Good morning, lab rats. I'm finally updating, as I promised I would.

I've figured out a pairing that I like. However, the young lady's name will not be revealed until the next chapter. Unless, of course, you guess it first. I did leave some clues.

Also, I ain't gonna run through every side mission in Arkham Origins. SPEAKING OF...

ARKHAM KNIGHT. HOLY CRAP. I AM SO HAPPY.

PM me if you wanna hear my theory as to who the Arkham Knight is gonna be!

Chapter IV

Nobody Important

Batman performed a final glance around the room in LaceyTowers where Black Mask had been supposedly murdered.

Two bodies, one unidentifiable, wearing a skull mask, the other, Black Mask's current girlfriend. The girlfriend had been strung up on the chandelier, shot from somewhere close to the ground. It could match someone of Penguin's height, but Batman didn't think so, even if Cobblepot's fingerprints were present on the scene.

There had been two other people in the room, both of which Batman was unable to identify. There had been a fight, the victor possibly dragging the loser out of the room, setting fire to it with a Molotov Cocktail to destroy the evidence. Data recovery had been difficult, but Batman needed more tools to work with.

"Alfred," he said, activating his com. "I'm going to need access to the National Criminal Database."

"Well sir, if you're going to do that, you'll need to break into the police headquarters. That's the only way to access the Database."

"Then that's where I'm going," Batman said curtly. "I have DNA that needs to be identified, as well as a cloth swatch."

"Then I assume you'll be looking for a way in," Alfred pointed out. "Let's see… your best bet would be rooftop access. I would be careful, though. It seems the police have placed snipers in strategic places in Burnley."

"I'll bear that in mind." He signed off as he took out a cop he hadn't noticed before. The man was carrying a riot shield, which Batman quickly jumped over, and slammed the man into the ground.

"This is awkward."

Spider-Man looked around at the assemblage of people around him, all armed, all pointing their rifles at him. They were clad in the mercenary outfit that belonged to Bane's group of renegades.

"Listen, guys," he said, chuckling, his hands in the air. "I'm awfully sorry I stumbled onto your little illegal activities. Seriously, I am. It's a really bad habit of mine, and I need to break it. That's a good song, by the way."

"Cayate!" barked one of the lead men, who was drugged up on Venom, the strength enhancing steroid that Batman had told him about. "You are the Spider, the plague of New York! You will not trouble Bane's operations here!"

"Plague!?" Spider-Man repeated. "Now wait just a minute!"

He had been tracking down different members of different gangs, searching for SIM cards in their communications to hack. He had intercepted the broad waves of Penguin's, Hammerhead's, and Bane's gangs. One of the conversations he overheard concerned an establishment called My Alibi, and that Bird, Bane's lieutenant, was delivering more of the Venom there. So naturally, Spider-Man had gone to investigate.

And of course, he had walked into a trap.

"Silence!" said the massive thug. "Bird will see to you shortly. And then you'll wish you'd never been born."

"Yeah, yeah," Spidey said, rolling his head. "If I had a nickel for every time I heard some big baddie say that… I'd have exactly two dollars and seventy five cents. I did the math. Besides, what's your sub-boss up to that's so important anyway?"

Over the sounds of the clubs thumping techno music, Spidey suddenly heard the sound of women laughing loudly. He swallowed.

"Oh," he said quietly. "I wasn't aware they didn't get Christmas off."

Presently, the surrounding men parted ways to reveal a man dressed in a shredded leather coat, with feather tattoos all over his face, obscuring his goatee. He was bald, with scars running down his face. A crooked smile was on his face. Spider-Man gulped.

"You are the Spider," Bird said, walking up, drawing a knife at his side. "The scourge of Manhattan."

"Y'know, you guys have awesome nicknames for your enemies," Spidey said lightly. "Your own names, not so much. But I am definitely going to write to the Daily Bugle. 'Spider-Man, scourge of Manhattan's pushcart hot dogs.' Yeah, that'd be cool!"

"You speak flippantly," Bird said, placing his knife at Spider-Man's throat. "Soon, you will not speak at all."

Spider-Man flipped backwards, shooting a large web that canvassed the entire area. The mercenaries cried out, stuck in the sticky substance, their guns all jammed. Bird cut his way free swiftly, but was knocked out by a punch to the temple by Spidey.

"I would have drawn that out into an awesome butt-whoopin'," he admitted. "But it's late, I'm tired, I've got assassins on my case, and Batman's being a jerk, and Hammerhead's gonna take over the city, and…"

His complaining trailed off into unintelligible grumbling as he left the building, making sure to web up the Venom securely and placing a call to the GCPD.

Oh yeah, maybe I should hack the scanner.

Batman made his way down the infirmary, searching for a way into the evidence locker.

