Love Bites
Chapter 12 by Smitty


Showdown at Wayne Manor

Selina Kyle floored it all the way up the twisting driveway to Wayne Manor. It was scarcely the first time she'd made the drive, but the last excursion had been a good forty years past. Last time, she'd been going for the promise of a romantic dinner. This time it was a little more important.


Max ran toward the source of the off-key singing and found a locked door. She grabbed the knob, rattling it around to make sure it was tight.

"Mrs. McG!" she called into the old-fashioned keyhole. "Matty!"

"Max! Mom, It's Max!" she heard a young voice call from inside the room. A pattering of sneakered feet and something crashed against the door. A hearty "woof!" joined him and a heavier body crashed against the door, too.

"Max? Maxine Gibson?" Mary McGinnis' voice sounded faint from Max's side of the door.

"Right here, Mrs. McG," Max called back. "I'm busting you out of this joint. Stand back, Matty. Take Ace with you."

Max waited until she heard Matt and Ace pull back from the door, then gazed firmly at the lock and took a deep breath. "Alrighty," she said to herself. "You're going down." She pulled her leg up and gave the door her best karate kick. "Ow!"

"Max! Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?" Mary's voice sounded closer this time; clearer.

"Only my pride," Max grumbled. "Let me see if I can find the key. There's gotta be a way to take down this door."

"Creepy Craig locked us in!" Matt protested, completely put out.

"Oh, duh! I'll be right back! Don't go ANYwhere!" Max commanded them, turning on her heel and racing away.

Inside the room, Matt turned and looked at his mother, who was cackling gleefully over whatever was on her screen. "Where were we gonna go?" he asked.


The Batmobile deposited Terry in the Cave, still weak and dizzy. He staggered up the stairs, not even bothering to change. He had to get that picture; he had to get to the fifth floor. He ran through the main hall toward the spiral staircase and staggered to a halt when he saw Max vault the railing four feet from the bottom.

"Max! What are you--" he growled, gritting his teeth against the pain in his shoulder and the haze surrounding his brain.

"Terry! You're hurt!"

"I'm fine. What are you doing here?"

"It's Craig. He kidnapped your Mom and Matty. Terry, he *knows* you're--"

"I know! Where are Mom and Matt?"

"Upstairs, they're fine. I've got Craig stunned in the closet. I need to search him for the key."

"Ok." Terry paused, wanting desperately to go after his family but knowing that right now the locket was more important and Max was perfectly capable of springing his mother and brother. "I've got to get to the fifth floor. Get them out of here. Be careful."

"You got it," Max assured him, making for the closet.

Terry ran for the fifth floor, breathing raggedly by the second turn of the staircase. He knew that painting, had never understood why Bruce, with his discriminating taste, would ever spend money on such a thing. Had never understood until now.

Max ran for the closet, hauling it open to find Craig still unconscious. She searched his pockets until her fingers closed around the flat, old-fashioned key. She pulled it out and ran for the staircase again, key clutched tightly in her hand.

She never noticed that she forgot to lock the closet door again.


Selina pulled up in front of Wayne Manor and leapt from her car like a young woman, barely pausing to twist the ignition off. A second car pulled up behind her and she turned her head to see Hannah running at her. She just managed to get her hands up as the other woman leapt for her throat.

Hannah hit her heavily but years on the rooftops had given Selina a fighting instinct no society girl was born to. She grabbed and twisted away, her body creaking as she sidestepped Hannah's assault. She ran for the mansion, knowing there were things inside she could use as weapons. Behind her, she heard Hannah get to her feet and pursue. She slipped through the bars of the main gate easily--good thing she'd kept up with her figure, she reminded herself, and made for the front door. Hannah, scrawny bitch that she was, ducked through just as easily and caught her around the upper arms as Selina reached the door. Selina jabbed back with her elbow, catching Hannah in rib cage. The other woman's grip was broken and Selina managed to wrestle the door open. Hannah, no more than half a step back, pushed through with her and they both tumbled into the entryway.

