Just by looking around Gotham one could see that it was a pretty city. And like any other city, it was littered with high-class areas like the one currently surrounding Wayne Enterprises, and then there were areas like the one you were currently in…not so pleasant. You sighed and held your purse close to your side and began walking with determination down the sidewalk. That was the key to not being mugged in broad daylight, make it look like you have a purpose. You had printed off a photo of the place, so you continued walking until you got to the busy part of the downtown.

Clubs littered both sides of street. Each one cheesier and dingier than the next. Prostitutes and drug dealers littered the sidewalks and small alleys, waiting for customers. You ignored them all and continued walking for another hour. You were about to turn around and walk back to the subway when a small club on the corner of the block caught your eye. It was a small thing with torn away brick and loose roof shingles. A big sign on the front was flashing pink and it read the Pink Lady. You pulled out the picture and compared the images. It was definitely the club. It looked dark on the inside, and there was a slight pumping music eminating from it. You glanced around, everyone seemed to be minding their own business. So, taking a deep breath you focused yourself. You are an investigative journalist. This is what you did….You were good at this….it would be fine…just walk in and ask some questions…nobody will get hurt…you just have to focus…

You marched yourself up to the club and let yourself in. Upon entering you were hit by the stench of cigarette smoke and liquor. You looked around and saw that the place was just as dingy on the inside as it was on the outside. A few lonely tenants sat in the corners clutching to their beers. A small dance floor with fluorescent lights sat in the middle, with an automated DJ playing at the side. The bartender was standing behind the bar with a cup in his hand, he was busying himself by cleaning the top over and over again. He merely glanced over at you as you walked up to the bar. He slid over to you and raised an eyebrow. The subtle hint behind that was: you don't belong here. The bartender leaned against the counter and gazed at you with dark, questioning eyes. "What'll it be?" he asked, his voice a dull monotone. You sighed and looked around, trying to play it cool.

"Uh…just some vodka with lime on the rocks," you stated. In reality, you weren't much of a drinker…especially because you had just turned 21 a few months ago. But despite that the bartender didn't ask you for your I.D. instead he filled up your order and slid it over to you. You thanked him and quietly looked around a little bit more. The people in here looked like your classic drunks, they probably wouldn't have a lot of information about the drug cartel. You glanced at the bartender…he would probably know about what happened. You took a sip of your drink, grimaced at sting of it, and addressed the man.

"So…uh…I read a news article about a drug bust in this area…I heard Batman came around and beat up some guys….did you see this happen?" you asked, nonchalantly. The bartender raised an eyebrow, his jaw set in a hard line. He leaned up against the counter, getting in closer to you.

"Listen little girl, you don't want to be asking these kind of questions…there are dangerous people around these parts…you want to be careful….," he said, his voice a low warning. You smiled in understanding, downed the vodka, and then threw a few bills onto the counter before making a hasty exit. You stood on the sidewalk and took a few deep breaths. So far you've hit nothing but dead ends. You ripped out the picture and took another look at it. The picture was at an angle…from the side of the building…You raised an eyebrow and walked around the building to the dark alleyway. There was a dumpster on the side and it looked pretty filled. Everything was dark, even though it was only around 5pm. You took out your pepper spray and held it tightly to your side for protection. You weren't about to be mugged again.

You walked around the building and crept to the back. You were about to approach the back garage when two people appeared around an open truck. You silently hid around the corner and took out your camera. The two guys were both wearing black suits. One was shorter and scruffier, a large scar cut across his face making him look very violent. The second man was very large and doughy, he lumbered around like a bear. He pulled open the truck's back door and they began hauling out boxes that were lined up in the back end. You pulled out the camera and hid under the shadows and began clicking away silently. They continued unloading the truck, each one mumbling a few words to the other. You noticed a small, white label on the corner of the boxes, so you zoomed the lense in and caught the words 'Delicto del Gatto' on the packages. You took a few pictures of this, then continued watching. After the unloading was finished, the men opened up one box and took out a syringe of liquid. The both smiled and nodded their heads as if it was the best stuff in the world. They then took a few boxes and walked into the back of the club.

