Hello readers! I hope you're doing well.

Nikki78: Thank you. I thought the previous chapters made it clear who 'The Bat' was, but stay tuned if you have doubts.

Fanfic-Reader-88: Steven has plenty of good options to cut a deal and hopefully live out his life in a secluded location for turning on the Mob.

Challenge King: Thank you. I hope you like this chapter.

Twilight Warrior 627: This is a crime drama/Noir piece with the dressing of a superhero lens, so there could a few who get what is coming to them.

Illusorygentleman just updated his horror story, so you should take a look. PD31 also updated an oldie 'Here's to Us', so check them out.

I also saw the Sam & Cat reunion episode… Jade thought Freddie was hot…

Rating: T Violence

Chapter 5

Robbie Shapiro's Apartment

The clock hanging in the living room ticked towards three in the morning when Robbie arrived home to his apartment after going through hearing a marathon session of confessions about crimes Steven had committed for the last five years on behalf of Mason and all the illegal schemes the Mob boss was running. He had thought about stopping by Cat's house and spending the rest of the night with her, but he realized he needed sleep more than 'playing pirates' with her. He'd at least give her a call before he went to bed.

The D.A. walked into his bedroom while pulling off his jacket and immediately noticed that his longtime puppet Rex was sitting on his bed braced up with his pillows and holding a stuffed manila envelope in his arms. Robbie threw his jacket into a chair and took a seat on the bed then picked up the puppet.

The pajama wearing puppet immediately came to life and spoke, "Someone left you a package."

"How did someone leave a package?"

Rex snapped, "I don't know; I was asleep when they broke in and moved me to the bed."

Robbie was flabbergasted as he shouted, "Someone broke in?!"

The puppet flippantly remarked, "Ah yeah. How else did they get in? All the windows and door are locked, so they just didn't walk inside."

"Who broke in?"

Rex snapped, somewhat irritated by what he thought of Robbie's stupid questions, "I don't know, I was asleep. You know I wear my sleeping mask to bed. I woke up and this was in my arms then I went back to bed."

The D.A. closed his eyes and softly shook his head, suppressing a sigh. He opened his eyes and cautiously looked at the envelope for a moment when Rex shouted, "Well aren't you going to open it?"

He pulled the envelope out of Rex's arms then laid the puppet down to open it. The content was a thick folder with a note taped on the top with the following words printed on it: 'A gift. The rest is in Rex's bed.'

Robbie frowned at someone knowing Rex's name as he hadn't been out in public since college and that was during shows he did to make money on the side to pay for it. He opened the folder and his eyes immediately almost popped out of his sockets as he read what where financial and true ownership records involving Mason with companies that he had suspected were front companies along side his legitimate businesses, but could never prove.

He started laughing to the point of near hysterics that it looked like had a treasure-trove on Mason along with whatever Steven could give him. In one night, he could bring down the entire Gotham Mob.

Beck Oliver's Apartment
Gotham City, NJ

At the same time as Robbie was having the best night of his life, Sam eagerly paced about the living room, ringing her hands in a nervous twitch as the television played GCN. She of course had slipped out of her dress hours ago—and another outfit for the late night/early morning excursion—and changed into a very short beige silky slip with the hem ending just past her bottom to go to bed, but sleep would not come to her.

The blonde was always cool under fire, literally at times, with only the occasional slip up when she was younger. However after earlier in the evening, she had been on edge. She had eaten a little on every one of her favorite foods, but it didn't calm her nerves so she was pacing and waiting to hear any late breaking news, even at this hour.

Beck lazily walked into the living room in a t-shirt and boxers, scratching the back of his head and letting out a soft yawn. He stopped at seeing the blonde's agitation yet still incredibly sexy appearance in her nightwear. He sat aside the latter fact and asked the obvious, "Can't sleep?"

She stopped her pacing and cocked her head to the side, giving him an incredulous expression.

He quietly asked, "You want to talk about what happened tonight?"

She crossed her arms under her chest, slightly raising it and flashing a little bit more of her cleavage. "I'm not interesting in sharing my feelings."

