From: Philippa Chapman (Glastonbury, Somerset, UK.) Date: Wed 10 Sep 1997 19:00 +0100 Subject: Batleap, Part 3. 'O Fledermaus, old Flittermouse, the score is paid, you've squared the debt. Revive your victim, Fledermaus, forgive him and forget.' Die Fledermaus; English score, grand finale. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I realise that I am probably drifting from accepted Batman canon in this part, but it is necessary for the plot. Imagine a slightly different time-stream if you like - for both Bruce and Sam. Sam managed a polite smile for the stunningly female figure in front of him. "Batwoman....?" he managed. "Um...er....yes. Thank-you for helping me out." She seemed to be as flustered as Sam. "It was the least I could do. Are you okay?" She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." Al was making a slow tour of her charms. "*Fine?* Look at those legs, those *curves*. Boy, would I like to get inside all that rubber and lycra. Slowly." Sam managed to ignore Al and kept his own eyes firmly on the lady's mask. "Do you have any leads on how we might stop The Riddler?" Her eyes darted sideways, then downwards. "Well....um, yes, actually. He left this with me. It seems to be a personal challenge." "Let me see." Sam moved in and trained his eyes on the card she held up for him under a tiny but powerful flashlight. Al peeked over Batwoman's other shoulder, but his eyes kept drifting down to admire her breast-plate rather than the card. Sam read the words out loud. "'The man in black I want to see If he can once discover me. For fun and frolics, that's my plan If Gotham city you would save And keep Batwoman from the grave. Your first I know is in the ball The next on Aphrodite I will call. "'Burnished is the shield of gold Which Perseus wields with eyes so cold. The next is easy to explain; Solve the riddle and find the name. "'Find the lady next I play Bring her fast and don't delay. If one should break in on their own, Death will bury them alone. "'Secret lady, I see you The cases watch you every day He died when you were only two But now it's time for you to pay'". Batwoman gasped and swayed. Sam held her elbow to steady her. Her words came out breathlessly. "He *knows* about me. He might even know my true name." Sam and Al knew from personal experience how dangerous the right information could be in the wrong hands. "If The Riddler has found out about you, then he might have discovered my other identity, too. We need to decipher this riddle." Sam looked pointedly at Al. "Ziggy's on the case, Sam. It may take a while, though. Ask Batwoman about the personal stuff in the last four lines." Batwoman had already taken the card back from Sam's fingers. "He knows - or seems to know - that my father died when I was two. There's something else here which is equally personal about me," she looked up at Sam, "I know that I should be able to trust you, but this has shaken me more than you know. I don't know how he found out," she set her jaw and her voice became resolute, "But I'm going to find out! Once I figure out where his headquarters are, I'm going to confront him personally." She made to move away, but Sam put his hand on her arm. "You can't go in alone. The card says that you will die." "You don't believe that hokey stuff?" Her eyes flashed fire at Sam. "Given that over a hundred people have just been gassed by him, yes, I would!" "That was clearly just a prank to get our attention. The Riddler wouldn't kill me - or you. He wants us to give up so that he can hold the city to ransom." Sam grabbed both her arms. "We have *got* to go in there together. I insist." Al grinned eagerly. "Atta-boy, Sam. Now's the bit where you pull her close and kiss her hard and passionately until she submits. I always enjoyed *that* part. Such eager, hot submissions they were, too...." Sam didn't follow instructions. He let go. "You don't trust me." Al slapped his forehead. "No, no....not that way! Don't give in!" Batwoman gently touched Sam's breast-plate. "I wish I could trust you....Batman. I know how good you are. But this note is personal, can't you see?" Sam spoke gently. "It's personal to me, too. There's no other good man in black that I know about." Batwoman glanced down at the card. She looked back up at Sam. "I'm used to working alone; relying on my own resources and skills." "So am I. We'd both have to adapt in order to survive." There was a long pause. Batwoman began to walk back to the elevator and Sam followed her. They got in. Batwoman tapped the card against her long, slender fingers speculatively. "Okay. If you can decipher the other riddles by tomorrow night, we'll work together." Sam grinned widely. "You've got a deal." He held out his hand and Batwoman took it. She smiled warmly and shook her head. "Your natural charm must be getting to me." The elevator touched the ground. Batwoman suddenly leaned closer and brushed Sam's lips with hers, leaving him too stunned to respond. He followed her swiftly vanishing outline into the night. "When? Where?" "At the Fountain near the Cathedral. Eight o' clock. I just can't resist a sexy voice...." Her laughter echoed back to him as he stood, trying to recover from the delicious tingling on his lips. Al shook his head. "If I hadn't seen you with my own eyes, I'd never have believed it! You made *her* come to you! I gotta try that move sometime!!" "It wasn't a *move* Al. She was spooked, worried and justifiably angry. Pushing anybody under those circumstances would probably have backfired. And yes, kissing her like that just then constitutes 'pushing'." Al bristled slightly. "You've used