A/N: Thank you Batman's Kawaii Sex-kitten for the review. (Wow that was odd to say lol) Sorry to say, but the Bruce/Darrian thing's not going to happen in this story, BUT maybe (maybe) if you're lucky you might get a Darrian/Bruce thing sent to you. (maybe) lol. Thanks again for the review.

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"Master Bruce?" Alfred appeared in the doorway of the study holding a cordless phone with his hand securely held over the receiver, "It's for you sir, and by the sounds of it, it's not a very happy phone call."

Bruce climbed to his feet, having been lying on the couch flipping through a book, and took the phone from Alfred holding it up to his ear.

"Bruce here."

"Who's this?" The voice was deep, threatening, blunt and sounded very lower-class British.

Bruce raised an eyebrow, "Bruce Wayne."

"Bruce Wayne?" The voice managed to make it sound like Bruce had done something wrong. "Where's Darrian?"

"Who are you?" Bruce asked his voice lowering in timber.

"What the fuck is it to you?"

Bruce's jaw clenched in anger, "You called 'my' home and are demanding to talk to someone without telling me who you are."

"Yes." the voice said, cold, calm, and impatient. "My business is with Darrian... unless he can't do anything without you're say so."

Bruce glanced about the room, "Any business you have with him goes to me. What is it you want? Money?"

The voice chuckled nastily. "What, is he your whore or something? Can't say I'm surprised."

"Who. Is. This?" Bruce growled saying the sentence threateningly slow.

He was becoming tired of this game extremely fast; he glanced up at Alfred standing in the doorway and nodded. Alfred nodded back and left swiftly, he was going to find out who this guy was if he told him or not.

"I'm a person who has business with your little toy... business that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, and frankly, I'm getting tired of waiting. Now is the little bastard there or not?"

Bruce hesitated briefly, "No." He answered once Alfred returned.

The person on the other end of the line hung up curtly.

Bruce clicked off the phone and turned to Alfred, "Get it?"

Alfred nodded, "Indeed I did sir. May I ask what that was about?"

"I'm not sure." Bruce frowned slightly handing the phone to Alfred as he made his way to the old Grandfather clock.

Darrian took that moment to meander down the stairs, yawning hugely still, but looking less tired. "Hey, what's going on?" He asked muggily.

Bruce motioned for Darrian to follow him down into the cave, he pressed in several keys on the keyboard and a phone number, location, and name popped up, "Do you recognize that name?" He asked glancing over his shoulder at Darrian.

Darrian went white and stepped backwards. "Wh-wh-wh-where'd you get that from?!" He asked, panicky. "Shit, shit, shit..."

"Who is he?" Bruce asked narrowing his eyes.

Darrian covered his face with his hands. "He is a very bad man." he said in a much younger shaky voice, squeaked out as he stood there shaking slightly.

Bruce grunted taking a seat in front of the large monitor, "Computer search 'Frankie Black.'" Pictures of random people quickly flashed across the screen until it stopped on a picture of a man with non-descript brown hair in a business-like cut, rough features, a tall yet stocky build, dark green eyes, and a cruel mouth.

"This him?" Bruce asked turning in the chair so that he could see Darrian's face rather than his reflection on the screen.

Darrian peeked through his fingers and froze, nodding marginally. His eyes were huge and he didn't seem to be able to speak.

Bruce snorted and turned back to the computer pulling up the man's file, "He organizes illegal boxing matches, dog fights, cock fights, and runs a drug and a prostitute racket… What the hell have you gotten yourself into Darrian!?" Bruce growled climbing to his feet.

Darrian squeaked, backing away. "I'm sorry Bruce, I'm sorry..."

Sighing, Bruce ran a hand through his hair, "So what does he want with you now?"

"He's the guy I owe money too... he wants me... preferably alive, but he doesn't mind if I'm dead..."

"What do we do now?" It was simple question deserving of a simple answer, or so he thought.

"We do nothing now." Darrian said. "I've already gotten you into more trouble than I'm worth Bruce. Thank you, for everything, but I REALLY have to go now. If I don't keep moving, he'll find me... I have to go."

Bruce wouldn't accept any of this, "He's already found you Darrian," He said in his deep brassy voice as his eyes narrowed, "Now we have to figure out how to get you out of this mess."

"There's no way out but to run Bruce." Darrian said, looking up the stairs. "There's no way out until he dies... which isn't likely to happen soon."

"Or if he's locked up," Bruce walked over to the case holding the Batman costume, "How do I find this guy?"

Darrian shook his head. "You don't Bruce. You're staying well out of it, do you hear me?" He said seriously.

Bruce turned to him, "How do I find him Darrian?" He repeated.

Darrian crossed his arms and shook his head. "Don't even THINK that I'm gonna tell you."

Bruce snorted and walked over to the computer pressed a button and a map pulled up with directions to a supposedly disserted warehouse, but then again, warehouses are never disserted when thought to be.

"Bruce, don't. He's not stupid you know. He'll have left there and he'll find out you're looking for him and the next thing you know, it'll go very badly for you..."

"I've dealt with his type before Darrian," Bruce grunted taking out the bat-suit, "If anything goes wrong," He looked over at Darrian, "Jim will be there. Nothing will go wrong."

"Bruce." Darrian said hotly. "I am NOT going to let you fight my battles for me... its bad enough that I CAME here... no. I'm not gonna let you risk your life for me. I'll handle this myself."

"Like you have been doing so far?" Bruce replied angrily, "You think that was 'handling it'?"

"I've survived this long haven't I?" Darrian asked.

Bruce glared at him, "Right." He grumbled brushing passed Darrian to the room on the other end of the cave.

Darrian shook his head. "Bruce... if you go after him, I'm gonna call him and get him to pick me up somewhere else before you can find him." he said. It was the only thing he could think of to do to stop Bruce leaving. "He'll have me, I won't have a problem anymore, and you won't be in trouble..."

Bruce turned sharply on his heel, "You will do no such thing." He growled his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits; he had dealt with guys like this Frankie Black before.

"Yea? Well if you do a stupid thing Like go after Frankie right now, on your own, I'm gonna have to." Darrian said back, totally sincere and not backing down.

"I've dealt with his type before. I've dealt with worse." Bruce hissed remembering the time he had fought the Joker after the mad man tried to poison the cities water supply with laughing gas.

"I don't care." Darrian shot back. "Whatever he is, he's MY problem. And I don't want you to go..." His expression softened, pleading with Bruce. "I don't wanna be responsible for your death Bruce..." He said softly.

Bruce stared Darrian down for a moment then nodded, "Alright, I won't go." His face softened a bit a he secretively pulled out a small syringe from one of the pouches in the bat suit he was carrying, "Let's go up stairs." He sighed gesturing with his free hand to the stairs.

Darrian blinked, and smiled. "Thanks man." he said, and made his way upstairs.

Bruce set the costume down and sprinted to catch up with Darrian, once he was behind him he grabbed the older man by the shoulder and plunged the needle into his arm.

"Sorry." He grunted pulling the now empty syringe from Darrian's shoulder. Darrian jumped when the needle went in and turned to Bruce. "What..?" But when he saw that it was Bruce who had done it, confusion, then realization passed over his face, then, before he passed out, hurt betrayal.

Bruce carefully pulled Darrian into his arms and took him back down to the cave where he laid him down. The sedative would last just over two hours if he was lucky. Quickly he dressed into his costume and pressed a small button on the belt.

"Clark, I need you to do me a favor. Come to the 'cave and get Darrian for me, I knocked him out with a sedative he should be fine in about an hour. Just take him back to your place and I'll explain everything when I get back."

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A/N: Please Review!!