"Uncle Bruce, we need to go get him. I can't just sit here while my mother's killer goes running around."
"Not yet."
Silverfang's glare didn't faze him, and Batman sighed.
"You say he left you in the hospital before it blew up?"
"Yeah."
"Then he thinks your dead."
Starting to understand, she smirked.
"Sneak attack?"
"Exactly."
"How are we going to find him?"
"I have that covered. Do you think you can track him down?"
"I have four of the best noses in the city on it. I'll find him."
AJ barked happily in agreement, tail wagging, as Silverfang told the trio of canines to fan out.
Checking her cell, she smiled.
"Call if you find anything."
"I will, don't worry."
The pair parted ways with one thing on their minds…
Finding Joker…
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking at the building from an opposite rooftop, Silverfang scoffed as Blizzard bristled at her side.
Midnight stared at it expectantly, hackles rising, as AJ fidgeted, looking up at her owner anxiously.
The wolf-girl looked up at Batman expectantly, tail stiff and ears perked.
Gordan was fidgety, ready to give the order to shoot, but Silverfang shook her head…
'Too easy…'
It was written across her face, and Batman agreed.
"Give us five minutes."
"We don't have time! Those people could blow each other up any minute!"
"They won't." Silverfang replied, looking completely sure of that fact.
"How do you know?"
"Trust me."
"Silverfang, you stay here."
"But-!"
"Stay."
Glaring a bit at the command, she nodded, ears laying back as he flew across the street.
Gordan got a phone call, and she caught the hysterics from the other end.
Turning to him, her ears twitched and her tail swayed slightly.
"Gordan?"
"My family's in trouble."
Remembering his wife and two little kids, Silverfang's eyes turned worried.
"Let's go."
Following him off the rooftop, she told her trio of canines to go back to the penthouse before following the cop car.
Her heart clenched as she recognized the burned husk of the building she'd been in trying to save her mother…
Gordan looked at her curiously, seeing as she seemed frozen.
"I'm fine." She assured, seeing his look.
"You go in and approach him. I'll stay in the shadows. I won't let anything happen to your family."
"How do you know he won't be expecting you?"
"He won't."
"Why?"
Her eyes seemed hidden in shadows by her hat as she turned to 'hide' herself…
"He thinks I'm dead."
Gordan stayed silent, absorbing that information, as the shadows swallowed Silverfang whole…
But he couldn't help imagining the light playing tricks on his eyes, because the hurt look in her eyes made him remember Alex…
Silverfang followed him silently through the burned carcass of a structure, swinging up and crouching on hidden beams.
When Gordan was struck to the floor as his family whimpered, the wolf-girl held back a growl…
Harvey seemed rightfully enraged, but she couldn't bear to think that she might have to hurt him…
Her mother had cared for him…
Closing her eyes as his roughened voice threatened the family…
Jimmy's frightened cry had crystal eyes bolting open, and Silverfang almost moved as she saw a gun at his temple.
Batman arrived and stopped him, telling Dent to point the gun at those responsible for what happened to Rachel.
Harvey aimed the weapon at the caped crusader, but Silverfang jumped down between them before he could flip his coin.
"You?! How are you still alive?" Two-Face demanded.
"I thought you'd be happy to see me…" She admitted softly, smile sad as her ears lay back against her hair and her tail lowered…
"After all, you always said I was like my mother…"
He seemed almost confused until recognition crossed his face…
"Alex…"
"Yeah…"
Her smile fell a bit, and she took a tentative step forward…
"Don't blame them for what happened…It wasn't any of their fault…"
Tears brimmed in her eyes, but Alex managed to keep them at bay…
"It was mine."
"What are you talking about?"
"I was with her when it was set off…She managed to get me near a window before the explosion…"
Biting her lip almost hard enough to bleed, she held back a sob…
"I didn't have time to save her, too…"
Managing to suppress her raw emotions, Alex looked up at him with all the seriousness her petite body could muster up.
"If you're going to shoot anyone for what happened, then shoot me."
Batman almost grabbed her shoulder, pulled her behind him for protection…
The doctors had made it clear that she'd barely made it through being shot once, even if her healing seemed accelerated.
If she was shot again, she would most likely die…
Alex wasn't about to back down from this, however.
She felt she deserved a punishment for her failure, and, subconsciously, this was her way of making things fair.
Her mother had lost her life protecting her daughter, and Alex would most likely lose her own protecting Jimmy…
Harvey looked at his coin, and flipped it as she looked over her shoulder at Batman.
"Protect Jimmy."
Dent looked at the face of the coin staring back at him before thunder cracked the air…
Mouth opening in a silent cry, Alex stumbled back a bit as blood swelled up in her stomach once more…
Knees shaking beneath her weight, the blonde put her hands to the wound in a futile attempt to stop the life-fluid's escape…
Before the gun barrel could be pointed at the boy's head once more, Batman tackled Two-Face, the pair disappearing from sight.
Gordan's wife, Barbara, rushed to Alex's side as the wolf-girl crumpled to her knees.
Remembering the smiling little girl she'd babysat, and forever grateful for her son's life, she helped put pressure on the hole.
Crystal eyes were fluttering closed, and Alex coughed weakly…
Consciousness slipped away…
Batman could tell she wouldn't be safe with him at the moment, and turned to Gordan.
"Tell them Silverfang wasn't involved. Give her this and take her to the hospital."
The commissioner looked at the little vial doubtfully, nodding.
"I will. Don't worry about her."
Looking up, he saw the caped crusader running off as Jimmy climbed down to see what had happened.
"…He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight."