A Demon's Drink {Book Three-Kat}

Chapter 45

--- Tim's POV---

Bruce had me babysitting the city tonight while he and Clark went after Black Mask. He'd been smuggling in guns after the Arkham Wars for the mob bosses. With the Joker and countless others locked up, Falcone and Maroni were once more vying for control. The city as a whole had avoided crime for the last month and a half. My best guess was the absolute carnage of the past year scared everyone into peace for a short time.

I was supposed to be looking for Lex Luthor tonight though. It'd been a day since his disappearance and there had been no call for ransom. Not that he was a particularly wonderful person, but people took notice of his disappearance; important people. That was Clark's original reason for showing up in town but once Bruce caught wind that Sionis was personally attending a weapons exchange with the mob he and Clark left the task to me.

The sky lit up with lightning and thunder shook the building I was currently standing on. Yesterday had been the first time in a while since a storm this violent was in Gotham. A scream cut the city noise a few blocks away; like they were being murdered. I pulled the grapple gun from my belt and hurried to its source.

"Sir." Alfred's voice crackled in my earpiece.

"What've you got Alf?"

"Sir, I do believe a police officer has found Lex Luthor. He is currently two streets away from your position. There's a woman who requires medical attention if-" Alfred hardly ever stopped speaking mid-sentence. I could see police lights flashing on the corner of Fourth and Fifty-Second.

"What is it Alf?"

"The officer just called in for Commissioner Gordon. He claims the girl with Luthor is Katrina." I hit the roof a little harder than I meant to when I landed.

"What?"

I pulled a small pair of binoculars from my belt and tried to look closer. An officer was obscuring my view of the two people sitting near the car. His face was set firmly as he spoke to a gathering crowd of people. A second car pulled up along Fourth Street and the Commissioner rushed out, addressing the crowd as well. I wasn't going to be able to get any decent view from this building. I shot the grapple to the top of the bank on Fifty-Second, perching on the front edge and looking one more time.

It was Katrina.

She was speaking to Gordon, leaning heavily on Lex's arm and chest. He must've carried her here or else taken a shower in blood. Whatever she had been wearing was torn and cut away that it was a miracle it was staying on. All the exposed skin was blood-soaked and bruised so extensively that it couldn't have happened all at once.

"Robin?" Bruce cut my concentration. "What's going on?"

"I've found Luthor." I raised the binoculars again to watch him; he was entirely too calm.

"And?"

"And it looks like he found Kat." The line was quiet for a while. "Gordon's down there with her right now."

"Are you sure it's her, Robin? I know you want it to be, but is it really her?"

"It is, Batman." I ground my teeth down at his question. He wanted it to be her just as badly as I did and I knew it. "She's in really bad shape boss. The ambulance just arrived."

"Do not engage, do you hear me Robin?"

Lifting a hand I tapped the button on the outer side of the earpiece, shutting out any communication from him or Alfred. Kat yelled at one of the paramedics and the sky exploded in light. His partner placed a mask over her and it was mere seconds before her eyes closed. They placed her on a gurney and loaded her, Gordon, and Luthor into the back of the ambulance, heading for Gotham General.