"I know that, but sometimes… you did… you did kill some of Steven's guys. You just can't brus—"

She snorted out in mild disgust, "That's not what's bothering me. They were scum and I'm not even talking about how they weren't any different than their buddies that would have hurt Cat if she had gotten in their way or could have shot Jade in the face. Good riddance. I don't see you all torn up with shooting that one guy in the face."

He frowned as she had been totally correct; he wasn't really bothered by killing the guy. He wasn't sure if that made him a coldhearted bastard or just someone that could compartmentalize the violence. He calmly asked, "Okay, then what's bothering you?"

"What's bothering me? What's bothering me?" She started laughing and throwing her hands up in the air. "Steven knows who we are and he's going to tell Robbie who we are because he didn't go splat on the pavement because of that bat-chick."

Beck cocked an eyebrow and replied in a casual manner, "You think Robbie is going to believe him? Really?"

Sam glanced away towards her left at the television to see the blonde continue to read the news.

Beck walked to her and wrapped his arms around her to just above her rear. He reassuringly whispered, "He's not going to believe him and besides, we're each others alibis. Everyone knows that we left Jade's house together and they're going to believe that you stayed over for the night."

She rested her arms on his biceps and the expression on her face showed that she wasn't entirely convinced that they had nothing to worry about. She spoke with a soft frown, "What about that woman dressed up as a bat? She might be able to identify us… she could come after us like she's been doing with all the street thugs."

The onetime inspiring actor laughed, "A nut dressed up in a bad Halloween costume? She'd make a fine witness in a courtroom and that's if she could identify me through all the makeup and if she wants to come after us… it didn't look to me that she could wear any kind of body arm under skin tight costume."

The blonde cocked her head to the side and looked at him with an un-approving expression.

"What? It wasn't hard to tell she was clearly a woman."

She rolled her eyes.

He softly chuckled then slightly pulled her closer to him. "Come on, let's go to bed."

She remarked in a tone that clearly indicated that she wanted to blow him off, "I'm still wind up."

He smiled to her in a near predatory manner and glanced down to her slightly pale cleavage, "Well, there are ways we could take care of that."

He didn't wait for an answer before he dipped his head to his right and started kissing along the left side of her neck.

She closed her eyes and softly hummed as the soft lips danced across her skin then across her collarbone and towards her shoulder after he pulled down the spaghetti strap over her shoulder. He slipped his hands down over the soft curvature of her behind then cupped each cheek through the silky material.

The blonde hopped and wrapped her legs around him and arms around his neck just as she hissed, "Bed, NOW!"

He laughed against the crook of her neck then turned to head for the bedroom.

Gotham Community General
Gotham, NJ

Steven clicked off the television and was finally trying to go to sleep after relaxing for a bit after his epic confession to every little crime that he could connect to Mason for the D.A. and the police detective. He could definitely use the sleep after tonight besides the fact that he had nearly been up for the last twenty-four hours.

However, that was not to be the case as the door to the private room opened and Mason walked inside, his bodyguards remaining outside.

Steven used every bit of his willpower not to display a look of panic. He quickly hid behind outrage as he shouted, "What are you doing here? How did you get past the cops? Even Dickers wouldn't let you in here."

Mason ignored him for a moment it took him to take a comfortable seat in one of the neighboring seats, crossing his legs and rested back in the seat. He smiled to Steven, but had an obvious underlining dark expression to it. "Even cops have to use the loo once in a while. It has been a very long night Steven and I would like to get to bed before the sun rose, but I wanted to check on you, so Steven, how are you?"

Steven glanced to his knee and spat in disgust, "I've been better."

"So I can see… if you hadn't tried to kill me, maybe you wouldn't have ended up here."

"Beck didn't try to kill me because of you. He had his own beef because of tonight. My boys were too stupid to shoot up his friend's house and threaten them… even stupider that one of my guys couldn't put a bullet in Beck's head."

Mason let a short snort out then remarked, "No, what was stupid was you to rob from the bloody cops then tried to have me killed. You're fortunate that it's only your knee that is a bloody mess because every hired gun was looking for you."

"Well I don't have to worry about that now and you can save your million dollars. No one can touch me now. Even Dickers couldn't arrange for me to have an accident without it looking obvious that you pulled the string. Shapiro wouldn't stop his investigation and he'd unravel that too."