You glanced around twice and then snuck around to get a closer look. With your adrenaline pumping and your heart rapidly beating in your chest, you opened up the already opened box and took a few random pictures before moving on to the truck. The automobile was a regular-looking truck that was unmarked. You took a few pictures of the license plates and the empty back before quickly moving back out of sight again. Just as you rounded the corner, the two men came back out and picked up more boxes. "Jesus, Penguin's really ordered a crap-load of this," whined the bigger man. The shorter one nodded his head in agreement.

"No kiddin'…he must be planning something pretty big with all the TITAN he's got in here…," he stated. They took a hold of a few more boxes and left the area. You frowned to yourself, and then walked back to the street where you would be a little safer. An hour had gone by, and you made your way back to the subway, thoughts reeling through your mind. What was TITAN? Who were those men? And who exactly was this 'Penguin' guy? You quick-walked through the station and made your way home.

By the time 8pm rolled around you found yourself at your desk and flipping through the pictures you had just taken. You zoomed in to a few and cropped the others. In the pit of your stomach you could feel a story coming on…but you didn't know how to go about it. Sighing to yourself, you pushed back your hair and made a mental note to talk to your editor tomorrow about it. Looking at the clock, you realized that you hadn't eaten any supper, so you dug around in the fridge and ate some left-over Chinese noodles. While you were eating your noodles you looked out the window at the street. Your curiousity wasn't even closely sated yet. You still had questions about Batman…and how he was tied to this man 'Penguin'. What's more, what was going down with this TITAN? You got back on the computer and typed in TITAN to the search engine. However, nothing came up. Your first guess was drugs. This must be some kind of narcotic…maybe a steroid….You then shook your head and typed in DELICTO DEL GATTO to the engine. You came up with a respected boxing company.

The alert had a link to it, so you were led to the website. There were a few phone numbers on the bottom, which you happily wrote down. This brought up more questions to mind; Who was the president? Did they know they were being used to illegally harbor drugs and possible steroids? You shook your head like a dog shaking away water. It was too late to call them tonight, you would have to do it tomorrow. So, you shut off the computer, put in your favorite mystery movie, made some popcorn, and sat down to a quiet night.

You fell asleep half way through the movie, but you woke up to the slam of the front door. You jumped with a start, but relaxed a bit when you saw that it was Janette. She sighed and flipped off her shoes, she's obviously had a long night. She stooped over, picked a hand-full of the popcorn out of the bowl and then walked back to her room. You finished up the movie and the fell into a fitful sleep on the couch.

The Next Day…

You woke up at 7am tossing and turning. Janette was snoring deeply in her room. You rubbed your face and began making a pot of coffee. Last night had been a restful night. As the coffee brewed, you logged back on to the computer and checked out the pictures one last time. Nothing new cropped up in your mind, so you made a piece of toast and sat down to some breakfast and the morning paper. By 8am, you were up and ready to go. On today's agenda, you had class from 12-3pm, and then you were going to go back to the club to see if you could find out any more information. So, you changed into a black lace top and a pair of old jeans. You then brushed your teeth and did all the necessary prepping for the day. You printed out the photos, packed your messenger bag, slung it across your shoulder, and then left the apartment. You took the subway and found yourself at the school in half an hour.

For three hours you took notes, studies for tests, and drank a little more coffee. Right after school finished up, you got right back on the subway and made your way towards work. It was about 3:30pm when you reached the office. As soon as you had set your backpack down on your desk, the Editor walked over and slapped your newly edited story onto your desk. You felt a stone drop in the pit of your stomach. You gulped as he put his hands on his hip and looked down at you. "I read your story…," he started, you raised your eyebrows begging him to continue. "…and I have to say….it's pretty good. You're a good writer Matthews." You took a sigh of relief and sat back in your chair. You gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you sir," you said back. He nodded his head and turned to leave.

