Ok so making Mel's mom shoot me instead of her was not the best choice, because the thing hurt like hell. I really felt like i had just fried my brain. note to self, avoid being shot by any weapon while not wearing the bat suit' the thing took a lot of the edge of when I get hit but I didn't have the thing on me because I didn't think that I needed it, but if they were to go after Mel now I wouldn't be able to help her. Melaine was there trying to help me up but I couldn't move. Pain radiated from my left side so much so passing out was an option 'Mr. Wayne has always complained about my impulsiveness that I choose to jump before I asses the situation.' I hate it when the old bat (all pun intended) was right. Now I'm immobile with possible five opponents covering us, I was now more of a burden than help. Shifting slightly I got out my cell to send a distress signal back to the cave. I saw that screen was cracked and prayed really hard that it wasn't busted. it was hard to tell if it was still working. Sending up a silent prayer I punched in the code or where I hoped the numbers were. If the old man gets it he would find some way to send help to me. With all the stories I heard it from Superman it's a wonder how he still alive with the amount of close calls he had, I was at that moment wishing that in all the years I have been the batman for him that some of his luck had rubbed off on me because I could feel my eyes drifting shut. "Mel think you gonna have to leave me I'm passing out." I was dead weight and if her parents were really looking to end her instead of welcoming her back into the fold then I was a liability that she could not afford.

"What? are you crazy I'm not gonna leave you here alone especially if you gonna pass out, no way."

She looked determined that she could take them on her own. But the fact that these people were her family had me doubting her could she take down her own family?

"Now that your suitor is out of the way, lets finish our mother daughter convocation" this did not look good for Mel or me for that matter. 'Old man, hurry with the save already." Just as I was beginning to think that the phone was actually busted I heard the roar of the bat car engines. "It's the batman!" king shouted, I think that was exited to want to face off against me, ironic I was already on my ass.

"Hey ugly, back off" that was all the warning I got before there was a blinding light that had pain shooting my head. I then felt a hand dragging me to my feet that wasn't an easy task with my chest feeling like it was on fire. The good thing was that I was being lead away from a very confused royal flush gang. I collapsed a few times and really the pain was unbearable but the urgent tugs and pushes from Mel and obviously Max got to a place that was somewhat safe for the moment with sirens in the distant blaring.

"What the hell terry what happen to you and why was…" she paused to actually get a good look at who was our plus one. Max knew that Mel and I didn't end on a good note especially the last time she was in town. So her pause was understandable but she knew that I still had feelings for Melanie and maybe that was what made her hold her tongue thankfully. I still didn't trust her even with her family going as far as to replace her with a robot. It was just something about getting burned by a girl you love that stuck with me.

"Terry, why was the royal flush gang trying to kill you?" She asked she looked worried I felt it too I knew why they would want to kill me that is if I still have my cowl up but they couldn't know who I was, so what would killing me accomplish I was wondering that me being there was a wrong place wrong time situation. I posed no threat none, they could have waited to get her alone why the public display for something that they claimed was about family business. Family is private something just wasn't right about all of this. "Max I don't know and I really don't want to stick around to find out why they would like to kill me can't leave Melanie here either she'll have to come with us. A protest was forming I could see it on Max's face but thankfully my body choose that moment to shutdown so didn't have to argue why I was taking a criminal with us I knew that Bruce would have a thing or two to say, would have to deal with that later but right now I couldn't think of anything with my mind becoming dark.

I woke to the screeching of the bats in the bat cave and tried to sit up but the world started to turn with the slightest moments. "Easy terry" Mel came and Maxine came into my line of vision and got me to lie down. Good she was here in the cave so she is going to be safe from her family for the time being. With a sigh of relief I relax but I suddenly became tense. 'She must now know who I am, that I'm the bat' I groan inwardly "where's the old man?" I asked it was then I saw it, Mel was looking at me but not really, like she would rather look somewhere else with a sigh I started trying to put together some form of explanation or excuse but it wasn't coming "he went to get his pills. "Max said, Mel didn't answer me and that wasn't a good thing. I hope that she wasn't mad at me because one angry girlfriend was my limit. "Mel I am sorry "

"For what terry?" that had me, what was I sorry for? I thought I could make a list right there for destroying her family getting her put in jail but I just said "for being the batman" cause really when you think of it that was the sum total of her problems the batman put her in jail the batman busted up her family so the batman was the problem and 'I' was the batman, thankfully Max choose that moment to give us some privacy claiming she was going to see what was taking Mr. Wayne so long. Not that I believed her anyway she would go far from me she still didn't trust Mel even though she took her to the bat cave as I asked "Terry don't be stupid, how could you say that? I don't hate the batman. Well I did when I didn't hear from you when I gave the batman that letter to give you. To tell you how sorry I was and that at the time I couldn't be the girl you would have liked me to be." I knew that she wanted to change but there was too much this between us that I was being to believe at the time that we couldn't get over, that just maybe even though we connected on a level that Diana and I never seemed to get over. Though she didn't know I was that batman the fact that I had 'duties' she understood that I was so relieved that she understood that, and it's that fact that she does care who I really am that is pulling me back in now. There was a voice in the back in the back of my head that kept whispering that she betrayed me before, now that she knew my secret would sink the knife I could still in my back further. "I still into you Mel but I don't know if I can trust you. Not after, you know, before" she smiled at me sadly as she caressed my cheek. "How about we start slower this time? No more secrets ok?" could I do it? So soon after Diana broke up with me. That wound was fresh too raw to risk a relationship with Melanie, not now. I'm sorry Mel I want you I do but I got too much on my mind, and frankly you would have to earn back my trust before I make myself venerable to you again." I saw that she was hurt by what I said but I feel that it was for the best, with this case I want to have my head on my body just in case she ends up hurting me again the pain wouldn't be as crippling as it was the first time that she betrayed me.

"Good you're awake" Mr. Wayne walked into our awkward silence without a hint that he notice or even that he cared. And I knew that it he didn't if it was directly affecting the mission it wasn't to be thought about it was just a distraction that could get you killed, and the ancient power necklace has the power to just that if I didn't concentrate on what I had to do. Sit up on the table I see that what I had to do at this very minute was to heal. I was still injured to the point that it would prove difficult in the field and Bruce saw this that was why he was scowling at me. "I did not ask her to shot me so stop looking at me like that"

"Hmm didn't know I was looking at you a way, can you know read my mind?" I was about to answer about he continued "If you could read my mind you would know that getting yourself tangled up in the royal flush gang again was stupid" he was very upset "and it was just as stupid that you carried her here." He pointed at Melanie like she was a puppy in need of house training. "she has proven to us before that even though she knows what she is doing is wrong that her loyalty is to her family first everybody else be dammed." He looked accusingly at her and I saw her visually shrink away from him, even as an old man he could still make people fear him like he was the plague. "I don't know what their up to this time I swear, I just came back for jack I could have he be drawn back into their game" she said defiantly as if she felt like she couldn't save Jack, Bruce was right she was loyal to her family to the point that she felt responsible for their screw ups. "what they are involved with is no game little girl and if the pieces that in trying to put together are anything to go by this is far more serious than anything you every did with them." He walked over to the bat monitors that were currently showing picutes of the gang " what i want to know is who are they working for?

"how do you know that they are working for someone" I asked

"simple" he said "this is a whole lot more complicated than a robbery or revenge" he turned to look at melaine and I "this has world domination written all over it and that doesn't fit the royal flush gang's mo now does it" that got me thing for a bit but mel answered the same time I did " no it dosent" and that didn't bode well with me.

"