Double or Nothing (Part Two)
By TheLostMaximoff
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. R/R.
"Have you taken to wearing perfume now?" Needless to say, the question caught Robin a little off his guard. He turned to give his mentor a quizzical look. Bruce had to have meant it as a serious question. He never joked about anything.
"I can smell it from here, Tim," assured Batman, splitting his attention between his partner and the road ahead.
"Sorry, I thought I covered it up enough," said Robin.
"You did," said Batman, "I'm sure that other people probably won't even notice it."
"I don't want a speech," said Tim.
"You're an adult now," reminded Bruce as he pulled the Batmobile into a right turn.
"She's really trying hard," assured Robin.
"I know," replied Batman. Robin got it. Bruce wasn't up for discussing this. He had let Cass be Batgirl again. In Bruce's mind, that was enough charity. When it came to the respect and the trust, well, she had to earn all that back now.
"Tell me about the drug," said Robin after a few moments of silence.
"The people on the streets call it 'Deuce'," explained Batman, "Most of them just call it 'D' for short. It's called that because apparently there are only two outcomes that result from taking one dose of it: addiction or death."
"So what did you find when you analyzed those pills?" asked Robin.
"A signature," replied Batman, "The chemical is designed to produce panic, fear, and possibly psychosis if taken enough. It's the same hallucinatory compound I've seen before."
"Scarecrow's been in Arkham for weeks now though," stated Robin, "There's been no word of an escape."
"Which means he's either very clever or very careless," finished Batman, "We'll find out after tonight when we check on him."
"I don't get how this stuff is a drug though," said Tim.
"The compound is similar but with one big difference," explained Batman, "It's incredibly addictive, playing off the increased adrenaline levels in the user. When you take it, you get hooked on the rush it gives you. You're literally addicted to being terrified."
"That kind of adrenaline surge has to put a strain on your heart," added Robin.
"I checked with Gordon," said Batman, "The bank-robber that Batgirl . . . encountered was confirmed as an addict. He died of heart failure and the police found traces of the drug in his system."
"Did you let Cass know?" asked Robin. Batman nodded. Tim nodded back and absently stared out of the window. Cass had been really shaken by what had happened. He remembered how she had found him and had wordlessly enveloped him in the tightest hug she could muster. He knew how hard Cass took death. She had seen it so many times and yet each time it still shook her up terribly. Tim didn't want to give her another reason to almost cry. Both of them had already cried enough in their lifetime.
"Don't get distracted," warned Batman. He knew what was going on and he knew that the relationship between Tim and Cass had begun developing long before she had returned to Gotham from exile, even long before she had gone rogue. He was the world's greatest detective after all. He noticed these things. Bruce had let it go on because he thought that Cass could help Tim deal with the loss of his father and Stephanie. Plus, he wanted to see Tim develop on his own. Bruce Wayne learned from his mistakes. He wasn't going to constantly perch over Tim's shoulder. However, when Cass disappeared, Bruce had other concerns. When he had heard Tim's report on his case, he had trouble maintaining his composure. Being a father was never easy.
"My focus was fine when I was with Stephanie," reminded Robin, "I didn't get distracted then. I'm a professional."
"Maybe you should start wearing this suit then," suggested Batman with a smirk as the Batmobile pulled through the main gates of Arkham Asylum.
"Don't bet on it," replied Robin.
XXXXX
Visiting Arkham always put Tim on edge. He could never quite find the reason for it but he always felt nervous when he stepped into the building. The house had that effect on people. The insanity was palpable in this place. It was like madness was inside the walls and it was oozing out of every crack and crevice.
"Commissioner Gordon said you'd be coming," said Jeremiah Arkham as he greeted Batman in the main lobby, "We've prepared a room for you to see him in if you would prefer that instead of his cell."
"That will be fine," stated Batman, "You're sure he hasn't had any contact with the outside. No contraband going out? No unusual visitations?"
"None that we can see," assured Arkham as he escorted the Dynamic Duo down the halls of the asylum and into a sparse, cell-like room that looked more at home in a police precinct than in an asylum.
"Good cop, bad cop?" asked Robin as he looked to his mentor.
"He won't buy it," responded Batman, "I suspect he'll do most of the talking. Our job is to decipher it into anything meaningful." The door opened and two orderlies helped wheel in the upright gurney to which Scarecrow was strapped. Robin studied him. Jonathan Crane wasn't exactly very awe-inspiring when he was out of costume. His gangly body made him look laughable and his disheveled crop of red hair along with his somewhat youthful features gave him the look of what Tim had always pictured when he thought of Ichabod Crane. However, Tim had seen this beanstalk of a man reduce grown men with nerves of steel into simpering, crying puddles of human jelly. The Scarecrow was a dangerous foe and no one would argue otherwise.
