𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭. 𝚋𝚊𝚝𝚖𝚊𝚗

00.02

     The Cave was quiet when they returned. Lennox removed her cloak and sat down beside the computer. She watched as Bruce removed his mask and took out his contacts, replaying the events of the night on a screen. She crept over to Bruce, "Can you print me a still of that card?" He printed one and handed it to her and she returned to her perch on the table.

     "His son was there, Len." Bruce faced her now and she could tell he was tired, despite the kohl beneath his eyes. "I saw him. In his room. He was the one who found him." Lennox stood and walked over to him. "What if we're not doing enough?" he asked quietly.

The woman sighed. "You've devoted years to this, Bruce. Just because you don't see drastic change doesn't mean it isn't happening." It was true. He gave Gotham hope. The Batman was a symbol of freedom to the citizens. Lennox placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't give up on them."

     Alfred entered the Cave moments later, acknowledging Lennox with a nod and a smile. He carried on an incoherent conversation with Bruce, while Lennox wrote the key on the card. "He lies still." Bruce and Alfred turned to face her. She extended the card to Bruce who took it gently. Lennox turned to the computer beside Bruce and printed a still of the cipher. She laid it on the table beside Bruce and bid him goodbye. She felt the way his eyes bore into her back as she entered the estate.

     Lennox's body longed for a hot bath, so she gratefully obliged. The water was all but boiling when Lennox sank into the bath. Her muscles relaxed and she let out a sigh of content. For days, Lennox had been running around Gotham, taking care of small-scale problems. Her body ached despite the protection her armour gave. Dirt was under her nails and her white hair was painfully grey. She needed sleep and she needed it now.

---

     Lennox woke in bed. She vaguely remembered waking in the bath and going straight to her bed. Bruce was banging on her door. "Lennox?" he called, she presumed he'd been there a while based on the concern in his voice. "Lennox, I'm coming in."

     The door opened softly and Lennox groaned, covering her face in blankets. "Lennox?" Bruce said gently. He was still standing in her doorway from what she could tell. "I'm going to Mitchell's in ten minutes." With that, he was gone.

     Quickly, Lennox pulled on her suit and cloak. She hurried down the ornate staircase and bade Alfred good morning. "It's two o'clock, Miss Hawthorne," he called as she rushed past. Mounting her bike, Ghost took off into the city. She quickly found Batman and tailed him to Mitchell's where Officer Gordon was already waiting. Ghost parked her bike and walked to Batman. "Why are we back?"

      "Drive," he showed her a photo of the cipher, spelling out the word. Walking in front of the men, Ghost entered Mitchell's expansive garage and looked around. She walked down the centre, carefully analyzing each car. "Here," she whispered, motioning to a car with bloody shears in a tire. Batman pulled it out and handed it to Gordon.

     Ghost opened the passenger door and started looking around. "What are you looking for?" Gordon asked.

     Ghost shrugged her shoulders and Batman spoke, "USB port." Ghost opened the centre console and furrowed her brow. Batman pulled the thumb drive from the USB port and the two left the car. Batman motioned to Gordon, who looked disgusted by the thumb hanging off the end. "Thumb. Drive." Batman said.

     Ghost took it from Batman's hand and plugged it into the computer. "It's encrypted," Gordon sighed.

     "Fingerprint," Ghost whispered. Gordon shook his head in disgust but placed the thumb on the hard drive and it unlocked. It revealed pictures of Mitchell and a beat-up blonde woman. "What the hell?" Ghost muttered. Fear gripped at her and her breath hitched.