CHAPTER 239

"You did it didn't you? How did you?" Jason wondered if Tom had dirty cops take out Fang at the hospital by pulling a few strings.

"Of course he did, unpredictability is one of his many quirks." Leo replied, still awaiting for an explanation.

"Fine, I had Deadshot take him out from a couple blocks away, snipping him through the window of his hospital room. Now their leader could either decide to end me himself after continuously losing members, or keep sending more annoying pawns to their death." Tom could instantly see the confusion on their faces, more questions brewing within their minds.

"If you were going to kill him from the very start, then what was the point of it all?" Jason asked, he could have easily killed Fang the same night he did his girlfriend but Tom didn't.

"Why bother putting in that time and energy in tormenting the dude to that extent if you weren't going to get any information from him at the end of it all?" Leo couldn't phantom why Tom didn't press on to drill out the location of the enemy's base, but instead proceeded to piss them off some more.

"Yeah, you killed his girlfriend in front of his very eyes, kidnapped him, beat him till he was near death's door, then you tricked him into believing he had been rescued from that hell, only to bring him right back." As Jason continued to break it down, Tom continuously nodded confirmation.

"I can't imagine what you must have gone through to have you this fucked up, but you're one twisted mother fucker." Leo looked at Tom and couldn't get the slightest glimpse of the young bartender he met almost two years ago.

"When you realized he would rather die than sell out his comrades, you got him arrested and had him killed later on." At this point both Jason and Leo began to question Tom's sanity as they demanded for an explanation.

"The look in his eyes made it clear to me that if I pushed any further, he would take his own life, probably by biting his off his own tongue." Although he would rather leave them to think whatsoever they wanted to believe but he decided to breakdown the reasons behind his unexplainable actions.

"Having him shot at the hospital was to plant the idea that someone else might be taking out their members instead, and not the innocent dude they intend on killing."

"But we lost our only possible lead to locating this Jamie guy." Jase seemed disappointed by the outcome.

"Don't worry, he'll come to us. Remember they know where I live, Jamie would probably come after me himself." He casually mentioned like it wasn't a big of a deal his enemies knew where he laid his head at night.

"It might seem reckless and unreasonable but it is the quickest way of calling out their leader." He added, wanting to put an end to it all before the Sparrow's relentless assaults began to draw unwanted attention towards him, especially since he had a club opening in a couple of days.

"I think we should consider relocating, he forgets he's the only invisible one among us." Jase turned to Leo with that suggestion, earning a nod in agreement as Tom was currently a danger magnet.

...

The Batmobile roared through the rain-slicked streets of Gotham, its engine a deep, thunderous growl as it pursued the fleeing van. Inside the van, Scarecrow's minions worked frantically, aware that Batman and Batgirl were closing in.

"Batgirl, we need to cut him off before he reaches the dam," Batman's voice was steady through the coms, his eyes locked on the road ahead.

"Already on it, Batman," Batgirl responded, her bike weaving through the narrow alleys as she took a parallel route. "I'll meet you at the dam's entrance."

The van skidded to a halt at the edge of the Gotham dam, and Scarecrow leaped out, clutching a large canister. He was followed by a dozen of his masked henchmen. Batgirl arrived first, her bike screeching to a stop as she dismounted with a graceful leap.

"End of the line, Scarecrow," she called out, her voice unwavering.

Scarecrow turned, his face twisted into a sinister grin. "Ah, Batgirl, so good of you to join us. I was just about to make Gotham's nightmares a reality."

Before he could make a move, Batman's shadowy figure appeared behind him, having approached silently. "Not today," he said, his voice a low growl. "Batgirl, let's take them down."

The henchmen charged, and Batman and Batgirl sprang into action. Batman's fists connected with the nearest thug, sending him sprawling to the ground. Batgirl ducked under a swinging bat, delivering a swift kick to another's knee, dropping him instantly.

"Watch your left!" Batman warned as two more thugs rushed Batgirl. She spun around, using her momentum to knock them both back with a series of precise strikes.

Batman grabbed one of the henchmen, using him as a shield against another's attack before tossing him aside. "We need to get to Scarecrow," he called out.

"On it!" Batgirl replied, disarming a thug with a quick twist of his wrist and using his own weapon against him.

As they fought their way through the henchmen, Scarecrow attempted to slip away towards the edge of the dam. Batman caught sight of him and launched a Batarang, knocking the canister from his hand. It skidded dangerously close to the edge, teetering but not falling.

"No!" Scarecrow screamed, lunging for the canister. Batgirl was faster, intercepting him with a flying tackle. They both tumbled to the ground, but Scarecrow was quick. He pulled a small vial from his sleeve and stabbed it into Batgirl's arm.

"Barbara!" Batman shouted, throwing a final thug aside and rushing to her side as Scarecrow made a break for it. Batman reached into his utility belt and quickly injected Batgirl with an antidote. "Stay with me, Barbara," he whispered, resting her against a wall.

With a grim determination, Batman chased after Scarecrow. He cornered him near the dam's edge, but Scarecrow, with a final mocking laugh, hurled himself into the dark waters below, vanishing into the night.

Batman returned to Batgirl's side, only to find her eyes wide with terror, her breathing erratic. "It's not working," she gasped, her voice filled with fear. "It must be some new formula…" Batman realized.

"We're getting out of here," Batman said, lifting her gently. He rushed her back to the Batmobile and sped towards the Batcave, her condition worsening by the minute.

In the Batcave, Batman laid Batgirl on a medical table, his mind racing. Foam began to form at her mouth, and she convulsed slightly. "Hang on, Barbara. Just hang on."

He analyzed the vial's contents, his fingers flying over the keyboard. "Come on, come on…" Minutes felt like hours as he worked, finally synthesizing a new antidote. He administered it, watching her closely.

Her breathing began to slow, the foam receding. "That's it, breathe," Batman murmured, relief washing over him as her body relaxed, slipping into a peaceful sleep.

He sat by her side, the Batcave's dim light casting long shadows. "I won't let him get away with this," he vowed softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Rest now, Barbara. I'll make him pay for what he did to you."

The silent hum of the Batcave enveloped them, a moment of calm in the storm that was Gotham. As Batgirl slept, Batman began to self-reflect.

"I've made a similar mistake before and it cost me Robin's life in the hands of Joker, here I was repeating the same mistake tonight. Almost losing Batgirl in the hands of another psycho." He muttered as Alfred placed an arm on his shoulder.

"What happened with Jason wasn't your fault, neither was this." Alfred comforted him with a reassuring tone, stopping him from drowning himself in another series of self blame.

"But this wouldn't have happened to Barbara if she wasn't out there tonight? Ever since Jason's death at Bosnia, I've had this fear of losing another child, knowing they wouldn't be put into such danger if I didn't put them there in the first place." Batman stood up from his seat, walked over to take a look at Barbara as he considered going back solo for some time, at least until he felt it was okay for her to resume duty.

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