"Robin to Oracle. Azrael and I have finished the last of tonight's interrogations. Neither the Green Nails nor the Aryan Brothers were able to tell us anything new. Someone's tainted a large percentage of the narcotics in Gotham City. They seem to be targeting everyone, and no one knows how they're doing it. Any news from the others?" Robin shivered as a chill breeze blew across the cathedral rooftop where he'd stopped to make his report. After a moment, Oracle's voice came across the communicator. She sounded tired, and more than a little sad.

"There's news all right, just not good news. The police department examined the 'overdose deaths' of the last few weeks and something like sixty percent were killed by this poison. Actually, the forensics guys figure it's probably a lot higher- they were only able to examine the John and Jane Does; you know, the unidentified dead. All the others are long since buried in private cemeteries, and they didn't want to ask the families for permission to exhume"

Robin grimaced "So this guys been at it for at least a couple weeks, and nobody even noticed?"

He could practically here Oracle grimace. "How were we supposed to know? OD's happen every night in this town, and unless you know what you're looking for that's just what the victims look like. Oh, and get this- the lab boys say the killer might be getting more active as time goes by. They say that the number of deaths rises over time, though with such a small sample to work with, they aren't sure."

"Still, it makes me sick to think of this guy killing dozens of people without us even knowing it. Robin out"

Far away, in her clock tower base, Barbara Gordon sighed. 'Tim's an odd one. Sometimes he's almost as cynical as Bruce is, and others he's surprisingly idealistic. You'd think he'd know by now that we can't save everyone.'

She wheeled herself away from the main console and over to the kitchen area. It was an unusual kitchen to say the least- all the tables, counters, and appliances were set at a height accessible to her wheelchair. While she appreciated the effort, she hated the necessity. As she made a pot of coffee, she cursed the Joker for perhaps the thousandth time since her attack, for stealing her legs. After pouring herself a cup, she wheeled herself back to the main work area, yawning despite the hot caffeine.

'3:47 AM' she thought 'Geez, normally even I'm logging off by now. Wonder what Dick's up to? He said he'd be checking in soon… better make sure he's okay…' She flipped on her communicator and tapped Nightwing's switch.

"Oracle to Nightwing. How's my favorite bird doing tonight?" she said. She was always more playful with her fiancée than she was with anyone else on the Batteam. Firstly, this was because he was her fiancée, and if that didn't impart a right to tease, then what did? But secondly because, to his constant frustration, Nightwing had to be serious in public.

"Nightwing here. I'm preparing to infiltrate the Falcone estate. Batman is here as well." She could actually HEAR the smart remarks that he was dying to say. She smirked; teasing Nightwing was always fun, but it was even better when Batman was around. Nightwing might slip up and answer back when he was alone, but not when the Dark Knight was glaring at him. Batman, on the other hand, normally disapproved of banter on the comm system- EXCEPT when it came to her teasing Nightwing. She had a feeling that down deep, Batman regarded it as payback for the first Robin's constant joking and punning.

"Oooh, my little bird is flying around the Falcone's nest? Better take care, Dickie, and bring your tail feathers home unplucked." She laughed and closed the line.

Outside the Falcone Estate, Batman rechecked his equipment and ignored his partner's mutterings about teasing women. The Falcone family had suffered a great deal in the last decade; where once they had been the leaders of Gotham's massive underworld, the coming of the Rogues had brought them down hard. Now they were little more than another gang. But that didn't mean that infiltrating their headquarters was going to be easy or safe- he'd counted three stationary guards on this side of the estate alone, and two roving patrols. All were armed with powerful guns, presumably loaded with armor-piercing rounds. A single mistake could prove fatal- so there would be no mistakes.

"Ready?" he said to his partner, who looked up with a cheeky grin on his face.

"Have I ever been anything but?"

Batman grunted and silently climbed a nearby tree. Upon reaching the top, he leapt out into space- angling his descent so that he landed clear of the Falcone's high stone wall. He landed on his toes and sank into a crouch. A moment later, Nightwing landed in perfect silence right beside him. The two vigilantes silently made their way across the grounds towards the main mansion, easily evading the guards and the security cameras. Fortunately, the snow on the ground had already been trampled by the patrols, and their boots were indistinguishable from those of the Family's soldiers.

Upon reaching the manor, Batman reached into his belt and pulled out a small line and grapple. With an ease born from years of practice, he tossed the hardened plastic hook onto the mansion's roof, and secured a hold. In total silence, the heroes ascended to the third floor den, where the current head of the family- Enrico Falcone- was known to keep his personal records.

The window to the room was locked, and composed of bulletproof glass, but a few moments with a lockpick soon granted them access. Then came the tedious yet perilous task of searching the office. It was tedious because it meant examining all the paper work in the office; perilous because at any moment someone might wander in and discover them. Despite the need for secrecy in a criminal endeavor, no one can keep the details of a large organization in their heads- things have to be written down somewhere.

