Chapter 29: Second Chances
Edit: I re-edited the previous chapter to correct Harley's pregnancy month to three after this was pointed out by a reader. I apologize for the constant edits lately however if my readers have an issue with a chapter or there are mistakes that need to be corrected I will do so. I want my readers to be happy with my work and I want it to be presented to the best of my abilities. In this chapter, Harley is now six months pregnant(as I had put her in the last chapter) due to this chapter taking place two months later.
It's been two months since the battle in the Batcave with the Justice League. Everyone had been rescued from the cave-in and miraculously, no one had been killed. However, a lot of the heroes had been severely injured and would be out of the crime-fighting business for awhile to heal, Harley and Batman included. It didn't take long for the criminals to discover the lack of superheroes on the scene, causing a skyrocket in crime. The few remaining heroes who hadn't been injured during the battle, or had avoided that conflict altogether, were working overtime to try and combat the increase in criminal activities. These superheroes had to expand their territory to not just their home city but a lot of the surrounding ones as well. Still, it wasn't enough and crime wasn't going down.
One of the major cities in the U.S. That was hit with the rise in crime was Gotham. When many nights had passed and no one had seen the Caped Crusader patrolling the streets, Gotham's underworld was quick to take the opportunity in his absence. Superman, guilt-ridden at having disabled Bruce for the time being, came to Gotham as much as he could to try to combat the criminals. While the Man of Steel helped greatly, he was still just one man. He had not only Metropolis to worry about, but also the rest of world, due to the lack of abled heroes.
That was when Superman, with the backing of Wayne Industries, proposed the Second Chances Act, to the United States government. The Act proposed giving certain super-villains a second chance in a type of probationary agreement. The super-villain must first be approved for the program by the particular hero who has had the most contact with, then approved by that state to release the criminal into the hero's care. The hero is then responsible for any actions the villain takes while under his/her guardianship. The program lasts for a year, then upon the end of the year, the state reviews the villain's case to see if the subject is ready to be re-introduced into society, with the approval of the guardian hero of course.
Due to the unprecedented rise in crime, the act was passed quickly and over two dozen villains were already put into the program. Some heroes were in charge of two or more villains at a time, due to the crime issue. Batman was one such hero. Not only was Harley technically under his watch(even though the Second Chances Act was passed way after Harley had come under Batman's care), now he had four more super-villains under his watch. After Harley had plead her case to Bruce, asking him to give them the same chance he had given her, he reluctantly agreed. He ask the government to turn over Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, and Riddler to his care. While the government wasn't so keen to release four villains, let alone to a wounded Batman, they agreed nonetheless.
Since the Batcave was destroyed beyond repair, Batman decided to make the Gotham lighthouse at the edge of the city the villains housing. Bruce had many backup bases stationed not only in Gotham but across the globe, and the Gotham lighthouse was one of them. Once he was fully recovered, Batman would make it his new base of operations, since the Batcave was far too damaged and unstable to try and fix.
So Batman and Harley took the two months to recuperate from their wounds, all the while training the four, just as Harley was trained under Batman. After The Dark Knight was satisfied that not only could they handle themselves physically on the field but could keep their emotions in check, he briefed them on their first mission.
Once Batman was no longer in the picture it didn't take long for some of the big bosses of Gotham's criminal underworld to up their game. Black Mask was one such individual. He had made a land grab, taking the Gotham Docks under his control. Having the docks made his new lucrative business venture all the more easier, which was sneaking kidnapped women from foreign countries into the states, then selling them off into the sex slave industry. At 8 p.m. That night, Black Mask was expecting his first shipment of his sex slave women at the docks. It was Croc's, Ivy's, Crane's, and Nigma's job to put a stop to it and bring Black Mask in. However, Batman made sure to inform them that their top priority was to save the women, Black Mask came second.
"Are they in position yet Harley?" Bruce asked from the bed, as Alfred tended to him. Harley was on the other side of the room, staring intently at the computer monitor.
"Yes they are."Harley answered, "We've hacked into the Gotham Docks security cameras. It seems Black Mask has a lot of manpower to protect his new "business"."
"They can handle it."Bruce stated simply, "As long as they don't kill anyone."