"If I have any extra stories, I'll hand them over next time," he stated, departing back into his office. You smiled and felt a rush of excitement go through your stomach. You almost did an air-high five to yourself, but you held back. Instead, you put the photos in front of you and began analyzing them more intently. A few writers walked over and gave you some filing to do, but other than that it was a pretty calm day in the office. You would have shown the photos to the Editor, but you didn't have enough evidence. You needed to call the boxing agency. So, by 6pm you had finished the filing and were making your way down the street. Suddenly, you phone buzzed in your pocket.

"Hello?" you answered.

"Hey Juliet…it's uh…Tim…Tim Drake." You stopped in your tracks with surprise. Tim Drake. You had almost forgotten about him…especially with what was going on with the possible drug cartel and Batman.

"Oh right! Hey, what's up?" you asked, your voice going up an octave.

"Well, I was wondering if you were busy tonight…we could go out to eat…or something…," he said, trailing off. Your heart pounded heart on your chest. Oh my god. He was actually asking you out on a date! You nearly jumped up and down with excitement.

"Oh wow…uh no! I mean, I'm not busy tonight. Uh, how about dinner at 7pm?" you asked.

"Yeah, yeah sure…where should I pick you up at?"

You gave him your address and promised that you would be ready by then. Hanging up the phone, you walked home with a new jump in your step. You walked into the apartment and took a deep breath. Looking at the clock you suddenly realized that it was already 5:30pm and you weren't even close to ready. So, with a slight squeal, you threw down you backpack on to your bed and jumped into the shower. Like every girl about to go out to a date, you scrubbed yourself from head to toe, and shaved every inch of hair from your body. You then power washed your face and doused your whole body in smelling salts and oils. You then did your hair curly and half-up with braids on the side.

You bounded out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel and ran straight into your roommate. Janette looked you over and gave you a wide grin. "So, who's the special date?" she asked knowingly. You shrugged your shoulders as if you didn't know what she was talking about. She rolled her eyes and smiled even wider. Finally you sighed and gripped her arm and pulled her into your room. You gave her a panicked look.

"I need your help…what should I wear?" you asked desperately. She chuckled as if you were a baby bird learning how to fly. She opened your closet and dug around for a moment before pulling out a tight black dress with lace sleeves.

You smiled and put it on, pushing up your boobs in the process. Janette nodded her approval, and before you could do or say anything else, there was a knock at the door. You felt nerves fly around in your stomach, but you pushed them down and opened the door. Tim stood there wearing dark jeans and a black leather jacket. His eyes gave you the up-down look and he smiled. "Hey, you look great," he said politely. You smooth the front of your dress.

"Oh thanks, you look pretty good too," you said back. You opened the door a bit further and allowed Tim to walk inside. Janette popped up from the couch at the sight of him. Her eyes got big and she smiled over his shoulder.

"Oh wow…I mean…It's nice to meet you. I'm Juliet's roommate, Janette," she said politely, holding back her giggle. She eyed you for a second and then nodded her head in an understanding fashion. You rolled your eyes and took Tim's arm in yours and steered him out the door.

You walked down the sidewalk in a comfortable silence. Every once in a while you would glance over at Tim. The night air felt good against you skin, and you enjoyed the slight breeze. Tim seemed to know where you were going, so you didn't question it. He glanced over at you and grinned. "So, where are we headed?" you asked, noticing his smirk. He chuckled and suddenly stopped short. You looked around and noticed that you were standing outside a torn up stone building. A sign hung on the side stating Piazza's. It was an Italian dive. He took your arm in his and led you down the stairs to the front doors. A waiter led you to a table in the corner, and you sat down across from the dark-haired boy.

You ordered some water and some fettucine alfredo. Tim had shrimp scampi and a diet coke. You sipped on the water and sat there shuffling your feet awkwardly. Tim stared at you with those dark eyes and smirk of a smile. You smiled back at him in an embarrassed fashion. "So, how's the story coming along?" he asked politely. You shrugged your shoulders nonchalantly, but a smile crossed your face.

