SquidgeWorld Archive

"This is all too easy," Selina Kyle thought to herself as she lowered herself into the Cascade Museum. Slowly and surely she descended from her rope; she knew there would be no interference from a certain man who dresses as a bat. Then again, a female dressed as a purple and black cat might draw some attention. Selina thought this part out also and in doing her research on Cascade found out there were only six policemen who did their job and the rest seemed like over-glorified meter maids. She finally made her way closer to the display she needed to go to.

"Pressure pads on the floor. Better not risk it."

She put on the suction cups and began to work her way around to what she wanted tonight--a cache of Fifteenth Century jewels on loan from Europe. "These will keep me for quite a long time." She finally made her way to the display, putting on infrared lenses to see the lasers surrounding the beauties. She slinked her hand past the lasers and began to do her magic with the glass surrounding it. With a *snikt* small claws emerged from her gloved hand and began to cut through the glass.

James Ellison was in the middle of cooking dinner. Even when he was married to Carolyn, he liked to cook, especially when he cooks for more than one. Blair always said it was his protective instincts that made him enjoy cooking, but Blair was in no situation to complain. After all, it's free food and you can't beat the price. All seemed to be going fine when Jim heard something akin to fingernails against a chalkboard.

"CHIEF! What the hell are you doing?"

"What" Blair replied in haste. "Why do you always think I'm doing something wrong?"

"Because you usually are. Where is that coming from?"

"What, man? You hear something?"

"Yeah, sounds like a screeching noise."

"Would you like to do an impression of it?"

"Very funny, Sandburg. You'll never let me live that down, will you? Let's go and find out where it's coming from."

Just then, the cell phone rang. Jim answered it with the infamous "Ellison." After a few more moments, he replied with "I'm on my way." He then ended the conversation.

"Let's go. There's been a robbery at the museum."

The drive was quick and when they arrived, the familiar face of Captain Simon Banks was there to greet them. Jim and Blair jumped out of the Sweet Sixty-Nine and immediately wanted to know what was going on.

"Somebody broke in and robbed the museum of the loaned jewels," Simon began.

"What about the security cameras? Did they catch anything?"

"Nothing of importance. Whoever did this had this place scoped out for a long time. Bypassed every security system in there! Go in there and see what you can find."

The Sentinel of Cascade stepped into the museum and made a beeline for the cold yellow "Crime Scene" tape. He stepped through it and began to examine the former case for the jewels. Using his enhanced eyesight he could see something strange; there was more than one glasscutter at work here.

"Where's the curator?"

"I'm right next to you, officer."

"We need to take this glass to the lab for analysis."

"By all means, so long as we can get the jewels back."

The case was removed and put in a car en route to the police lab. Jim, Blair and Simon went back for some rest. After all, a sleepy Sentinel can't do his job very well. Next day, the first stop for Sandburg and Ellison was Simon's office. They eagerly wanted to know what the analysis of the glass told.

"Somehow," Banks began "this crook had five glass cutters at work, but they only made one hole. At least that's what the lab sent back to me this morning. Can someone please explain why someone needs five cutters for one hole?"

Naturally, Blair has the correct answer. "What about Catwoman?"

This was met with a roaring laugh from Banks. "You mean to *snicker* tell me that some urban legend lady who dresses up as a purple cat appears across the country from where she normally is and makes off with jewels?" Simon's laughter and chuckling could be heard throughout the precinct. "What kind of idiot do you think I am, Sandburg?"

"Simon, it does explain why there are five marks." For some strange reason, Jim was defending his partner this time around. "If it is this 'Catwoman,' shouldn't we at least try to get more information?"

"Jim, we don't even know if it is this legend or not. Next thing you're going to tell me is that some wacko dresses up as a bat in Gotham every night."

"Simon, he does have a signal," Blair said, almost hiding from the upcoming wrath of the Captain.

"Oh, well, that makes things different! Now all we have to do is make one in Cascade and he'll magically appear! Look, if it amuses you, I'll call over to Gotham PD and see if James Gordon can give us some information on this Catwoman. Right now, though I need you to do your job!"

"Of course, Simon," Jim said hastily. With that, Cascade's Dynamic Duo left the office.

"You should be happy I saved your butt in there, Chief," Jim said in the bullpen.

"Look, Jim you have to believe me! I was at Gotham University for some time and there were some very strange things there, man, including giant bats."

"You sure you weren't imagining all of this?"

"Do I ever question what you see, Jim? Why is this any different?"

Across the country, James Gordon was enjoying something very rare; so far today, there has been very little crime in Gotham City. Then the phone rang and of course Jim could only expect the worst.

"Commissioner Gordon here."

"Jim, it's Simon Banks. Remember me?"

"SIMON! Yes, we met in Chicago a few years back when I was still a captain. How are things in oh, where were you at, somewhere in Washington."

"Cascade. I'm now a captain, Jim and I need some help. What exactly do you know about a person who dresses in a cat suit and commits robberies?"

"Catwoman's there?"

"I never even said a name, Jim."

"No, but I know of her very well. I'll fax you what I have Simon. What's your fax number?"

"555-3189."

"All right, I can look up the area code. Good hearing from you. Good luck with Catwoman."

"Somehow, I think we'll need it."

Gordon looked into is computer and found what little the police had on Catwoman. The Feds recently cleared her records, which Jim knew about but never found out why they did it. Of course, the aftermath of No Man's

Land didn't help either. After finding and printing it, he faxed it to Simon Banks. When this was finished, Gordon immediately went to the rooftop.

The Bat-Signal flared in a glowing yellow streaking across the night sky as it superimposed the image of a bat onto the cloudy skies. Jim Gordon thought to himself "Now for the wait."

Renee Montoya came out also and said "What's going on, Jim? There aren't any major crimes tonight."

"It's not in Gotham. Catwoman has moved to Cascade, Washington. I figured our mutual friend should know about it."

With that comment, a cold, dark clad figure swoops in from the skies. A younger male accompanies him. The young man's short shorts are gone, replaced with long pants. The cape has a touch of black on the outside, but the pair is known all over Gotham as an urban myth--Batman and Robin. Montoya went downstairs and gave them privacy.

Jim began this conversation. "One of our friends has moved."

"Which one is it?"

