Hi, Orion here again.

So this is late as all hell, but I wanna wish everyone a Merry Christmas! As promised, here's the next chapter. I've really gotten into this, and honestly it's been a fun project so far! As always, I look forward to any and all freeback and reviews you readers have to offer.

Other than that, enjoy!

Halloween went… actually okay, in James' opinion. It was just him meeting with Essen and the rest of his team, and honestly, it could have gone worse. Detective Flass was certainly a character. The exact sort that Essen had warned him about. The moment that he and James had met, there was already something off about the guy.

The man was all smiles and good looks, the kind that James had seen in high school. The football stars that never grew up, always flying off their athletics and size. James had dealt with enough of these guys when he was in basic. It should have been a cakewalk to handle him.

But it was the eyes that had made him pause. He almost reminded James of the spooks, back when he had been deployed.

The type of people that would likely shoot you in the back if things got too heated, or always sniffed around for a way to get their promotion, maybe even get a new thousand dollar suit to top it all off. He could see why Essen wasn't a fan of the man.

It didn't help that James spotted something before Essen had introduced him to the team. Loeb and Flass, talking to one another in hushed tones. No clue what the pair had said. But they had shaken hands. If Loeb was the slime that kept all the hands around here sticky, Arnold Flass was the one who kept up the appearances.

Of course, this was just speculation. A part of James wanted to believe that not everyone he was meeting in Gotham would be a horrible or crooked person. Essen was proof of that. Maybe appearances could be deceiving. Maybe Flass was a decent man, under all the things that James had seen and heard. But that was too many 'maybes' for James to rely on faith alone.

So as Halloween came and went, James wrote up a file on Flass, one he would keep at home. Just something to make notes out of. If he was wrong, that'd be the end of it. If he wasn't… well, at least he had something to start off with.

Of course, settling into the unit was something that would take a bit. James, if anything, was adaptable at least. With Essen there to back him up, he was able to at least get a lay of the land. Understand just what they were likely dealing with, especially when it came to the 'giant bat'.

James still couldn't believe it. A giant bat loose in Gotham, and one that was beating up criminals to boot! It was almost something out of a kid's show, with how absurd that it was. Logically, there had to be an explanation for this. Sometimes, however, logic meant evidence.

That's what led James here, exploring yet another of the sites where something 'dark and fast' had swooped in, and beat a group of men into a nearly unrecognizable pulp. Of course, when records came back on just who the unknown had beaten, James was certainly more curious now than before.

Alleged members of the Maroni Crime family. 'Alleged', meaning that they couldn't get anything solid on these guys, not yet. James had done his homework, and he knew people like this were bound to show up. It wasn't just the petty criminals this thing was going after, but also the big dogs.

And here they were, trying to either rob or attack a business that 'might' have been related to one of their rivals. Of course, no one saw anything. Nothing that would have stood out. That was just how things were. But even then, there were still clues. Bits and pieces of small things that anyone else would have missed, if they weren't looking, at least.

Waving around a flashlight, something had finally caught James' eyes. In one corner, near where the men had been found, the ground looked damaged. He frowned, moving to one knee to inspect it further.

After making sure to put on disposable gloves — because this could have been evidence, of course, but also because this was Gotham and James didn't want to take any risks — he ran his hand across the blackened areas of concrete. Bringing up one finger, he frowned upon seeing the stain. It looked like soot. Bringing it closer to his face, James waved his other hand closer, trying to get an idea of the fumes. He almost flinched back as soon as they struck his nose, internally cursing.

Sulfur. James had only really smelled it back when he was deployed. Really, they were only ever used for one thing, in his experience. Smoke grenades. It hadn't been just a random occurrence, back at the bank, or a fire in the chaos, like one squad member had suggested. Whatever, or more than likely now whoever this was, they were using smoke grenades.

Standing up, James waved over one of the CSI members, who was checking over something or another.

"Get a sample of this stuff. I wanna see what this is. Put a rush order in if you have to." James ordered. The man didn't hesitate, already bringing out a small sample bag. Walking over, he could see Essen moving over to intercept him. The look on her face spelled trouble. Or annoyance. James couldn't help but pity the fool that had gained her ire.

"I shouldn't be surprised, but there are no witnesses. Aside from the people that were attacked, it seems everyone's either gone blind or deaf. You able to find anything?"

James nodded back towards where he had spotted the residue.

"Found some damage on the concrete. Seems whatever did it caused a bang. Smelled like sulfur."

"Sulfur? Wait a sec…"

Essen reached into one pocket, bringing out a notepad she had been scribbling in earlier. She was old school like that. Jim was too, and he could respect it.

"The only one conscious did mention a black cloud. It could have just been a figment of their imagination but if they smelled sulfur that would mean… Wait. You're kidding me," Essen blinked, then let out a short chuckle as she glanced back in the direction James had pointed towards. "You're telling me that our giant bat was using smoke grenades?"

