CHAPTER 9

The scene outside of Thorne's residence was a chaotic one as the Police since arrived and were in the process of taking statements from the guests as they were escorted out of the mansion that Bullock was overseeing before noticing that Cobblepot was making a discreet exit.

"Excuse me, Mister Mayor, but you should give a statement before leaving." he called, only for Oswald's subordinates to stand in his way.

"The Mayor has been through a stressful time tonight, Officer, so he will send you a full statement in the morning." one of the suits replied in a matter-of-fact tone, which wasn't going to pass with Harvey.

"I'm sorry but that isn't going to fly with me, Sonny. If all the other high and flyers here can give a statement, then so can the Mayor."

But before the podgy-looking policeman could follow through, he felt a hand on his shoulder which pulled his attention back to find Foley standing behind him.

"Let him go, Bullock. The Mayor has permission to leave." he directed, which gained a look of disbelief from Harvey.

"But, Commissioner..." he cajoled, while the Mayor and his people continued to enter the vehicles of their motorcade, earning a more authoritative look from his boss.

"That's an order." he insisted, making the younger man shrug off his hand and step away in defiance.

"Fine," he started to reply as he watched the motorcade then leave the area without resistance, only to look back at his superior. "But you should know that we couldn't get a statement from Sionis either. He had left before we could close off the area."

"Right. Well, we will just have to see him tomorrow then." Foley reassured, only for Bullock to wave him off and head over to another group of guests, leaving the Police Commissioner alone as he stood there with his arm in a sling.

Meanwhile, Lucius and Miranda were being questioned, just like the others, with the officer there writing down every word on her pad.

"So, is that everything, Mr. Fox?" she inquired, earning a nod from the Wayne Enterprises CEO.

"Yes, it is, Officer." he answered with his usual friendly manner before the young woman with him then jumped in.

"Excuse me, Officer. But have you any word on Bruce Wayne? He didn't come out with the rest of us and must still be in there."

The policewoman gave her a reassuring smile in return as she put away her pen and pad.

"Miss Tate, our people have only just begun to search the residence for anyone else that could still be in...," she started to say, only to stop as she saw two more of her colleagues leave the building with a familiar face.

"...there we go." she added while pointing the pair to an area behind them, making them turn around to see Bruce being escorted to them.

"We found Mr. Wayne hiding in a room in the west end of the house." the one on his left reported, earning a taken aback look from the billionaire.

"Hey, guys, please? I was only doing what the Batman told me to and that was after I called in the hold-up." he denied, bringing a relieved look to Miranda's face while Fox smirked at him knowingly.

"You came across the Batman, Mr. Wayne?"

"Yeah, he stopped Firefly from making a roast of me. The guy still has his issues though."

"Yes,'clearly', Mr. Wayne. But we were lucky he turned up when did." the old man concurred, just as Rupert Thorne joined their side.

"That Bat is crazy to be sure, but we owe him our lives." the councilman commented as the police officers left them alone. "And I do hope you accept my sincerest apologies for what happened tonight."

All three gave their host a sympathetic smile in return.

"None of this is on you, Rupert." Fox counseled him, gaining a nod from Wayne.

"Yeah, this is Gotham. Costumed nut-jobs are just a way of life here."

"That is true. And it's because of the Batman that they keep coming back." Miranda added, making her date and his CEO look to her with curious expressions.

"And how is that, Miss Tate, if I may ask?" Lucius wondered, bringing a tinge of righteousness to the lady's otherwise gracious demeanor.

"Don't get me wrong. I appreciate what he did here tonight," she assured them before a slither of disgust broke through. "but the Batman's very presence here invites these lunatics to attack the innocent of this city. If he never came to be, then perhaps these 'types' of criminals would not either."

"That is an interesting view of our 'Dark Knight', Miss Tate. And normally, I would be in agreement with you," Thorne began to say before he then gave them a relieved smile. "But, just for tonight, I am certainly glad he was around. Please excuse me."

The councilman and host then turned and left the trio to see to the remaining guests, while Bruce gave Fox a knowing expression as he looked between him and Miranda, making the old man suddenly look at his watch.

"Well, I'll be. Look at the time. I guess, I'll be heading home. Good night you two." he then hurriedly said before walking away too, leaving the pair alone.

"So, if you want, I'll take you home now, Miranda?" the billionaire then asked, earning a thankful nod back from his date.

"Thank you, Bruce. That would be great." she replied, making the young man gesture for her to follow him to his car as the couple headed out.