"Catwoman. It seems she went to Cascade, Washington. I just thought you would like to know."

"Jim, they're not capable of handling her. I'll have to go there and stop her."

"Batman, I'm sure Cascade Police can handle this one."

"How many times has she tricked and tried Gotham's Police? What makes you truly think that Cascade can handle her? They have no experience with her."

"Go there if you want to, but remember, they don't approve of you."

"You're not supposed to approve of me either."

Jim slowly turned around to light a cigarette. "No, I trust you," he said as he turned back. "There's a diff--" He now noticed that Batman and Robin have disappeared. "Damn. He got the kid doing this too."

Upon entering the Batcave, Alfred greeted them with hot tea. "Sirs, I thought you might want some tea. It's horribly cold out there tonight."

"You got that right, Alfie," Robin remarked while taking off his mask to reveal the youthful face of Tim Drake.

"Alfred, I need you pack the three of us overnight bags. Tim and I need to travel to Cascade, Washington to search for Catwoman. There's a WayneTech branch there so we can pretend to be there to oversee business operations. There's also a satellite Batcave outside of that city. We can set up shop there."

"Of course, Sir. I'll get your things ready now."

With that, they chartered a plane to take the trip to Cascade.

At the scene of the crime, Jim was examining every square inch in hopes of finding some type of clue. So far, nothing has turned up.

"Jim, maybe we're attacking this all wrong. I mean you're taxing your eyesight trying to find a clue. Maybe you can use another sense to find more clues."

"Sandburg, I know what I'm doing. Just let me look."

As the scan continued, Jim finally noticed something. Blair knew he found something by the way his eyes fixated on the target.

"Find something, Jim?"

"Yeah, it's some kind of hair." Jim reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a plastic sandwich bag. He never leaves home without one. "It's not human," the stronger man said as he sniffed it before putting it into the bag. "It might be cat hair."

"Cat hair? I told you Jim! I got this one right!"

"You can save the celebration for later, Babe. Right now, let's see what this hair can tell us back at the station."

After a little bit of time examining the hair, the lab was ready to tell all of its secrets.

"It's definitely animal hair and definitely a cat," the lab technician said.

"So we may not be dealing with a cat woman. We may be dealing with a cat beast?"

"Jim, there is no way we can tell that from this sample. It's been there quite possibly since the robbery. Who knows what contaminants are on it."

"So basically we're still up a creek as to the identity of this...thing," Blair said.

"Not quite. Let's go see what information Simon has about this Catwoman," Jim replied.

The jaunt from the lab to Simon's office was a rather short and quick one, considering they are both in the same building. They entered and, of course, neither one of them knocked.

"Don't you have any manners," Simon snapped.

"Did Gordon give you any information on this Catwoman," Jim asked.

"What little they had. It seems like the Gotham PD couldn't even pin anything on her and from this report, she's been there for years. Records are very shoddy considering the quake from over a year ago and No Man's Land after that."

"And did Gordon stay through No Man's Land," Blair asked.

"You mean to tell me you don't remember him from the papers?"

"It would also be nice to have time to read the papers."

"Well, to answer your question, yes he did stay through the No Man's Land. Rather brave thing to do considering what happened to Gotham."

"Simon," Jim interrupted, "you mean to tell me that we have absolutely no information on this woman?"

"For all intents and purposes, yes."

"Well, what if she strikes again tonight," Blair asked.

"Easy, Chief. Remember the night of the robbery? I heard some strange noise and then we got the call about the robbery. I think we can know the next time she strikes."

"Jim, we won't know where, man."

"You're right. We won't."

Bruce Wayne's private jet touched down on the pavement of the Cascade Airport. The door opened and Alfred was the first to go out, ever the faithful butler. Bruce followed and leading the rear was Tim Drake.

"Hey Bruce," Tim said, "when are we going to go to WayneTech?"

"Right now. Here's our rental limo. Alfred, would you do the honors?"

"Of course, Sir." Alfred opened the door letting the two of them inside of the car. The door shut, Alfred got in the driver's seat, and the three of them were off for WayneTech. Along the way, the three of them made what would be termed idle conversation to them.

"You never did tell me how we're going from WayneTech to Batcave number whatever."

"Seven, Tim. In every WayneTech building there is a penthouse for either myself or Lucius Fox to stay in. Every one of these buildings also has a secret compartment based on JLA transporter technology to immediately take us to the Batcave. From there, we'll see what we can find in Cascade."

"Sirs, we're almost there. Might I suggest a moment of silence?" Alfred's skillful driving was only reinforced by carefully studying Cascade and its traffic patterns. The trip to WayneTech was made in a relatively short amount of time.

They were immediately greeted at the door by the director of the Cascade branch. "Bruce, how was the trip?"

"Do you know just how horrible jet lag can be? No matter how many times I travel, I have jetlag."

"Did you try sleeping on the flight, Bruce," the director said.

"I never did. I think I'll try it next time."

The luggage was unloaded from the limo and the three of them got introduced to the penthouse. It was standard WayneTech fare, a virtual home away from home. The director left upon seeing that they were fully moved in.

"You know Bruce, you'll have to teach me how to do this whole 'Millionaire Who's an Idiot' thing."

"It doesn't take much to fool them. One stupid comment and you're there for the rest of your life. If I remember the design right, the false wall is right here."

With that, Bruce pushed and the wall gave way. It unveiled a room with a glowing wall, obviously the transport site. Each one was separate from the others; it was a matter of security for Bruce. They stepped through into the Batcave with the exception of Alfred. Once again, Bruce was fully prepared. This cave has two Cray supercomputers, a spare Batmobile and enough armaments to destroy a small country.

"Computer, put me through to Oracle," Bruce said.

The computer whirred and buzzed until Oracle's digitized mask came on screen. Oracle is the premier computer hacker and information broker, secretly Barbara Gordon.

"This is Oracle on secure link."

"Barbara, it's me."

"Bruce! I was told you left town for a few days."

"I did. I'm in Cascade, Washington tracking down Catwoman. Can you give me any information regarding this city and its police force?"

"Give me five minutes and I'll see what I can find."

While Oracle was gathering her information, Bruce and Tim changed into the respective identities. It's Batman and Robin now--part of the psychology Batman uses. When he's in the cowl all references to Bruce fall on deaf ears.

