Batman
Batcave

"Jim, I need some information. I have reason to believe Harvey Dent is on the loose."

"That's impossible," Gordon barked. "He's in Arkham."

"You sure about that?"

"Hang on and let me..." Gordon mumbled and typed furiously on the computer. "...stupid slow machine from the 80s..." Might be time for a hefty tech donation to the police department. "Goddammit! How the hell?"

"Gordon?"

"He was transferred to another facility."

"Under whose authority?" He stood and started to pace.

"Dr. Johnathan Crane. Ever heard of him?"

"I've heard of him, but never anything bad. Damn it, Jim, how could they let this happen?"

"I have no idea, but I'm sure as hell going to find out. I'll head to the asylum now and bust some heads open."

"Let me know what you find out. I'm going to try to track him down, squeeze some old contacts and check some known hideouts. I'll be in touch."

He disconnected the line and returned to the monitors. Firing up the drone, he flew toward the area south of ACE chemicals, hoping Elliott's tip was a good one. If anyone was in the building, he would be able to pick up their heat signatures and he could fly low enough to see if the ground in the immediate vicinity was recently disturbed. He let his mind drift while he steered to the location. The questioning had gone well, all things considered. Dent was clearly the one who sent the threat to his family and he was ballsy enough to actually try to take one of them, if his history was any indication.

No luck so far, Harvey. Now I've got the upper hand.

Zatanna didn't seem bothered by the encounter. If anything, she was just as unimpressed by Elliott as he had been since he'd taken him captive, making him wish he had taken her sooner, like she'd wanted. Hopefully, it wouldn't matter. Now that he knew who he was looking for, and just how much that person stood out in any crowd, he would be able to find him. The family was already informed and Gordon knew Dent was loose, so it would make it next impossible for them to be taken.

The drone slowed when it reach its destination and he started canvassing the area. There was a 15 story building with chain link fencing and barriers surrounding it, so he turned on the infrared and thermal scanners. Going up and down just outside of each face of the building, he cleared every room without finding any signs of occupants.

Damn.

He flew slower and started checking the ground for footprints, tire tracks, or anything else that might have been left behind. After six passes with nothing but rodent tracks and pigeon shit, he set the drone to return to the cave. No one had been there in weeks...maybe months. Wherever Dent was hiding, it wasn't that complex. He sent an update to the rest of the team and headed back to get ready for a long day at the office. When night came, he would be out on the streets.

You can't hide forever.

Selina
Harvey's Prison

Harvey hadn't let her loose. When he returned, he was in full Two Face mode, turning off whatever was causing the red glow and stomping to the bed before beating her until she was broken and bleeding. After he was finished taking out his aggression, he snapped a picture, walked to the door, and turned the red glow back on.

Motion detectors?

It didn't matter. She wasn't going anywhere tied down the way she was. Now she had broken bones and a likely concussion, so even if she got loose, she wouldn't make it far. She needed to appeal to his "good" side...if it was still there at all.

What's the picture for?

Her thoughts were muddied again from the blows to the head. He talked about...the killer...a trade...Batman. He took the picture for Batman, thinking he would bargain. Would he? She wasn't sure anymore. Thinking back, they hadn't been truly close for well over two years. Their last fight before he hooked up with Zatanna had been a particularly nasty one. She had lied, which wasn't new. He had gotten tired of it, which also wasn't new, but for whatever reason, he had reached a breaking point. So had she, if she was being honest. She needed a break from the arguments and the pressure of trying to be something she wasn't around him. But her anger toward him always faded and she always wanted him back. He was the only one she could stand to be around anymore.

I stayed away too long.

With a baby and pending marriage, she wasn't sure how she could get him back now. None of it would matter, anyway, if he didn't come and rescue her. Harvey was insane and twisted and sadistic, but he wasn't stupid. If there was no longer a shred of humanity left in him, there was nothing she could say to change his mind.

I can't get out of this alone.

Zatanna
Wayne Manor

"You know that doesn't bother me, but don't do it around your daddy," Zee said to Thomas, who was floating a bright yellow ball around the room and smiling. "You're a silly boy."

At least he keeps himself entertained.

He tossed the ball against the wall and it fell to the floor, eliciting another big smile. Struggling, he reached out to where it went to rest.

"Your arms aren't long enough. Gonna have to magic it."

