The lights were dim in the Opera house. The occasional twinkle of fine jewelry from the upper class in the box seats illuminated the grand chandeliers above. Marti's delicate hand rested on the edge of her chair, holding tight to her opera glasses. Her gaze was fixed on the performance of Pagliacci on stage. To her right was her father, whose attention was equally fixed on the performance. The first act was nearly complete, and all in the opera house were waiting for the famous Vesti la Giubba. As Pagliacci took the stage, and threw his coat onto a crate, Bruce placed his hand on the back of Marti's chair, signaling to her the song was about to begin. She smiled, and leaned forward with anticipation. The light ting of the curtain rings sounded behind them, and in walked Barbara Gordon accompanied by two officers. Bruce turned, and looked at this interference, and instantly locked eyes with Barbara. Veronica motioned to stand, but Bruce held his hand up to stop her. Barbara walked over to Bruce, and and whispered in his ear. Bruce's brow went slack, and he turned to the still entranced Marti. He gently gripped her shoulder, and she whipped her head around. She took in a shocked breath when she saw Barbara, then looked to her father with wonder. Her lips parted, but she she did not speak. Reading her father's expression she knew this had something to do with her mother. Bruce gripped her hand, and signaled for them to leave the box. Before they left, he broke away from Marti, leaned over Veronica, and whispered his apologies to their early departure. She shook her head at him, kissed him on the cheek, and reached out to embrace Marti. There was nothing but concern on her face for the two of them.

Barbara ushered the two other officers out, and held the curtain for Bruce and Marti. Bruce had his arm around Marti, guiding her by the shoulder.

Once they were halfway down the hall, and out of earshot of the last box seat, Barbara cleared her throat and finally spoke. "I'm sorry to interrupt your evening like this."

"It's fine. Is she being held at the station?" Bruce asked, as he continued to lead Marti.

Barbara blinked hard with this, and took in a deep breath. "We'll talk more when we get there."

They rode in Barbara's separate patrol car. Though the station was a short distance, it seemed to take ages to get there as they sat in silence. As she pulled into the back lot of the station, Bruce spotted Jim Gordon waiting alone at the back door. Judging by his posture he looked more stressed than ever.

"Jim." Bruce began, as he and Marti walked up to meet him.

"Come with me." He said with a hollow tone, scanning his key card for the back lock. They walked down the long hall, passing many interrogation rooms, and small offices. They walked down one flight of stairs, and into the main coroner's office.

"The room is clear, and only me and Barbara know about this so far." Jim said, as he walked over to the back room, and turned on the main lights. Bruce could feel Marti's hand shake in his grasp. He gripped it lightly, and continued to escort the way.

In the center of the examination room was a body on the counter, covered with a white cloth.

"No…" Marti said through a quaked breath.

Jim walked to the opposite side of the table, and looked over to Bruce and Marti, who were still standing at the entrance. He took in a deep breath as he stood next to the body. "She was found in an abandoned warehouse. We cleaned her up a bit, but…" He bit at his lower lip, and turned his head away as he pulled the sheet up, revealing Andrea's lifeless discolored face.

Marti gasped at this, and her legs buckled. Bruce gripped her round as he caught her. But his arms shook from the shock.

"I'm sorry." Jim said as he folded the sheet down at her shoulders.

A few tears streamed down Bruce's face, as he looked at Andrea.

"We can't keep this secret Bruce. The Coroner has yet to complete the inspection. This looks to be tied to the hooded assailant."

Bruce gently freed his hand away from Marti's embrace, and wiped away his tears. "The media knows about Andrea Beaumont and father being tied to the Phantasm. I made it clear that Martha and I had no affiliation in that matter. But still…" Bruce looked down at Marti. "This vigilante is going after all ties to crime, innocent or not."

"We will keep her as a Jane Doe for now. Hopefully the media will not show interest in the Phantasm."

Bruce nodded in agreement with Jim.

Jim stood still for a moment, looking them over. Marti had her face partially buried in her father's side, and her gloved hands were gripping hard on his lapel. Bruce had a weak grip on her, and was trying his best to conceal his utter despair with this moment. Taking in an sniffled breath, Jim walked around the table. "I'll give you two a moment alone with her." He said as he closed the door behind him.

They did not budge from where they were for a good two minutes. Bruce eventually stepped forward, and lowered Marti down onto a stool next to a side counter. He walked slowly up to the main examination table, and looked over Andrea's paperwork. The air left his lungs when he saw the image of her knees.

Off to the side he spotted Marti, coming up slowly to her mother's side. Her arms were crossed, and her body quaked through her sniffled breaths. She gasped when she saw the bullet wound. Taking a few steps back she lowered her head. "The last time I saw her, she was threatening to kill me. Now… Well…"

Bruce put down the file, walked over to Marti, and held her by the shoulders.

She gripped his hands, and leaned her head back. "Every day I wished she would return to me. But now… I wish she would have stayed away."

Bruce hugged her from behind, resting his chin on top of her head he could feel the light sway of her body, as she wept in his embrace.