It had been a couple of weeks now since he and Cheetah first reunited and it didn't feel anywhere close to an ideal situation. Gotham still needed a Batman, and he went out every night on patrol. Sometimes he was with Cheetah, other times without. Under Alfred's subtle watch she was allowed to do some research about her previous gene-splicing experiments. It was a decision that she finalized after his initial reluctance. She wanted to be human again for him.

The idea of seeing Barbara in her human self had distracted him for a week that someone would change so much so quickly for him. He was distracted and as a result he got sloppy, more so then his usual. Even worse he was now strung up above a roaming group of thugs who wore dual sided masks. It appeared that Two-Face had started his own push for Gotham. How curious, first the gang of Joker worshippers, the Mr. Freeze and Icicle team up and now Two-Face. It all didn't make sense, there had to be a connection somewhere among the stars that still blinked in front of him from the blow.

Then he noticed the guns they were carrying. They were prototype semi-automatic pistols that were on level with LexCorp's finest. Of course, Lex Luthor. This was his style. No doubt he escaped with a few well placed bribes and out of retaliation for bringing the League on the Gang's head sent money to his own rogue's gallery to try and cause as much havoc as possible.

But Batman wasn't alone this particular night.

Cheetah had taken a break from her own research and sprung down. Her claw raked along the bindings about his form and he went into a roll as he fell. He quickly sprung at a pair of men, taking them down with a kick square across the throat each. He threw batarangs during each spin, grazing along a few of the group, but nothing too harmful. Cheetah was letting her animal side loose tonight. Her claws raked along the legs and backs of the group and added in her own feline pounces to keep herself mobile.

Once again Batman found himself distracted watching her lithe and powerful form twist and turn. He leaned back, avoiding a crowbar aimed at his head before he punched at his forearm and then sending the heel of his hand hard against his jaw. The thug was on the ground before he even realized what happened to him. Then he heard a low crack in the air and a loud feline scream that quickly followed.

Cheetah was on the ground. Her hand holding her side, blood stained the streets. The bullets didn't puncture normally like he thought they flayed flesh instead. His eyes narrowed and his mind went blank, fueled by something he usually had control of; rage. He charged forward, a shot grazed his shoulder but it didn't impair him. He punched him hard in the stomach, sending the man off his feet for a moment before he followed through with an uppercut that sundered the mask and sent him on the ground. His arm went up without thinking, grabbing the arm of an attempted blow. He stepped in, twisted and with a powerful palm strike broke it clean in two. He loved how the man howled fueling him more.

The others seemed reluctant now. They outnumbered him five to one but after they saw the brutal retaliation on their comrade they seemed almost scared. Batman didn't give them the chance to run. He threw two batarangs on the pair furthest outside before he brought his grapple around. He used the same maneuver as he did on Icicle junior and it got him in the stomach. His knee crashed hard into his face. He landed on top of the crook and used a forearm and leg to block a pair of blows. He bobbed, weaved and blocked when he could as the pair before him showed some melee skill, mostly in street boxing.

He stepped into the reach of one, cracking his knuckles along the man's septum before his elbow shot out, catching the other on the side of the head. The second thug went down hard, but the other managed to stay upright. He brought his arms up. Batman slapped them aside and slammed his head into the mask of the other, breaking a portion off. The man swung out, but he caught the arm and used his own elbow to break his. The man cried out and Batman jabbed his fingers against his throat, turning it into a wet gurgle. He'd live, but he doubted that he could never talk or move that arm properly anytime soon.

He moved beside Cheetah now who gripped the wound with both hands. She squirmed and her face was stuck in a permanent fixture of pain. He gripped her wrists and she bit into his neck hard. He was thankful his armor held from that particular puncture. He scowled and he used a forearm to pin her to the ground.

"Barbara," he growled, "it's me calm down."

She got some registration then and her eyes took a less intense glare. "…Y-You got them didn't you?"

Batman looked over his shoulder at the group of thugs he brutally attacked, even for him. "I got them, move your hands."

She did painfully he noted, her arms were shaking. The wound was bad, it seemed Two-Face, with Luthor's help, outfitted his men with Jacketed Soft Point. It was an outdated ammo type, but against unarmored targets it ruined the flesh it struck and it was proven to have better stopping power then a Jacketed Hollow Point, but the theories varied from test to test. It didn't quite matter now though as he looked at the mess of fur and flesh on her side. Her breathing was labored.

He tore off a portion of his cape and rolled it up to set it under her head. He couldn't move her for it would mar her flesh too much. He couldn't take her to the hospital for her reputation had been less then stellar both professionally and now overall with her membership to the Gang. He had to work on her here and now.

"Alfred, come to my coordinates. Cheetah is hurt, bring your med-kit."

He didn't even let him respond as he brought out tweezers and set his miniature laser as low as he could. He looked at her and her tired eyes stared at him.

"This is going to hurt." He warned.

She nodded and gripped his shoulder. He used the tweezers and plucked what he could of the bullet fragmentation. Each removed piece of metal caused a wave of agony to go down his left arm with her powerful grip. The smell of blood got stronger as he removed the last of what he could see. He carefully used the laser and sealed the wounds. The larger portion of her flesh and destroyed fur he couldn't do much for. He kept pressure on the wound though.

