Nota Bene: This story is not canon. I don't follow the comics and only know the various stories from the movies and growing up with Batman cartoons, supplemented with internet research. As with my previous stories, this started with a dream and is combined with ramblings of my own mind. In this case, it is a little personal fantasy, too. Batman. Mmm. Hot.

Please excuse the months-long hiatus with this story. As my work and personal life grew more complicated, I lost the motivation to write. Hopefully, I have things figured out and I can get back at it! Probably two or three chapters after this one to go.

Reviews, as always, are greatly appreciated.

Batman: Revelations

Chapter 10

Every day is a flip of the coin. Is the day good or bad? Do you succeed or fail? Are you a hero or a villain?

Two-Face sat in the Double Trouble bar and flipped a coin, watching it spinning in the air, dim lights glinting off the metal. Heads, he would start under-the-radar. Tails, he would call the media and publicly announce his intentions. Either way, it would be fun. Either way, they would be one step closer to breaking the Bat.

He caught the coin and placed it on the back of his hand. A scarred face stared back at him. Tails. Media it was.

An hour later, Two-Face stood in central Gotham, beneath the statue of Justice in front of the courthouse. Reporter Vicki Vale was bound and gagged, and Two-Face held her in place by clutching her hands, tied behind her back. Vicki's cameraman, Jed, shook as he filmed, trying desperately to ignore the gun to his head.

"Gotham city. As you can see, your field reporter today is not the lovely Vicki Vale. She's a bit...tied up at the moment. Instead, you have me, still your loyal public servant. Tonight, I return to my role finding justice for this city."

By now, the sound of police sirens filled the night.

"You worship a false idol in your Dark Knight. He is nothing but a vigilante who expresses his more violent impulses on this city's criminals, while failing to actually protect you. He plays hero, but is unwilling to seal the deal. His hubris will be his downfall."

Two-Face turned to Vicki and pulled his coin from his pocket, ignoring the swarm of police cars now encircling him.

"Heads or tails, Vicki?" Her eyes grew wide with fear, shaking her head vigorously, muffled cries escaping from the gag.

Batman watched from the top of the court building, waiting for an opportunity to swoop down and pull Vicki from Two-Face. Through his binoculars, he could clearly see coin in Two-Face's hand. What would the odds be this time?

"No opinion, my dear? It's a fairly simple question. Perhaps knowing the wager would help you make your bet. Heads, that detention center right there," he turned and pointed to the facility adjacent to the courthouse, "will be blown sky high."

Pointing across the square to another building, he continued. "Tails, the city will be free of the orphans it now shoulders the burden to clothe, feed, and house, most of whom end up petty thieves and criminals. We're stopping crime before it starts and saving you a bit of tax money for their upkeep along the way."

Dear God. There was no time to react, Batman knew he simply could not reach Two-Face in time to stop what was coming. He was still in mid-air, using his cape to glide down in a desperate attempt to stop the inevitable, as he watched the coin land on the ground. A second later, a massive explosion rocked the city, the force of which propelled Batman into the concrete with a thud. His head cracked on the ground, and he barely regained his feet before flames were licking at his heels. It had been the detention center.

"I just cleaned the streets more successfully in one night than you have in years, Batman. Two-Face signing off, until live coverage begins again tomorrow." With that parting shot, he fled the scene, escaping easily in the chaos, keeping Vicki and the cameraman with him. They would find their use again tomorrow night.

Bruce paced, back and forth, his steps angry and heavy on the stone floor of the cave. Rage boiled inside him, barely contained. He still wore the suit, but the cowl had been flung to the far side, empty eyes gazing back at him.

When Dick arrived from Bludhaven, he found Bruce brooding fiercely.

"What took you so long?" Bruce barked.

"Easy there, Bats. I've got a day job, you know." He was still in the Nightwing suit. When Bruce did nothing but shoot him a deadly-sharp look, he quipped, "Someone must have woken up on the wrong side of the cave this morning."