Once he was there, he found the weapons disrupter that 'Loose Lips' had told him about. He scanned it, making sure it was operational. It seemed so, its primary function being to shut down firearms and other technical devices. He needed it to access the computer room, which was locked and protected by a radio jammer.

He quickly made his way back to the computer room, shutting down the jammer, and unlocking the door. Closing it quickly, he went inside.

As he began to hack into it, the police frequency got more and more frantic as they were searching for him. His presence in the building was now known, and he needed to hurry.

"We got reports that Hammerhead's crew are in the city. They… oh jeez… can we get a lockdown on this? He's taking out the Maronis."

"Maronis aren't on our list of priorities. If Black Mask is involved, then you can get worried. Focus more on the problem at home… the Batman."

Batman set his jaw as he worked. It seemed that Spider-Man's intel on Hammerhead was accurate, and that he had started his gang war. The streets would be even less safe than they already were, and Batman knew he would have to shut it down.

"Um, excuse me?"

The quiet, timid voice behind him made him turn around in a flash, his cape swirling. Standing in front of him was a young girl with flaming red hair and glasses. She looked no older than 15, and he knew who she was. Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Captain James Gordon, possibly the only good cop in Gotham.

"Can I help you with that?" she asked, looking very awestruck. Batman's eyes narrowed.

"No," he said tersely, turning back. She glanced down, but then looked back up.

"Oh, you're hacking the National Criminal Database. Smart, but if you want to want to use it again without coming in here, you're going to need to hack into the intranet lines that provide the data."

He turned around to look at her. She held her laptop close to her chest, smiling slightly.

"They're located in the sewers under the building," she added cheerfully.

"This kind of knowledge could be dangerous for a young girl," Batman said grimly, making his way for the door. "You should hide."

"Wait!"

He stopped, turning back.

"Why do you do what you do?" she asked.

Batman paused. This girl was different from other people. Most were either afraid of him, or scorned him. This was the first time someone sounded like they were inspired by him.

"Because I made a promise," he answered.

At that moment, the sound of thudding boots on wooden floors came to their attention. Batman glanced up, seeing the silhouettes of several SWAT officers on the other side of the screen-wall. One of them tossed a tear gas grenade into the room.

"Get down!" Batman hissed as Barbara covered her mouth. He quickly leapt clear of their sight, opening a vent, and disappearing from the room. As he crawled through the ventilation, he could hear Barbara yelling at the cops, arguing that she had been there alone, talking on a webcam.

That girl… she bears watching. She's too smart for her own good. But her heart seems to be in the right place.

"Alfred, I need to hack into the intranet lines under the GCPD," he said into his com. "Find me an entrance."

"Locating one now, sir. There seems to be a manhole entrance into the sewers not two streets away. Do be careful down there, sir, with all the muck. Don't forget who has to clean your suit."

Spider-Man listened to the police scanner with one ear, the rest of his concentration focused on dealing with the small frays that had erupted over Gotham.

Hammerhead had made his move. All of the various gangs were engaging in small tussles, with the undecided either press-ganged into service, or slaughtered. Vandalism was ripping through South Gotham, and Spider-Man didn't even want to think about what was happening across the PioneersBridge.

"I promise, I got smackdowns for all of you," he said, locking his arm around one man's neck, while kicking out at another. "You," he said, shooting a web and ensnaring another thug, "come here to I can multi-smite."

The fights weren't so bad, but they were getting bigger. On top of that, there were still the assassins out there, and Spidey was getting a little anxious at the lack of action coming from that quarter.

"Okay, got my smite on aaaaaand you're all out." He looked at his handiwork, feeling a sense of being overwhelmed. "Why do you guys have to do this? I mean, what has Hammerhead promised you? Why am I asking unconscious bad guys questions?"

"Probably because they won't even let you ask when they're awake."

Spider-Man spun around, taken completely by surprise. Instantly, his spider-sense went off, and he ducked under the swing of a sword.

"Oh, great," he groaned, flipping backwards, putting some distance between himself and his attacker. "I just got done beating on a ninja assassin with swords, I really don't…" But his half-thought-out joke died in his throat as he saw the identity of his attacker.

It was a woman, tall and lithe, clad in the close-fitting garb of a ninja. Her arms were bare, but a mask concealed the lower half of her face. But her eyes captivated him with their beauty, their dark enchantment enhanced by the brunette hair that flowed around her face and down her shoulders. He also couldn't help but notice her body was like that of a supermodel.

"Oh, hi," he said, also noticing the razor-sharp sword in her hands. "Please don't tell me you're an assassin."

"But I am," the ninja replied, her eyes narrowing, although which emotion, Spidey couldn't tell, as her mouth wasn't visible. "Is that a problem?"

"Only if your name is Shiva," Spidey said, recalling the intel he had gathered from listening to Black Masks' men. "Your… um, outfit matches her description."