Mason lazily smiled as he got up from his seat and crossed the short distance to stand to the right side of the bed. Steven looked up at him curiously for the hair of a second it took for the crime boss the throw out his hand grip the younger man by the throat and give a tight squeeze.

The mob boss gritted his teeth and looked upon the younger man with hatred in his eyes. "Or maybe I'll finish the job Beck or the crazy clown—or one in the same—started and throw you out this window and have them rule it a suicide?"

Steven gargled and clawed at Mason's hand while his other one desperately tried to grab the call help button, but the mob boss latched on to Steven's wrist with his other hand. Mason had maintained his physical fitness over the years and was able to lift Steven out of the bed by his throat and wrist then started dragging him to the window.

The young mob soldier uselessly flailed his good leg in trying to stand up as he was dragged towards. He tried punching Mason in the stomach as the elder gangster let his wrist go to open the latch and pushed open the window.

Mason deadlifted his attempted assassin to the windowsill and they looked each other in the eyes for another second, the younger man realizing he was about to die. The mob boss pushed and let go of Steven, sending the mob soldier tumbling backwards out of the window.

His shouts filled the night air for the few seconds it took him to hit the ground with a sickening squishing sound when he landed.

Mason pulled the window shut and straightened his blazer jacket. He muttered in disgust as he turned towards the door, "If you want someone dead, do it yourself."

He flicked the light switch off then slipped out the door without a second thought.

Beck Oliver Apartment
Sunday, June 25

The time was seven 'til nine in the morning as Freddie lightly rapped his knuckles on the door.

He only waited about a minute or so before the door opened to reveal a blonde with bed-hair flying every which way and wearing a short robe and from how lazily it was worn and tied, there was a strong possibility that she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. She smacked her lips and rubbed one off her eyes with a fist in an attempt to get the sleepiness out of it.

Freddie's brow slightly knotted and whispered in mild disbelief, "Melanie?"

The name seemed to instantly wake up the girl and rapidly blinked to clear her vision. She impatiently asked, "No, I'm her sister Sam. Who are you?"

Freddie cleared his throat and nervously answered, "Sam? Ah, it's nice to finally meet you—"

The blonde's voice became a little harsher as she asked, "Who are you?"

He smiled and offered his hand, "Oh, sorry, I'm Freddie Benson."

Sam glanced up and down at the reporter, ignoring his hand and snorted with mild disgust, "Freddie Benson? That's how you know Melanie; you're the guy that broke my sister's heart."

Freddie slipped on a slight frown, but kept his gaze on the blonde. "It wasn't my intention to hurt Melanie. I love her, but I just didn't return her feelings."

The blonde straightened up her robe and tightened the belt around her waist before taking a step forward to look up straight into his eyes. "Well maybe my intention is to hurt you?"

He quickly put on an impassive expression, knowing if he put on his usual meek expression she might take it as an opening to strike him from his knowledge of the young lady from her identical twin. Besides having no real desire to be hit, if she did take a swing on her from her bullying tendencies, things could get really complicated in trying to explain how she hurt herself striking him.

However, he was saved when Beck smoothly approached Sam from behind and wrapped his arms around her abdomen and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Sam, I don't think that's fair. We all have feelings for someone at some point and they may not return the feelings, but that doesn't mean they're a bad guy, besides is that anyway to speak to the guy that saved Jade's life last night?"

Freddie nervously laughed, "I think it was a little bit of both."

Sam looked over her shoulder to give Beck an 'Are you kidding me?' expression. "Saved her life? He hung on her all night long then tried to be all manly in trying to protect her from one of Steven's guys, but fell flat on his butt."

The reporter slightly frowned at hearing her mocking voice that sounded to him like various kids in high school that attempted to bully him. However, he turned it by softly retorting, "Like I said, it was a little bit of both and I was doing that because I was sent to do a piece on her for the Daily Planet."

"But I'd like the thank you for standing in front of a bullet for her," Beck politely remarked with an easy going smile. "Thank you."

The reported gave a half smile and politely nodded, "You're welcome."

"So what brings you by?"