"Now's not the time, Dick." Bruce growled.

"Alright, alright. How are we going to catch him?"

The spent the remainder of the night devising a plan. They had to find him and stop him. Tonight, only a handful of people had been killed, all of whom had been awaiting arraignment in the morning at the courthouse. But Bruce knew Harvey. If he had kidnapped Vale, that meant he wanted publicity and that was just an opening statement. Things were going to get much, much worse.

Since his last escape from Arkham, Two-Face had stayed underground. None of Batman's usual snitches knew where he was. The only lead they had was a rumor that Gotham's newest bar catering to the wealthy, craft-cocktail crowd, was actually run behind the scenes by Two-Face.

Bruce thought it was a good start for an investigation. Vest-wearing, hipster bartenders with curly mustaches and home-made bitters were a great front; money was easily laundered in an establishment such as that, and the lack of muscle-bound bouncers and less-than-reputable looking clientele would likely keep the authorities at bay.

Two-Face was smart. Years strategizing and game-planning as a lawyer had made him a formidable opponent, as all the pieces to his plans were often laid days or weeks in advance of his first move. If Batman came crashing in and captured him, there was almost a guarantee that the coins would continue to spin elsewhere and the plan would continue to unfold.

What they needed was someone on the inside. A criminal. Someone who could blend in. They needed Catwoman.

Selina's gamble had paid off. Knowing Batman would be upset, she decided to wait for him. Gotham's First City Bank was their favorite meeting point. They both appreciated the gothic architecture, and the height of the building afforded them both privacy and an excellent observation point.

When he appeared out of the darkness, she sauntered over and placed a hand on his shoulder. His body was tight, vibrating, emotions rolling off of him.

"Hey there, Stud. Need a bit of a romp tonight to release all that..." she ran her hand down his arm flirtatiously, "tension?"

Batman grabbed both of her arms and pulled her to him, crushing his mouth to hers in a searing kiss. She felt the desperation in his touch, his hands gripping her arms so tight, almost painfully. His breath was soon ragged, and he pulled away just enough for them to remain forehead to forehead.

"Do you trust me?" his gravely voice was pained.

"Yes." No hesitation.

He kissed her again, softer this time, his lips lingering on hers.

"Then I need your help. Before you agree, I need you to know that I will always come back for you. Always. No matter what."

Early the next day, Catwoman picked the lock of the Double Trouble. Her suit was torn and battered, a thin stream of blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She stumbled into the closed bar, shutting the door behind her, and collapsed to the floor.

Two rough-looking bruisers in suits ran towards her, confused and ready to neutralize any threat that had just entered the bar. The first roughly hauled her to her feet and slammed her against the wall. Selina winced and put her hands up.

"Now, is that any way to greet a lady?"

"What do you want? Little kitty cat get chased by the dog-catcher?" the second sneered at her.

She shoved him away. "Not the dog-catcher, you gorilla. A Bat. A girl can't even lift some pretty jewels these days without that rat with wings interfering."

The second goon looked at her skeptically.

"A little more damage has been done there than a little burglary would warrant. I would call that excessive force." Harvey Two-Face Dent strolled out from the back.

"Mostly thanks to the little stunt you pulled last night. It's the middle of the day and he's already out. You've pissed him off and I turned into his punching bag." There was no reason to fake the look of hatred she shot Two-Face. "I think that giant rodent cracked one of my teeth. I lost him a few blocks back, but I need somewhere to hide out for a couple hours. Since this is your fault, I'm nominating you to take me in."

Selina prayed her bravado was believable.

"For a fine lady such as yourself, of course." The Harvey side of Two-Face's mouth turned up into what approximated a grin. "Want to have a little fun, Kitty?"

An hour later, Selina had managed to stop the bleeding and held an icepack to her mouth, nursing the strike that Nightwing had been all-too-glad to inflict on her. Apparently, after years of being told to 'go gather evidence' while she and Batman had a little fun when he had still been Robin, he had a little payback to dish out.

