Author's Note: Hello readers! This little plot bunny just won't leave me alone so I figured I better start it. My Spiderman story, "Free Fall," started the same way as this one. I really enjoyed writing that story and was extremely pleased at how it turned out. So here I go again…

Batman:

The Space Between

Chapter One: The Call to Arms

She was having that dream again and no matter how hard she tried to wake up she couldn't. The ending was always the same, just as it had been in real life. She was peering out from the slats of the closet, her brother huddled next to her in the dark place that smelled of their mother's perfume and father's cologne. She had a nightmare and her brother heard someone in the house. They ran to the sanctuary of their parent's room only to have it be too late. Their mother shoved them in the closet as their father scrambled for his gun. He was struggling with the safety when the first shot sounded. She finally woke up but the second gunshot still reverberated through her mind as she stared at the dark ceiling.

Amy looked over at the clock to see it was two in the morning. She thought about calling her brother as it was only eleven o'clock in Gotham City. He was going through some research project so he should still be up. She hadn't spoken to him in a few weeks, which was long for them to go without speaking. Maybe calling him wasn't such a bad idea. The last few times she had spoken with him he just didn't sound like himself, like he was hiding something. That was something else that was not common between them.

Turning on the light and sitting on the edge of her bed, she picked up the phone and dialed his cell phone number. It didn't even ring but went straight to his voicemail. That was odd. Hanging up the phone, she went over to the computer and checked her email only to find none from her brother. Her best friend, Lina, however was online and didn't hesitate to instant message her.

You're up late. Anything wrong?

Had a nightmare, Amy typed back. Why are you up so late?

Coming in from a date.

There was a long pause and Amy thought of just saying good night and trying to get back to sleep but then Lina sent her an interesting IM.

Have you seen the news?

No, why?

A link popped up on the screen and Amy clicked on it. The video loaded and it was a news broadcast from Gotham. It seemed to take forever to the load and she chewed on her thumbnail until it was ready. The dark buildings in the background looked so forlorn and some were even on fire. It looked like there was riot in the street where the reporter was doing his broadcast.

"Gotham City almost came to an end tonight. We're still getting details in from the police department but it seems like there were two men responsible for this mass destruction here."

Two pictures showed up on the screen, one was just a black silhouette with a question mark over it. The name underneath said Ra's al Ghul. The other picture stopped her heart. Her brother's picture was staring back at her.

"We are still unsure of who exactly Ra's al Ghul is but the second man responsible for the chaos is Dr. Jonathan Crane. He was working with experimental procedures with the inmates at Arkham Asylum that had something to do with a fear toxin that was then released into the air over Gotham City. The good news that comes out of this mess tonight is Gotham has a hero. They are calling him 'Batman.'"

The video ended but Amy still stared at the screen. Was that all? Was Jon still alive? In custody? Or was he still out there, a fugitive? What would the police do to him when he got caught? If they put him in the Asylum where he treated patients it could be a disaster. But what caused him to go off the deep end like this? Did this al Ghul character pressure him into these experiments? Was he brain washed?

Did you watch the video? Lina wrote.

Yes. Is there any more news? Was he caught? Is he okay?

He hasn't called you?

No, he hasn't. Amy rubbed her face in exhaustion and worry. There was only one thing left for her to do and that was to go to Gotham to find Jon herself. Perhaps she could get to him before the authorities did. Maybe she could reach him before he was locked up and she couldn't help him.

Hey Lina, can you watch my cat for me?

I thought you would say that. Best of luck and call me when you find him.

The two shots that echoed through the alley that night constantly echoed through his mind. Even now, twenty years later, the sound of that pistol going off woke him from a sound sleep more than his alarm clock. Time was supposed to heal all wounds but it hadn't. Time had fine tuned the wound into a purpose, never allowing healing to take place. This was his life now, stopping the gun from going off again and robbing another child of his parents.

Harsh sunlight suddenly filled the expansive master bedroom of the rebuilt Wayne Mansion. As was customary now, he pulled the blankets over his head with a groan. He had left the rebuilding of the mansion to Alfred. The older man had a more emotional connection to the building which meant he had a better recollection of the home. Bruce had yet to find a flaw in the new building.

"Good afternoon, Master Bruce."

"Is it three o'clock already?"

"One, actually, but I thought the news would be interesting to you."

Bruce tugged the blankets down and blinked rapidly. His surroundings came into view once his eyes adjusted to the sun washed room. He briefly wondered how and where Alfred had found all the antiques that decorated the room that looked uncannily like the original master bedroom. The flat panel screen against the wall sprang to life, the local news station already playing.

"Once again, if you missed the press conference from earlier this morning," the slight news reporter was saying, papers in one hand and microphone in the other, "it will be replayed in just a few moments. But as of now there has been no contact made. We will update our viewers as soon as anything happens in this situation. Back to you, Blake."

"Thank you, Anita." A neat trimmed man in a suit and obnoxious tie came on the screen. "Once again, if you missed the press conference that came from police headquarters, here are the highlights."

Bruce's interest in the news report had blocked out everything else in the room, the garish sunlight included. His focus was completely on the nervous woman on the screen. She looked oddly familiar, with prominent cheekbones, ice blue eyes and thick wavy black hair, but he couldn't place her. Then she put on glasses and looked directly into the camera. Despite her obvious nervousness there was no way to hide the uncanny resemblance to Dr. Jonathan Crane.

"Good morning, residents of Gotham," her voice was soft and shook but it still had the same well educated clip to the words. "I am Dr. Amy Crane and I came to Gotham to find my brother, Dr. Jonathan Crane. If anyone knows anything of his whereabouts, please call the police hotline. I am only concerned with his well being and the sooner I can find him, the sooner we can give him the help that he needs. And Jon, if you're watching," she shrugged elegantly, "you know how to contact me. Thank you."

The familiar person of Lieutenant James Gordon stepped to the microphone that Amy Crane had just vacated and reiterated the contact number and thanked the citizens of Gotham for their help. Alfred turned the TV off and gave him that questioning look.

"What?" Bruce asked.

"I would have thought you would jump at the chance of helping the damsel in distress but perhaps I was wrong."

Bruce laughed slightly. "I highly doubt Amy Crane is a damsel in distress, Alfred. Not with a brother like she has."

"Not knowing either sibling personally, I have no opinion of their personalities, however," he handed a glass filled with a greenish liquid to Bruce, "I do know how well people can hide secrets."

Bruce took the glass. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying perhaps there is more to Amy and Jonathon Crane that meets the eye. And it may be in Batman's best interest to make an ally out of Amy."

"Do you know how many criminals are still out there? Capturing Crane isn't going to solve Gotham's crime problem."

"I never said it would, Master Bruce, but to fix the asylum breakout someone needs to be the first one captured. You already have his sister who is looking for him. The newspaper this morning says she came from California which means she has no friends here."

"So what you're saying is Crane is the best starting place?"

"It would appear that way, sir. But then again," Alfred gathered up the tray he brought to the bedroom and gave Bruce that know-it-all smile, "I am just the butler."