Harley could see through the video feed that a ship was about to pull into the harbor, with Black Mask himself, along with his bodyguard goons, to greet it. The ship's giant crane slowly started unloading steel cargo boxes onto the dock, the women more than likely inside gripped in fear. She watched as Black Mask opened one of the cargo boxes, pulling out a fairly young girl and inspecting her like a piece of meat. Satisfied that she met his expectations, he shoved her away into the hands of one of flunky's who started dragging the girl away. With a quick order into her headset, Harley informed the four that the time was now.
Black Mask's hired thug drug the screaming girl by her hair, away from the dock and towards one of the many black Suvs parked nearby, soon to be filled by over a dozen women. The man wasn't even paying attention to his surroundings, trying to drown out the girl's annoying cries and hurrying to get rid of the pest and toss her in the van. He didn't even notice as he passed a man clad in a green tux and bowler hat, leaning against one of the many rusted steel cargo containers placed about the dock. Suddenly, Riddler's question mark cane wrapped around the goon's neck, pulling him roughly towards him. The man didn't even have time to register what was happening before the Riddler pushed him against the steel container, grabbing his head and slamming it hard against the metal. The thug was out cold just like that, his body sliding to the ground.
Meanwhile two of Black Mask's men patrolled the docks at the water's edge. Since Batman was no longer around, they weren't particularly paying attention, too busy bitching to one another about their nagging wives. So distracted were they that they didn't even notice the strange waves in the water below coming towards them, as if a fish was swimming underneath, only bigger. The two goons were caught off-guard, with no time to react as Killer Croc jumped out of waters below, knocking away their machine guns they carried and grabbing both of them by the throats. The pair couldn't even scream as they were drug back into the cold waters of the river with Croc, only small waves remaining where they once were.
All of Black Mask's men that were patrolling the area had been taken care, all the while the four remaining undetected. Batman had taught them the art of stealth well. However, at this point in the mission stealth would no longer be an option. Black Mask, along with the majority of his men and the women captives, were clustered together near the Gotham harbor, where the ship had just finished unloading it's precious human cargo. A quick course of action would need to be taken in order to make sure the women were not caught in the crossfire and Black Mask and his crew would be taken out as quick as possible.
Huge vines slowly crept up from below the wooden planks of the docks, curling around the only open steel container that had Black Mask's captives inside. The vines slithered, as if they were alive and were actually snakes instead , across the open doors of the lid, waiting for the right moment. More vines snaked their way underneath the planks, just below the three women who had been taken out of the steel cargo holder for Black Mask's visual inspection. It was at that moment one of his men spotted the forming vines on the steel container.
"Hey boss it looks like some kind of weed is crawling over that container there." The goon stated, pointing to the vines.
"What the hell are you talking ab-"Black Mask had replied, but cut himself off as he too, saw the vines.
That was when small red pellets rolled across the docks underneath the men's feet, exploding and releasing red gas that encased Black Mask and his men. Vines quickly snagged the three girls outside of the container, throwing them back in(as gently and as quickly as they could)and closed the doors behind them, blocking the red gas from harming the women.
Screams filled the Gotham Docks as Black Mask's men dropped their weapons and fell to the ground, batting at their bodies and crying as if they were three years old again, afraid of the monster under their bed. Unseen terrors and phobias invaded their minds, rendering them useless to their mobster boss. Before the gas had gotten into his lungs, Black Mask had held his breath and covered his nose,and made a mad dash out of the deadly gas cloud and towards freedom. As he exited the red cloud, he was instantly struck across the side of his head by a vine, causing him to be flung to the right and slam into a nearby container.
Roman Sionis groaned, clutching his head as he looked up and was greeted with four individuals. Killer Croc, Riddler, Scarecrow, and Poison Ivy stared down at him, most with a satisfied smirk on their face at having tossed around the mobster and his hired thugs. Roman had guessed that the vines had belonged to Ivy and the gas was Crane's fear toxin. He had no idea why the group was cutting in on his turf and ruining his business. Perhaps they were wanting to take over and make the small fortune he himself was about to make.
"What the hell do you freaks want?" Black Mask growled, but made no move to get back up on his feet. He wasn't stupid. He knew he had no chance of taking on all four of them, "You wanting in on this sweet sweet sex slave industry as well?"
"We're not interested in your dull and barbaric business plans." Edward said, sneering at the mobster.