- ^-v-^ -

Meanwhile, in the Gordon residence, Jim walked along the upstairs hallway and stopped at the door at its far end before knocking on it gently with his hand.

"Come in." his daughter called back with her father then opening the door, revealing Barbara's bedroom with the youngster already lying in bed with her netbook on balanced on her lap.

"Just wanted to make sure you were alright, Babs, especially after the night we just had," he began to say, with a tinge of shame in his voice. "I never would have brought you along if..."

"I know, Daddy," she then answered, cutting him off mid-sentence with a warm smile. "But it didn't matter in the end, because Batman was there."

This made the old man sigh with a heavy heart as he glanced down at the ground for a moment, for he could still hear the hero-worship in his little girl's voice, before returning his gaze back her way.

"Honey, it was because of mine association with Batman that we were in danger." he pointed out, earning an resolved smirk back from Barbara.

"Yeah, because you and Batman have the bad guys running scared. You should take pride in that. I know I am proud of you for it." she countered, making Gordon remove his glasses and pinch the top half of his nose in frustration.

"I can see why you would think that," he started to reply while putting his glasses back, before staring back with an aggravated frown. "but when it puts you or your brother in harm's way, I cannot just take it lightly."

This very sentence from her father's mouth brought an empty expression to the young girl's face as she worried what he could mean from that. "I hope you're not saying what I think you are, Daddy."

But Jim knew how to read his daughter and raised his hands in defense. "I know what you're thinking and no, I am not going to stop working with the Batman."

Barbara sighed deeply with relief at that as she smiled back at him. "I am glad to hear that, Daddy. If they're coming after us, then all that means is that you're doing something right. I'm not afraid of them and you shouldn't be either."

This brought a smirk to the former Police Commissioner's face as he reminisced about a time he heard former friend and ally, Harvey Dent, say something similar years ago before looking back at his Daughter affectionately. "Okay, Barbara, I'll try...as long as you tone down this hero-worship of yours. For I know for a fact, that 'he' finds that uncomfortable and unnecessary."

"Okay, I'll try, Daddy." she said back with a nod and warm smile in return, which made father then point at her computer.

"Now put that thing away and go to sleep, it's getting late." he directed, earning a little defeated but yielding smile back from her as she flipped the screen down and put the netbook on her side table before lying down and pulling the duvet up to her neck.

"Night, Daddy." she then said, gaining a warm smile back from Jim.

"Night, Honey. See you in the morning." he replied before turning the light off and closing the door, leaving the young girl in complete darkness as she lied in her bed.

But Barbara did not close her eyes and instead simply stared up at the ceiling while listening for her father's footsteps in the corridor on the other side of her door, waiting for them to disappear into the distance.

'Finally...,' she then thought after hearing the creaking sound of stairs as he then went down to the ground floor, making her sit back up and take the netbook back and open it up once more. '...now where was I.'

And with that, Barbara enlarged one of the windows on her screen again, revealing that she was in fact researching the Batman as various articles and images of the Dark Knight appeared on the screen.

'There's got to be a way I can help him, just like my Dad does.'

^-v-^

Bruce pulled his Lamborghini up to the pavement in front of the skyscraper where Miranda lived and deactivated it's engine as his date looked back at him with an appreciative smile. "Thanks for the lift, Bruce."

"Not a problem, Miranda. If you would like, I could escort you to your door...," he started to say back with a charming yet concerned look on his face. "because, as you are now aware, Gotham isn't exactly a safe place to be at night."

This made Miranda smile back at him knowingly as she let out a subtle chuckle. "Is that how Billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne, asks for a 'nightcap'?"

This made brought a look of horror to Wayne's face as his eyes widened and his skin flushed, making him scratch the back of his head uncomfortably. "What?! No. Of course not. I mean...I have had worse lines than that in the past."

The young woman giggled to herself. "Oh, I have heard them all. You do have a reputation, after all."

This made Bruce shrug and look away defeatedly, which brought a coy smile to the lady's face as she looked back at him with her mouth slightly opened with the tip of her tongue showing. "But that doesn't mean that I'm not interested."

"You are?" Bruce replied with a tinge of hope to his voice, snapping his attention back to her which made her eyes sparkle as she looked at him seductively.

"Of course, Bruce," Tate agreed before looking up in the direction of her temporary home, which brought a disappointed smile to her face that the Billionaire could not help but notice. "But tonight would not be a good fit, unfortunately."

I see." he answered back, once more with a deflated tone and look as he returned his gaze to the street ahead.