The cat went over to lay next to his best friend, grabbing his attention, so Thomas laid his head down on the floor and watched his fuzzy guardian, reaching a hand out to try to catch his tail. Thankfully, he was too slow to catch it as it twitched back and forth, and the game continued without a cat freak out. While they played, she flipped through the pages of another massive book about creative ways of destroying time and space with magic.

Who writes this insanity?

It wasn't a side of magic she enjoyed delving into and her skin crawled thinking back to the magicians she'd had to side with to cross dimensions to start the journey. When they'd begun the ritual, it had been June who had found her way to the rip first.

Might be needed.

She didn't want to call on her again, but if things became desperate, Bruce would know how to find her in Colorado and she was the most trustworthy person in the whole untrustworthy bunch. Thomas started to fuss when the cat fell asleep and stopped his tail, so she scooped him up to feed him and put him down for a nap. Once he was out, she could call Constantine and try to pry some information out of him. Having calmed down a bit, she decided to approach him carefully and see if he was amenable to sharing information rather than running and hiding. She still felt like she owed him for the exorcism, anyway, so yelling from the start probably wasn't the way to thank him.

"Okay, sweet boy. Rest a bit. I'll be in the other room trying not to yell." Geez, I'm turning into Bruce.

Dialing the number, she let it ring several times before he finally picked up. "Who's number you need today?"

"No one's. Jason wouldn't talk to me, so I'm hoping you can help me out. Got a minute to talk?"

"Got a few. What did you need?"

"The rip between dimensions. I need to know as much about it as you can tell me."

Just like Jason, he fell silent. Don't you dare hang up on me, too. She waited out the long stretch of nothing before he finally sighed. "It happened when we fought the first time, but I'm guessing you figured that out. It's big enough that we were able to get through it and big enough that someone else could, if they wanted. Obviously...your beasts and all. Why is this important to you?"

He wasn't telling her everything, so she sat down and took another calming breath. "It's dangerous, John. We can't just leave it the way it is. If we do, there's no telling what the consequences would be for our dimension or any of the others."

"Nah. No way. I'm not going anywhere near that rip again. Forget it, Zee, you can't make me..."

"Shut up, already! Geez. I'm not asking you to help me fix it, I just need to know how to find it. You know, right? That's how Etrigan was able to get there. You knew exactly where the rip was and how to exploit it."

"What makes you think that?" His voice went up a full octave as he tried to escape any responsibility in the mess. She could practically hear him squirming over the phone.

"Lucky guess. Just calm down and give me information. Do that and I'll leave you alone."

He cleared his throat and flicked a lighter. At least he hasn't hung up yet. "I ran across it accidentally when I was researching the last problem. The rip is centralized in Hell...that's how Etrigan crossed and how you and the others crossed back."

Well, I'd really prefer not to go back there.

"Do you know anything about fixing it?"

"Not a damn clue...and that's the truth."

"Who might?"

"Aside from you, Ms. Research The Hell Out of Everything? Fate, maybe. I dunno."

"If I get ready and try to close this thing, can you help me get to it? Nothing else, just give me a location and I'll do the rest."

"It doesn't exactly have an address, Zee, but I can send you the right direction. That's all, right? Just point the way?"

Bloody hero. "Yeah, that's all. You won't even break a nail. I'll call you when I have something."

"Wait, Zee...how's my future stepson doing? He ready to meet me yet?"

"In your dreams, John." She hung up the phone before she could become more irritated. It wasn't much help...it was almost nothing, but at least she knew he could find the rip if they needed the guidance. All things considered, she would prefer not to have to team up with him again; things always went sideways when he was involved. She was plenty capable of having that happen on her own. Diana was a much safer cohort to work with.

Okay...time to research the hell out of this some more.

Bruce
Wayne Tower

"How's the building coming along?"

"Outstanding so far, Mr. Wayne," Lucius said with a smile. "I think you'll be very pleased when you see the progress. When are you planning to see the progress, by the way?"

"Good question. Life's been so busy I haven't had time to even stop and think. I want to, though," Bruce said, looking through the latest set of photos from the construction site. "It looks great so far."

"It is. Speaking of that busy life of yours, when are you going to bring your little boy up here for a board meeting?"

Bruce cringed and looked over at his smirking face. "I like him, so never."