"We are only interested in freeing those poor girls and taking your ass to jail honey." Poison Ivy answered, flicking her red hair to side in a way that made the mere act of addressing Black Mask boring and beneath her. The gesture did not pass by Sionis unnoticed, he could feel himself about to lose it.
"What!? You gotta be kidding me!?" Black Mask screamed, astonished. He had heard of the Second Chances Act, but he could never even think about any of the Arkham inmates entering the program and trying to turn over a new leaf, much less these four, "You wackos are going soft now? It was odd enough when that Quinn bitch became Batman's sidekick but now you guys are turning green?"
No one answered Sionis, instead Ivy landed another hard smack across the side of his head, knocking him out cold. Black Mask slumped down along the wall. Croc picked up the unconscious man with one hand, slinging him onto his shoulder.
"Such language is uncalled for." Scarecrow said, shaking his head in disappointment.
"No one talks about my friend that way. Especially a creep such as Roman." Ivy spat, disgust written across her face.
Riddler put his hand to his left ear, activating the comm device that was place inside of it, "Hey Quinn. We got Black Mask and the women are a-okay. Naturally, with me in the group."
Harley tried to suppress her groan at Edward's narcissism, something he still needed to work on, "Good job guys! The Gotham PD is on their way now. You better skedaddle!"
Harley sighed in relief, tossing away her headset and stretching. Bruce watched her from the bed, grinning a bit. Harley reached beside her, grabbing the crutch that was leaning on the wall, and hobbled over to the bed, sprawling out over Bruce's lap. Bruce smiled down at her, stroking her blonde hair.
"I'm guessing the mission was a success?" Bruce asked, even though he knew the answer.
"Well duh." Harley answered, grabbing his hand that was stroking her hair and clasping it in her bandaged hand, "Doubt I would be this relieved if that jerk Black Mask got away with all those poor girls."
"I think one of the reasons you're so happy is because Pamela knocked out Roman after he made that statement." Bruce said, running his thumb gently along the back of her hand.
"I will neither confirm nor deny it Bman." Harley replied, sticking her tongue out at him. She then felt Bruce's other hand rub along her stomach, which now shown a considerable bump.
"They did real well. I won't lie, I was very worried about introducing them into the Second Chances program." Bruce praised her, continuing to rub her belly, " But I'm glad I trusted your judgment and gave them a chance. They will be a big help in the coming months."
"Yeah...it's not like we are going to be Batman and Batwoman again anytime soon, stalking the dark corners of Gotham." Harley said, placing her other hand on top of his as he continued to stroked her stomach.
"I think we deserve a little break."Bruce said.
"Brucie honey, I doubt most people would call having children a break."Harley countered, giggling softly, "In fact, I'm sure most would think of it as the complete opposite."
"I suppose that is true." Bruce admitted, laughing a bit, "Speaking of which have you decided on any names for our future son and daughter?"
The first thing they did after their wounds had been tended to was to find out if their twins were healthy and what the genders were. At first Harley wanted it to be a surprise, but she wasn't the most patient person, so in less than a day she gave in and demanded to know what their sex was. They were going to have a boy and a girl.
"You know the deal Bruce. You get to name the boy and I get to name the girl." Harley replied, "and I want our daughter to named Abigal."
"Abigal huh?"Bruce questioned, rubbing underneath his chin.
"You don't like it?" Harley asked, a little crestfallen.
"No...I love it." Bruce answered, smiling down at her. "Abigal Wayne. Sounds wonderful."
Harley nodded her agreement, "And what is our son going to be named hmm?"
"I was thinking Thomas...after my father." Bruce replied, a little unsure if Harley would be up to that idea. He couldn't have been more wrong.
"That's a wonderful idea Bruce. I like the name." Harley said, shifting her body a bit so she could place on her head onto his chest, both of their hands never leaving her stomach, "Thomas and Abigal Wayne...I can't wait to see them."
"You're going to be a fantastic mother you know that?"Bruce stated, kissing the top of her head.
"You'll probably be a good father yourself Bman." Harley teased, reaching up with her free hand and stroking his cheek.
"Hopefully the rough days are behind us now." Bruce hoped, the last couple of months clearly had taken a toll on the pair.
"I doubt parenthood is going to be smooth sailing exactly hun." Harley replied, smiling up at him and laughing.