Chapter Ten

There had been a brief conference between Bruce, Alfred, and Fox once they got back to Wayne Enterprises. Assuming Dent was involved meant that the places where they could have taken Kaitlyn were limited. Dent would want it to be someplace special for both of them, like when he took Gordon's family to the place where Rachel died. Bringing Rachel into the conversation made Fox remember an apartment complex that was being built near the area. Eventually that particular part of Gotham was going to become a preschool, hopefully better equipped than the last one that went out of business, but in the meantime it was a deserted construction site. None of the cops would think to look there, if they thought at all. Bruce wondered if they were even aware that Gordon was missing along with Kaitlyn.

Five minutes after learning about the construction site, Batman was in the air and gliding into the setting sun. He was running out of time. The night was his domain, but if he had to, he would fight in the light. To save two of the few people he cared about, he would risk exposure. Maybe if he attracted enough cops to where he was going, Dent, Rono, and the Joker - because he had no doubt the Joker was there as well - would have less of a chance at escaping.

Even Dent?

The thought plauged him. Dent was the one he had become an outcast for. Grief had warped his mind, and Joker had preyed upon that. Could he really blame the man for everything he had done after that? Batman had helped make him that way. He should have seen through Joker's trick, should have known that Rachel was at the other location, but he didn't. Could he really condemn Dent to a life behind bars? And for that matter, he still wasn't too sure what Joker was up to. Sure, he had given him useful information, but he was also behind the creation of Two-Face, had almost driven Gotham to its knees. In a way, he was worse than Ras al Ghul. At least Batman understood Ras, even if he didn't agree with the man's actions. He didn't understand Joker, and that lead to more deaths than Ras had caused.

As doubts cirulated through his mind, an image of Kaitlyn - scarred, bruised, refusing to talk to anyone, not even him - flashed into his mind. He gritted his teeth and pressed on. Katilyn's safety was first. He'd figure out the rest of it later.

/--/

Dent glared at Joker, distrust evident on his face. Kaitlyn sat in between them, her eyes locked onto Gordon and the thing he held in his hand. It was something important. The expression on his face had given him away, and it was lucky the others were distracted with Joker's arrival so they didn't notice. Kaitlyn hadn't survived as long as she had with Joker by not paying attention. She knew Joker better than he liked to think she did. She knew when he planning something - usually she had the common sense to stay away, but sometimes her curiosity got the better of her. She never stayed around to watch for long. Most of what he did was sickening.

On the other hand, she could get lucky this time. Maybe, just maybe, he had come to save her.

She shook the thought away. If her salvation came through his interference, that would be pure luck and nothing more. Joker had proved long ago that he had no compassion for her. No matter how hard she tried to love him. That was why she had run away, wasn't it? Wasn't that the reason she had sought out the one who could best the Joker, so he could protect her? Admittedly, she hadn't been expecting to get attatched to Batman, nor to have Batman get attatched to her. Even when he came to adopt her without his mask, Kaitlyn knew who it was. Hadn't he promised to come for her? Hadn't she heard the affection in his voice when he made that promise? It had been more than she could have hoped for.

The thoughts scattered as conversation began among the adults.

"What truth?" Dent demanded cautiously.

"You want to hurt good old Batman by hurting Kaitlyn." Joker said bluntly. "However, you don't know the whole thing. You see, the dear scap at your feet does not belong to Batman."

Rono was getting impatient. He pointed his gun at Joker. Kaitlyn winced. "So, who does she belong to, freak?"

Joker smiled. "Me."

There was silence in the room. Kaitlyn could feel the disgust rolling off Rono like a tsunami. She wasn't sure if it was disgust at Joker or at her, and quite frankly, she didn't care. The man was strange enough as it was without adding on unneeded stress. Dent, on the other hand, had this excited look on his face that scared Kaitlyn worse than the twitchy cop.

"So, Kaitlyn's your kid?" Dent asked casually. "You really should have used protection."

"Yeah, well, you know how it is." Joker waved a hand dismissively. "You still think Batman cares what happens to her?"

"I think you both care." Dent's gun switched targets, from Joker to Kaitlyn. "I'll use her to destroy both of you."

At that moment, Gordon freed himself from the ropsed and silently eased himself to his feet. Rono saw and swung his gun around. At that moment, three things happened very quickly.

Batman came through the window, slamming into the first object he came across, which happened to be Rono.

Goron sprang forward, attempting to get Kaitlyn out of the line of fire before all hell broke loose.

Dent's gun fired, the sound exploding in the silence.

/--/

AN: How's that for a cliffie? (laughs) Review if you want to know what happens next!