Just as she had hoped, arriving in a panic, bleeding and roughed-up, ostensibly fleeing Batman had earned her Two-Face's trust. She now sat at a table as Two-Face and his goons went over the plan for the evening.

Tonight's two possible targets would be a corrupt financial institution known to have over-stretched its lending, and contributed to the current financial crisis in Gotham, and a construction company that just razed a neighborhood of historic homes to build new high-rises. Just as with the night before, the decision would be made by the flip of a coin.

Selina marveled at Two-Face's twisted justice. When he had been District Attorney Harvey Dent, he had been Gotham's white knight, dedicated to due process, the rights of the people, and protecting the innocent. It pained Selina to see him like this.

Back in the cave, Batman and Nightwing listened in, courtesy of the earpiece Catwoman now wore, and were already alerting GCPD. Jim Gordon hadn't been answering his phone, so Nightwing had used one of his own contacts.

Though it was all going according to plan, something just didn't feel right to Bruce. Where was Jim?

–

Harvey smiled on both sides of his mouth this time. Selina Kyle was an excellent actress, but he had spent a lifetime with criminals, on both sides of the law. He knew a liar when he saw one. He just wasn't sure yet of what she was up to, though he had no doubt it had something to do with Batman. No matter how careful they had tried to be, the strange bond between Cat and Bat was well known in the underworld.

Just in case, he hadn't filled her in on all the aspects of his plan. Sure he had bombs ready at the Bank and at the development company, but those weren't all his targets.

It didn't matter, in the end. He would invite Catwoman along for the ride and see where it took them. If the two of them were involved, she'd be the perfect bargaining chip anyway.

–

That night, Harvey Two-face stood once again before the courthouse. Utter carnage surrounded him. Bodies were strewn everywhere, a group of terrified civilians sat huddled together, fearing who would be next, whose fate would be determined by the flip of a coin. For hours now, Two-Face had been selecting people from the crowd of people he had captured and publicly displayed; two were pulled and a coin was flipped. One lived, one died.

Again, Vicky Vail was on site to cover the story, bound and gagged, with her cameraman rolling tape under threat of a bullet to the head. Only tonight, Catwoman stood by Harvey's side. To the rest of the world, he had a new ally.

"Good or evil, Gotham? What do you think?" Harvey played to the camera. "I've got another surprise in store for you tonight, another evil corporation that hurts this city will be blown to bits. But..." he glanced at the prisoners in front of him. "..I'm also killing these people. Am I saving the city or destroying it?"

"Just like your Batman – he catches criminals, but how many people have been caught in the cross-fire? Why doesn't he kill the criminals who hurt this city? All he does is allow them to keep tormenting you."

Bruce barely contained the rage and the panic within him. He had sent her there to discover his plan, now she was a part of it. Unless he could get in touch with Jim, she would be implicated in the plot and imprisoned. Even worse than that, she was one shot from death, and he knew it. If she slipped up, for even a moment, and Two-Face began to doubt her, she'd pay the ultimate price. And it would be all Bruce's fault.

"Give it up, Harvey. You and your new friend there," Batman motioned towards Catwoman, "are surrounded. There's nowhere for you to go. There's been enough destruction tonight. You've made a statement."

Harvey laughed, and for just a moment, Bruce swore he he heard a flash of his old friend. But just as quickly, it was gone, and Two-face was back.

"Oh, but Batman. Turning myself in would do nothing but spoil my plans. You see, there are a series of bombs planted across this city, far and wide. Some will detonate, some will not. It will be up to you to determine who will survive."

Shit. Selina looked at Bruce, fear flooding her body. Harvey hadn't told here about that. Something was wrong.

"Enough! You've made your point. Gotham is still corrupt, there are still criminals and thieves and philanderers everywhere." Batman needed to keep him talking while he figured out how to stop him and while GCPD searched for the other bombs. They had successfully defused the two he had known about, but now the scramble to find and neutralize the rest had begun.