"Okay, Batman, you there?"

"Yes, Barbara. What did you find?"

"Well, it seems like it's your average run of the mill city. The main cop to watch out for here is one named James Ellison. He was in covert ops down in Peru and according to his debriefing and examination, his time there seemed to change him. The report doesn't say exactly how though. He currently lives at 852 Prospect Street. It's an apartment building he owns and he shares his room with someone named Blair Sandburg. Apparently, he's a graduate student."

"What else is there, Babs," Robin interjected.

"Well, Boy Wonder, the most probable main contact with Cascade PD will be through Captain Simon Banks. Dad met him a while ago in Chicago and they seem to be good friends. If anyone in Cascade would have a hint about your existence, it's him. The rest of the squadron shouldn't give you much trouble. I'll send you pictures of whom your contacts should be."

"Oracle, you know we operate in secrecy."

"Yes I do, Batman. Remember I was once your Batgirl so I know about that. In this case though, it may be inevitable that they find out about you. Here are those pictures I promised you. I've captioned them for your viewing pleasure."

That comment struck a chord in Batman. If he wanted help from the police force, it would mean revealing his presence there. There is the possibility of compromising the entire mission. It's a chance he may have to take.

"Robin, I want you to do surveillance on this James Ellison. Report back if you think he'll be much of a problem."

"Sure thing, Batman. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go into evidence and see what they've found so far. It may give us a clue as to where she'll strike next."

Robin looked on at 852 Prospect, trying to find the window that belongs to Jim and Blair. After thirty-five windows, he finally found pay dirt and began to observe them from a distance. It seemed like any other apartment, with the exception of the many tribal artifacts that Blair decorated the apartment with. It seems like they were just sitting on the sofa having a nice night together. Then the phone rang; it was a good thing that Robin knew how to read lips.

"Ellison." After a long pause his lips moved again.

"Yeah, we'll be there." The two of them hurriedly got out of the door for something.

Now it was Robin's chance to enter the building. A poly-fiber cord with a grappling hook attached itself to the apartment building and he went swinging into action. The rustling of the cape was too much noise, however. As Jim was heading down the stairs, he heard it.

"Chief, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"I heard a noise, like something rustling above us."

He gave Blair the cell phone. "Call Simon and tell him we'll be running late. I'm going to check on this."

"Jim--"

Too late, Blair; your roommate was already scrambling up the stairs back to the apartment. Jim hurriedly pulled out his gun, just in case anything was horribly wrong.

After a couple of seconds of working on the window, Robin finally managed to get his way into the apartment. With bug in hand, he placed it in spot that was sure not to garner any attention. As he was on his way out, he heard the door unlocking; the young lad knew there was no way to get out of the apartment before the door would open. Scanning the area, he finds a hiding place upstairs and he rushed to it just before the door opened.

Ellison enters the main room with gun in hand and enhanced hearing working overtime. His ears scan the room very carefully listening for anything that is out of the ordinary. Suddenly, he hits the jackpot when he hears someone breathing upstairs.

"Whoever you are, I know you're there. Get down here, now."

Robin stopped for a second; he knew there was no possible way for Ellison to know he was there. The Batman only let you on the team if you were covert enough to suit his perfectionist tastes. He knew he was a trapped animal the moment Jim said for him to freeze. He got prepared for the worst as he reached into his utility belt to find smoke grenades and a tear gas capsule. No way was he getting caught without a fight.

The compartment opened and Jim heard every last second of it. It was like nothing he had ever heard before and because of that he assumed it was hostile. Getting his gun up he prepared to fire when a shadowy figure of Robin came out and threw the capsules at Jim. Out of instinct, Jim fired but missed the target; Robin's projectiles were on target. The grenades and capsule blew next to Jim spraying a horrid mix of smoke and tear gas. Ellison tried to cover his nose from it but it was too late. The gas had already started to do its work, swelling up the older man's tear ducts and making it nearly impossible for him to see anything. Blair finally got into the room to see his buddy down and a figure escaping. He rushed to Jim's aid, pulling him away from the gas and allowing him to recover.

After such an attack, the logical thing to do would be to report this to the police. Since Jim was the police, the logical thing that ran through his head was to report to Simon what he saw. However, he was in no condition to drive; Blair had to drive the Sweet Sixty-Nine over to the precinct. After lugging Jim into the truck (which is no small chore), Blair took the driver's seat. He always wanted to drive this one, especially because it was retro. Jim always said no, stating this was a police car and for him to loan it to Blair would be terribly wrong. This time, it was an exceptional exception. The engine turned and they were on their way.

Batman made it to the Cascade PD in no time; of course, it doesn't help to have a car that can move at speeds over two hundred miles per hour either. "It's a different building," he thought to himself. "Also, most of the police here seem to be inept. The main problem will be to find the evidence room, not tangling with them."

After searching the main map while being hidden in the shadows, he found the room he was looking for. Slowly and carefully, he worked his way there, making sure not to be seen by the police. The evidence room was now in sight and he took the chance. Batman made it! A quick opening of the door and the next part of his mission was at hand--find the Catwoman file.

He had heard of some of these cases, particularly of Brackett and Zeller. He had already studied them in hopes of ensuring this wouldn't happen in his city. He found the file he wanted to find and began to search through it. He reviewed the lab reports saying five glasscutters opened the glass. He had enough evidence to put Catwoman there, since she has one claw on each finger. He read the news article about the robbery and then he pondered the big mystery.

"Is this truly the only crime she'll do here," he asked himself. "She also needs to find a fence in the city somewhere. That stuff's too hot to take out of here."

The door began to open and he hid in the shadows, knowing how well he blends in with them. A uniform came in and looked around, thinking he heard something in here. Satisfied with thinking his mind played tricks on him, he left the room. Batman also left, this way through the ventilation shafts and swung off the roof to the waiting Batmobile. He got in and took off; along the way he picked up his trusty partner and the two of them discussed what they found.

As Batman was swinging, the truck with Jim and Blair pulled in. Jim was too busy fighting the after-effects of the gas in order to notice anything else. Blair parked and shut down the engine. Thinking Jim may need help, he went to the passenger's side and tried to help him out.

