Chapter Text
Alex was staring down at her mug, filled to the brim with steaming hot chocolate.
“Where’s Jason honey? He’s not going to miss you tonight?” – David asked pulling up a chair and sitting next to Alex, trying not to spill the contents of his own mug.
“He’s with his dad too…” – She was absent minded, still feeling a bit off from the explosion from the night before.
“What’s on your mind? I… Can I ask you, why are you here honey? I don’t mean to say I don’t like it, trust me, I love it whenever you come visit… But you seem a bit off…”
“Dad, how do you do it? How do you deal with not being able to save people?”
“Oh boy… Is this… Is this about Gregg?”
“No… Well, yes I guess… But I was thinking about Park…”
“Sometimes honey, there’s only so much we can do. Our bodies they are… They can only take so much. Sometimes, letting go is the only choice.” – David adjusted himself in his seat, this was a deeper conversation than he’d hoped for.
David had seen many people die. He’d held their hands as they’d pleaded and also as they’d let go. He believed death wasn’t a bad thing, just passage. He helped as much as he could because life was beautiful, but he wasn’t afraid of death. Sometimes it was the only thing to do, to move onto whatever comes next. He’d imparted that onto Alex through the years, hoping she’d grow up to not let a fear of death impact how she lived life, but it was harder to think that way when it was about someone you love.
“I almost did something really stupid to try and save Park… I also fought like I’ve never fought before to protect Tim… Park used to say self defence can sometimes look ugly and that’s ok… But Tim was scared of what he saw dad…”
“Your loyalty honey, is something I am always in awe of. Your loyalty to your friends, your loyalty to this city. I know you’d do anything to protect it. But sometimes… Sometimes we need to let go. To let people let go… But Park is different…. That’s not to say you shouldn’t fight to protect Tim or Jason or any other. If Tim was in danger you did good to protect him, even if it scared him… Sometimes love can be a little scary.”
-
Alex was standing in front of the spot where Gregg had died, the alley where she’d been ambushed.
Man it never gets easier…
She heard the sound of wings and turned to find Batman standing behind her in the darkness.
“Why are we here?” – Batman asked. He didn’t understand why she’d want to meet in the alley where she’d been ambushed, where Gregg had died. He worried about her mental state.
“It’s where I come to think sometimes, to talk to him. Gregg doesn’t have a grave, he didn’t have anything really. No elegant tombstone with a scenic view for me to stand over and sulk, just this piss smelling alley where I last saw him.” – She felt uneasy around Batman, feeling like she was wasting his time. She still had wanted to talk to him though.
“I wanted to thank you, properly. You’ve saved my life more than once now and I know you’d refuse my thanks for that, but you did more than just save my life.” – Batman started interrupting her. –”No you let me finish…”
They’re made for each other… – He thought.
“You stopped me from doing something really stupid, something I’d regret for the rest of my life no doubt… Thank you. – The choice of place was still odd, but he understood to a certain extent…
“Grief can make us do stupid things.” – He finally spoke.
“Can you grieve the living?”
“I do.” – There was a long silence between the two, an understanding. – “I would also like to thank you. You’ve protected my sons selflessly on more than one occasion. I had my reasons to worry about how the Red-K would affect you and your behaviour. I apologise if some of that spilled over to Tim… You’ve proved me wrong twice now.”
“...” – Alex wasn’t sure how to respond. – “I… I’d do anything for them. Which is part of the reason why I called you here… I’ve been ignoring the Dodges for too long now…”
“Agreed.” – She looked at Batman angrily, she knew it was true but hated that he thought so too. He got the message. – “It’s understandable though.”
“Anyways, my ‘understandable’ neglect put Tim in danger. I swore I’d never let that happen again and I failed.” – She looked down to the spot where Gregg had been executed. – “I need to see Fang, Montoya has turned me down before but I was hoping you had more pull and could help me get there. I need more information, I need to understand Fang better, I need to understand how Melissa is doing all this from prison…”
“Consider it done.”
“Thanks.”
“Some word of advice. Don’t underestimate her.” – Batman said. Alex leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. – “She runs a tight clique in prison, she might be a boutique villain but she’s smart.” – Alex laughed, she knew he’d listened in.
“Take these.” – He handed her a little plastic box with two ear pieces in them. “They’re like the ones Kate has given you before, but these are tuned into one station only. Oracle. If you need help, call for her.”
“You’re gonna let me do this on my own?” – Alex was surprised, she’d expected Batman to steer her or at least advise her to work with Tim.
“It’s your fight isn’t it?”
-
Alex got ready quietly, not wanting to wake Jason up. She’d never gotten ready to go out as Gotham Girl during the day, it felt odd. She was putting on another heavy layer of foundation on when she saw Jason move, reaching for her in bed. He lifted himself up and found her by the bathroom mirror.
“Why you up?” – He asked rubbing his eyes, he’d fallen asleep heavily after taking a colossal dose of painkillers for his headaches and was now very groggy.
Alex put the makeup brush down and walked over to him, half her suit on, missing boots and gloves, cape, and mask. She sat beside him in bed and put a hand on his cheek.
“I gotta go do something, I might be out for a while today… Don’t wait up ok?”
“What do you mean? Wait, stop, what are you talking about?” – He reached for her, holding her waist tightly, his eyes were sad and pleading.
“I… I need information on someone, someone who’s been haunting me for over a year now… Tim almost got hurt because of them, I can’t sit around anymore waiting for the next time they strike…” – She was trying to be strong but those eyes… She didn’t have the full suit on anyways…
“Come on it’s only been a day, are you sure you’re ready to go back out there as Gotham Girl?” – He didn’t want her to leave. Carrying her to the car, the way her body had gone limp… He was sure she had died, he was sure he had been handing her dead body over to Bruce…
“I have to do this, everyone around me is in danger right now… My dad, Tim, Damian, you…” – He lunged at her, kissing her passionately and holding her face gently. – “I… I have to…” – She didn’t finish her sentence, getting lost in his arms as she had since he’d come into her life.