"Do you want me to start killing people? Do you want me to kill you right now? I won't do it. This city has a justice system for a reason. And you will soon be rejoining it."

Batman had an idea. Maybe he could distract Two-Face with a little wager and buy himself just enough time for he and Catwoman to take him down.

"You like to flip the coin, Harvey. I see two criminals and two sides of this coin." Batman pulled a coin from his utility belt and motioned to Two-Face and to Catwoman. "Heads, you surrender and go to jail. Tails, she does. Come on, Harvey. Those are pretty good odds."

Batman locked his gaze onto Catwoman's, praying she would spot the distraction and pounce.

Harvey laughed, then. "You think I'd agree to that? If I go to jail, I don't get to have any more fun – at least until I escape again. If she goes to jail, well, I don't get to see you sweat." In one swift motion, Two-Face grabbed Catwoman, drew a pistol from beneath his suit jacket, and put it to her head.

"No, I think I have a much better bargain. Heads, you kill her, a criminal. Tails," He motioned to one of his thugs, who pulled a hood off the head of one of the prisoners. "you kill Gordon, who heads up this corrupt police force."

Batman felt the shock roll through his body. Harvey had Jim Gordon, his oldest and closest friend, and he also had Selena. How had this gone so horribly wrong?

"If you actually go through with it, I'll turn myself in, never escape. Take one life and this all ends."

Batman froze, unable to react.

Harvey flipped the coin, and Batman's heart wrenched. Her. It was her.

"Well, Kitty Cat. This is what you get for trying to walk the straight and narrow for once and help the Bat." Harvey whispered in her ear. "I hope he was worth it."

Catwoman met Batman's gaze and nodded slightly. Two-Face released her and let her step toward the Dark Knight. She raised her head, straightened her shoulders, and spoke quietly to him. "Do it. This will all end. I knew the risks when I agreed to help you."

Tears pooled in her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. Catwoman turned back to Harvey Two-Face and simply said, "He was worth it."

Batman was frozen in place, his mind racing, desperately seeking another outcome, another way to stop Harvey and save Selena. Finally, he shook his head. He couldn't do it. She trusted him, how could he betray that?

"You're going to let countless others die just to save one life? Just to save a criminal?" Harvey laughed again. "Of course you won't kill her, Batman. We all know what there is between you two. Doing the nasty on rooftops. You're supposed to be a hero, but you're fucking a criminal. Who's the hero now?" Harvey sneered.

"It's ok. I'm going to kill Gordon anyway." Harvey leveled the gun, forgetting Catwoman was still free. In a split second, she pivoted and kicked the gun out of his hand. Continuing the momentum of the kick, she spun, and caught him in the head with her heel, dazing him. Batman struck, hard and fast, taking Harvey down to the ground, and knocking him cold with a single punch to the jaw, while Catwoman took out the goon who was holding Jim. Gordon's ropes were sliced in an instant by her claws, and he joined the fray, quickly capturing the rest of Two-Face's henchmen.

–

After the battle, Batman found Catwoman already waiting for him on their favorite rooftop. They went into each other's arms and said nothing for a few minutes.

Finally, she broke the silence. "Thank you. I really wasn't ready to die tonight." Batman kissed her lips gently. "You really shouldn't have risked Jim's life for mine, though. I'm a criminal and he's dedicated his life to this city. I've got nobody – no family, no one to mourn me if I was gone. My life means nothing compared to his."

"No. Your life doesn't mean nothing. Never say that." He clutched her arms tight. "Never even think that. You once asked me what would you do if something happened to me. Know that the same is true for me. I care about you."

Selena was shocked to hear his admission. She knew they shared a close bond, but she never expected to hear him speak of it directly.

Much later, they were both haunted by the same thought. They had squared off against Two-Face and won. But when you thought about it, that's who they both were. Two identities, struggling to come to terms with who they each really were. Was he Batman, or Bruce Wayne? Was she Catwoman, or was she Selina Kyle? Was there a middle ground?