Laughing, Lucius headed to the door. "Fair enough. Leave them to me and let the kid enjoy his life. No need for all of us to suffer."

"I'll let you know when we get a trip planned to the east coast."

"Alright. That new drone should be ready by the end of the week. I'll send it to the cave when it's finished up."

Bruce sat down at his desk and rubbed his forehead. Wayne Enterprises was running smoothly, so it was one thing he didn't feel the need to worry about. Finding Two Face before he could do more damage was his number one worry. Zatanna and Thomas were number 1B...not that they weren't doing well. They were great and he was happy, but there would never be a moment that he didn't worry about them. All he could do was work every day to make their world a little safer. Glancing at the clock, he decided that no one would miss him for the last two hours of the work day and headed out.

When he arrived at home, he found Zatanna standing over the crib in the nursery with Thomas looking up at her and fighting to stay awake. He carefully studied the outfit he was dressed in and turned to look at Zee, who kept her gaze on their son.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Your son, Thomas. You've met."

She thinks she's funny.

"Uh huh. And what is he wearing?"

"It's a onesie," she said, reaching down and tickling his belly, making him grin. Bruce studied the blue onesie, complete with yellow shield and large, red S in the middle.

"I knew it," he muttered. She finally looked over to him and raised an eyebrow. "You're in love with Superman."

"Well, yeah. Have you seen him? Phew." She mock fanned herself with her hand and looked back down at the crib.

Bruce pursed his lips and nodded. "Once or twice." Looking her over, he saw that she was wearing skin-tight yoga pants and a low cut tank top. If she was planning on a workout, he intended to give her one. Moving quickly, he grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her over his shoulder. She giggled as he carried her to their room and dropped her down. Grabbing her hair, he pushed her against the wall and pulled her head back so he could press his lips to her neck.

"What do you think?" She sighed. "Is he available?"

"No," he growled, still kissing along her skin.

"Damn. I was really thinking we'd hit it off."

"He's not your type."

"What makes you say that? I like tall, dark, and handsome. Oh, and heroic."

"Cause he wouldn't do half the dirty shit I'm about to do to you."

She laughed low in his ear and pulled him closer. "Good point. I do prefer tall, dark, handsome, heroic, and dirty."

"Good," he said, pulling her shirt off. The lacy bra she had on indicated that she never had any intention of working out. "Lois would kick your ass, anyway."

Pushing at his shoulders, she scowled at him and pretended to be offended. "I'd say that's the fault of my martial arts trainer, then. Maybe I need to find a new one."

"Or maybe he needs to train you harder. Really toughen you up."

"I think he needs to shut up and kiss his fiancee. She missed him today."

He smiled and put his arms back around her waist. Kissing her, he walked backward to the bed and sat down so he could pull her onto his lap. "I missed you, too," he whispered, finally breaking the kiss so they could catch their breath.

"How was work?"

"Not too bad. Decided to sneak out early to spend some time with you before patrol."

"I'm glad you did," she smiled again, removing his tie and shirt. "You know, I never have come up there and let you show me what's so special about that desk of yours."

He pulled her bra off and kissed her breasts. "Same thing that's special about this bed right now, just a lot less comfortable."

"Gee, how could I turn down that kind of offer?"

"It's also completely unprofessional and dirty. Thought you liked dirty." He let his tongue circle around her nipple, looking up at her sparkling eyes.

"Tomorrow?" A slow grin spread across her face and he nodded, keeping his focus on her breasts. "I love you."

"More than Superman?"

"A little," she said, still grinning and grinding her hips against his. He flipped them around and laid her down on the bed so he could pull the rest of her clothes off.

"I'll take it," he said with a laugh. His lips were working their way down her stomach when his watch started to buzz. "Stupid goddamn chastity belt," he muttered.

Zee sighed and ran her hands through his hair. "It was a good thought," she said quietly. Alfred knocked on the door, so he pulled the covers over her and kissed her again.

"Come in, Alfred," he said, rolling off the bed and buttoning his pants.

"My apologies to you both. Master Tim has some information and is requesting your presence. He's in the den."

Once he left, Bruce turned back and sat on the bed again. "I'll make it up to you. Promise."

"I know," she said, running her hand along his arm. "Go be heroic."

He laughed and pulled her lips to his. "I'll do my best."