"Sandburg, don't. I can do this on my own."

"Just like you handled the break-in, right? Come on, man."

He had Jim place an arm around his neck. If anything Blair would act like a human crutch this time around. It took them a little time, but they finally arrived at Simon's office and per usual, Simon was waiting on them.

"And what was so important that you two couldn't leave the apartment?"

"Simon, we had someone break in," Blair began. "He was like this little red and green blur."

"Sandburg, what kind of an idiot do you think I am? First you say I have a lady in a cat suit and now you're trying to tell me you saw some kind of elf? You sure you're not on drugs?"

"He's right, Simon. He attacked me. Threw some kind of gas at me. It smelled like tear gas."

"Oh, so you saw the elf too? You two are getting more and more alike every day."

Just then Brown comes in through the office door. Simon snapped with an uncharacteristic "what?"

"I think you need to see this." Brown escorted the three men to a VCR. It was playing a surveillance tape from evidence lockup.

"What the hell is that," Jim asked, looking as puzzled as anyone else. It looked like a huge black blur.

"Is that what I think it is," Blair remarked.

Simon has finally had enough. "Look, for everyone in here, let me say this once. There are no ghosts, there is no Catwoman, there are no elves in Jim's apartment and by God, THERE IS NO BATMAN!!! Do I make myself clear on this subject? Why don't you go and do some real work for a change?!"

"Yes sir." Blair said.

"Hey Simon, do you mind if we examine the tape?"

"Go right ahead, Jim"

In the Batmobile, Robin began the conversation. "He found me somehow."

"What?"

"That's exactly what I thought. Somehow he knew, like he was some sort of psychic."

"If he was one, it would have been included in Oracle's report on him. We need to find possible fences in this town. Let's head back to Ellison's apartment and see what that can tell us."

"Sounds good to me. Now for the big questionâ€"front door or window?"

"You already know that answer."

Two shots are heard, two cords attach themselves, and two figures ascend the building until they arrive at the right window. Batman overshot it by a little bit, but he noticed Robin stopping and he descended to match his partner's position. The entry again was smooth and, once again, the door started to open while they were in there. Batman thought to try a little experiment.

"Robin, hide where you hid last time. I'll get in the corner. The shadows will be more than enough cover. Get a pin to drop."

The Caped Crusaders hid and the door opened. Once again, Jim heard breathing and whispered to Sandburg, "Keep the lights off."

Batman and Robin knew they had the advantage in the dark room and quickly equipped their Starlight Night-Vision Lenses. Shortly thereafter, Jim equipped his own brand of lenses; his pupils dilated in order to let in more light. He caught Batman in the corner.

"I know you're in the corner. Come out in the open."

Robin took this as his cue and dropped the pin. Jim's enhanced hearing picked that up in no time.

"And whoever's upstairs come down too. Sandburg hit the lights."

The costumed ones took off their lenses as Blair turned on the light. The sight of one of the scariest men on the planet took him off guard.

"J-J-Jim, is this some kind of joke?"

"I assure you that if it's a joke it's on me," Jim replied. "Get your hands in the air. Both of you."

"Just one thing. How did you see me in pitch-black darkness," Batman asked, waiting for a logical answer.

"He eats lots of carrots," Blair said in defense of his Sentinel.

"No," Batman said, "let's just say you're sensory enhanced. An extreme dilation of your pupils in order to see in the darkness. The subtle inclination of your head at sounds you shouldn't be hearing. You're good--or possess sensory implants--which make your powers of observation markedly proficient. Now if you know what's good for you, you'll put down the gun."

"Maybe you don't understand the whole thing about me being a cop and you being an illegal vigilante," Jim said in a sarcastic manner.

"No, YOU don't understand. The kid beat you last time. I'm better than the kid. Put the gun down."

"Jim, he's serious. I told you he existed and you didn't believe me but now he's there, man! There's a reason why he's this scary, Jim."

"Jim, do I really have to drudge up your history in Covert Ops before you realize just how dangerous I am?"

With that, Batman threw out a flash grenade intended to blind Jim and percussion caps to throw off his hearing. It pays to know where everything in your belt is. Blinded and overloaded, Ellison collapses to his knees before passing out. Blair tries in vain to grasp the gun, but he is stopped short by his "elf" that simply restrains Sandburg, knowing that Blair is not the main threat.

Detective James Ellison woke up with such a splitting headache that he almost didn't realize he had been tied up in his own apartment. Almost. The very first thing he saw was the Batman, which scared him. Never before had someone figured out his secret so quickly and never before has anyone taken him out of the picture so quickly. He realized why Batman had the reputation he was famous for, and for the first time in quite a long time, James Ellison experienced terror. He checked to his right and found Blair, similarly bound but also gagged.

Robin could be heard in the background, working with Oracle. "Oracle, I need you to get ready to send this information to the Department of Extranormal

Operations as soon as he gives the signal."

"It seems you were assigned to investigate the Catwoman case," Batman said, still in is intimidating manner. "What I need right now is information. Give me the names of fences in the Cascade area and do it before I get unhappy."

"Just why the hell should I be helping you? Last time I checked you were operating as a vigilante and you assaulted a cop."

"You're also looking at the one who foiled her plots time and time again. The fact that you were assaulted only shows off your stupidity. Robin's fed the information about your enhanced senses to Oracle. If I don't get that information from you, all that info goes to the DEO."

"You're full of shit if you think I'm gonna help you."

"Suit yourself. I've heard the DEO has wonderful dissection facilities. Robin, prepare to send the--"

"WAIT! I don't know of any of them but Simon Banks would."

"Your captain?"

"You untie me and I'll call him."

"Nice try. How about I use your department cell phone and just hit redial. I can recall that police phones are not used for personal calls." He picks up the phone and hits the button; sure enough it goes directly to Simon.

"Yeah, Banks."

"Simon," he said in perfect imitation of Jim, "where is the easiest place to fence those jewels?"

"You could try Joey's. They're at two four three seventy-second street."

"Two four three seventy-second?"

"Yeah."

"I'll let you know if I need backup."

Right before he hung up the phone Jim got out a distressed "SIMON!" This was met with a backhand from the Batman.

"Be thankful I'm still in a good mood," he said. "Robin, let's get out of here."