"Seems to be. And it might not be the only one. Let's try and focus our search. I'm thinking…" James paused, pointing over to one section by them. "Head ten feet that way. I've got a hunch here. If I'm right, there's something we can add to this."

Essen looked at James for a moment, eyes narrowed. Then she smirked.

"Knew having you around would make a difference. Alright Jim. Let's see if your idea holds up."

With that, she marched off in the direction James had pointed out. He was about to start following her, only to pause. Something gnawed at the back of his mind, something he was clearly missing. He brought out his own notepad, checking over details from the last time this thing… person had been out.

The bank crew hadn't had much luck in spotting their attacker. Same with the mugger who had gotten dragged away. But the family? They, even the kid, had noted that the 'giant bat' had in their own words 'swooped in'.

Swooped. Almost as if…

His brow furrowed, James slowly looked up.

"Son of a bitch. He's using the rooftops."

It was a leap, that much was for sure, and it had taken some convincing to actually get their captain to let James get up here, and god if he wasn't already regretting that decision.

James hated heights. Sure he could manage on a plane, or when he was inside a tall building, but actually looking over a rooftop, checking out if his hunch held any merit.

He bit back a curse as he made the mistake of glancing over the side. Yep, that was regret, alright. But he still had a job to do.

James forced his gaze away from the edge, back onto the rooftop itself. He brought out his flashlight, glancing around to see if there were any indications about his theory. So after much reluctance, he slowly moved forward, finding the spot above where the men had been attacked.

He was cold now. Christ, had it been snowing already? November had just gotten here.

He stopped right before the edge, shining his flashlight down. There it was.

Footprints. Not his, given that they had come running in from the exact opposite direction that James had entered the rooftop, from where the entrance was. Whoever this was, they had likely gotten here from yet another rooftop.

Then they reappeared, and following them revealed the perpetrator had likely jumped off of this rooftop as well. Grabbing his radio, James couldn't hide the satisfied grin on his face.

"Essen. We're gonna need more of the CSI team up here. I got something, and I don't want to risk contamination while it's still fresh." Even as he said this, James was snapping what pictures he could.

"Belay that order, Essen. You and Gordon need to get back to the station."

That wasn't their captain. It was the commissioner. James frowned, his gut screaming at him that something was wrong.

"Sir, we've got at least something to follow up on, we should at least-"

"Now, Gordon. You're wanted back at the station right now. It seems your 'giant bat' has struck again. Except this time, he's attacked one of our own."

James blinked, glancing down at his radio.

"Can you repeat that, sir?"

"You heard me, Gordon. He's hit one of us. I want you to get to Gotham General. Grogan should be able to tell you everything you need to know.

James hadn't actually been to Gotham General since he had gotten back. The last time he had actually done so was back when he had shipped out. But now that he was back, James was surprised to see it was still in decent enough condition.

The rest of the city was going to hell, sure, but at least their hospitals were alright. It was better than nothing, in times like these.

He and Essen were marching down the hallways, having been directed to Grogan's room. It was still hard to wrap his head around this. At least he had someone to give him some context here.

"Didn't meet Grogan yet. What's his deal?"

Essen snorted, rolling her eyes at the question.

"Ed Grogan's a sleaze ball at the best of times. Likes to hang around all the clubs, talk to all the workin' girls. Supposedly that's how he gets his informants, but I'm not too sure. I do know that he's on the take, though. Always pocketing extra money when he thinks no one's looking," she muttered, glancing around for a moment. "And that's not even including the 'evidence' he has to take when he's undercover.'

"That bad, huh? Isn't he Flass' partner?"

"Yep. They're always attached at the hip when they're not on their own, always bragging about how much great work they do. You'll forgive me if I don't find his approval worth anything."

"No kidding. Even if you hate his guts, let's try and be civil. Could be helpful to see what he's got."

Essen glanced at him, giving a bitter chuckle before offering a shrug. It was as good as anything that James would get out of her. The rest of the walk was in silence, at least until they made it to Grogan's room. After they greeted the officer placed at the door, they walked in. But neither of them could contain their shock.

"Christ alive."

"Holy shit."

The pair of them had gone over the dozen or more people that this thing had gotten a hold of. They had seen lots of whoever this was, what they were capable of. But it still didn't prepare James for the fact that Grogan looked like absolute hell.

One of his arms was in a cast, the same with one leg. His nose had been broken, and swelling was still going down. One eye was swollen shut, and Grogan had a neck-brace. His other eye was wide open, and it was constantly darting around the room. It snapped to the doorway where Essen and James stood, and Grogan flinched at their gaze.

"Easy there, Grogan. Just us." Essen said, walking forward. James followed her inside, giving the man a nod, fishing out his notepad.