Selina
Harvey's Prison

He's coming back. I can hear him.

From what she could tell, Harvey had been keeping her prisoner for at least two weeks. The room was dark, but she could see a bit of light around the boarded windows during daylight hours. He'd come in and feed her and give her water twice a day, talking as if they were old pals. He would take her to the bathroom, still bound at the hands and feet, and then tie her back to the bed. Within an hour, he was beating her senseless again. She was beginning to wish he'd just flip his damn coin and get it over with. Batman wasn't coming.

"Hungry?" Harvey walked in and turned off the red glow so he could sit down on the bed next to her. "Sorry I'm a little late."

"How does someone like you go to the grocery store?" She asked, taking a bite of the chicken he offered.

"Someone like me doesn't. Someone like me breaks into a house and steals someone else's food."

"The district attorney of Gotham City stealing food like a common criminal."

"I am a common criminal. This face made me a common criminal. Batman made me a common criminal!" His voice was rising quickly.

"Sorry, okay? I was just talking." No need to bring the beating on any sooner than necessary. "What are you going to do with me when Batman doesn't deal?"

Harvey shoved another bite of food toward her. "He'll deal. He'll fucking deal or you'll fucking die."

"Yeah, you mentioned that," she mumbled as she chewed. "But if he doesn't...why not let me help you get your serial killer back?" He paused and glared at her. "What good does killing me do? I can get close to Batman."

Scoffing, he put more chicken in front of her face. "So you think you can get close to him if he doesn't even care enough to save you from me? Nice try. I wouldn't trust you, anyway. You were trying to catch the killer...no way would you help him get loose."

She laughed, trying to sound self-assured. "You overestimate me. I'll do whatever it takes to get out of here alive. I'm a survivor."

"Drink," he barked, putting a straw to her mouth. She drew in the liquid for as long as he let her, relieved that he listening to the offer. "We'll be back later."

He quickly walked out of the room and reactivated the red glow.

"We'll"...great.

Zatanna
Wayne Manor

She understood that sometimes duty called, but it sure had a nasty habit of calling when she was about to get some alone time with Bruce. He'd promised to make it up to her, though, and he was always true to his word. Their next date night was guaranteed to be amazing. Thomas was sleeping soundly, so she decided to send Diana a message updating her on what she had...or more accurately hadn't...found on the inter-dimensional rip. Something so rare wasn't easy to research. It didn't take long for Diana to return her message to let her know that Tsaritsa hadn't made any more progress than they had. That much was a relief, at least. There were more important things she wanted to focus on, for now – like the wedding. Bruce had fully won her over and she was working with Alfred to plan something perfect for them. She was excited about it in a way she hadn't expected. The idea of walking down the aisle and throwing a bouquet and cutting cake suddenly sounded like the best thing in the world.

She was flipping through pictures of wedding dresses when Thomas woke, ready for some baby food and play time. "How about we go downstairs so mommy can shop more while you and the cat play." When she walked past the den, she heard raised voices and couldn't resist the urge to check inside.

"I'm not doing it. I can't," Bruce said, suited up and standing among the rest of his Bat family. "It took us too damn long to catch him. We have to find another way."

"We might not have time," Kate said. "Those pictures..."

"I don't want to let him go anymore than you do, but we don't have a lot of options here. Not if we want to get her back alive," Barb added.

"Get who back alive?" Zatanna entered the room, fully curious who they were talking about. The room stayed quiet, aside from Thomas's babbling. "Uh...hello? Anyone home? Who?"

"Selina Kyle," Tim said. She swallowed hard and looked to Bruce, who was giving Tim an angry glare.

Clearing her throat, she stepped further into the room. "She's in trouble?"

Bruce turned to her. "Zatanna, why don't you take Thomas and..."

"Two Face has her," Tim said, earning another glare. "He wants Elliott back in exchange."

"You don't know where she is?" Zatanna asked as Bruce moved closer to grab her arm. She didn't move when he tried to lead her back toward the door.

"No," Barb said. "We just found these." She held several photos of a bloodied Selina out where Zee could see them. Studying them carefully, she knew that there was only one option...and that Bruce would try to stop her.

"Barb, Kate, can you watch Thomas for me?"

"No," Bruce said gruffly. "Absolutely not."

Zee turned and looked at him with all of the confidence she could muster. "Yes."