"I'd like to get a quick statement from you if it's possible about last night and about the news this morning."

Sam rolled her eyes and sighed out in mild disgust before slipping out of Beck's arms to head back inside of the apartment.

"I was wondering when someone would want to interview about what had happened. We managed to dodge the Gotham Gazette last night, but I guess we couldn't dodge forever. It's okay though since you work for Jade."

"Well I'm here for a different reason than for them. I wanted your statement about the news after fundraiser… about some things you may not know about. May I come inside?"

Beck happily answered and motioned inside with a hand, "Of course. Would you like some coffee?"

Freddie took off his navy blue fedora, stepped inside and politely answered, "Thank you."

The onetime inspiring actor laughed as he led Freddie to the kitchen, "We haven't turned on any news this morning, so what have we missed?"

Freddie casually answered as he tried to ignore the quite unwelcoming expression from Sam as she poured herself a cup of coffee, "It broke pretty late last night—really very early morning, but someone tried to kill Steven Carson last night after killing a few gentlemen that worked for him—"

Beck turned in place, put on an even expression and calmly answered, "You'll pardon me if I don't shed any tears over it since he did threaten a few of my friends."

"I'm not all that torn up about it either because they chose to get into crime, but I thought I'd get your statement on the fact that he's said that you're the one that tried to kill him… as 'The Joker', the one that's been stealing from the Mob's gambling and drinking halls. He's trying to implicate you in trying to cut a deal with the D.A. or he was…"

Freddie noticed from the corner of his eye that Sam didn't even so much as blink at the accusation as she poured another cup of coffee then handed it to Beck.

The longer haired young man took a quick sip of his coffee then threw a grateful smile to the blonde before he casually remarked as if they were discussing the weather, "I'm 'The Joker'? I tried to kill him last night? Do I even have to bother making a denial of such a thing?"

"I don't know you well enough to make a judgment either way, but I'm betting readers would like to hear what you have to say."

Beck continued to smile as he played along, "Then for the record, it's a pretty easy denial for me. I'm not a criminal—though killing him I wouldn't think would be much of a crime—and Sam and I stayed here all night long. It was kind of traumatic experience for us."

"I would think so, you did have to kill a man last night."

He slightly frowned, losing some of that pretty boy façade. "Which was completely justified."

"I agree, I was just pointing out that justified ones can still be traumatic. My late-father fought in the Great War and I don't think he ever found really peace with what he had to do."

Beck nodded in understanding then turned to pour Freddie a cup of coffee as Sam appeared to have no intention of doing so after handing him a cup then taking seat at a small dining table in the kitchen.

As he was handing the cup to Freddie, the blonde asked in a short tone, "What do you mean he was?"

"Excuse me?"

The lovely blonde continued to look at him with an irritated expression and asked in a slow manner, "I said 'What do you mean Steven was trying to cut a deal?'"

Freddie cleared his throat and tried to answer with at least some respect for the dead, "Steven is dead… they're calling it a suicide after he jumped out of his hospital window real early this morning."

Beck looked flabbergasted towards the reporter as he uttered, "Suicide?"

Sam paused at the news of hearing of Steven's death and slowly sat her mug down on the table.

"Yes, but of course there are plenty of people that don't believe such a thing. I was hoping to speak with the D.A. to get his statement before his office released an official one, but I'd thought I'd speak to you first since you're the one Steven accused."

Beck casually walked to the table to have a seat next to Sam and replied, "You can count me as one that doesn't believe Steven would kill himself. I've known him too long. If he was cutting some deal with Robbie then he'd have all the incentive to live."

Freddie quickly sipped a bit of his coffee then took a seat across from the couple at the table and asked, "Then do you have someone in mind that would kill him?"

The taller young man shrugged a shoulder and remarked as if it was the most obvious answer in the world, "Easy, this Joker guy—the real one, whoever he is—came back and finished the job."

The reporter nodded along. "It's obvious of course assuming he wasn't the Joker all along since his guys robbed the fundraiser in the same getup as reported how the Joker and his crew robbed the gambling halls."

Beck nodded along and remarked, "I hadn't really thought about it that way. I guess being seriously accused of being a gangster will make you overlook the obvious."