hard, passionate kisses before." "Only now and then; when I felt a definite strong undercurrent of mutual spoken or unspoken attraction." Al's eyebrows raised incredulously. "You can't tell me you don't find *her* attractive?!" Sam took a deep breath and walked over to the Batmobile. He opened the door, then turned back to Al. "She's attractive......heck, she's *stunningly* attractive. I'm not blind or made of stone. But this is a situation where her life and maybe mine could be on the line. If I coerce her now, she will be led to believe that I might do it again and that would make her potentially vulnerable and she might make the wrong choice when it really mattered." "Well, I know what *I'd* be doing with her now." "I know. And if she proved to be a phenomenal lover, you'd have that on your mind, plus probably wanting a second helping right when you most needed to keep your mind clear of distractions." Al regarded Sam and shrugged apologetically. "Leaping is tougher than it looks. Sorry, Sam. I think I'd have probably figured that out if it was my skin on the line." Sam climbed into the Batmobile. "You'd better get Ziggy onto figuring out those riddles." Al nodded. "Yeah. I hope just under 24 hours will be enough." Sam ran the verses over and over in his mind as he lay in Bruce's four-poster bed. He fell asleep, only to dream of being Perseus, flying to defeat the green, scaled Gorgon. Medusa was spitting fire and venom up at him as he used his shield like a mirror. His blade swirled, cut, hacked. Thick, copious streams of her yellow blood covered the rocks beneath before he managed to sever the spinal column. As he pulled up the gory head, the face turned into Batwoman in her mask. Sam woke up screaming, sitting upright in bed, breathing heavily and drenched with sweat. The rest of his night's sleep went out of the window. Sam gave up around dawn and had a long, hot shower. Alfred had either heard his scream or become a mind-reader, because when he came out of the bathroom, there was a fresh pot of hot coffee waiting on the chest of drawers. Sam wasted no time in getting himself on the outside of the entire contents. He finished towelling himself dry, hung up the damp towel and rummaged around in Bruce's wardrobe for a clean pair of pants. He had both a blue pair and some briefs underneath by the time Alfred knocked discreetly on the door. "Come in, Alfred." The man's face was a picture of polite, caring, concern. "Another bad dream, sir?" . "Er, yes. I'm okay now." "Would more coffee and some breakfast be in order?" Sam smiled ruefully. "Maybe hold the coffee, but orange juice would be nice. I've got some information that could use some extra help. It's about The Riddler." Over breakfast, Sam recited the verses and Alfred put Bruce's own database to work. . Sam spent a good hour in the gym and wandered through the manor grounds, mulling over the riddles himself while waiting for both computers to come up with the goods. Alfred sat down opposite him at his bidding over lunch. "Well, Mr Wayne, some good news and some bad news." Al had returned and nodded at Sam as well. "Same here, Sam." Sam nodded towards Alfred. "Well, sir. You said that verse four seems to refer personally to Batwoman. I'm not sure about verse three. The bad news is that the 'My first' stuff reveals your first name. He knows who you are, sir." Sam blanched and looked at Al. "He's right, Sam. Ask him if he knows anyone called 'Barbara'." Sam asked, on auto-pilot, his mind reeling from shock and concern. Alfred consulted Bruce's computer. The three men waited while the program worked. Eventually a list of names came up on the screen. "There are quite a few 'Barbaras' in Gotham, sir." Al punched his handlink. "Ones that have come to Gotham in the last.....say, two months." Sam passed on the information. "Just two. One is working in....oh dear. She is a lady of the night, sir." Al grinned suggestively. "Well, you *did* meet her at night and she's certainly got the body for it...." Sam ignored him. "The other is Mayor Gordon's daughter. She's been working in Europe until recently. Why do you ask?" Al's grin became wider. "One of them is Batwoman!" Sam gasped with shock. He opened his mouth to speak. "Um...it appears... No, that's not right. Er....I have this hunch that one of them is Batwoman." Alfred's eyebrows went up. "Why?" "Erm, yes. Why?" Al paused deliberately, making Sam sweat it out a bit. "The name 'Barbara' is concealed in the 'find the lady' bit, Sam." Alfred nodded thoughtfully. "Barbara Gordon. I remember her as a child. Very attractive.....light brown hair, pigtails and a stunning pair of navy blue eyes." "That's not all she's got a stunning pair of now. She's all grown up and, oh boy, is she *built*...." Alfred continued, unaware of the daggers Sam was sending Al. "She lost her mother at a young age, just like you, Mr Wayne. Well educated, good family. Her father and yours were at school together. Barbara had what is known as the 'touch'. She could handle something purporting to be an antique and know instinctively if it was old and valuable." "Ooooh, she could handle me. *I'm* well preserved and positively unique.... Okay, Sam. I'm sorry. I'll button my lip." "I know she went abroad to study, otherwise you might have met during your school-days. It doesn't say here what she is doing for a living; but then, like you, she hardly needs to work. Old money in the family. It makes sense to me if she has decided to follow your....Batman's example. Good breeding will out sooner or later." Sam had to ask the question. "What if it's the *other* Barbara?" Alfred punched up the details while