DittyWrites - I blame you for my ScaredyCat feelings. Like, for real. You.
Guest - You asked for more Firefly, you got more...he probably won't be up and about for much, but he's alert and awake.
laal ratty - I am in support of Scarecrow and Batman crime fighting duo, but have you considered Nightwing and Scarecrow for a runner up?
Kamishi - Yours was actually one the kindest and most flattering reviews I've ever gotten. You've effectively stroked my ego! Thank you so much for that review. It's reviews like that which keep me writing!
Birdlover123 - Oops, guess Crane spilled the beans, but I'm hoping while Batman is chasing things down and causing a distraction, it'll give our rogues enough time to really get to the bottom of it.
Chapter Nineteen: Pod People
Passing under the blue lights of Gotham's city streets, Crane remained still, arms folded, every nerve alert and every muscle tensed.
Beside him none other than the Dark Knight himself drove, passing them smoothly through the sleeping city.
Feeling only a little like he was a teenager again being chauffeured to school, Crane almost wanted to wish himself into the cornfield if only to escape the godawful awkward silence.
"For the record," Crane began, spitting his words out from between a clenched jaw. "You did not capture me, I allowed myself to be spirited away by you."
"Does your ego require this?" Batman demanded.
"Does your ego ever tell you that perhaps people would like you a lot more if you didn't scold, taunt and otherwise make them ungodly uncomfortable?" The good Doctor snapped. "Because as of this moment, I remember why it is you are not beloved."
"Only by those who break the law."
Rolling his eyes, Crane bit his tongue and decided to be the better man and not play Batman's little game.
"Don't sit over there like a petulant child, Crane, just tell me what the hell is going on."
"I have no clue what you elude to."
"Really? Because I have a half dead Firefly laying on a bed somewhere and there's plenty of fully dead criminals dropping like flies in my city."
"Oh, the arrogance," Crane purred. "My city. How typical of a man who borders on narcissistic."
"You and I both know I have a lot of issues, but narcissism is not one of them."
"If you must insist on that to save your ego, then you may very well claim it, however you and I also know that a man who dresses like a bat and wanders the night punishing those he perceives as wicked is not the man in his right frame of mind to analyse his own brain."
"Do you ever just listen to yourself, Crane?"
"No," Crane replied easily. "Unlike some, I don't care to hear the sound of my own voice."
Batman all but released a deep sigh and the vehicle picked up speed.
"So," Crane went on, "am I to assume this is the infamous and eponymous Batmobile of legend?"
"I built it myself," Batman growled.
"Of course you did," Crane replied with a small grin.
Slamming hard on the brakes, Batman turned to Crane. "Wait here," he commanded, reaching over and quickly snapping a pair of handcuffs onto Crane's wrist, connecting them to a ring built into the dash for what Crane assumed was that purpose.
"Is there a second option available to me?" He demanded, eyeing the warehouse they were parked by through the windshield.
"No."
Almost as soon as the Bat was out of sight, Crane slipped his cuffs and got out of the vehicle.
He wasn't so simple as to assume the warehouse was where Batman operated out of, but he was still curious as to what was inside as the Bat seemed to duck into it earlier.
Through a window he peered into the large, empty shell of a building to a single hospital bed set out in the very centre of it and the form lying prone on it that Batman towered over.
Curious, Crane eased open the door and slipped inside to approach.
Firefly lay in the bed, pale and sweaty and looking like death reheated.
"I'm shocked you have no security posted," Crane murmured as he stepped up beside Batman to peer down at Firefly.
Batman turned to Crane, eyeing him quietly for a moment, before his eyes raised to the rafters above them.
Crane turned his face upwards and found Nightwing perched there.
The man in blue and black waved almost mockingly.
"Oh, wonderful, two of you." Crane muttered, leaning down to bring himself face to face with Firefly, their noses almost touching. If it wasn't for the soft beeping of the heart monitor machine, Crane would have said the man was dead. He was so still, like clay. It didn't escape Jonathan, that he was also strapped down like a common criminal.
"Do you feel like sharing with us what's going on yet?" Batman asked.
"Catwoman is missing and if I don't find her soon I fear the worst may happen."
"Sounds like you kind of care what happens to her, Crane," Nightwing taunted.
"I refuse to hold a conversation with someone who monkeys about in the rafters," Crane snarled.
Nightwing dropped easily and approached.
Beckoning the boy in close, Crane said, "come closer and I'll tell you all about the world."
Unafraid, Nightwing leaned in.
So close their foreheads were nearly touching, Crane smirked and whispered, "I don't trust you, child, so why would I share anything with you?"
"Maybe because you're being hunted," Nightwing impertinently whispered back.
"Am I? How exciting."
Turning back to Firefly, Crane crooked his eyebrow at the man. "There is always a predator for every animal."
"Not man," Nightwing replied.
"Oh, the arrogance," Crane murmured, feeling like this was a line he would have to refrain from using around the two 'heroes' since it was a line he felt pertained to them both far too often.
