. "We had... another party involved."
"Oh?" Diana's keen eyes turned to Dick. "I'm going to get the story out of one of you. Don't make me use this," she warned, holding up the lasso. "Not that I need it to know that you two are hiding something. Would it have something to do with Deadshot escaping, or the theft of jewels from the nearby exhibit at the Gotham Modern Art Museum?"
Bruce didn't respond.
"She was a cat woman," blurted out Dick. "She was stealing something and showed up. Deadshot got away because of her."
"Because of you," snapped Bruce before he could stop himself. "Because you disobeyed my direct order."
"For a good reason, obviously," snarled Dick, yanking his cape off.
"We'll find out where he's hiding," returned Bruce. "But it would've been much easier to finish the job if she hadn't got in the way."
Diana stared hard at his back. He could feel her gaze burning into him.
"A cat woman, hmm?"
"She has a thing for him," Dick said before Bruce could respond. "She was all over him."
Barbara let out a small gasp, then coughed to cover it up.
Bruce glared at his son. "Enough, Dick. Don't you still have homework?"
Dick shrugged unrepentantly. "I need a shower anyways. C'mon, guys," he said, and pulled off the rest of his uniform to reveal under-armor leggings and a shirt. "Let's go." He disappeared into the elevator, followed quickly by Barbara and Cass. Once the elevator shut, there was a deadly silence.
"So, on top of several assassins after us, now we have a catwoman stalker fan?" Diana's tone was surprisingly amused.
Bruce turned to her. "I didn't want to say anything because there's nothing to say, Di," he said. "She's just a thief who was trying to manipulate the situation."
"Not attractive at all?"
"I couldn't tell."
"Really."
Bruce's eyes narrowed. "If you have something to say -"
But to his surprise, Diana burst out laughing. She came up to him and wound her arms around his neck, pressing a kiss to his lips.
"How long have we known each other, Bruce?" Her tone was warm.
His tense shoulders relaxed only slightly. "Almost ten years."
"Exactly. You trust me, right?"
"With my life," he said.
She placed a hand over his chest. "Likewise. So, while I know that you are the most attractive man I've met, I can also say that I'm sure a lot of other women find you just as attractive. And some of those women might be... shall we say... a little more forward than I am."
"Princess - " He deflated, suddenly exhausted. "It was nothing. She tried to manipulate me, but -"
"Bruce," she cut in quickly, "I know nothing happened. Don't worry about it, all right? I know you better than that. We'll get Deadshot, get Cobblepot, and get this Catwoman. Right now, we both need some sleep. We've had a long night."
But as she slipped out of his arms, he pulled her back and pressed a hot kiss to her mouth, holding her only tighter.
"No," he said grimly, winding his hands through her waist and hair, brushing dirt and grime off her olive cheeks tinged with pink. "No, Princess. We need to finish off Deadshot tonight. You and me."
Her smirk was deadly, a gleam in her eye. "You and me, partner," she breathed. "Date night?"
"Absolutely."
Thoughts? What did you think of the entrance of two more Gotham characters?
Next chapter will have some good Bruce/Diana moments, as well as some fun ladies' conversation with the Gotham girls.
- Christy