"I hear you've been wanting a word with me," said Crane, "I should feel honored to assist the illustrious Dark Knight."
"This new drug has your signature all over it, Crane," said Batman, getting straight to the point and ignoring Crane's snide tone.
"Yes, I read something about it in the papers this morning," assured Crane, "Four deaths, wasn't it?"
"Five," corrected Batman, "There was one last night."
"Tragic," said Crane although it was almost devoid of any real emotion, "This was the exact thing I was hoping to avoid."
"So you're running the show then?" cut in Robin.
"Did I say that?" asked Scarecrow, "Sure, I created my beautiful Delirium but that doesn't mean I'm the one peddling it."
"It's called 'Deuce'," said Batman.
"It's called 'Delirium'," snapped Crane, "It's enough of a crime that whoever is selling it stole it from me. Now they have the gall to rename it as well. There really is no justice in this world, is there?"
"Pardon my lack of sympathy," said Batman, "I've spoken to the DA's office, Crane. They're willing to cut some time off of your stay if you cooperate with us."
"And how would I cooperate with you?" asked Crane with a grin.
"Who's selling your poison?" asked Batman, "And how can we treat it?" Scarecrow grinned. When he had first heard that someone was using his drug to make a profit, he figured that Batman and the police would quickly suspect him. In fact, he had been counting on it. He was holding some very important cards and he intended to get as much as he could from it.
"I did have time to create a chemical that should snuff out the addiction," admitted Scarecrow, "As to who's behind this, I'm sure I could do some profile work. However, these are raised stakes and I'm afraid that a commuted sentence just isn't going to match my wager."
"What do you want?" asked Batman.
"Out," replied Scarecrow simply, "I want out of here. In exchange, I'll give you the treatment and I'll do the profile work to help you catch the person that's using my scheme."
"You sure you didn't swallow your own poison?" asked Robin sarcastically, "You're completely delirious."
"I'm not making that kind of deal," assured Batman with a nod to his apprentice, "You either play by our rules or you continue rotting here."
"Makes no difference to me," replied Crane, "I continue rotting here and the citizens of Gotham continue dropping like flies to Delirium. You know this drug is like wildfire, Batman. Even if you shut down the ring, it will take months for chemists to develop the chemical to cure the addiction."
"The DA won't do it," stated Batman.
"Then you'll get nothing from me," assured Scarecrow, "I'm not showing you my cards until you've matched my wager. Let the good people of Gotham rot just like me. Sure someone may get all the money but I'm the one getting the publicity. My name's on the drug, Batman. Do you know what kind of respect and fear I can command when Gotham realizes it's my drug that's killing its people? You can't buy that kind of intimidation, nor can you buy that kind of pleasure."
"You're disgusting," stated Batman as he got in Crane's face, "I'll just have to do things the old-fashioned way then." The Dark Knight cracked his knuckles and gave Scarecrow an imposing look.
"We both know you won't do that," assured Scarecrow, "You're wasting your time here, Batman. People are suffering while you sit here and try to scare me with your cheap theatrics. I either walk out of here a free man or we have no deal at all."
"Have it your way then," said Batman as he turned to leave, "You're right. I am wasting my time with you." Scarecrow let a cruel grin spread across his lips. It was a lose-lose situation for Batman and Gotham. They either let him go or they became handicapped without his help. He noticed that Robin was lingering.
"When did you turn into the Riddler?" asked Robin, "I ask because I'm guessing that those gambling references were intentional."
"Perhaps there's hope for young people after all," smirked Scarecrow, "Run along, little bird. Run along or I'll teach you why birds are afraid of scarecrows like me." Robin took that to mean he had figured out Scarecrow's game. Satisfied, Tim left to catch up with Batman.
"He was dropping us clues," said Batman before Robin could ask if he caught the references too, "Whoever's running this drug ring is probably doing it out of a casino. Crane already knows who the mastermind is."
"Any ideas?" asked Robin.
"A few," replied Batman as they left Arkham and got back into the Batmobile, "It could be any number of mob bosses. Maybe the Penguin decided to finally make a big play."
"You're not betting on it though," said Robin as he buckled up.