They went to the window, but before leaving Batman turned back. He went to Ellison and gave him a pocket knife. "Don't say I didn't give you the way to escape." After doing that he left.

Jim worked on his ropes as quickly as he possibly could, freeing himself in a personal best time if he was keeping track of that. After that, he went to free Blair.

"We have to go to that place on Seventy-Second Street."

"Jim, look at what he did. He can do it again."

"I don't care. I don't want this costumed freak running around in my city. Now we're going to go there and bust his ass."

"Jim, you're getting a little possessive with this 'my city' thing."

"It is my city. I was put in charge of protecting it," Jim snapped. As he said that, Blair was now completely freed. "Let's go and get this over with."

After racing down the stairs, they got into the Sweet Sixty-Nine and departed at an alarming speed for Joey's. When they arrived there, they bolted out of the truck and went inside.

"All right, where is he?"

"Where is who," Joey said.

"A costumed moron!"

"Haven't seen one of those tonight. Try next time."

Batman and Robin were watching all of this from the roof. "He's going to ruin everything," Batman said angrily. He further watched as Sandburg and Ellison exited the place. Silently he whispered, "I'm on the roof" over and over.

Jim heard the whispering, thanks in part to his enhanced hearing. Frantically, he rushed back in and up the stairs. Racing he could hear every last breath angrily escape his mouth. Ellison was taking this very personally and quite simply, he wanted to destroy the man who took him down so easily. Finally arriving on the roof, he busted the door down got his gun up and said "CASCADE POLICE! FREEZE!"

The darkly clad figure turned around and in the turn let loose with scalloped projectiles--he jokingly called them his batarangs. Ellison took careful aim and shot each projectile before they could hit him.

"Nice try," Jim retorted. He then shot a flurry of lead at his opponent and one caught the Batman. He fell to the ground in a lump. As the Batman was falling, Blair finally caught up with his Sentinel.

"You did it, man. It's over." Blair couldn't be any more wrong.

Just then, the Batman began to stand up, as if the gunshots were little more than a slap in the face. Even at point blank range, the police bullets would not penetrate his costume. The blood from Blair's face left and he was white as a ghost, scared at what would happen next.

"Jim, he can't die," Blair said, completely ignoring the fact that he was a bat-MAN. "Jim--"

Immediately Ellison let out some more gunshots, but the vigilante evaded the attack. Robin was perched above the door and he knew it was his time to strike. Quickly, he unfolded his collapsible bo staff with a click, click, click. He then dived into the conflict, smacking Ellison's hand with the staff. The gun went away, blending with the cold darkness. Blair realized that his partner was in some serious trouble and tried to pick a fight with Robin. The Guide's arms wrapped themselves around the younger man's waist as if he was going to try and throw the Boy Wonder. Robin used this to his advantage though. His training came in handy as he reversed Blair's hold and simply choked him into unconsciousness.

The battle between Jim and Batman was growing more intense by the second. The military trained its men well and Batman knew this. He knew Jim wouldn't quit until he was taken out of the picture. A few well-timed hits by Jim sent Batman reeling, but it wouldn't be enough to stop the masked man. It was answered by a few hits to Jim. Batman knew this fight was quickly turning into a game of wits and he knew that at this game he would be the ultimate victor. For every fighting form Jim knew, Batman knew ten, which came in handy as he quickly changed forms to frustrate Jim. This in turn caused Ellison to make mistakes and soon after, Batman emerged from the battle victorious, dragging an unconscious Detective Ellison.

Jim woke up the next morning in his apartment with the strangest thought in his head. He had this dream that a bat swooped down and starting preying on a jaguar. No matter how much the big cat tried to fight back, the bat proved too much. The jaguar laid in the middle of the jungle, decimated and not knowing whether or not it'll be able to fight again. The dream slowly gave way to a painful reality as Cascade's guardian had the hardest time getting out of bed; the pain was unbearable.

"Sandburg," Jim howled. It was obvious he need some major help.

Blair heard the plaintive cry of his Great Protector. He got out of bed rather groggy, but not injured. As he went through the loft, what he saw at the door frightened him. He sprinted for the upstairs.

"Jim, there's something on the door."

"Chief, the last thing I need to hear is more about our 'friends.'"

"Jim, maybe we should work with them instead of fighting them. I mean, you can't take much more of this, man."

"I am not working with someone who runs around at night in his underwear. Now let me see what's at our door."

Jim went to the door, expecting the worst, but found instead a note from his newfound friend. It was short and sweet; just the way Batman likes it. The note simply said "stay out of my way" and was signed with a bat shape.

Ellison went to the door, tearing the note off. The first thing he thought of why this person was in Cascade to begin with. With a small "humph" he turned to Blair.

"You seem to be our resident expert on people who dress in strange costumes. Tell me about him."

"Jim, there's not a whole lot to tell."

"Sandburg, just tell me what you know."

"Okay, okay. I studied at Gotham University for a couple of semesters. Every once in a while, I saw this shadow streaking across the night sky. Everyone said not to worry about him because he only caught the bad guys. And man, were there bad guys in Gotham."

"So what kind of bad guys were there?"

"Well, I remember one that looked like some type of...deranged clown."

"Wait, wait, wait. So you're telling me his enemies dress up like clowns? What kind of idiot would go around and beat up clowns?"

"Jim, you didn't let me finish. His main trick was in killing people with something that made them smile when they died. There was also another guy and he had one side of his face scarred. I would've loved to done a study on him, man."

"Wait."

"What's going on Jim?"

"I hear something."

With enhanced hearing, he started to listen for this unusual sound. It was a faint humming, so faint that the ordinary human wouldn't be able to hear the sound. Then again, Jim was no ordinary human. He tracked the sound to a small coffee table.

"It's over here, Chief."

He went underneath the table, looking for any unusual object that may lay underneath. He found his goal; there was a small transmitter underneath. Using his spare plastic storage bag that he always carries, the Sentinel of Cascade removes the transmitter, putting it into the bag.

"Hey, Jim, what'd you find?

"Just your average, run of the mill, transmitter, Chief." He then addressed the transmitter as if were a living thing. "This ends now."