So it was that the pair once known as the Dynamic Duo spent more than half an hour quietly searching the office and reading papers.

After forty minutes, Batman heard footsteps approaching the room. He dropped the paper he'd been reading and entered a fighting stance. Nightwing, taking a cue from his mentor, did the same. The office door opened, and Enrico Falcone entered the room. He didn't seem surprised to see Batman and Nightwing in his home, nor was he shocked to see them examining his papers. Instead he moved to the chair behind his desk and sat down before speaking.

"I presume you're here regarding the drug deaths?" He said, and Batman was surprised to hear how old the man sounded. Falcone couldn't be more than fifty, yet he moved and spoke like a man fifteen years older.

"Well, you know it's funny. All these gangs drugs start killing their users, and somehow we just thought of you" Nightwing said, and Batman silenced him with a glare. This was not the time for jokes.

"Did you not notice that many of our customers are dying as well? That my own men have been dying because of their addictions?" Falcone spat, real venom audible in his voice "No, of course you did not. What do you care about us?" The older man sighed, and when he spoke again it was tinged with longing and sadness.

"Once, my family ruled this city- we brought order to the streets of Gotham, we kept the blacks and the Mexicans and the rest in their place. We put an end to the violence of the old days, and made our people wealthy and respected. Then you came-" he pointed a finger at the Caped Crusader "-you and your freaks. First came the Joker, killing those who sought our protection- killing our men. He killed a friend of mine, Brute Nelson, when Brute tried to put an end to that animal. Then came the Penguin, the Riddler, and all the rest. They made us a laughing stock! They did as they pleased and turned this city into a madhouse"

Batman spoke, with the cold anger of a vengeful deity, "Don't play the martyr with me, Falcone. I know how much blood is on your hands"

"Not like that! We only killed when death was the only option, and we never killed those who didn't interfere in our affairs! These animals…they kill who they like, they bring chaos to the streets! We tried to stop them at first- we put out contracts, and when that didn't work, we sent our own soldiers after them. They came back to us in pieces- the clown's handiwork I'm sure." Falcone paused to cough violently, and the handkerchief he put to his mouth came away spotted with blood. "Ha. Dying. I'm dying, Batman, me and my entire family. My sons have moved to other cities, trying to start fresh. My nephew… five years ago we all thought he'd be one of us- he has nerves of steel and the heart of a lion. Instead, he works for the Penguin as an enforcer- FOR ONE OF THEM!"

Falcone swept his hand across his desk in fury, scattering papers and pens across the floor. He closed his eyes to calm himself, and when he spoke again his tone was quiet and matter-of-fact. "None of us did this thing, Batman, of this I'm sure- not my family nor any of the others. We don't have the capability anymore- not the men, nor the money. Now, please, get out of my house- let an old man die in peace."

Batman moved to the window and Nightwing followed him. They retraced their path across the grounds, and made their way outside. Once out, Nightwing turned to his partner and asked the question that had been on his mind for a while "Why didn't you arrest him?"

Batman triggered the Batmobile's remote control before answering "For what? He didn't confess to anything, he vaguely alluded to things his Family had done in the past. In any case, I believed him when he said they were innocent of this- all the papers I saw described an organization that's hemorrhaging money and personnel. I would guess that in ten years, at most, conventional organized crime will be a thing of the past in Gotham."

Nightwing yawned "You'll forgive me if I shed no tears. What now?"

Batman checked his clock as the Batmobile quietly pulled up, opening its doors automatically. "Now? Now we go home; it'll be dawn soon and we need to rest before we start on the Rogues. Batgirl and myself will handle Poison Ivy, you and Robin will track down the Ventriloquist, and Azrael and Huntress can look for the Mad Hatter. Will you be staying at the Manor today?"

Nightwing shook his head and gave a sheepish smile. "Nah. I think I'll head over to the clock tower and see about paying Babs back for her taunts. Plus, no offence, she's nicer to wake up to than you are. Would it be all right if we came to dinner though? I miss Alfred's cooking"

Batman's lip twitched "I think that can be arranged. He was talking about making leg of lamb, and that always results in leftovers unless we have guests"

Nightwing licked his lips "Leg of lamb ala Pennyworth…who says the good guys never get rewarded?"

a/n

Anyone expecting the usual angsty crap between Batman and Nightwing can read my story He Is Father. They're both adults, they should learn to deal.

Is there a reason no one seems to be reading this? It's just, my other Batman stories have gotten hundreds- sometimes thousands- of hits, and this ones got 97. I don't think it's THAT bad.

Next time, the Rogues are investigated as the pressure mounts for an answer.