Don't worry- this story will be finished… Eventually

"What makes you think I can help you?"

"She is here, in Gotham, following her mother."

"What a nice family reunion," Batman muttered, "what makes you think I can help?"

"This is your jungle," Batman looked out over the dark landscape, it did look sort of like a jungle, or maybe that was just his addled brain talking. "But tonight, you are in no condition to fight, although I do not believe any of your injuries to be life threatening."

"Good to know…" Batman grunted as he tried to move, he had been wondering if any of his internal organs had been left in tact.

"Tomorrow we hunt." Then Stalker was gone.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

Bruce was waiting by the landing pad when the plane came in and he helped Terry out of it. "Terry, are you alright?" His eyes searched Terry's face anxiously.

"I'll live," Terry tried to take a few steps but faultered, Bruce caught him and helped him lie down on the medical table. "Do we know anything… about… his… daughter…" Terry gasped, as he tried to take off the suit, every little movement sent searing pain through him. He finally managed to get the top half off, and lay trying to catch his breath. Bruce came over to examine him.

"No, I've been looking through the databases."

"And tonight's attack…any…ow! Idea who…" Terry winced and gasped, "was behind it?"

"Those electronic arms did some damage, but I don't think anything's broken."Terry didn't really believe him but he lay on the table, for a moment, no extra pain being induced felt really good, despite the waves of pain that kept rolling over him with every heart beat and breath. He thought he might be sick.

"Don't fall asleep, I think you might have a concussion,"

"Stalker's expecting me tomorrow,"

"You're in no condition to fight,"

"Bruce, that attack tonight, someone is out to get me, on the train too, Jokerz are not that organized."

"I know,"

"And some how Stalker knew to be there tonight. I think he knows something about these attacks. I think I should help him." Terry sat up, trying to ignore the way the room was spinning.

"You trust him?"

"Who, Stalker? This is twice now he's saved my life. I know he only saves it so he can give me an "honorable" death- but still… The idea of him having a daughter is kind of creepy though. Anyway we can do a search for her?" Terry grimaced and put a hand over his ribs. He was going to hurt tomorrow.

"I've tried, there's an account which he has put a good deal of money into over the past several years, but I have yet to be able to locate who ever has been claiming the money."

"Think it might be his daughter?"

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

She sat, tense, drumming her long elegant fingernails against the polished wood of the desk. She was angry, Stalker had saved Batman! That wasn't fair! She hadn't saved him when Stalker had been trying to kill him. Then again, Stalker might not have known it was her handiwork, Jokerz really were beneath her. He was probably just here for Claire.

The attacks had her name written all over them. Claire knew she was here. That's why she had started going after the Jokerz. Why did Claire even care? So what if she killed Batman? Why was Claire helping him? Even indirectly. Probably she was just trying to make her mother miserable. She sighed, while many argued she was incapable of any feeling, Claire was her one soft spot, she could never hurt her daughter.

Victoria stood up and walked to the large window and looked out over Gotham. Dawn was just starting to arrive. Dawn was her favorite time of the day. It always felt like a new beginning somehow. Like it could watch away the sins of her past, but this sky looked tainted, too dark to be a dawn, because he was out there. She had no weak spot for him like she did for their daughter, if she ever saw Stalker, her once-upon-a-time-lover, she would kill him.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"Sorry Claire, not tonight," Terry said as he walked towards the apartment.

"Geez, what the hell happened to you? You look terrible."

"Nothing, just a long day,"

"Are you sure it's not something a little hunting could fix?" She smiled at him, Terry looked at her. Her face. He had seen it before. Something about it was familiar, like he had seen it before, just not on her. No, that was the concussion talking, his thoughts weren't making any sense, and he had a headache. That was definitely the concussion.

"Not tonight," he repeated.

"Whatever," her smile was replaced by a face of stone. Suddenly Terry saw it. He knew who she was. The high cheekbones, those eyes, how had he not seen it before? Maybe if she had been bald…

"I have to go," he limped into the building.

a/n

Victoria and Claire are both o/c's

Stalker appeared in two episodes- I forget the title. In one he kidnaps Terry's brother as an attempt to get Batman's attention. Then he appears again to help track down a virus that Nelson Nash has unwittingly carried into Gotham.