"But," the lady then began to say, bringing his eyes back to meet with hers as she gave him a hopeful expression. "I would like to see you tomorrow if you're free?"

"Sure, Miranda. I would like that." Bruce acknowledged eagerly, which brought a wide smile to the young socialite's face in response as she opened her door.

"Great. Then I will text you an address tomorrow. Meet me there and make sure to wear clothing that's comfortable and flexible." she then stated cryptically, bringing a curious smile to the young man's face.

"comfortable and flexible?" he puzzled, not certain what his date could mean.

But she simply smiled back knowingly. "You'll find out tomorrow, Bruce. Good night."

"Good night, Miranda." he replied warmly before she stopped and leaned in close which made him do the same as their lips came within millimeters of kissing.

But just as they could feel the moist warmness of their breaths on the mouths, the socialite stopped and looked him directly in the eyes with a confident and teasing smile. "Good things come to those who wait, Bruce. I'll see you tomorrow."

She then got out of the car and closed the door, making him wind down its window and look back at her with a lopsided grin. "Can't wait. See you tomorrow, Miranda.

She simply smiled affectionately back at him before turning around and walking into the reception of the building, leaving him to admire her as she left his sight before he returned his attention to the road ahead.

"...women." he sighed before revving the engine and then driving his Lamborghini off into the night.

Twenty minutes later, and the young woman exited the bathroom of her suite in a silk bathrobe while drying her long brunette locks with a towel as steam came out of the doorway in her wake, sitting down at her dresser as she looked at her reflection in its mirror with a thoughtful expression.

"Had a nice 'date' with Bruce Wayne, Talia?" a familiar voice then asked from the far side of the room, barely even gaining a glance from her as she continued with her hair as Deathstroke walked up behind

"I was, Slade," she began to reply before looking at the man in the mirror with an icy stare. "until two idiots in costume attacked us, causing the Batman to come to our aid."

This caused Deathstroke to remove his mask and look at her curiously with his solitary eye as a subtle smile graced his face. "Really? He was there?"

"Yes. I was so ready to attack him there and then," the young woman then scowled through gritted teeth as she picked up a comb from the dresser and began using it on her hair. "but there were too many witnesses."

Talia then stopped and threw the comb back at the mirror, hitting it dead center and cracking it's image as the split lines ran throughout it's glass.

"Damn it!" she spat while getting up and walking away from the damaged dresser, keeping her back to the older man as he stared down at her with daggers.

"That's enough! Calm yourself," Slade told his apprentice in a cold and cutting tone, before then giving out a pronounced sigh as he looked between the angry younger woman and the broken mirror.

"You are the 'Heir to the Demon', not some first-year recruit. So, start acting like it. I know you want justice for your father, but the moment you seek will not reveal itself if you let your emotions cloud your judgement and you miss your window of opportunity." Wilson explained, gaining a nod from Talia as she took a breath and exhaled slowly.

"I know, Slade," she responded calmly before turning around and fixing her gaze on the armored man, who then looked back with a quizzical smile.

"That's better. So, am I correct to assume that you will be seeing Wayne once more in the coming days? Because, I hope that he will not be a distraction in our mission." he pondered, making Talia nod back as the thought of the Billionaire brought a broad and thoughtful smile to her face.

"Of course. In fact, I will be seeing him tomorrow." she expressed as Slade then turned away with a half-smirk appearing on his face out of her view which was due to what he knew of Wayne's alter ego, though he could not help but feel a tinge of trepidation.

'This will all be for naught if she ends up unable to finish our mission,' he started to think, with his silence going noticed by his younger companion. 'I'm going to need to have a contingency planned if this does not go the way it's supposed to.'

"Slade? What is it?" Talia coaxed, bringing the assassin's attention back to her though he kept his gaze away.

"Something just came to mind that I must see to," he began to respond while refitting his mask and walking toward the open window. "so I will see you later. Good night."

"Alright. Good night." the younger woman said back with a bemused look on her face before shrugging and returning her attention to her hair as she looked back at her reflection in the mirror.

^-v-^

Back in the Bat Cave, Alfred was sitting at the Bat-computer and was going over an inventory list that was scrolling down its main screen when Bruce entered the area and joined his side which made the old man turn around and face him.

"So, did you have a nice evening, Master Bruce?" he asked with a knowing tone, making the Billionaire smirk back.

"I was having a nice time with Miranda...until the party was attacked by 'Killer Moth' and 'Firefly'," he started to reply before giving his old friend a puzzled expression. "tell me, Alfred, where do these guys keep coming from?"

