Chapter 15

Nearly a half hour after Batman followed the EMS carrying Barbara to Gotham General Hospital, Valerie arrived at the hospital and Batman met her outside. Other injured officers were brought to the same hospital, leaving the whole establishment in a state of chaos.

"Valerie!" Batman shouted as he landed in front of her.

Valerie exhaled, "I know you're busy, but I'm sure glad you're still here!"

"It's the Commissioner. No amount of 'too busy' would keep me from making sure she's okay."

Valerie looked around, taking in the commotion, and growled, "Look at this mess!"

"Yeah. We found out these creeps wanna target Gotham citizens. The more prominent, the better."

Valerie exhaled. "Lord…" She ran her hands through her hair, "This is too much." She looked at Batman, "How's the Commissioner?"

"The doctors say she should recover," Batman answered. "Bulletstorm shot her in the side but I patched up the wound as best as I could."

"But she'll be okay?"

"The docs are optimistic. She's just… gonna be down for a few days, at least."

Valerie let out a relieved sigh. "I'll take it."

"How's the D.A.?" Batman asked.

"Shaken up but fine," Valerie answered. "We're gonna secure the area then get him here. I'll be sure to double check… triple check the area before he gets here."

"Okay." Batman paused for a moment. "Valerie, a lot of stuff is still happening." He reached into his utility case and presented her a phone. "There's only one number on it. If you need to reach me, directly and discreetly, call it. You can put the number on your phone, too, but the phone has a lot of safeguards."

"Thanks, Batman," Valerie took the phone. "What do you need from me?"

"Keep the cops and the city going."

"Can't you ask for something easier? Like turning air into gold?"

"Hey, with the Commissioner down, it's on you."

Valerie couldn't stop the feeling of nervousness growing.

Batman put his hand on her shoulder, "And you can do it. You got this, Val. I know that for a fact."

Valerie nodded. "Thanks, Batman."

Minutes later, Batman was back in the Batmobile, patrolling the skies. "Any news?"

"Nothing except what's already been going on," Tiana replied.

"How's the Commish?" Ember asked.

"Alive," Batman answered. "The docs think she's gonna recover."

"That's a relief."

"Wish the boss didn't have to know about this," Runner said, grimly. "He doesn't need the stress. But the news is already reporting the City Hall attack."

"I know," Batman said, regrettably.

"Batman," Koutetsu spoke up. "Ghost-Wing and Jaguar are requesting to meet with you."

"Oh, what the hell do they want now?!" Ember shouted, irritably.

"I'll go find out," Batman answered.

Batman met Ghost-Wing and Jaguar not too far from Site Black, in a secluded alley. Batman exited the Batmobile and landed on top of a dumpster.

"Okay." Batman hopped down to the ground. "Whadda ya want?"

Ghost-Wing huffed. "We want to know what the hell Bane is trying to do!"

"The second I found out, you'll be… like, the 15th to know. I have a list of people who need that information."

"It's like they're targeting Gotham's infrastructure," Jaguar noted. "By going after its citizens. Ya know?"

Batman considered that. "I think you might have something there."

Ghost-Wing stopped. "What about the old man?"

"Do you care?"

"Just answer!"

Batman set his jaw.

"Batman, please," Jaguar pleaded. "We're just… this is all a lot."

"You ain't kiddin'!" Batman sighed. "He's taken care of. It's Bane's reaction once he realizes he can't get to the old man that makes me worry…"

"Meaning what?"

"We abandoned the Manor."

Ghost-Wing stiffened. "You what?"

"My call," Batman responded.

"Are you kidding me?! You let this guy run you off?"

"A: I'm not running anywhere. B: It's the smart play. We leave the most obvious place we rest. Because C: he knows who we are. He's gonna use that info. Sooner or later. Probably sooner. So, D: back off!"

Jaguar looked around, worriedly, then at Batman. "What about your family?"

"Working on that," Batman answered.

Jaguar looked at Ghost-Wing then back at Batman, "How can we help?"

"Excuse me?" Ghost-Wing asked her, incredulously.

"Look, I get you wanna prove something here." Jaguar pointed at Batman, "But this guy has a wife and kids that did not sign up for this. I don't care if they know he's Batman, they're still civilians, and I am not sitting by and letting innocent people get hurt! Neither of us signed up for that! And…" She looked off for a moment then refocused on Ghost-Wing. "…and maybe… our motives have been in the wrong place."

"Are you letting what Switchblade said get to you?!" Ghost-Wing yelled, furiously. "You've gotta be kidding me! He was lying and you know it!"