"Think you can take me, do you?" Selina taunted, running around a fainting couch and grabbing an old lamp from its place. She dropped and swept at Hannah's lower legs. Hannah, though not nearly as quick and agile as Selina was even now, managed to avoid the blow by diving straight onto Selina. The former Catwoman gasped as she and Hannah tumbled to the marble floor, rolling against an open closet door.


Terry was puffing harshly as he reached the fifth floor. Down the hall, on the left, yes, that picture. He leaned against the wall for a moment to catch his breath, then turned to the task of removing the canvas from the wall. It was hung over his head and it took him more than one try to unhook it from its hanging and bring it to the floor with him. He ran his hands over the paint, paying special attention to the places where it was thick. Three places and it looked like he's have to excavate all three. He popped the claws in his gauntlet when he heard an odd scraping noise. A quick check upward revealed that protective casings were sliding in front of the remaining pictures, one even covering the empty space where this one once hung. Terry turned his face to the ceiling just as water started to spray from hidden sprinklers.

The security system! Somehow, someone--and Terry thought he knew who--had activated the fire alarm. The newest paint on the picture, a purple splotch near the bottom right hand corner started oozing away, a tiny bit of gold gleaming through the color.

Scary Mary had done it again.


"I've got the key," Max called, dropping to her knees and thrusting it into the lock. She blinked and ducked as sprinklers let loose over her head. "Whoa, what's up with the shower?" she wondered, releasing the tumblers and yanking the door open.

"That was me," Mary announced, joining Max in the hallway with Matt on her shoulders. Ace bounded out of the room after her, barking and bouncing around them, obviously looking for revenge on Craig. "The police and fire departments are on their way. And I may have sent a message to the Gotham Gazette, too." She shrugged innocently.

"In that case," Max said, already headed for the stairs, "we need to blow this popsicle stand."


Bruce checked his watch for the four hundred and twelfth time since he and Dr. Leventhal had taken off in the good doctor's ratty old Volvo.

"Doesn't this thing have any pickup?" he griped as Jake navigated up the twisted road.

"It's a Volvo," the other man explained apologetically. "Reliable, not fast."

"Hmph." Bruce frowned as they came within view of the main gates. Three cars were parked out front and the gates were blinking the red lights that indicated a security breach. "What's going on now?"


Terry had managed to extract the locket from the paint and rubbed it against his costume in an effort to dry it off enough to crack it open. It was stubborn, the catch rusty from years of being buried under layers of paint and from the pouring water. He finally managed to release it, a small key falling into his hand.

"That belongs to my mother!"

Terry turned and barely managed to duck Craig's clumsy tackle. He straightened up, head instantly swimming with medication and blood loss. "This is bad," he muttered to himself, dancing back awkwardly from Craig's wet, ham-fisted blows.

"Hey buster."

Both boys stopped and looked up at the slight Asian girl standing in front of them, her face stormy. Terry recognized that look. That look was a patented Dana Tan Pissed Off to the Nth Degree expression.

"Uh-oh," he murmured.

"Eat fist."


Max, Mary, Matt and Ace made it downstairs at the same time the GCPD burst through the door.

"Stop! Police!" Barbara Gordon aimed her gun around the room, her eyes narrowed at everyone.

Mary moved Matt to the floor immediately and she had Max had their hands in the air before they were asked.

"Wow! Cops!" Matt exclaimed, beaming. "I wonder if Batman's here?"

Barbara's ignored them, her keen eyes going to two figures on the floor. "Down here, boys," she ordered, approaching the suspects. The water pouring from the sprinklers waned and dribbled to a stop as she saw who they were.

One officer went over to the former captives to check on their well-being. The rest of them followed Commissioner Gordon to where two elderly ladies lay on the floor.

"I think I broke a hip," Hannah Sinclair gasped. Her hair was hopelessly mussed, her stockings run and her dress torn as she lay at an uncomfortable angle.

"Eh. I think I broke my arm," Selina Kyle admitted, sitting with her back against the closet door, cradling her useless right arm in her lap.

"Ladies, ladies," Barbara scolded, her enjoyment apparent in her voice. "What do we have here? A cat with only eight lives left--"

"Oh, bite it, Babsie," Selina snapped.