The two of them hurriedly got ready for another day in Cascade, Washington. It would be yet another atypical day for the two of them. In the Batcave, Batman took the news of the transmitter being spotted very seriously. "Computer, reroute transmitter. Code ninety-one forty-five alpha."

Alfred then entered his master's cave away from cave.

"Master Bruce, you do need a day in the sun. You're supposed to have a WayneTech tour today."

"Yes, of course."

"Might I add, you seem to be taking this Catwoman case rather personally?"

"It's not her. There's a detective in the police here. Gave me a run for my money last night. The fact that he has enhanced senses doesn't help me out either. He'll be able to find me out by just listening to the signal from the device or by seeing in the right spectrum or--"

"He may be enhanced, but he is no Superman."

"I don't know if he is or not. Let me change and then we'll take the tour. Tell them I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Of course, sir"

At the Cascade Police Department, Jim and Blair went in licking their wounds. This of course attracted the attention of Simon; the rest of the department seemed completely oblivious to their pain.

"Ellison, what the hell happened to you?"

"I had a little run in last night, Captain."

"And did this little run in have four legs and meows or did it have leathery wings?" The laugh of Simon Banks was piercing. Both Ellison and Sandburg realized that if they would tell him, he wouldn't believe them.

Blair was, of course, the first person to speak up.

"He had the wings, Simon, and he also has a kid with him. They beat us up."

"So now this is a father and son thing," Simon remarked.

"Simon, it's true," Ellison said. In the back of his mind, he knew his mandatory three meetings with the department's psychologist were already being drawn up. "He left us a little present also. I found it this morning. Who knows how long it's been there."

"You know what to do with it, or did your friend bite you and now you have no common sense at all?"

"Simon, this isn't funny. You could be next."

"Sandburg, I know I might be next," Simon said. "Why do you think I'm joking about it now?"

Off to the lab they go! Along the way, the officers were wondering what kind of train ran over Jim. In fact, within five minutes of Ellison's arrival, a betting pool was started to see what kind of horrible event happened to Jim last night--the odds of him being beat up by Blair were one thousand to one. When they got to the lab, Jim pulled out the bag containing the device.

The lab technician turned around to Jim and immediately said "What happened, detective?"

"I had a rodent problem. Can you run some tests on this equipment?"

"Your standard dusting?"

"More than that. See if you can locate a signal and trace it."

"Now that's more than we can handle here. If you want that, you'll have to go to WayneTech labs and see what they can do with it." With that, Cascade's dynamic duo left for WayneTech's laboratory.

Bruce Wayne had finished getting dressed and was in the middle of his tour of the site. At the time we join the tour, he was in the biological lab.

"Now exactly what does this branch of WayneTech do in the bio labs?"

"Well, Mr. Wayne," Debora Farrah began, "currently our biological lab is in the middle of researching DNA processors."

"Dee enn what?"

"DNA, our genetic code."

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry. It's been so long since I've taken biology."

"I understand. Currently we're taking the genetic code and somehow integrate it into a computer circuit board. It's a very hard process, but we're making strides every day."

"What kind of strides?"

"Well, a few days ago, we almost had a working model. Unfortunately, the board got fried and therefore, we had to start back at square two. I say that because we still have the data from the first try. It's worth more than money can buy."

Just then two figures came into the lab--one larger and one smaller. Bruce Wayne immediately recognized them from last night. It was Jim Ellison and Blair Sandburg.

"Hi, we're looking for someone who can direct us to the electronics lab?"

"Oh, yes," the guide said. "I can take both you and Mr. Wayne there."

"Hold on," Blair said quickly. "You mean, THE Bruce Wayne is here in Cascade?"

"Yes, I am," Bruce replied, shaking Blair's hand as he said it. "And you are?"

"Blair Sandburg. This is Jim Ellison. He's, ah, assisting me on some research."

"So what does this research have to do with the labs at WayneTech?"

"It doesn't," Jim said. "We're on a case for the Cascade Police. We found some type of electronic bug in our apartment and we want to check it out. You happen to have the best facilities in Cascade."

"So you're doing research together on electronic bugs in the police and you need my labs to assist you?"

"This has nothing to do with Sandburg's research," Jim said. In the back of his head, he was trying to figure out just how much of a fop Bruce Wayne is. "We found the bug and need to trace its source."

"I guess you can use them but I must say I am completely confused about all of this."

"Mr. Wayne, maybe it would be best if we would move on in our tour." Debora just saved Bruce from making more humiliating comments. "The electronics lab is next."

The tour continued with Jim and Blair in tow. The electronics laboratory was just down the hallway; it was a short and unremarkable trip.

"This is the electronics department, considered one of the best in the nation. It's second only to LexCorp's Metropolis lab. Currently, they are working in synch with the bio lab in developing the DNA processor."

"That is years ahead of our time, man."

"On the contrary, Mr. Sandburg. If I remember this right, it should be done within the next five years. Someone in here can help you with your request."

"Thank you," Jim said.

Blair did an odd double take. It's a rare occasion when Jim thanked anyone. They went over to one of the lab technicians.

"Hi, I'm Jim Ellison. This is my associate, Blair Sandburg. We need to trace this listening device we found. Is it possible?"

"Of course, let's hook it up to the machines in that corner." The technician led them to a corner of the lab containing many devices for this purpose. "One of the things we do in this lab is create devices for government use. We use these machines to make sure they are very hard to trace."

Over at the main door, Bruce kept peering in. "Is there, something wrong, Mr. Wayne?"

"Can I look at one of those processors? I haven't even seen designs for them yet!"

"Of course." The technician led him to the first table. "They're right here. Three different models, each with its own advantages and disadvantages."

Bruce picked one up to look closer. "The sheer thought of one of these was, WHOA!" Suddenly the board slipped out of his hands and crashed on the floor, developing a small crack. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, Mr. Wayne. It looks fixable. Let's keep going on our tour."

As Mr. Wayne left, Jim and Blair began talking about what they witnessed.

"You know, Chief, if I ever get like that, promise to shoot me."

"What do you mean, Jim?"

"Being a complete klutz. He broke a circuit board."

"I've seen you drop stuff too. Hey Jim, what's the difference between being your partner and your associate?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes I'm your partner, sometimes I'm your associate. Don't even get me started on the pet names."