"Until we get some hard evidence, my theories are just theories," replied Batman as he started the car, "Huntress would've informed us if it had anything to do with the mobs though. So yes, I'm leaning towards someone else."
XXXXX
She had shaken down two dealers before Oracle had called her. Apparently, she was needed for a meeting. Batman had set up a conference so that they could compare notes and see what their next move would be in handling this drug case. Batgirl wasn't a big fan of meetings. She didn't want to stand around and talk when she could be out on the streets. However, Batman was the boss so she was going by his rules.
"Hey," said Cass as she made her way into the Batcave and saw Robin sitting at the computer. She smiled under her mask as she noticed he was playing some game on the internet instead of doing whatever it was Bruce probably told him to do.
"Sorry, couldn't resist," admitted Robin sheepishly as he closed the game and went back to what he was working on, "I needed the break."
"Everyone does," replied Cass, "We're going nowhere."
"Yeah," agreed Robin, "Batman said he had an idea on who might be running this operation but we need evidence. There's only one way we're going to get that."
"Someone has to go in," finished Cass, "Is that what you think he'll say?"
"Yeah," replied Tim, "It's the best course of action we can take. If we can get someone on the inside then they can help gather some evidence and maybe even find out who's behind this thing."
"Patch us through to Oracle," ordered Batman as he came over to where Robin and Batgirl were, "I want us all in on this." Robin nodded and set up the video feed on the computer so that it linked with Oracle's.
"Always nice to see you guys," said Oracle as she nodded to Robin and Batgirl, "Not so much you, Batman."
"Har har," replied Batman in perfect deadpan, "What's the word on the mob angle?"
"It's a bust," spoke up Huntress from behind Oracle, "None of the families are getting anywhere near this stuff. It's too dangerous for their business." Batman nodded, confirming the theory he had already formed. Someone was making a big play for control of Gotham.
"Oracle, what did your research turn up?" asked Batman.
"Your casino hunch might be on the money," admitted Oracle, "A new casino opened a couple months ago. Funny thing is that it was funded with Penguin's money but nobody really knows who runs the place."
"Sounds like a winner," said Robin, "He's probably using it as a front for this drug ring."
"Not Penguin," said Batman, "It might be his money but this drug seems too unstable a business for Penguin's taste. Someone else is running the show and I want proof as well as a name. Someone's going to have to go undercover and get it." Batgirl looked around as everyone fell silent for a few seconds. Batman wouldn't go, neither would Oracle. Robin would look somewhat out of place in a casino.
"I'll do it," said Batgirl suddenly. Robin and Oracle looked at her. She figured that was coming but really she was the best possible candidate. She had no history, no public records, nothing. Even if she got caught, they couldn't connect her to anything let alone the secret identity of someone else in the family.
"Give me a reason I should trust you," said Batman.
"I'm a ghost," explained Batgirl, "No past, no records, nothing. If I get caught then they can't find you guys."
"It's incredibly dangerous," put in Robin, "We have no clue who's pulling the strings here." Batgirl rolled her eyes under her mask. Was there any point in her life where she wasn't in danger? She loved it that Tim wanted to protect her but she wasn't the type of girl that needed it.
"She has a point," relented Oracle, "She doesn't have to be in there long. All we needed is something to prove that they're dealing Deuce out of the place and then we can go to the cops."
"Robin," said Batman, beginning to give out the orders to his soldiers, "I want you and Huntress to stakeout this casino while Batgirl goes undercover and gets some evidence."
"Bruce, I don't think this is a good plan," spoke up Robin. Cass rolled her eyes again. They were definitely going to have to have a talk about this. Either that or she was just going to punch him in the mouth and let that do her talking for her. She much preferred physical action over words anyway.
"You can voice your opinions later," said Batman, "I'm taking you and Batgirl over to Oracle's warehouse to get ready. I want this operation to go down tonight." Batgirl nodded. She had only been to Oracle's new place once since she had came back to Gotham. Even though the clock tower had been rebuilt, the location had already been compromised. That was part of the whole reason why Barbara moved out of Gotham in the first place. Since she had returned, Batman had set her up in an old Wayne Enterprises warehouse that was gathering dust. Oracle had organized it into not only an information hub but also a training facility for Huntress, Black Canary, and whoever else might need to use it.
"What color dress do you want?" asked Oracle.
"Black," replied Batgirl.
"Figured you'd say that," said Oracle, "We'll see what we've got." With that, Oracle turned off the video link. Cass wasted no time and moved over to where the vehicles were located.
