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Daniel left work, happy because of the plans he had with Bruce later. Hampton had stopped him on his way out, a smirk on her face as she asked him why he was literally skipping down the hall. Daniel just laughed and said ‘Bruce’. That was all the explanation she needed.
They had been officially dating for a couple of months now and Daniel had never been happier. Initially, there had been worries. Bruce Wayne was so different from him—his personality, status, the whole Batman thing. But it worked. It worked surprisingly well.
Daniel headed for the underground parking lot where his car was waiting for him.
He unlocked his car remotely and moved his hand under the door handle. It opened with a click. Then, something hit Daniel from behind.
.
Bruce was getting ready for another night out as Batman. He pulled on gloves, fastened all the components of his suit. He was just about to put the cowl over his already finished dark makeup when his phone rang.
Not his personal phone, but the secure one he had procured for communicating with Gordon and Daniel when he was on duty.
It was more efficient than the bat signal. That one still worked, but this was faster.
As soon as he picked up the call, Gordon was speaking. “One of my officers is gone, most likely taken.”
“Who?” Bruce asked, holding his breath until he heard the name.
“Martinez.”
If Bruce had been holding something, it would have snapped in half.
Gordon didn’t know of their relationship. Only Alfred did. Well, as far as Batman and Martinez were concerned. Bruce Wayne and Daniel, that was something else. Bruce didn’t hide his relationship with the officer from anyone.
“He left work hours ago,” Gordon kept going as Bruce didn’t say anything. “He was off early, mentioned he wanted to surprise Wayne with dinner.”
Bruce nearly smiled at that, but the primal concern for his partner overpowered everything else. That fear. He was feeling it again. The fear he never wanted to experience again. It was a risk he had taken when he started dating Daniel, but he never thought it would come so soon.
“The day shift workers found his car, called it in.” Gordon sighed. “I’ll have to call Wayne.”
“Don’t bother,” Bruce said.
“You know something I don’t?”
It wasn’t something he could explain right now. “Don’t bother with Wayne. It’s a waste of time.”
There was a pause, but at the end of the day, Gordon trusted him. “Fine.”
“I’ll meet you there,” Bruce said and ended the call.
Before he left, he hurriedly told Alfred about the situation. Alfred immediately dropped everything he was doing and followed him down to the bat cave. While Bruce and Gordon would search out there, Alfred would try his best with the computer in the cave.
Bruce already knew what Daniel’s car looked like. He didn’t need to wait for Gordon to show him and was actually the one leading the way. Gordon told him more details about what the other officers had found, told him the exact hour.
There was blood on the ground, as well as shards. The window on the door of the driver’s side was shattered and bloody. The door itself was unlocked and opened just an inch. When Bruce bent down, he found the car keys slipped under the car. Daniel had almost gotten in when somebody had surprised him and overpowered him.
Somebody who didn’t care about leaving behind evidence or concealing the crime in any way.
It was left untouched. Deliberately. Like an invitation for Batman to investigate.
He was about to ask Gordon if Daniel had been part of any ongoing cases, something that could make the suspect target him, but Gordon’s phone started ringing.
Gordon put his hand up in a gesture of wait and accepted the call. Bruce watched him and his expression go from annoyed at the interruption, to shock and then finally settling on fury.
“Why wasn’t I informed of this?” Gordon’s voice was rising. “I’m the fucking police commissioner.”
Gordon pinched the bridge of his nose as the other person talked. “Fine, fine. Just send me all the information. And get me the number of whoever is dealing with this mess. I think our problem just got bigger.”
The person on the other end must have confirmed and then the call was over. “Fucking hell,” Gordon muttered under his breath.
“Is this connected?” Bruce asked. It didn’t take a genius to put together Gordon’s words.
He nodded. “The Riddler got out.”
“What?” Bruce took a step closer.
“The higher ups tried to cover it up, find him before it leaked. But it just did. Now that the public knows, they bother to call the cops.”
“He took Daniel. He was the one who arrested him.”
“It could be revenge. Or maybe he’s trying to draw you out.”
“How long has he been out?”
“I don’t know,” Gordon said.
“How long?” Bruce stepped closer, his voice getting dangerously low.
“I said I don’t know, man. They’ll send me all the files. I need to call the agent dealing with this.”
“When will you get that?”
“I don’t know. As soon as they can. I won’t stop calling them until they do.”
“Call them to send it now.”
“Calm down, will you? There’s an order to these things. I have to wait for the files. Can’t do much till then.” Gordon sighed, adjusted his glasses. “Look. I know Daniel better than you. I want him back, but this is the best I can do right now.”
Bruce couldn’t tell him how wrong he was.
He wouldn’t wait around till then. He wordlessly turned around and walked away.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” Gordon yelled after him. He knew he couldn’t stop Batman. “And call me if you find anything,” he added.
Riddler was supposed to be locked up in Arkham. So there was where Bruce would go. Somebody had to have some kind of answers for him there.
He talked to the guards there, the people who were supposed to be watching Riddler, among other dangerous criminals.
It was like the guards could sense his anger. They all looked scared, despite the good Batman had been doing the past years. He didn’t even have to do much. They told him everything they knew.
Riddler had escaped. He had three full days in the outside world to prepare everything for kidnapping Daniel. He was intelligent and willing to kill. He must have planned all this in advance. Bruce didn’t like that idea, but knew it was true. Riddler didn’t act spontaneously.
Bruce had to find Daniel as soon as possible.
.