Alex pushed him back down on the bed, throwing the bedsheets on the floor. He surrendered, letting her ride him and hold his arms above his head. His bulge pressed against her, she moaned in pleasure. He moved fast, disentangling their arms and lifting himself up so she’d be sitting on his lap, her favourite position. She let him undo the side zippers of her suit, fully surrendering to his touch. He threw her suit off the bed and held her tightly, taking a mouthful of one of her breasts, desperate for more. Alex finished undressing and Jason threw her back on the bed, pining her down and tasting her. He looked at her, her eyes closed and her back arching from pleasure. He ran his fingers around the outline of her, licking two of them and tasting her some more and then pushing them inside her. She gasped.
“Wait, no! What about you… I want you…” – She protested trying to get up.
“Shhh…” – He shused her and pushed her back down with one hand, she wasn’t the only one disproportionately strong. He kept one hand over her stomach, holding her down on the bed while the other was focused on making sure she had him in mind for the rest of the day. – “I can take care of myself, don’t worry about that… I’m a big boy… What I need is to make sure you have something to come back home to tonight…” – Alex moaned louder. His gaze unbreaking, he had never been this turned on and he couldn’t look away from her.
“You think you can sneak out while I sleep, huh? You could turn invisible I’d still find you and fuck you back to me…” – Alex loved when Jason talked to her while he fucked her, she loved his voice, low and gravelly. She was close to climaxing, Jason could feel it, her legs twitched lightly and she was pushing herself onto him, grabbing the bedsheets with white knuckles.
“I know… I know… “ – He said lowering himself. She could feel his bulge on her leg and it turned her on even more, he was so hard but didn’t let it distract him from his mission.
Jason pressed his tongue against her, his fingers still inside her. His tongue danced on her, she grabbed his hair and pushed him against her. He loved when she took matters into her own hands, he made her desperate. She climaxed with one loud groan and exhale. Her back was arched and she was struggling to catch her breath. Jason looked up at her, proud of himself. He gave her one final push while still inside her, waiting to see if she still had anything left in her to give him, she didn’t, he had given his all and so had she. She looked up at him smiling, her brows furrowed, still feeling waves of pleasure so deep it hurt. He wiped his mouth on his forearm before lowering himself over her again and kissing a trail on her body, from her neck down to her pussy.
“Jason…” – She moaned.
“Don’t worry, I know you’re all spent up… I’m just indulging on you a little more before you leave…”
-
“Took you long enough… I thought you’d come sooner…” – Melissa said without looking up, focused on her nails instead.
“And I thought you were a real blonde but damn those roots look rough.” – Alex was petty, she sat down on the metal chair across from Melissa, her shoulders wide.
“Must be something pretty major if you’re here after all this time…” – She looked up at Gotham Girl. Melissa looked better than Alex had expected, Batman was right, she had some status in here. How else would a rich bimbo make it in prison?
“How are you doing it huh? How are you going after me from inside? Who is it?”
Melissa lowered her hands on the metal table and stared at Gotham Girl. She was feeling good about herself, today was her last day in prison afterall.
“Despite our initial animosity, I don’t actually care all that much about you Gotham Girl. You were a pebble in my shoe sure, but I’m on to new things now. That drug lord thing was so not me… It was all my family…” – She was actually being honest, although Alex wouldn’t have been able to tell how much was true and how much was a front. Melissa had been pushed into taking over the distribution of Little Death in Gotham as an initiation into the family business. She’d failed.
“You mean to tell me it’s not personal?”
“Nope. I don’t concern myself with your charity work, it was annoying, a bit pretentious if you ask me, bit full of yourself… But you lost more than I did in the ringer, my life will move on after I’m out of here. Will yours?”
She’s actually eating this up… – Melissa thought.
Melissa was good… Every bit of her act, from the way she sat to the way she spoke was tailor made to piss Alex off. Her words took Alex by surprise, she focused on not letting it show.
“You’re in prison, Fang. You’ve been in prison for almost a year, I’d say you’ve lost plenty.”
“Then ask yourself why I’m not so eager to go back out there.” – Melissa was leading Alex, she was in control of the conversation and she knew it, she held the power from the moment Alex had asked to see her and she was not going to waste it: she’d just found the perfect opportunity she and her brother had been waiting for all year.
“You’re in trouble.”
“I failed didn’t I?”
A bit heavy handed but she is pretty dense… – Melissa thought.
Alex had known all along the trail would always lead back to the Dodge family, that Fang had never worked alone to begin with. She had hoped however that Melissa would give her some more, a clue as to who she should pursue next.
“Your brother visit you much?” – Now it was Melissa who was surprised.
“Often enough.”
“You ask him any favours recently? He ever help you out?”
“He brings me magazines and nail polish.”
Good… She’s irritated… She likes the brother. – Thought Alex.
“Your uncle though, Dodge Senior… Hasn’t been to visit you once this whole time…”
Bitch – Thought Melissa.
“He’s just my uncle, why would he visit me?” – Melissa was annoyed, she hadn’t anticipated Alex would know about her inner circle. This wasn’t easy information to get, the Dodges kept to themselves, especially the relationship between Dodge Senior and the two young Dodges. – “You’re barking at the wrong tree Gotham Girl…” – It was Melissa’s final chance to get Gotham Girl to do what she needed her to do, she hoped it would work.
Alex got up, she was done talking to the girl. She knew who she had to pay a visit to next.