"Ha!" laughed the woman, it wasn't a sardonic laugh, but one of genuine mirth. "You have learned much in a few hours. Indeed, I am a member of the same order as Shiva, but she is a lieutenant, while I am a lowly assassin."

"For a lowly assassin, you sure do talk a lot," Spider-Man observed, remembering his encounter with Elektra, and how tight-lipped she had been. "And I know talkative." The ninja laughed again. "Are you gonna attack me again?"

"No," she said, sheathing her sword, standing straight from her previous battle-pose. Spider-Man wasn't very short, but she came right up to his eye-line. She also stepped a little closer. "That was just to see if your reflexes were what they say."

"And… uh, are they?" Spidey asked, clearing his throat as she got nearer. Her body swayed with her walk, causing a loose piece of cloth to swish. She got right up to him, bringing her face up to his own.

"They are," she whispered, her voice low and seductive. "Of course, I wouldn't mind a further demonstration… of a more personal kind…"

Spider-Man's brain stalled. He might have met beautiful women before(and fought a few), but despite his ongoing monologue, he had always been shy around them. Only those like Mary Jane and Sue Storm had ever given him courage to even talk to them. But now, one of the most beautiful women he had ever met was flirting with him.

"Uh…" he stammered. "Uh… uh…" And he fell backwards, playing dead. She giggled, clasping her hands under her chin.

"You are very amusing, Spider-Man," she said, bending over and holding a hand out. "I'm glad you have not warranted attention from my order."

"Why's that?" he asked, accepting her hand, surprised by her strength as she pulled him to his feet. "Your order wouldn't happen to have Batman on their kill list, by any chance?"

"If I told you," she said, arching an eyebrow, "then I would have to kill you."

"Well, shoot," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "But, you are one of the good guys… right?" Please be one of the good guys, he added in his mind.

"Our order is fervent in its battle against evil," she said, with a quiet passion. "For centuries have we fought and died against it. Now, however, our hour draws near. We will either rise victorious, or perish. That is why we have come to Gotham. To seek our enemies… and any allies we have."

"Oookaay," Spider-Man said slowly. "So that's a yes?" She nodded. "All right, well, I'm in Gotham… not sure, actually. But then the crap hit the fan, and I'm now in charge of crowd control. Which is a nice euphemism for stopping fights all over the city. Needless to say…" He spread his arms out. "I'm kinda alone out here."

"We saw your encounter with Batman," she said. "It seems the Dark Knight has his own way of doing things. We do wish to observe him further. Sh… Lady Shiva accepted the contract from Black Mask so that we could come and see if the rumors were true."

Spidey blinked, noticing how she corrected herself about Shiva. She was going to say her name, but added a further title to it. She seemed a little too relaxed to be a "lowly" assassin.

"Glad to know I'm the only one who cares about Spider-Man in Gotham," he mumbled, turning around. He could hear the sounds of another fight taking place, not too far off. "Hey, I'm just gonna go break this up, okay?"

"I will join you," she said brightly, and he nodded in agreement.

Not long after, they were rolling another random encounter, this time between Penguin's men and Falcone's. Spidey leapt in, dealing blows and trading quips as he went. The ninja, on the other hand, merely dodged attacks, diverting them, but seeming to focus more on what Spider-Man was doing.

Well, I'm not against showing off.

But out of nowhere, something grazed against the side of his head. Pain erupted along the streak where he had felt the bullet graze his skull. He hadn't even heard the gunshot.

The last criminal, a man armed with a revolver, looked shocked as the ninja launched herself at him, kicking his legs out from under him, and slicing apart the pistol with her katana. She raised it high, and Spidey realized what she was going to do.

"No!" he yelled, jumping forward, grabbing her arm, preventing her from bringing it down on his head. The pain was causing his vision to swim, and he felt blood trickle down the side of his head. "Don't… don't kill him."

"Why not?" she hissed back angrily. "He is scum! He hurt you."

"And… I appreciate the reaction…" he said, struggling against her, trying to stay conscious. "But… I can't let you… kill him…"

"Evil doesn't care if their opponents live or die!" she whispered back. "He would have killed you without a second thought!"

"But I… wouldn't have killed him… without a second thought," Spidey replied, fighting her and the growing darkness. "That's… the difference… between me… and him… why good… is different from evil…"

His grip slackened, and he felt himself falling, falling, but not landing.

He dreamed that a soft comfort was enveloping him, and that smooth shackles encompassed him, not binding, but protecting. He felt the pain disappear from his head, from his body, and peace overtook him. Through the misty haze of his vision, he thought he dreamed of the ninja, whose name he didn't even know, except he could see her whole face, which was every bit as beautiful as her eyes. Her eyes seemed concerned, sad.

Don't be sad, he thought. You have so much to live for. And her gaze softened, a smile spreading.

I'm not sad, her voice seemed to say to him. All I have to live for… is you.

Heh heh heh. This is going to be fun. I love my job.