"Chief, maybe this isn't the time to discuss this."

Just then the technician spoke up. "Whoever bugged you didn't make any mistakes. It goes overseas at least three hundred times. It's virtually untraceable."

"All right. Thank you for your time."

"You're very welcome," the technician replied. With that, the two of them left the building. Once again, the Batman got them; it only seemed to anger Ellison more. They said nothing on their way out.

As they got into the truck, Jim finally said something. "He's got us at every turn. He can counter this Sentinel thing, he seems to know everything about us, and the one time we try and get something about him, we can't do it."

"Jim, calm down, man."

"You don't get it, do you Sandburg? This isn't some kind of new hot topic for you to research. We're talking about someone who can take us out anywhere, anytime. He could kill us."

"He hasn't been known for killing, Jim. Every article I read about him said he doesn't kill."

"Every article might be lying through their teeth. We need to find where this cat lady will strike next and then take her and Batman down."

"And how do we know they'll both be there, Jim?" Blair's question effectively ended the idea of catching them both at once.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know." Jim got into the truck, thinking something he never thought before. He knew what failure felt like now. He failed to bring Catwoman in; he failed to even slow down the Batman. Nothing Blair could say on the way to the station could cheer him up. Jim was at a complete loss for words over this new feeling.

Bruce Wayne went back into the hidden room, used the transporter, and wound up in the Cascade Batcave. Inside, Robin was busy talking to Oracle.

"So you're sure nobody bought tickets from here to Gotham?"

"Absolutely, Boy Wonder. I've looked in every major airline and even in this Cascade Airways Company. Nothing."

"Okay. How is the Global Positioning Unit doing?"

"You know I'm surprised that you could even fit that on a 1969 Ford. That truck should've rusted out years ago."

"He must take good care of it then. Where are they now?"

"At the police department. You know, for some strange reason, you two have become obsessed with this truck and its occupant."

"Occupants," Bruce said, changing into his Batman costume. "They've gotten in our way on more than one occasion. Even saw them at WayneTech today, checking out our bug."

"And since you're the ultimate Boy Scout, they didn't find us," Robin quipped.

"Yes, and I am merely prepared. Don't compare me to the Boy Scouts. Reminds me too much of Clark."

"Heaven forbid we should compare you to Clark," Oracle quipped.

Batman had this nagging suspicion about Farrah. "Computer, run a scan for Debora Farrah. Search WayneTech employee files. Include a picture if one is on file."

The computer whirred and buzzed and a few seconds later, her profile showed up. "That can't be right."

"What can't be right," Robin asked.

"The picture is different. She was right under our noses and we never knew it."

"Okay, so we know she was at WayneTech. What is she after?"

"She seemed to talk a lot about the DNA processors. One of those is 'worth more than money can buy.' She'll steal it tonight. She took the time today to examine everything WayneTech has in security. Nobody will be the wiser, except for us."

"Shouldn't we get the cops here on our side too?"

"Of course. We'll work a deal with Banks provided he's there. If not, we'll get Ellison."

"If I remember this right, he really hates us."

"Given the chance, he might make a good ally. If he doesn't turn out to be one, we take him down."

"In other words, neural chaffs and flash grenades go in the belts tonight?"

"Your main problem is to keep this Blair Sandburg from screwing everything up."

"Uh, guys," Oracle interrupted, "I just got a word in from the markets. The jewels from that heist are up! A man bid big bucks for it and is meeting the fence at the pier."

"Robin, new mission. Get this Sandburg guy and take him to the docks. You'll have to bust them while I go after Catwoman."

"Sure thing, boss." With that comment from Robin, they loaded their belts with tonight's essentials and took off in the Batmobile.

The precinct was getting ready for another night shift. It should be a habit by now to see Simon leaving for the night, but tonight was different. Simon was working just a little bit late. It was a beautiful night outside and Simon really wanted to enjoy it from as high and as long as possible. The shattering of glass destroyed this quiet evening. Two shadowy figures burst into his office--Batman and Robin.

"Relax, Captain Banks," Batman said, calmly. "I'm here to give information. Catwoman is planning on robbing WayneTech tonight."

"How do I know this is true? You and Ellison had a little tango last night and he came in here beat up. How do I know it's not a trap?"

"It's not a trap. You have my word. Ellison got hurt because he got in my way. Now you can either follow my plan or go in there blazing and let her get away."

Just then, Jim enetered wondering what was going on. Seeing the shadowy figures, he immediately pulls out his gun and screams, "FREEZE!"

"See what I mean about coming in blazing, Captain?"

"All, right, I get your point. So what do you want us to do?"

"I'll go in with Ellison. His heightened senses will come in handy in finding her. Robin will take a small group over to the pier. The jewels are being sold there. Let us do the dirty work and then you can come in and clean up."

Simon's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree the moment Batman talked about the Sentinel abilities. Nobody else was supposed to know. "Look, I don't care who you are. Let me tell you this--There is no way I am sending a child into the line of fire."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Robin quipped. Simon was aghast.

"Robin is more than capable of handling himself. We're wasting time arguing like this. Will you help?"

"Fine. Rafe and Brown will go with the kid. I'm personally going to supervise this operation with you and Ellison."

"Sandburg will also go with Robin. The less baggage Ellison and myself have the better."

"Fine, just get the hell out of my office!" With that, the Dynamic Duo set off for their respective locations. Simon mobilized his men for their jobs tonight.

At the pier, Rafe, Brown, and Sandburg waited on their contact. "Just who is this contact, Sandburg," Brown asked.

"It'd take too long to explain everything," Blair replied. Just then he heard a thud on the roof of the car. "That must be my signal," Blair said. He took his two-way radio with him; the other half was in the car. Exiting the car, he found Robin crouched on top.

"Sorry," the Boy Wonder said, "couldn't think of any other way to get your attention."

"So what are we supposed to do?"

"Go up high and watch. My job isn't all glamour."

He reached into his utility belt and grabbed his grappling hook launcher. With a silenced bang, it went and came in contact with the highest roof. Blair grabbed onto the teen's waist and they went to the roof. Rafe and Brown looked on in awe. Rafe grabbed the radio.

"Simon?"

"What?"

"Are we supposed to see people with capes running around? Is it Ellison?"