"True, but that leaves the question of who tried to kill him the first time and who actually succeeded the second time if he did make up the Joker story from whole cloth."

Sam idly suggested, "Maybe it was that bat-chick all the crooks on the streets are afraid of?"

Freddie adjusted his glasses and knotted his brow as he asked with a blatantly confused voice, "'Bat-chick?'"

Beck quickly covered, "She means 'The Bat'. The boogieman to the thugs on the streets."

"That's an interesting way to describe 'The Bat'. Why do you think 'it' is a woman?"

Sam snapped back in an instant, "Why do you assume it's a man?"

Freddie softly laughed and quickly conceded the point, "You're right. Assuming a sex either way is just speculation, but there's no evidence that 'The Bat' has killed anyone, just left some street thugs beaten up for the police."

Beck raised his mug and added with a soft smirk, "But you can't say what could really be going on in a vigilante's mind."

The onetime farm boy raised his mug in acknowledgement before taking another sip. "True, but I hope to try to get into it since while I'm doing a piece on Miss West, I was hoping to do a serious story on 'The Bat' and possibly 'The Joker'."

The longer haired young man remarked, "That might be little tricky if Steven really was the Joker."

"It could be, but I still need to find his partner, the harlequin woman with him."

Sam hissed out in mild disgust, recalling Steven's remark about her, "Don't you mean sidekick?"

"No, they are obviously partners… similar to Bonnie and Clyde. She's still an avenue of investigation to pursue."

The blonde darkly remarked as she leaned forward against the table, inadvertently flashing a bit of her cleavage at the reporter, "You should be careful. She might put a bullet in you."

Beck's conscious mind was too slow to cover his mild shock at the threat she had made to the reporter unbeknownst to Freddie.

Freddie didn't miss a beat and softly retorted with a confident smile, "She just might, so I have to be careful."

Beck quickly changed the subject, not liking at all in the direction Sam had took the conversation, "Did they recover the money from last night?"

The glasses wearing young man turned his gaze back to the leaner young man and offhandedly remarked, "Not yet. Whoever tried to kill Steven the first time took all the money or he hid it somewhere and what is left of his criminal crew has it."

Beck confidently remarked, "I'm sure it'll turn up or his crew's bodies will start turning up. Stealing from dead cops' families… you're just asking for someone to whack you whether it is from other crooks or trigger happy cops."

"Let's hope so—not the bodies turning up part."

The gentlemen shared a quick laugh while Sam rolled her eyes and took another sip of her coffee.

Freddie finished his coffee then stood up and put his fedora back on his head. "Thank you for the hospitality, but I need to get going. I have to get to morning service then it is a busy day."

Beck stood up and laughed off, "You're welcome. Thank you for letting us know what happened and letting me know what to expect."

"You're welcome."

Freddie looked to Sam and politely nodded his head and whispered, "Sam."

She snorted out dismissively and took another sip of her coffee.

The reporter didn't give it a second thought about her disrespect though he didn't agree with it or appreciate it, he could understand that it was in regards to her feelings for her sister and how she thought he had done Melanie wrong.

Beck called out just as Freddie was reaching the door, "One last thing Freddie—can I call you Freddie?"

Freddie turned and nodded along, "Of course."

"How's Jade? We left before you and since we're just getting up, we haven't had a chance to call to hear how she's doing,"

Sam sat up straight in her seat and looked towards the pair, her interest clearly peaked at hearing him mention his high school ex.

Freddie answered with a boyish smile, "When I left last night she seemed fine. Her hand was a little sore from punching out one of Steven's guys, but I put some ice on it and she seemed fine."

Beck with a bright smile opened the door for Freddie. "I'm relieved to hear. Well, thanks again. I'll see you around."

"Sure, take care," Freddie remarked as he exited the apartment.

The secret mob captain blew out a breath, relieved that he could drop the act even if he enjoyed acting. He turned to head back to the kitchen to start breakfast, but immediately stopped him in his tracks.