"I'm not doing this, Bruce," said Robin as he looked sternly at Batman, "You know that she'll be putting herself in a ton of danger."
"This isn't about my feelings towards her," assured Batman, "She volunteered and she had good reasons for it. Deal with it."
"She could get killed in there," stated Robin, "You have no clue what you're sending her in there against. You're throwing her to the wolves."
"You and Helena can back her up if there's trouble," reminded Batman, "What's the real problem, Tim?" Robin looked at his mentor and gritted his teeth. He had been slightly floored when Batgirl had volunteered for this mission. He knew why she had done it. She had something to prove and Batman was too eager to see what she would do to prove it.
"This is a gut-check," stated Robin furiously, "This isn't about her being the best possible candidate. This is about you throwing her into the fire to see if she'll come back to us or leave again. You just want to see whether or not she's still on our side."
"And what if she does leave?" asked Batman calmly, "What if something does happen to her, Tim? Isn't that what the real problem is?" Bruce knew what was happening because he would feel the same way if he had been in Tim's shoes. Tim finally had someone to be close with again. It was natural for him to be scared of history repeating itself.
"I know where you are, Tim," explained Batman, "She's the only person in the world that you have left. I know that place. I know it very, very well. I warned you before though, don't let this distract you. Yes, she could die or leave again. Those are risks. We take them every day. She volunteered. Trust her enough to come back in one piece."
"You're right," said Robin, "I'm sorry. I lost it for a second."
"I know," said Batman quietly as he put a hand on Tim's shoulder, "Trust me, I know." He walked with Robin over to where Batgirl was standing. Batman hit a button on his belt to open the door on the Batmobile and the got in. Batgirl hit Robin in the back of the head before getting in. Robin rubbed the back of his head and took that as a sign that Cass wasn't very happy with him.
XXXXX
Cass had never been to a casino before. She wasn't a huge fan of gambling. The closest to it she ever got was when she sometimes watched her father and some of his friends play poker. Usually, she would watch for a few minutes before her father would put her in bed. Playing poker without words was too hard for his friends. Oracle had given her a quick crash course in blackjack and a couple other simple games. She was wearing a microscopic radio transmitter in her ear. If she needed any help, Robin and Huntress would back her up.
"Fancy," muttered Cass as she tried to mingle as best she could. She was somewhat out of her element here. If it wasn't for the fact that she was picking up nonverbal cues from everyone in the room, she might've looked very out of place. Everything looked normal though. She knew this wasn't going to be easy. It wasn't as if the dealers had posters or signs that advertised their business.
"He's bluffing," whispered Cass as she moved past one of the poker tables. The man she had moved behind arched his eyebrow and shot a look back to her but she was already moving past him. She could tell his opponent was bluffing. He drummed his fingers on the table too much. It was a clear sign that he was nervous.
"You probably need to play something," said Huntress into her ear, "Anything look out of the ordinary?"
"No," whispered Cass into the microphone that was inside the necklace she was wearing. She wasn't a huge fan of wearing jewelry. She didn't really see the point in it. However, the straps on the dress were too thin to actually conceal a microphone somewhere there even one as tiny as this one was. Cass looked around.
"Five card?" asked Cass as she saw an empty seat at a table, "That's right isn't it?"
"If they're holding five cards then sure," replied Huntress, "Oracle told you about that one, right?"
"Yeah," whispered Cass, "Can't always keep things straight, what beats what."
"Just bluff your way through," advised Huntress, "That's undercover work." Cass shrugged a little and took a seat at the table.
XXXXX
"I still say I looked better in that suit," said Huntress as she studied the casino through her binoculars. Cass had just sat down at the table. It was going to be a long night unless she could find something.
"I'm not exactly the most impartial person on the matter," replied Robin as he took the binoculars from his partner and looked at what his girlfriend was doing, "You had to give her that dress didn't you?"
"I happen to like that dress," said Huntress.
"The cut on it is too low," stated Robin.
"You'd rather she dress like a nun and draw more suspicion?" asked Huntress with a snort. Robin shook his head, conceding that Helena had a point. He was on a serious edge about this whole operation but he couldn't exactly pinpoint why. Logically, he should be okay with this by now. He knew Cass could handle herself. He knew that she wouldn't leave them again. Yet somewhere in the back of his mind he couldn't shake the nagging voice that this was going to be a complete disaster and something bad was going to happen to her. He figured he was just being neurotic. Their relationship was in its infancy at this point and he was still unsure about its permanency.
"So you and her are dating now?" asked Huntress as she watched Robin scrutinize every inch of the casino.
