AN: Yeah, this would probably be me. Seriously, though, Gotham seems pretty divided as to whether Batman is a hero or raving lunatic. I'm thinking both. Somebody's got to stop the clown, but sometimes he goes from 'crazy prepared' to 'dude, that's a sign of extreme paranoia, you need help'.
Christineoftheopera-Jervis alarms me, a little. Always has. Very good with the drink-drugging.
Johanna Crane-Get. Off. NOW.
Just-Me-and-My-Brain-I'm protected by the power of plot.
Ow.
The problem with Gotham, she thought, was that there were too many alleys, and once you were in one-by choice or otherwise-your chances of not getting out increased dramatically.
Like now. They'd ducked down one-the police were shooting at them, and alleys were better than bullets-and not halfway through they'd been knocked into a pile of trash cans.
Batman sucked.
She was pretty certain she had a concussion, she just knew Jonathan had broken ribs-metal pipes were not meant to connect with chests-and he wasn't even done yet.
Maybe dropping by Gotham High's 'Career Day' had been a mistake. But in all fairness, crime was a career. It may have been frowned upon, but so was being a tax collector.
Ow.
A hand grabbed her shirt-if he was trying to cop a feel, he was going to be in a world of hurt!-and pulled her up.
You know, it was at times like this that she was reminded how short she was.
"Hey!"
Nobody moved. Interrupting these things never happened. Never. Fellow rogues? Oh, good, Bats is busy, walk faster. Police? Nothing to see here, move along.
"What are you doing?"
Oh dear god, she must be new.
Poor thing. Poor dumb thing.
The grip on her shirt loosened and she dropped back down, a trash lid digging into her back.
"Who is that?"
"No idea." He sounded out of it. "An idiot."
Well, that was a given.
The owner of the voice came into the alley, phone in hand.
"What is the matter with you?"
Fangirl? Didn't sound like it. Those had a distinctive shriek that could be heard several blocks away. Besides, they traveled in packs.
Batman was still looming over her, but he turned his body towards the newcomer. He looked frightening from this angle. In all honesty, he looked frightening from every angle. What was he, two hundred pounds of muscle and JUSTICE?
"What do you want." He sounded pissed, but that was his default setting. Under the pissy tone, she could hear confusion.
"What the hell are you doing? They're people! They're sick people!"
That bitch! She wasn't sick. Okay, so her moral compass was a little broken. Big deal.
Beside her, Jonathan was moving a little, one hand reaching for the fallen handgun. All right, nothing major was broken. That was good. Just the usual bumps and bruises, then.
She glanced at the Bat and began inching her way up as well. Ow. Ow. Ow.
"You can't manhandle people like that! What if you really hurt them?"
There was a beat of stunned silence. Then there was a gunshot and their unintentional savior went down, clutching her stomach and screaming.
"Run!"
She didn't think twice.
THE END