"I think you already know the answer to that question, Sir," Alfred stated as he got up off the seat and let Bruce take his place, with the latter taking control of the computer. "but I will humor you, regardless. You have always said that you wanted Batman to inspire people to stand up for their city and push back against the corruption that had taken a hold of its core. But in creating a symbol that is beyond the understanding of those that plague this city, you have inadvertently created a new form of psychotic criminal that follows that same level of theatricality as Batman."

The young Wayne sat there with a contemplative look on his face as he thought on his confidant's words. "You mean like the Joker?"

"Yes, exactly, Master Wayne," the latter agreed. "As long as Batman continues to drive fear into the hearts of criminals, we should expect more like him to appear to challenge him."

"You almost sound like you're saying I should quit." Bruce then said back curiously, raising an eyebrow to the older man.

"I would never suggest such a thing. Because there is a positive to this predicament we find ourselves in regards to the question of Batman," Pennyworth continued to explain. "because as long as the Dark Knight is around then he will act as a lightning rod, keeping those more colourful and psychotic criminals focused on him and him alone."

This brought an appreciative smirk to Bruce's face as he looked at his old friend. "So, Batman's very presence creates an environment that breeds individuals like Joker, Killer Moth, and Firefly? But this turns out to be a double-edged sword as it also ensures that they only ever have their eyes on him, challenging themselves to come up with more outlandish and grandiose ways to take him down. That's certainly a more positive view on what I heard from Miranda earlier tonight. And though I'm not sure that I find that either take comforting, Alfred, but your take on it is one that I can live with."

"I would be worried if you were 'fine' with it, Master Bruce. But considering what I have seen while working alongside you in this crusade of 'ours' , I can say, without a doubt, how very proud I am of you...and so would your Parents." the butler expressed with an affectionate smile, earning a mirrored look back from the young Wayne.

"Thanks, Alfred. You know, I couldn't have done all this without you."

"Yes, you could have, Sir," Pennyworth verified with an honest tone before giving him a knowing grin. "just not as stylishly, I bet."

"That is true, old friend," Bruce then began to say as he turned his attention back to the Bat-computer, taking a look at the list. "So, I take it we are fully stocked?"

Alfred, though, was quick to interject by gesturing to his young master to click on the open window behind the list. "Yes, Sir, we are. Instead, I have already acquired the video records from Blackgate Prison for earlier today as you asked."

"Thank you." Bruce replied before opening the video and scrolled through the footage to the point where it showed Gordon and Montoya preparing to leave, hitting play as he and Alfred watched. "Okay, so who caught Jim's eye."

"I believe it is this individual, Sir." the butler then pointed out as they saw the former Police Commissioner look over to a man with white hair and eye patch covering his right eye who walked past, making the vigilante pause the footage and perform a facial match with their records.

"That's curious, Master Wayne, the database is coming up empty." he repeated as the compute came to the same conclusion, bringing a pensive look to the detective's face as he stared at the image.

"That just means that there is no record of him in the GCPD's files or our own. We should widen our search to include Interpol and A.R.G.U.S. using the cipher that Michael Holt helped me design."

"Of course, Sir," Pennyworth began to reply as Bruce continued to watch the footage. "That will take a few hours to compile though."

But before the Billionaire could respond to his confidante, his eyes widened as he looked with surprise at who the mystery man met in the visitor's room.

"What is it, Master Bruce?"

"I know that prisoner that our enigma here is meeting, I trained alongside him under Ra's Al Ghul during my stay in the League of Shadows. His name is Abbas." he described while highlighting the man's face and cross-referencing it with the computer's database.

"He was there when Ra's tried to destroy Gotham several years back." Alfred added while looking at the man's file, gaining a nod from Bruce in return.

"Yes, and he was the only one to be arrested after I incapacitated him back in the Narrows on that night. He has been an inmate in Blackgate ever since..." he explained before the Bat-computer gave out a warning sound and automatically opened another window over the footage, catching the attention of both men.

"It seems the bat-computer has detected a real-time event to the file of Abbas as we speak." the butler stated, bringing back the look of surprise to the young Wayne's face as he read the 'breaking news'

"Prep the Batmobile, Alfred. Looks like this night is not over yet." he then said before getting up and walking over to the Batsuit as he took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, gaining a nod from the older gentleman who turned in direction of the vehicle as the headline in black bold letters commanded the screen.

'Prisoner found dead in a locked cell!"