"Ellison is with me, or didn't you hear that? It would take too long to explain anyway. Just wait there for the bust to happen and take them in."

On the roof, Robin gave Blair a pair of binoculars fitted with Starlight Night-Vision Lenses. "You'll need these," he said.

Blair started to peer through the binoculars at the same time Robin did. So far, it was pretty uneventful. "Who else knows about Jim's abilities? We're trying our best to keep the world from knowing."

"It's hard to keep a secret from Batman. Trust me on this one. Don't worry, only Batman, Oracle and I know."

"Who is this Oracle?"

Robin looked over with a smirk. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Blair continued to look for trouble. "Hey, take a look at this."

Robin looked at Blair's observation area; he finally caught the area in question. "That's it. I see the jewels now. Stay here." Robin leapt into the fray.

"Like I have any other choice."

Sandburg at least accompanied him to the edge of the rooftop. There were four men, two apparently on each side. With a click, click, click of his bo staff, he was fully ready. He watched carefully as the deal was taking place, choosing his moment to strike. Then as the money exchanged hands, he leapt into the center, knocking both briefcases out of the hands of the men.

After seeing such a display from Robin, the men were shocked. They hurriedly pulled out their guns, hoping to get a piece of the kid. Blair immediately radioed their location to Rafe and Brown and the gunshots were fired. Robin dodged them with ease, and prepared to fight back. A couple of batarangs flew out of his hand, knocking the guns out of the men's hands. Robin thought to himself what a lucky shot that was.

Two of the men began to run from the scene--the two that had the money to be exact. Knowing Rafe and Brown wouldn't be there for a little bit, Blair knew he had to do something. Thinking to himself "This will hurt in the morning, man" he jumped from the top of the building close to the running men. They turned around, only to be tackled by Blair. All he had to do was keep them from getting up. It's only a matter of time now before the reinforcements would arrive.

Robin was hurriedly working over his two men. Each one was completely inept at fighting, so it was easy for someone like Robin. Just as he laid in the final punch, Rafe and Brown finally arrived. Robin pulled out another grapling hook and launched it, this time toward WayneTech; he wanted to report this to his boss personally.

"What the hell," Rafe said as he looked at the scene and at the cloaked figure escaping.

"It's all right," Blair said. "All we need are these four. The one in the cape was helping us, remember?"

Over at WayneTech, Batman was waiting on the arrival of his police help. The moment they made it, he started to whisper, "Look over here" knowing that Jim would hear this.

Down on the street, Jim did, in fact, hear what Batman whispered and relied on his eyesight to locate him. He was one building away from WayneTech. "Simon, he's on that rooftop." He pointed over to the next building over and the two of them began the trek to the roof.

The moment they arrived on the roof of the building, Batman told them his plan. "We'll stay here until we see Catwoman enter the building. Jim and I will swing over and enter. We'll make our way to the target and apprehend Catwoman before she has the chance to escape."

"Whoa, whoa. Swing over?"

"Yes, Jim. We'll swing over to the next building. Simon, the moment we enter, you signal for the backup to get in its place. If she manages to escape us, we'll have some kind of plan in place."

"I can't believe I'm going to do this," Jim remarked.

Just then, a shadowy figure came across Jim's field of vision. Using his enhanced eyesight, he looked a little bit closer. It seemed to be a female figure but one with cat ears on her head.

"I think I found her."

"What does she look like, Jim?"

"I saw a woman with cat ears on her head. Need to know more?"

A grappling hook launched and hit its intended target at WayneTech. "Grab on," Batman said as Jim held on for dear life around the cloaked man's shoulders. The both of them swung to the windowsill and entered the building.

"Now where is that prototype being held," Ellison said

"Oracle gave me the schematics," Batman replied, trying to hide his identity. "It's at the electronics lab on the ninteenth floor."

"We landed on the eighteenth. Let's go up."

"Wait! How did you know that," Batman asked

"I counted windows."

They raced against time to get to the electronics lab. Batman let Jim lead the way, in order to take away any suspicion of the secret identity. When they finally arrived, they saw Catwoman, with the circuit board in hand.

Jim immediately rushed in. "Cascade Police! Freeze!"

Catwoman immediately turned around and saw the man pointing a gun at her. She put down the board and casually swayed toward him.

"So this is the man who'll finally take me down. I must say you are rather charming," she said.

"Put your hands up."

"A man of few words. I like that."

She grabbed a hold of her bullwhip and in the blink of an eye, she cracked it against Jim's hand. It was just enough to sting and make him drop his gun. She quickly ran for safety, but instead found a Dark Knight in the hallway.

"Catwoman, stay there," the Batman said in his commanding tone.

This was met with a bullwhip in Batman's direction. Batman jumped away, only letting the whip graze his side. It still stung, though, partially from his battle with Ellison last night. Knowing she wounded Batman, she ran for safety, with Batman following her.

Jim knew when to leave well enough alone. He foiled the robbery attempt and made the world a safer place once again. He got his gun back and left the building, being immediately greeted by Simon and his small battalion of police.

"Jim! Thank God."

"I'm okay, Simon. She got away though. Our masked friend is chasing her down."

"Yeah we saw them. Tried to shoot but they were too damn high. We have to talk about how much of this goes into our report."

"Simon, can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Won't be filed until then anyway."

Jim sat in his apartment, licking his many wounds with his Guide. Just then the shadowy figures came inside the loft once again. Jim turned around and said, "You know, I still should arrest you."

"I thought I should tell you about our female friend. She escaped, but not after letting it slip that she was returning to Gotham."

"Why is she going back," Blair asked.

"She thought she could get away from me by coming here. She was wrong."

Jim turned around, but still addressed the Batman; Blair looked at his Protector. "Look, the only reason I worked with you is because you knew what was going on." He started to turn around. "The next time you're--" He was fully turned around at this time, and both he and Blair were shocked to find that the Dynamic Duo had disappeared.

"How did he?"

"Never mind, Chief. The next time they're here though, we'll get them."

"I don't know, Jim. If you weren't on the police force, I could see you as one of them."

"What?"

"Yeah, you know, big flowing cape, skintight costume--"

"Well, you would have to be my partner. I could see you in green."

"Oh, now hold on Jim."

The conversation went on for hours!