We Are Shadows In The Alley

Who: Gilda, Harvey and OPEN
Where: The Narrows, aka Arkham City
When: Two days after the Arkham breakout
What: Gilda is asked by the GPD to negotiate

Gilda was jumpy, anxious; Jim could see it. And it made him feel guiltier that he was asking this of her. "You don't have to," he told her for the hundredth time. "Gilda, we can find another way." She gave him one of her timid, brave smiles and his heart broke all over again.

"I'm okay," she assured him, clutching her purse in both hands. The Narrows were crawling with more danger than before; hell, she could get mugged and killed before she ever saw any signs of the Arkham escapees. But it was the only chance they had. She started forward, aware of the cop cars at her back, watching her, aware of the click of her heels echoing in near silence, as she at first hesitantly made her way across the bridge. Traffic had been stopped. It was like walking in an empty city. It seemed to take her forever to reach the other side; she looked back once, smiled at the small figure of Jim Gordon on the other side and moved forward into the dark, decaying streets.

Who: Babs and Dick
Where: The Clocktower
When: After Dick's talk with Bruce
What: Comfort

Barbara had insisted Helena go home. It was late, she was sore and doubtless she wanted to just get into her own apartment, shower and crash. Helena agreed, finally, only reluctantly. It was a relief. Barbara never did like hovering, even when it was friends. And the truth was, she wasn't sure just what she was feeling at the moment. Scared, to be sure; angry at herself for that. If she closed her eyes, she could still recall his laugh, and the cold, blank eye of the camera looking down on her.

She changed into her sweats and used the elevator to get down to the work out area. She practiced her eskrima, her fighting sticks furiously thwaping the dummy again and again, loudly, her little, savage grunts getting lost in the rapid sound. She worked them with one hand, manipulating her wheelchair with the other, dodging in and out. As if the Joker would be so kind as to stay still while she knocked the shit out of him. I'm not helpless, she kept reminding herself. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not.