In the Shadow of the Bat

Doom Patrol

Once upon a time, an idealistic scientist gathered together three people whom through no fault of their own were transformed and gained superpowers.

This was, basically a lie.

The three learned their 'benefactor' had actually arranged the accidents that transformed them. Worse, he wanted to do something like that to the whole world. Together they managed to stop him, saving the world... for various values of saving.

But that wasn't the end. Banding together with others like them, they continued to protect the world, as the Doom Patrol. But time passed, things happened and the group eventually disbanded...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Detective," Cliff Steele nodded respectfully.

Renee Montoya took in the literal Robotman who was in her office in Gotham. His entire organic body had been ruined in a race car crash, and his brain was transplanted to a mechanical replacement. He also didn't even look human, with a boxy metal body and an only vaguely humanoid looking face.

"Well, I have some good news," Renee said.

"Yeah? I could use good news," Cliff said in his artificial voice.

"I have a lead on your missing teammate, Kate," Renee said. "Money from the joint account your team used was accessed to buy a cabin, in Washington State." She handed him a print out with the address on it.

"How did I not know...?" Cliff wondered.

"Lots of little transfers, all looking normal," Renee said. "If I hadn't had an expert helping me, I wouldn't have caught it."

"Thank you," Cliff started to get up.

"I also searched for death notices, etc etc for the two friends you mentioned," Renee quickly added, "Kate and Dorothy."

"Yeah?" Cliff asked warily. He clearly wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"Nothing comes up locally or federally," Renee told him. "It doesn't necessarily mean their alive, but...," she shrugged.

Cliff puffed out a breath and nodded, "Thank you for your help."

"You paid," Renee shrugged. She added, "Good luck."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

At one point, Cliff had thought all the members of Doom Patrol were dead. (Long story.) A businessman named Thayer Jost approached a copy of Cliff (Also a Long Story) and convinced him he owned the rights to the name Doom Patrol. And that past Doom Patrol member Dorothy Spinner had killed another Patrol member via psychic power overload.

At the time, it had all seemed fairly reasonable...

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Cliff was driving a rented SUV into Washington State, then went east of Bellingham and up into the mountains. He had an inexact map based on Renee's info, but figured he could find the little mining town near Mt Baker.

His teammates Rita Farr (Elasti Girl) and Larry Trainor (Negative Man) had both volunteered to come out with him, but Cliff turned them down. Neither had been really close to Dorothy and Kate, and he wanted to look into this himself.

Plus it could be a wild goose chase anyway.

The 'road' went from paved to basically gravel, and Cliff bumped along as he kept an eye out for anything odd. He went up a hill towards a wooded area, and realized he'd hit the plot the map said. He pulled up to a wooden fence, then got out and walked to the gate.

"Hello!" Cliff called out.

Cliff tried the gate, noting it was unlocked, then went in. There was a path, and he could see a house at the end of the pathway. He walked on, even as he kept an eye out for attackers and such. Whomever was here might want their privacy...

"Hello, anyone here?" Cliff tried again.

The door to the cabin opened and a attractive, brown haired woman emerged, blinking in surprise. "Cliff?" Kate Godwin blinked.

"Kate!" Cliff would have grinned if he could, "You're alive!"

"Damn, it's good to see you, Cliff," Kate hugged him, then looked at him curiously, "How did you find us?"

"Us?" Cliff echoed, "So, Dorothy is...?"

"Dorothy is... complicated," Kate admitted.

The two ended up sitting on two chairs out on the cabin porch, looking out over the property as Kate nursed a coffee.

"So you both faked your deaths," Cliff said quietly. "Why?"

"Dorothy's power is out of control," Kate said flatly. She looked up, "Thayer told you...?"

"Supposedly Dorothy killed you when she lost control," Cliff nodded.

"That actually happened," Kate nodded, "but it was George and Marion, the Bandage People, who died."

"I'm sorry," Cliff sighed remembering the two bandage covered energy beings who had joined the Patrol, "I liked 'em."

"We had been contacted by Thayer when he wanted to start his own team," Kate admitted, "and we used him to help fake our deaths. Dorothy created a copy of herself, that you later saw, and we took off out here."

"And Dorothy?" Cliff asked.

"I keep her sedated," Kate admitted frankly. "I wake her up every few days to check on her, but otherwise it's safer to keep her out."

Cliff cursed quietly. "I'm sorry you've had to take care of all this," he said.

"Someone had to," Kate shrugged, "and I didn't trust leaving her with someone like the Chief. Or letting a villain get a hold of her."

"Yeah, that's a scary thought," Cliff agreed. "Can I look in on her?"

"Yeah, come on," Kate nodded.

The literally monkey faced girl slept in a medical bad, a IV in her arm. Her expression was calm and peaceful, and the room smelled of flowers and medicine.

"Hey, kid," Cliff sighed quietly. He stood for a moment, watching, then left the room.

They stood outside a moment, Cliff looking off into the distance. "I figure you don't want me visiting too often?" he asked.

"I'd like to keep a low profile," Kate admitted.

"Fair," Cliff said, "but call me, okay? Email, whatever. And if you need ANYTHING, ask."

"I will, promise," Kate agreed.

Cliff added, "You okay being out here on your own? I mean..."

Kate chuckled, "There's a town not THAT far away. Trust me, I'm not lonely."

Cliff hugged her, a bit awkwardly. "Take care of yourself."

"You too," Kate said as he walked away.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Well, hello again," Renee Montoya noted a few days later.

Cliff Steel nodded, "Thank you for the help, I found what I was looking for."

"So what can I do for you?" Renee checked.

Cliff sat awkwardly, "Can you print up how you found 'em? In detail?"

Renee frowned, "Why?"

"My friends and I wanna erase whatever traces are left," Cliff admitted.

Renee raised her eyebrows, "Is it urgent?"

"Lives might ultimately be in danger," Cliff nodded.

"Right," Renee nodded, "I know a hacker named Oracle, they can probably help..."

To be continued...

Notes: I really, REALLY hated one Doom Patrol series, where the fridged all the oddball characters and tried to reboot it as a regular superhero book. They also killed off one of the first canon trans comics characters, Coagula aka Kate Godwin. So I decided they faked their deaths.

I know, short chapter. I've been sick.