New To The Family

Chapter 21: Emotional Moments

"Who would have thought it would end up this way?" Nightwing wondered out loud as Batman climbed out of the Batmobile. "I mean, with Strange in a coma, we don't even need to worry about whether or not he'll even be able to escape, let alone come after Helena again. And even then, he won't have any of his research or experiments to pick up where he left off."

He glanced at Catwoman, who had yet to get out of the Batmobile. She hadn't said a word since almost killing the doctor. He didn't even know why he was telling her this, she was already aware of the situation. After they brought the unconscious Strange in, the doctors had looked him over. It turned out that the man was in a coma, and there was no telling when or if he would ever wake up. And if he did, there was likely to be severe brain damage after the blow he had taken to the head. The doctors had even said that there was a strong possibility that he would have amnesia.

As cruel as it sounded, Nightwing hoped that that would be the case if Strange ever did wake up. If he didn't even remember Helena, then there would be no fear of him going after her again, assuming his memory never came back of course. There was really no telling how extensive or permanent the brain damage was until he woke up though, if he did. Either way, he would never be a free man again, regardless of what he may or may not remember. The evidence they had gathered was overwhelming, and was more than enough to put the doctor away for life.

All this had made Nightwing feel better, but he couldn't get a reading on Batman or Catwoman. He'd have thought they'd be relieved that their daughter was out of danger. Not just because Strange was off the street, but because the chances of him escaping were zero while he was in a coma; again, if he even remembered more than his name if he ever did wake up.

Like always, Batman was as stoic as ever. Making his way over to his computer, he immediately began doing what he did best. "Strange wasn't the only problem. We still have Clayface to consider. Until he's out of the way, Helena still isn't safe."

Nightwing stared, suddenly feeling very stupid for forgetting. "Right, the mud-man." He rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Would the guy even go after Helena anymore now that the doc is out of commission?"

Batman didn't even look at him. "Possibly. It's not a chance I'm willing to take. In any case, we still need to take him in, whether he's after Helena or not."

A snort of laughter escaped his former protégé. "And how exactly are we going to arrest him? The guy's a living blob of clay that can perfectly disguise himself as others and slip through the cracks of walls."

"We'll find a way. We have to."

Nightwing rolled his eyes. "Right. Well, let me know what you come up with, 'cause I'm at a loss." He looked back at Catwoman, she was still silently sitting in the Batmobile. "How about you? Any thoughts on how we can catch blobby?"

She didn't respond, but she did finally look at him, having been staring off in the distance until now. Without a word, she climbed out of the vehicle and made her way up the stairs and out of the Batcave. Nightwing sighed again as he watched her leave. "She's in a mood." He looked back at Batman. "You might want to go talk with her."

Batman was quiet for a moment. "She needs time. She faced the edge of the abyss tonight. She needs to sit with it for a while." He continued with whatever he was doing on the computer. "I still need to track down Clayface so we can end this once and for all."

Irritation gripped Nightwing. Bruce may be brilliant, but when he put on the bat-suit, he usually had a one-track mind. Walking over to the Dark Knight, he flicked the back of his head. "Hey, she doesn't need Batman right now, she needs Bruce Wayne. We got the main bad guy, and Helena is somewhere safe. The rest can wait. Get off your ass and go after her."