"What did he say?" Batman asked.

"None of your damn business! Stay out of this!"

"HEY!"

"He said our friend he killed," Jaguar explained, preempting their argument, "was a dirty cop. He didn't kill her in cold blood. She acted first. He reacted."

Batman settled down. "Oh, God. I'm so sorry."

"We don't need your sympathy," Ghost-Wing growled.

"How 'bout empathy? I've had a friend betray me, too."

"We don't need it! Switchblade was lying!"

"WE DON'T KNOW THAT!" Jaguar cried out.

Ghost-Wing and Jaguar glared at each other. It was the first Batman saw uneasiness and uncertainty in their body languages. Even Ghost-Wing couldn't hide that he wasn't sure if Switchblade was telling the truth or not.

Batman focused on Jaguar. "Do you really wanna help?"

"Please," Jaguar requested. She looked at Ghost-Wing before turning her attention back to Batman, "We've been disregarding you… but this is your turf. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have disrespected you. I want to help, Batman. If you'll let me."

Ghost-Wing glared at Jaguar then walked off, disappearing into the darkness.

Batman stared at Ghost-Wing until he was out of sight. "I would seriously appreciate the help, Jaguar. I mean that. But…"

"He's really a good man," Jaguar defended. "But… he's wrong this time. And… and I'm tired of acting like we don't need help, too. Tired of acting like… we haven't been losing."

"If it helps, Bane's been kicking our ass all over the place."

"You admitted that so easily."

"When I lose… I just say it. Helps me deal with it. Maybe it makes me a little less of the stoic Batman everyone's used to but… hey. It works for me."

Jaguar let a quiet, sad laugh.

"I could use some help, Jag," Batman admitted. "And… hopefully we can help Ghost, too."

"You don't owe us anything."

"Maybe not. But what better way to start friendships?"

Jaguar smiled a bit.

Ghost-Wing went to a Gotham high-rise and stared out at the city. He really didn't see anything so great about it. But now he had to do this mission alone. He couldn't believe Jaguar actually believed Switchblade. The villain was clearly lying the entire time.

This was what Ghost-Wing had to tell himself on repeat.

He looked around and strategized what to do next. While catching Switchblade was still top priority, Ghost-Wing deduced there was only one way to do that effectively and prove to everyone how ineffective Batman truly was.

Ghost-Wing had to take the fight to Bane. Directly.

When Terry went to Bruce and Diana's penthouse hotel suite the following morning, Bruce's first and only question was on Barbara's condition. Terry explained that Barbara was still recovering from the surgery to properly repair her injuries, but the doctors said the surgery was a success. It didn't lessen Bruce's clear worry. Terry was attributing Bruce's sickness to the reason as to why he was so easy to read now.

"She's alright, Bruce," Terry reassured. "The surgeons got to her in time. She'll be down for a few days but she's good. You know, Barbara… she's tough. It'll take more than getting shot to take her out. She'll be fine. I promise."

Bruce nodded, absentmindedly.

Terry sighed. "Look, I need to get to the company. At least show my face."

"What then?" Diana asked.

"Jaguar is going to look after Sally and the boys and Helena's looking after Max and terrible twosome."

"Those are your children you're describing," Diana giggled.

"How else do you think I know they're terrible? We'll figure out everything as we go. Do you two need anything?"

"No," Bruce replied. "Thank you."

Terry looked at Diana, "Diana?"

"I'm fine, Terry," Diana replied. "Please, be careful. You're just as much a Gotham pillar now as anyone."

"Yeah. Scary, isn't it?"

Terry and Diana let out a light laugh. They noticed Bruce didn't. For once, they couldn't blame him. There was plenty to worry about.

Max and Helena walked into Tiana's office, finding her typing away at her desk.

"Hey, Tia!" Max greeted.

Tiana looked up at them, giving them a slightly exhausted smile. "Morning, ladies."

Max studied Tiana, "You seem… a bit tired."

"Just a little. I've been up since last night."

"Monitoring the group?"

"That, too," Tiana stretched. "And a project or two."

"Oooh!" Max quietly exclaimed. "I didn't know you were working on anything for that."

"I've been back and forth about it," Tiana explained. "All of the modifications on Terry's suit are top notch. I just had some ideas here and there." She shrugged, "With this Bane blitz… now seemed like a good time to… update the ideas, I guess. Just in case. Especially after last night."

"Good thinking," Helena agreed.

"Actually, I had an idea for something…" Max said. "…a bit different for Terry, too."

Helena and Tiana looked at her. "We're listening," Helena noted.