"I should have paid more attention," he murmured, "my fault. I-I'm sorry, Barb-"

"Bruce, shhh…" she soothed. "I feel better already."

Alfred's car screeched to a halt behind him and he set to work immediately. More then once he remembered Alfred looking his own beaten and bloody body after a rough night on patrol. Is this what he felt like? Did he feel scared? Near hopeless? Alfred set to work again and Cheetah's claw dug into his shoulder. Alfred gave him a look he knew all too well.

"We need to move her, Master Bruce," he said to him quietly, "I can't seal it properly in the street."

He nodded after a moment, petting her cheek. He then scooped her up in his arms with his cape still under her head. He eased her carefully into the backseat. "I'll follow along soon. Keep her safe, Alfred."

"Master Bruce, a spare cape and cowl in the trunk sir."

"Thank you, Alfred."

He turned and called the Batwing as Alfred sped off. He knew what he had to do, and now he knew who was distributing the weapons. LexCorp may have been the supplier yes, but to distribute such weapons and contraband without anyone noticing? What better way then to do it in a building you own and have your own security?

He debated how well penguins could fly.

He crashed through the office window of Oswald Cobblepot and with his own muscle memory turned and weaved aside from a blow from his bodyguard and took him down with a snap kick to his knee and a palm that crunched against his face. The Penguin hadn't changed much over his years. He still wore a tuxedo and his balding dark hair brought attention to his long nose and those beady eyes. He stammered for a moment stumbling to grab his umbrella which he stopped with a swift batarang that lodged it to the wall.

"Bat-Batman? What are you doing here? This is a breaking and entering! I am-"

His fist cracked along his jaw, sending him to the ground. He picked him up and slammed him against the wall.

"I'm not going to toy with you this time, Cobblepot. I am not in the mood. Where do you get your weapons from LexCorp?"

"LexCorp? Why would I even deal with that ba-"

He punched him hard in the stomach, making Cobblepot cough and drool down his own chin.

"I won't ask again," he snarled, "where do you get the weapons? Answer me or I'm going to test the theory if penguins really can fly."

"Wah, ahaha… You wouldn't, you can't. You're a s-superhero, you don't kill."

He carried him over to the broken in window and held him by his ankle as he held him over the bustling street of the main street of Gotham.

"My arm is getting tired," he warned with a growl, "tell me."

"L-Like hell I am! This is assault! Attempted murder!"

He let his hand go and he couldn't help but smile as he watched Oswald sail close to the ground. He shot his grapple and turned his wrist so it wrapped around the large mass of the Penguin. He tugged up and the grapple worked hard to bring him back. He threw him back into the room onto his back. Penguin's face was white as snow like he stared death in the face.

"T-The docks" he sputtered out, "w-we get it from the freighter called The Bloody Rodent."

Lex had a sense of humor it seemed. He kneeled down and stared down with the white lenses of his cowl. "Keep in mind for next time when I ask you something, you answer immediately. I won't be so generous next time."

He stood up and dropped a smoke bomb to the ground. By the time Oswald scrambled to his feet and unstuck his umbrella around with its hidden machine gun The Batman was nowhere in sight.

"How is she?"

He returned to the Cave in short order after, and already he had the Bat-puter start to cycle through when the Rodent would make a return to Gotham. His cowl was down, revealing his haggard, tired features to Alfred who only quirked a brow to him.

"Master Bruce," he commented, "you look like you've been through another fight."

He gave a nod. He vented out his further frustration by taking down a drug smuggling ring on the way in. He put three of the five into the hospital, no doubt with a broken limb each. The other two were frozen in his cryogenic bombs.

"I needed some…information," he simply stated, "how is she Alfred?"

"I'm…Nnh, fine."

"Ms. Barbara, you shouldn't be up!"

Her arm was around her stomach, clutching the bloodied bandages. Bruce quickly moved to support her as she stumbled. He eased her onto the table and he felt a blush go along his cheeks remembering the last time they were both near this table. She had a small smile of her own on her lips, albeit tired.

"Mind making us something to eat, Alfred?" He asked. "Barbara and I need to talk."

"I-" Alfred sighed. "Of course, Master Bruce. Soup and sandwiches?"

"Please."

He waited until Alfred was well up the stairs before he leaned down, kissing her softly. "…I was worried."

She laughed weakly as she kissed him back. Her other arm slowly went around his neck. "Me too, you were gone when I woke up."

He kissed her again along her jaw and neck tenderly. "I found who gave them the weapons, and who's distributing them."

"Good," she growled weakly to him, "let's get them."

She stood up, or tired to, but his arm rested on her shoulder. "I got the information already. We'll wait until you're better."

"For?"

He sat on the table next to her as he kissed at her neck again, the low purr that escaped her made him smile. "Stopping this madness."

She leaned into him and soon was purring louder. His arm curled around her gently. He felt like they were sitting there for awhile. He listened to her breathing. She sounded healthy and he kissed the top of her head as Alfred arrived. "Wake up, love." He whispered.

She nuzzled into his neck and sat up a bit. "You called me love?"

He blinked, realizing what he said and he finally nodded. "That's what you are isn't it?"

She smiled at him softly. "Madness indeed."