"As much as one can be in this line of work," replied Robin without looking at her, "Am I going to get a speech from you too?"
"You're not wrong to worry about her," said Huntress, "She has something to prove and she's eager to do it. I know what that can lead to if you're not careful." Robin looked at Huntress and saw a small smile dance across her face.
"Thanks," said Robin, "I expected to hear a big speech from you about how I shouldn't be with her at all."
"I believe in redemption," replied Huntress simply, "The only warning I'm going to give you is to let her look out for you when you need it. You guys can be a real pain in the ass to date."
"Gee, thanks," said Robin sarcastically as he returned his attention to the job at hand.
"Hey, just telling the truth," said Huntress with a shrug.
"There's no way you looked better in that costume than she does," said Robin after a moment of silence.
"Shut up, love bird, and pay attention to what's going on," retorted Huntress with a smirk.
XXXXX
Cass was starting to wonder why she hadn't done this before. She was already up five grand, which was more than she was ever going to get from Bruce on her monthly allowance. This was assuming, of course, that he was still willing to dole that out to her. It wasn't like she needed the money now. Being the former head of a worldwide terrorist network did come with perks. She still had access to all the bank accounts in case she needed money. Of course with the way she was calling everyone's bluffs, she wasn't going to lose a hand tonight.
"You need to keep moving," said Tim into her earpiece, "You're not going to find anything if you stay at that table." Cass didn't give any physical sign that she had heard what he said. She studied the man across from her. He was pretty good for someone who couldn't read body language like she could. She checked her hand. It was decent but not good enough. She figured it was time to cut her nonexistent losses and fold. She could almost feel the rush of wind as the rest of the table breathed a collective sigh of relief when she did so. Cass stuffed the chips into the purse that Oracle had loaned her. It had a small digital camera inside that she was going to use for photographing evidence. It also had some recording equipment in case she needed to bug something.
"How much was that?" asked Robin as Cass finished putting the chips away.
"Five grand," whispered Cass, "Something like that."
"I'm never playing poker with you," declared Tim.
"Not even strip?" whispered Cass teasingly as she made her way to the bathroom. She looked around while pretending to check her makeup in the mirror. She couldn't see any cameras but one could never be sure.
"Nice try," replied Tim with a smirk she couldn't see but knew was probably there, "Have you seen a back room or something like that?"
"No," mumbled Cass, "Maybe basement." Her ears perked up as something caught their attention. It sounded like a scream. Cass trained her ears to see if she could pick it up again. She heard it again. It was coming from below. She had to find some way to get down there.
There was a clink of metal that was drowned out by the scream. Something silver flipped through the air and landed in the palm of a man's hand. The man stared at the coin as if it held some secret of the universe that only he could understand. For Two-Face, the case was too true. He had found a mole in his organization. It was someone from the GCPD, probably one of the Vice Squad guys. It didn't matter. The coin had told Two-Face to give the man a shot of Deuce. Two-Face had gladly obliged. He had caught the officer a couple days ago. This was the third shot of Deuce he had given the man. The man was lucky; the coin had come up good heads. If it was bad heads, Two-Face would've just let the man suffer withdrawal symptoms for another few hours. However, now the man was making too much noise.
"You're going to have to be quiet," said Two-Face casually as he stared at the man who was strapped to an upright gurney to make sure he didn't get out of control, "Business is booming and I can't let anything upset that." The man screamed again. Two-Face sighed. Harvey was getting nervous. The spineless twit had started developing a backbone as far as Two-Face was concerned but Harvey was still gun-shy when it came to taking huge risks.
"Harvey says it would be good to just put you out of your misery," said Two-Face to the man, "I wouldn't mind watching you suffer for a couple more days. It looks like we have ourselves a problem. I'm sure you can guess how we solve problems." Two-Face put his coin on top of his thumb. It was an almost unconscious action by now. The terms were already being laid down. Good heads meant Two-Face would put the man out of his misery. Bad heads meant that the man would suffer until Two-Face decided to flip again. Two-Face flipped the coin, his eyes never leaving the man. The cop was a wreck, his eyes bloodshot and bulging while his mouth was covered with spittle. He was gibbering and moaning as he saw whatever visions his twisted brain could devise. Two-Face felt the coin hit his palm and he stared at it. It was the cop's lucky day. Good heads for the second time in a row.
"Have it your way then, Harv," said Two-Face as he pulled out his gun and leveled it at the man's head, "Don't say I didn't warn ya though."