Sam had in nearly a blink of an eye took a seat on the edge of the round table and loosened her short robe to loosely hang on her, showing the centerline of her chest down to her navel but covering her crotch. She cocked her head to her right, letting her hair fall behind her and expose her neck while her fingertips trial done her upper chest between her breasts then resting over her silk covered crotch. She whispered in a frothy voice, "Do you want some breakfast?"

Where her hand was resting on her, he clearly understood that she didn't mean that she was going to fix him some food. He didn't know what had gotten into her, but he wasn't going to argue as he quickly walked over to her and knelt between her legs…

District Attorney's Office
Gotham City

The day may have been Sunday, but Robbie sat back in his office chair, resting the side of his forehead against the palm of his head being braced by his elbow against the armrest. He had been disturbed from his sleep nearly an hour after he finally got to bed after his joyful celebration with the news that his key witness and turned mobster was now a squishy mess on the hospital property or more up-to-date in their morgue. He was working on just an hour of sleep, a few catnaps and plenty of cups of coffee and it was still a very long day ahead of them.

As exhausted as he felt, Detective Vega was just as livid as he paced about the office. He snarled out in frustration, "A damn suicide! If that is the official ruling we won't be able to use anything that he told us. The judge will throw it all out because Mason couldn't confront 'his witness against him' and being unavailable is not his fault and all of Carson's so-called records are gone with his apartment and offices conveniently trashed before we could get there…"

Robbie sat up in his chair and calmly remarked, "What Dickers' investigators determine is out of my hands."

Vega stopped in his tracks and snapped, "Even if he was one of the ones Carson implicated. That doesn't scream 'conflict of interests'? I know he tipped off Mason to have Carson's places turned upside down."

"We can't prove such a thing because it was just Steven's word in the first place and that's an assumption on your part."

Vega blew out a frustrated breath and rhetorically asked, "So Mason gets away with it?"

"Can you prove that he or someone on his behalf killed Steven? I could pursue the death penalty for murdering a witness."

The detective turned in place and shook his head. "Of course not. The officers on duty said they alternated leaving their post to get coffee or used the restroom, so at least one was on duty at all time and that would have only giving someone a few minutes to slip inside and throw Carson out the window."

"Do you believe them?"

"Who, the officers? I didn't question them, Gary did."

"Do you trust Gary's judgment?"

Vega let out a soft breath and softly shook his head. "I… I have my doubts."

"Maybe you should question them? Get them to break their stories?"

"He's my partner; I can't openly second guess him or even look like I don't trust his judgment."

Robbie slumped back in his seat while Vega took a seat.

The pair sat in frustrated silence at losing out on their big break. Through the hectic morning with the news of Carson's death and investigation, the D.A. had been able to inform Vega about the material that had dropped in Rex's lap on Mason. It was a break in of itself and a happy one at that, but it was only a place to start a lengthy investigation that could take weeks or even months to unravel Mason's money laundering operation then they would have the trouble of explaining how they originally got the information.

The only fortunate thing about Carson's death was that it was a perfect excuse in delaying informing Mason that they had 'recovered' his stolen property.

As each tried to figure out their next step, an idea struck Robbie and he quickly sat up in his seat and leaned forward. "Hey, maybe we can get that reporter fellow following Jade around? It wouldn't be suspicious at all for him to talk with them."

"Would he be willing to share what he found out with us?"

"If he's investigating it for a story, he'll tell everyone when it goes to print."

The detective nodded along, quickly seeing that it could be a viable plan. "We'd have to let their names slip to him, but how?"

Robbie thought for a moment then got another very bright idea. "How do you feel about lunch at Jade's? I can grab Cat and you can get Tori and it would look like a reunion lunch as kind of a welcome home to Tori. It would look completely innocent and no one could question it."

Detective Vega chuckled, "I could use some lunch."

The D.A. looked to the clock on the wall ticking towards ten then mumbled in return as he stood up, "I could use a nap."

Vega got up from his seat before heading towards the door. "I'll let you get a nap while I go home and suggest the idea to Tori. I'll see you in a few hours Mister Shapiro."

Robbie crashed on his couch in the office and waved, "Thanks."

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a little more setup, but I believe it will be quite worth it for the upcoming ones. Take care and I hope to have a new update for 'iGuess We're Roomies' up very soon.