"Criminals are dying," Batman reminded him grimly.
"People," Crane returned. "People are dying." Turning to the Bat, Crane was prepared to continue this game of making Batman's job impossible, but as soon as he did, he recalled Selina and the danger she was in being separated from them. "Until you recognize us as such, then there is no reason in my mind why I should impart any of my knowledge with you."
"Tell us what's going on," Nightwing said. "So we can help your friends, Crane."
"Friends?!" Crane barked, laughing deeply. "Have I referred to them as such, child?"
"We're moving in circles," Batman growled.
"It's a fun dance, isn't it?" Crane purred, easing his ass onto the side of Firefly's bed and perching there calmly. "Where's the girl? I like her, she's sympathetic to us lesser Gods."
"Batgirl's on vacation," Nightwing said. "Just me and Batman and Robin makes three."
"Oh! The boy is here? I do so like him! Easy to scare."
"Crane," Batman warned.
"We want to help," Nightwing said in a tone of voice much kinder to Crane's ears than the Bat's.
Watching the younger man as he eased down beside him, Crane was struck by how much he found he could actually trust this one more than Batman. It was almost like Crane...liked the child? Curious.
"If you tell me what's going on, maybe we can be allies for now," Nightwing went on.
"And after? When this is over?"
"You have to go back to Arkham, Crane," Batman broke in.
"Suddenly I'm not interested in talking," Crane replied to spite the Bat.
Nightwing gave Batman a simple look and the taller man headed off for the shadows, leaving Crane and he alone.
"I would have talked to the Bat eventually," Crane said to the boy. "But this works better. Catwoman could be in very real danger. Not that I care."
"I'm all ears, Professor," Nightwing said.
And so, sitting on the edge of Firefly's hospital bed, Crane looked directly at Nightwing and told him the whole story, not leaving out a single piece of the story, wanting the child to be properly caught up.
"Did you catch all of that?" Crane asked loudly as he finished.
Batman, whom he had no doubt was lingering just in the shadows, emerged and nodded once.
"Where's the Riddler now?" Batman demanded.
Pretending to think hard on the question, Crane exhaled loudly. "Ariadne's maze? Atlantis? Perhaps in Minos?"
"Crane," Batman growled.
"I told you what's happening, Batman, you don't think I would give up my companions' location. Not even to you."
"We could better equip them, give them added security," Nightwing suggested.
"Child," Crane began, "one does not become a criminal without learning a few dirty tricks with a gun."
"Dirty tricks with a gun doesn't help when hands are needed," Batman stated.
"This isn't the small village from The Magnificent Seven, Batman," Crane pointed out. "All the hands in the wild west wouldn't help against this. We have no idea who or what we're dealing with, all we have are theories and shots in the dark."
Feeling a feeble tug at his shirt, Crane went into defense mode, leaping from the bed, ready to fight.
Sharp eyes were alert, gazing at him languidly, possibly drugged to high hell after his ordeal.
"Lynns," Crane breathed, before remembering himself and straightening. "Firefly."
A shaking hand motioned to the incubator in his throat and Batman moved forward to help the man remove it.
Nightwing offered Firefly a sip of water after the deed was done and grudgingly the wild beast took it, looking like he'd rather be dead than be helped to drink by Nightwing.
"You should relax," Batman suggested, towering over Firefly like a gargoyle.
"Wonderful bedside manner," Crane grumbled, pushing the man aside and easing down to Firefly's level. "You're being tended to, my friend."
Firefly seemed to be struggling to speak.
"Relax," Crane purred. "Just relax. You're awake, so I'm assuming you'll be fine."
Firefly seemed to dislike this and scowled deeply.
"You were stabbed with a sword," Nightwing said. "But we fixed you up. I wouldn't move much though, the only thing holding your guts in are some stitches and crazy glue."
Feebly, Firefly shoved at Nightwing as though trying to get the boy away from him.
"You're not helping as much as you think, child," Crane suggested, moving in closer to Nightwing as the man, still groggy and heavily drugged open his mouth and attempted to speak. "Relax, my friend. Moving will most certainly do you no good."
Firefly's eyes flicked to Batman who was no doubt hovering over Crane's shoulder and Crane smirked. "I know, he's here, but just ignore him. I think he may have saved your life."
Firefly grimaced.
"Just try not to think about it." Crane sat up a little straighter. "You two had best go on to search for Catwoman. I'll remain here with Firefly."
"You're not being left alone," Batman said. "I'll go search, you can remain with Nightwing to watch over Firefly."
"Or, and this may be my craziest idea ever, you get a real doctor in here and let me go. My bedside manner ends at midnight and you don't want me to turn into a pumpkin, do you?" Crane snarled.
"Watch him," Batman growled to Nightwing and wandered off into the shadows.
Crane folded his arms.
"Dick," Firefly rasped weakly as though it took all his strength to utter that one word.
"Complete and utter." Crane agreed.