"It's actually pretty good. You'll get to see it in the next issue of the paper. My editor really seemed to like it…I think I'll get to see some more serious stories now…," you said excitedly. Tim nodded his head and smiled, excited for you. You took another sip of water and then turned your attention back to Tim.

"So, tell me about yourself. What do you do outside of school? Do you work anywhere? you asked with a smile. Tim sighed and rubbed his head. For some reason these normal, average questions seemed to pose as threats. He noticed your curious expression and then he cleared his throat and gave you a reassured smile.

"I uh…well…I work with the police department from time to time working on a few cases as a consultant…," he said nonchalantly. Your eyes practically boggled out of your head.

"You work with the police department!" you exclaimed excitedly. Tim blushed a little and nodded his head slowly. He turned his food around in the bowl a little and took a few bites before shrugging his shoulders in a noncommittal fashion.

"Yeah…I just help them out from time to time…," he answered. For the next half an hour you asked him question after question about this transaction with the department. You noticed as how Tim seemed to shift uncomfortably in his seat during this whole conversation, but you couldn't help yourself. Eventually you sat back in your seat and gave him an impressed look. Wow! A police officer.

"Well that's really awesome…Wow…I feel like a total kid sitting next to you…," you said with a slight whistle. Tim chuckled and shook his head to reassure you.

"Nah….it's not really that impressive…," he stated slowly. You smiled and changed the subject. You talked about your favorite books and movies. You were pretty surprised to hear that Tim wasn't just all athletics and looks…he was actually very smart. He had read famous dystopias like 1984 by Orwell and classics like Jane Eyre. You talked about both of your views on the world, and how much travel you have both done. You were very surprised to learn that he had been to many countries around the world including: Morocco, Paris, Spain, China, and Italy. You shared funny stories about getting lost, and tips about where the best places to eat and sleep are. By the time you were back on the street, it was already 10pm and the street lights were on.

You gripped Tim's arm, feeling a slight chill in the air. He paused for a moment, stopped your right in the sidewalk, took off his jacket, and slung it around your shoulders. He rubbed them a little bit before leading you back down the sidewalk.

You arrived at your apartment in the nick of time. You faced Tim with a nervous smile on your face. To be honest, you didn't go out on a lot of a dates, so this was kind of new territory. You quickly took off the jacket and handed it back to him with a grateful smile. "Thank you so much, I had a really great time, Tim," you said, shuffling your feet slightly. He smiled down at you, you noticed a slight redness had appeared in his cheeks.

"Yeah, it was really fun…," he said, trailing off. You smiled, and then did the ultimate 'kiss me' move: you searched randomly for your keys. You came back up with them jingling in your hand, thinking about if he would believe it if you had stayed down for a few moments longer. Tim's eyes suddenly went dark and serious and he blushed furiously. You stared at him for a moment, your breath completely taken away. Suddenly, he gripped the back of your neck and bent down. His lips brushed against yours, pushing ever so slightly.

You closed your eyes enjoying the moment. His lips were soft yet strong, his grip was commanding yet delicate. It was a puzzle to you, and you tried to work it out, however, in the next moment you were separated. He smiled at you with sparkling eyes. You said your goodbyes and made your way into the apartment, lingering at the closed door for a moment. You looked up and were slightly startled to see Janette with her hands on her hips staring down at you. You sighed and rolled your eyes, making your way towards your room. Janette stopped you with her arm out, blocking your way.

"Oh no! You have to give me all the juicy details!" she exclaimed, pushing you back on to the couch. So with a slight tiredness in your bones, you told her of everything that had transpired on the date. Tim had been perfect…handsome….charming…intelligent…you smiled at the very thought. It had been a very good first date. Janette giggled at the look in your eyes. You sighed, and then walked to your room and shut the door behind you. You didn't feel like talking to her right now. So, you changed into your pajamas and flopped onto the bed. You spent the next two hours staring up at the ceiling, wondering how this was going to go…