"Just a few ideas," Max pulled out a flash drive. "These are some early ideas I keep with me, just in case. I was working on them when B first joined the team. As… kind of a hobby. Then I keep having more and more ideas."

"Anything you think you can put to use now?"

"Maybe."

The rest of the day passed, and night settled on Gotham. Max and Helena were still at Wayne Enterprises, looking over schematics Max and Tiana had formulated. Max, practically, forced Tiana to get some sleep in a Terry's and Max's private office as Tiana refused to go home. Max had her mother, Lisa, pick up the kids and go to Mel's house, just to be on the safe side.

As Helena and Max looked at the computer screen, Helena just blinked. "Wow," Helena said. "You and Tia are… so damn smart!"

"Tia's brilliant!" Max exclaimed. "I mean… look at these designs, the schematics. I never even would've come up with some of that."

"Oh, I don't believe that for a second!"

They heard the door code activate, and Max and Helena saw Tiana walk back in. "Hey," Tiana greeted, rubbing the side of her head.

"Hey, girl," Helena smiled. "How was the sleep?"

"Very much needed. Thank you both."

"No problem." Max groaned, "But I wish would've even considered the phrase 'go home and rest'."

"Said Terry McGinnis's wife," Tiana joked.

Helena laughed.

"Oh, hush, you!" Max said to Helena.

"What? That was funny."

"What are you guys looking at?" Tiana walked over, looking at the screen.

"Your mark-3 wingsuit," Helena answered. "It's amazing!"

"Thank you!"

"Max said she couldn't come up this kind of thing," Helena informed. "I told her she was wrong."

"Tattle-tale," Max groaned.

"You're not wrong, Helena," Tiana agreed. "Max could've easily come up with the ideas I did. Perhaps even better."

Max looked at the design again. "You know? I have some mock-ups like on my VPN at home. Not like this but some stuff that I think works."

"'Your' VPN?" Helena asked.

Max just smiled.

"Out of pure curiosity," Tiana said, "how old were you when you made your own private network?"

"Seventeen," Max answered. "It was right after I found out about Terry."

"And the greatest love story ever began," Helena smiled.

"We were just friends then! I didn't fall in love with him until college."

"Uh-huh. When did you first find him hot?"

"Sometime after we graduated," Max admitted, timidly. "I just couldn't tell him yet." She looked at them both, "His life was complicated enough and… he and Dana weren't too long broken up. I just… I didn't wanna scare him off."

Helena considered that, understanding Max's worry. "You'd rather have him as a friend than… not have him at all."

"Exactly."

Helena shifted, awkwardly. "How… did you get over that?"

"We both took a leap," Max shrugged. "Best decision I've ever made."

Helena smiled as her mind wandered a bit.

Tiana flashed a knowing grin. "On a totally unrelated note… Linc said he was coming into town tomorrow. He's worried about me."

Helena froze a moment.

Tiana looked at Helena, "And he's a bit worried about you, too."

Helena looked away, praying the blush didn't show to brightly on her cheeks.

Max flashed a quick, knowing smile, as well. "Well, he should be. You're crazy, Tia."

"I consider myself…" Tiana considered the proper wording, "a radically different thinker."

"I need to go home," Max explained. "Get all of the plans and make sure the network is locked down."

"Could Bane access it if he finds it?"

"If he can, we're more screwed than I thought."

"I'm going with you," Helena volunteered.

"Mike's still here," Tiana added. "I'll call him to meet you downstairs. The team is probably already out."

"I know Ember already is," Helena said. "She text me earlier to make sure Max was safe."

"Let's get going," Max packed up a few things. "The less were out and about, the less Terry will stress."

"He's gonna stress as long as Bane's out there."

"True. But I wanna lessen it if at all possible."

"I'll call Mike," Tiana said as she sat in the seat Max just vacated.

Rene walked around the Scourge bunker. He found a crate, filled with cell phones. Discreetly, he took one and stuffed it in his pocket. He walked back to a main area and saw Fiend flag him down. Rene walked over and Fiend urged him to follow him.

"You found her address?" Rene asked.

"Yeah," Fiend answered. "Pretty fancy neighborhood. Guess that Wayne Enterprises money put her and McGinnis on the come up."

"'The come up'?"

Fiend chuckled, "Never mind."

"Where's Bane?" Rene asked.

"I asked around. He's apparently somewhere looking over his 'project'."

Rene thought for a moment. "Hm." He studied Fiend. "Are you sure about this?"

"Positive," Fiend confirmed. "You ready?"

"Absolutely."