"Ed Grogan. I'm James Gordon. I'd hope we'd be meeting under more pleasant circumstances. But we might as well get this over with quick. Can you tell us anything that happened?" James asked, approaching one side of the bed. Essen loomed on the other, her arms crossed as she stared at Grogan.

"… Why are you here?" His gaze went to a darkened corner of the room, almost like he was expecting the shadows to attack him.

James blinked at the question. He turned to Essen, who shrugged back at him. Glancing back to Grogan, he could only shake his head. The man was terrified. That much was evident. But they couldn't work on fear. James decided it was best to just get the man to focus, maybe that would get him out of this.

"I'm investigating our mystery man. Seems he got to you pretty bad, huh?" Grogan's one eye glared back at James, but it was clear that it was more bark than bite. He sniffled once, his face scrunching, before the fear came back.

"Not a he. It. That thing… it ain't human."

"Maybe he is. That's our job to figure out." James noted, raising an eyebrow. They'd spooked Grogan, like all the others. Essen rolled her eyes, poking at Grogan's good arm.

"Come on Grogan. Eyes on us here. You wanna make sure it doesn't come after you? Maybe you can let us know what happened." She told him, getting a nod from James. Grogan looked between the pair, his eyes darting towards the exit for a moment. He swallowed, taking a deep breath.

"Well. I already made my report. Why do I gotta say it again?"

"We just wanna get the facts straight. Report's one thing Grogan, but you telling us? Might help you remember something." James said, offering the man a shrug. "Just try not to exaggerate, and we can get out of your hair."

"Fine, fine. Like I mentioned in my report, I'd gotten a tip about a drop off. Coke. A small bust, but figured it could lead to a dealer. I was in the middle of apprehending some of the suspects. And then…" Grogan let out a cough, looking both sheepish and defiant at the same time, looking between Gordon and Essen, almost daring them to challenge his next statement. He sniffled again, rubbing his nose.

"And then, uh, I heard giant wings flapping. It flew down from the sky. The wingspan was probably about thirty feet across. One of the suspects I hadn't been able to disarm drew a pistol." The look in Grogan's eyes grew distant, as if he was back there.

"The suspect fired. Point-blank at the thing. The bullet just… bounced right off it. Didn't even faze it. Then the thing just started… laughing. A few more gang members charged forward, some of them had weapons. Then something flew from that thing's hand. It looked like claws. "

Essen's face looked as if it was carved from stone, but James knew that she was more amused than anything else. A part of James wanted to think that this was all theatrics, tricks of the light. But the look in Grogan's eyes? It said a lot, even as he was scribbling down more notes.

"Claws? You sure?" James asked, eyebrow still raised. Grogan scowled, looking away from the pair.

"Maybe it wasn't claws. But there were these dart… things. The suspects with guns dropped down as soon as the darts struck. Whatever it was, it paralyzed them. But it practically ignored them. Pounced on me." Grogan's good eye was still distant, even as one arm began to shake.

"I tried to fight back. Raised my gun. But the thing got in close first. I couldn't even explain I was a cop, it just wailed on me. Next thing I know, I'm waking up here." He finally said, letting out a shaky sigh. He looked back at James and Essen, his body still shaking.

"We done here?"

James nodded, putting away his notepad.

"We're done here. Come on, Essen, let's give the man some space." He said, gesturing towards the door. Essen nodded, and she moved to exit. "Grogan. Get better soon. Call us if you remember anything else."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll try." Grogan told him, sniffling one last time.

With that said and done, James found himself leaving the room as well. Essen was waiting for him, leaning against a wall.

"So. Whadda think?"

"I think that whatever Grogan saw, he believes it." James said, shrugging as he marched forward.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Essen said, following him along. "… You know now that I think about it, Grogan ain't the first cop that's been injured in recent memory. Usually when we deal with an officer down, it's a body bag. Lotta the guys just say they fell, or had accidents. Pretty sure Grogan's the first one to admit he got attacked."

"Hm. No kidding? If that's the case… Think he was doing what he said?" James asked, pressing a button to call the elevator.

"Nope. I heard he was having some problems, but this probably confirmed it. You heard the way he was sniffling?"

"I figured it was allergies, but you're telling me otherwise, right?" He shot back, causing Essen to chuckle.

"I'm thinking if we checked over his clothes, if they hadn't been washed yet, that he was probably covered in the stuff. Five bucks says he was there for a deal. If we look back at the other officers that reported injuries… we might find a pattern. I'm thinking that this thing's cleaning house."

"Hm. Maybe you're right." James said, hearing the elevator door opening. He stepped in, Essen following.

"Wanna head back to the station? Gonna have to look through all the flies." Essen asked, chuckling as she hit a button.

"Great. More paperwork. Still take your coffee with one cream? Figured we're gonna need it."

"You're telling me, Jim. Least we got something to work off of."

James let out a tired sigh, realizing that the night had only begun.

Next Chapter: 9th January