"And a bitch in heat. I know all about your little concoction, Hannah and don't think you'll be using any of that where you're going." Barbara's expression was bright. "I don't think I've enjoyed a bust so much in ages."


Batman stared at Dana Tan in amazement.

"We used to date," she explained briefly, her mouth turning down as she shook out her aching fist. She gave Craig's unconscious body a good kick.

"So I see," Batman said. His vision swam and seconds later he joined Craig on the floor, unconscious.


"Bruce."

"Devon."

"Should I leave?" Jacob Leventhal asked, scratching the back of his neck.

"You'd better come with us," Bruce ordered, turning and clomping off toward the house. Devon followed, striding confidently beside him as they entered the front door and Dr. Leventhal brought up the rear. Inside they found Barbara Gordon and her men trying to round up Hannah and Selina without injuring either of them further.

"I'm a doctor," Leventhal introduced himself as he assessed the situation. "Let me help." He knelt at Hannah's side, taking her wrist in his fingers to measure her pulse.

"There's a guy upstairs who's going to have a pretty good-sized bruise on his noggin," came a voice from the stairs.

Everyone looked up to see Dana helping a staggering Batman down the staircase.

Dr. Leventhal moved to help her support Batman, but the vigilante waved him off.

"I'm fine," he said instead. "Mr. Wayne? I found this in an painting of yours." He held out the glittering piece of jewelry.

"That's mine!" Hannah shrieked, holding out a hand for it despite the pain in her hip.

"I don't think so, sister dear," Devon announced, stepping into view. "Selina stole that from me years ago."

"Told you that you were going to jail," Barbara said cheerfully to a sputtering former Catwoman.

"I'm not pressing charges," Devon announced as Batman handed her the charm. "At least not now that I have it back." She opened it and held up the little key. "This goes to a safe deposit box at the First National Bank of Gotham." She smirked at her sister. "Looks like the family fortunate belongs to me after all."


Epilogue:

"And so Craig's been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, fraud, attempted murder, all kinds of other things, and…rape."

"Good," Terry grunted, still nursing his wounded shoulder as he ate his Jello.

"Yeah," Max confirmed. "An angry Dana's a righteous Dana and she's not real happy that he drugged her."

"I'm not real happy that he drugged her," Terry growled. "If I ever get my hands on that sucker…"

"I know, Ter." Max patted his good shoulder as he seethed. "But hey," she said after a moment, "tell me why Hannah Sinclair didn't just bust out with news about you being Batman? There were reporters all over the place and she really could have made some news with that."

"I don't exactly know," Terry admitted. "I asked Bruce and he said that Selina had taken care of it before the police arrived. Something about a little dose of her own medicine."

"I'm telling you," Max declared, "them old people were looking at each other like sick puppy dogs last night."

"Aw, Max…" Terry winced. "Don't say things like that. I've heard enough old people sex this week to last the rest of my life."

"Yeah, you say that 'til YOU get old," Max teased. "I think they're cute."

"Good to hear, because we'll probably be seeing a lot of them. Selina and my mom are getting together to start up a security company--one of those places that breaks into your house or business and tells you how they got in so you can plug the security leaks. Mom's doing the hacking, Selina's…well, I doubt she' actually crawling into places anymore, but I bet she knows people who can."

"That's just kinda scary," Max admitted. "Old Ms. Kyle and your mom ganging up on the thieves of the world."

"No kidding," Terry said. He was about to add that Devon had received custody of her trust fund when he saw a movement in his peripheral vision and glanced over at the door. "Dana!"

"Hey Terry," Dana replied, her hands twisting together nervously.

"And…that's my clue to go do some homework," Max announced. "See you, Ter." She left the room, patting Dana on the shoulder as she passed.

"Hey," Terry replied, trying to sit up a little straighter. "How are you doing? I heard you were at Mr. Wayne's place when all that stuff happened." Terry winced internally at the lie. That was it, he decided. He had already decided that he had to tell her. Not being able to tell her the truth about Craig had gotten her hurt once. Enough secrets.

"I'm ok." She walked across the room and sat down in the chair Max had abandoned.

They exchanged nervous glances and realizing it was time to clear the air, they both spoke at once, "We have to talk."

The End!