Al checked out the older man's computer and keyboard skills. "Late twenties, five foot four, redhead....and a lot of cosmetic surgery. She's had implants and tucks almost everywhere it's possible to have them done. She is currently the kept lady of the University Chancellor. I wouldn't be surprised if they get married. He's been lonely since his wife died." Sam let out the breath he'd been unconsciously holding. "That's not the right Barbara. The lady I met was nearly as tall as me." Alfred nodded. "Yes. The late Mrs Gordon was tall and slender." It was with a lighter heart that Sam got ready for his rendezvous with Batwoman that evening. He parked the Batmobile in the shadows and waited. Suddenly, she emerged from the shadows. Al whistled. "Wow..... Boy, what fantasy material..." "Okay, Batman. What have you got?" "He seems to know my first name; or is making an educated guess." "Yes, *Bruce*.....but I don't know your surname." "Maybe it's better if you don't - not just yet. It might be safer not to know....Barbara." She nodded slowly. At that moment, half a dozen masked men appeared in the square. Barbara gasped. "It's a set-up!!" Sam had to concur, but he was too busy fighting to answer. He kicked, rolled and punched in one of the hardest fights of his life. Al jumped up and down, shouting warnings and encouragements. "Watch your left! That one's got a knife, Sam - oh, you've seen it. This is like Bruce Lee and that Monkey guy rolled into one....oh, good *move* Sam. Hey, that's a gun! Ouch! Are you okay?" Sam nodded imperceptibly. Batwoman was coping just as well, her back instinctively towards Sam's as she tackled her three opponents. After minutes of intense and gruelling activity, the six masked men lay unconscious on the ground. Sam hunched slightly, sucking in deep breaths. He turned towards Batwoman. "Are you alright?" She nodded, still winded. "They were.....good." While they were still breathing heavily, a clear gas came out of the statue. Within moments, Batwoman and Sam sank to the ground. "Oh, no!! Sam!! Hey, you can't pass out on me now! Ziggy! Oh, boy!" It was dark. Sam came around lying down with his head pounding. He blinked, disorientated, but the darkness was pitch black. He lifted his hands carefully, feeling upwards, but he felt only air up to the greatest reach of his fingertips. He heard a soft groan on his left. Sam reached out gently and contacted a warm body. "Batwoman?" A hand touched and clasped his. "Yes, it's me. Where *are* we?" Sam chuckled softly. "Beats me. We're lying on a flat....wooden surface. It's comfortably warm and very dark." "I can feel a draught around my feet. It's only very slight." Sam closed his eyes even though it didn't make any difference. "Yes, I feel it too." He wriggled cautiously towards the draught, feeling Batwoman moving beside him. They inched across the wooden surface. Suddenly, the floor creaked and tilted. Sam and Batwoman gasped as they slid downwards, faster and faster. It was like a playground slide, but wider and steeper. "Brace yourself!" Batwoman cried out. "I am.....OUCH!" They landed in a heap on soft, stuffed material. "What *is* this place?" A new, strange voice intruded in the darkness. "Welcome, both of you. I am glad you have both accepted my invitation. This is *my* domain. If you can pass through this puzzle successfully, I might spare Gotham. Good luck......you're going to need it if you want to come out *alive*." Frenzied laughter surrounded them, louder and louder until they covered their ears. The soft surface underneath them began to sink slowly. They grabbed at the material, clinging to stability. The laughter cut off and the floor gave way at the same instant. Batwoman and Sam fell, helpless, vertically downwards. Sam suddenly felt a rope across his face. He grabbed it and managed to grasp Batwoman's arm. She latched on to the lifeline. "Up or down?" Sam considered the two equally uncertain options. "What do you think?" "Well....The Riddler has tried to make us fall. I don't want to conform. I say we climb." Sam smiled in the darkness. "Okay. Back up, then." It took them several minutes. Sam found the side of the shaft with his feet and progress became easier as Batwoman followed his lead. They reached the top and pulled themselves over the lip. Sam crawled along the floor on the far side of the drop, fingers outstretched. Batwoman had enough space to crawl beside him. "Oooh, sardines in the dark!" Sam jerked in surprise and used an un-Samlike swear word. "Are you alright, Batman?" "Yes. I just thought I *heard* something," Sam said, pointedly. "Sorry, Sam. I couldn't exactly tell you I was coming. Can you see my Handlink?" Sam looked. It glowed like a neon sign in the darkness. By it's light, Sam could make out Al's familiar profile. He nodded. "Good. I can only supply this light in short bursts. This is a maze, set up by The Riddler. I don't have a plan; no-one does except the man himself. Ziggy's best guess is that he's sensing you by some means and will probably throw pitfalls and traps in your way as you go. He brought you here after gassing you by the fountain. Somehow he's been one step ahead of you all the way, so be careful." Sam relayed the information to Batwoman in his own words. "Ziggy's adamant it's not Alfred or Batwoman herself. Is there someone else close to her who might be a mole?" Sam asked the question very delicately. "Don't you trust me?" "It could be done by wire tapping or hacking into either of our computers." "You have a point. I'll be on my guard." She sounded defensive. Sam started to wonder whether Batwoman was quite as good as she looked.