Daniel woke up slowly. His mind felt fuzzy and it took him a while till he managed to open his eyes. He was still groggy. He recalled somebody bashing his head into his car door and then a needle in his neck as he was thrown off by the hit. It wasn’t the nicest feeling.
When his eyes focused, there, in front of him, stood the last person he ever wished to see. The Riddler was smiling at him, seated on a swivel chair and moving slightly from one side to the next.
Edward—Daniel remembered his name. It felt fitting, thinking of him as Edward. His creepy mask was gone, as were the matching clothes. It was just some guy.
A very dangerous, murdering guy, but still.
Edward was calm and collected, clearly enjoying being the one in control.
He started talking. A small talk, really. Daniel engaged him in the conversation. Edward was crazy. Daniel had to be careful with what he did and how he answered.
He wanted to shout at the fucker for taking him like this, but Daniel had to think about his survival. He couldn’t let his temper get the better of him. His temper alone could have been the reason why Edward had decided to do this. Daniel hadn’t been exactly gentle when putting him in cuffs back then.
But there was one thing. Something that Daniel knew, but Riddler didn’t.
His boyfriend was literally Batman. Daniel was certain that if anybody could find him, it was Bruce.
He just had to stall and give Bruce enough time to find him.
The blood on his face was dry and disgustingly sticky, but stopped flowing already. He had been drugged. Daniel tried to subtly find out what the time was, but there were no clocks around and Edward wasn’t exactly helpful. Daniel couldn’t be sure how long he had been out, but judging by the state of the blood on his face, it must have been a few hours already.
He cursed himself for not letting Bruce know he was leaving work earlier. This way, it might take a while for anybody to even realize that Daniel was missing.
To add to his misery, Daniel hadn’t been aware that Riddler had escaped. And he was a cop. He should have known about something like that. It meant that Gordon didn’t know. Meant that Batman wouldn’t know either or he would have been after the Riddler already.
A lot of factors were going against Daniel and he didn’t like betting his life on a chance. Relying on this crazy person not killing him as soon as he got bored or got his revenge or whatever he was after, just wasn’t it.
Revenge. Daniel quickly realized that. The speech, the mad laughter, the slap and the knife through his thigh that followed were pretty telling.
Daniel could tell that Edward had planned all this. Probably had a whole script of the shit he wanted to say to him. Daniel would have listened if he wasn’t in too much pain at the moment. Seemed like Riddler had overlooked that little detail or simply didn’t care all that much.
He also wanted to get his revenge against Batman. For not understanding, for not doing as Riddler had wanted him to. For betraying him. Really, Riddler saw it like that, Batman betraying him when he had called him crazy and refused to work with him.
Daniel realized he was a bait. A revenger and a bait all in one. Why not kill two birds with one stone. Daniel wondered if that was the only reason the Riddler had chosen him. If he thought that any cop would make do for Batman to arrive.
“I thought he would be here by now,” Riddler said, glancing at the time on his wrist watch. He hummed. “I must have overestimated him again.”
“Yeah? What time is it, then?” Daniel tried.
“That’s of no importance to you,” Edward said with a smile and seeing that baby face without the mask and knowing how ruthless this man could be… it made Daniel shiver.
Edward swirled in his chair, looking at the ceiling. “But he will come. He won’t be able to help it.”
“Oh, he will,” Daniel said before he could stop himself. He wanted to laugh, but that would be too suspicious.
This was suspicious enough, apparently.
Edward stopped his chair and looked at Daniel, his brows going up. “You must think yourself so special. He chose to work with you.” Edward stood from the chair and walked towards Daniel. He grabbed him by the chin, gazing down at him. “You over me.”
Daniel forced his head out of his grasp. “He works with other police officers.”
“And yet I’ve always seen you around him. Every time the news show Batman at a crime scene.”
“You pay that much attention?”
Edward turned to look at him over his shoulder as he was making his way away from Daniel. “It’s Batman,” he said as if that explained everything. With his weird obsession with the man, it kind of did.
He went to the toolbox he had set up on a table. Like some classic movie villain. It was scary and Daniel knew he would be in so much more pain before the day ended, but it was also ridiculous. He wanted to cry, but he also wanted to laugh.
“Let’s see if he still wants to work with you after all this.” Edward picked something from the table. “That is, if you will even be able to.”
When he turned back to Daniel, the tool in hand, Daniel recognized it. A simple gardening tool. Not the kind of toolbox a movie villain would have for torture, but it could be just as effective. And buying a gardening toolbox was much simpler than surgical grade scalpels.
Not that Riddler would know how to use a scalpel precisely. He didn’t know anything about anatomy and using scalpels. Daniel should feel lucky the knife in his leg hadn’t been pulled out. That there wasn’t blood gushing out. Edward probably hadn’t hit anything important. Even if it hurt like a bitch.
As he approached with the tool and a sick smile, Daniel didn’t feel as lucky anymore.
Something happened then.
A shiny object flew through the air, hitting Edward’s hand. He hissed in pain, dropping the tool. Daniel followed Edward’s gaze to the opposite wall.
A metallic bat was now embedded in that wall. Its sharp edges glinted in the dim light.
Riddler immediately turned to face the direction from which it had flown, but Batman was already there. He approached so silently not even Daniel had heard.
It wasn’t a long fight. It wasn’t much of a fight at all.
Batman incapacitated Riddler in a few moves and then another set of feet was rushing into the room. This one Daniel heard and recognized. Gordon burst in with a flashlight over his gun.
“Martinez!” Gordon exclaimed and was about to rush to him, but Batman stopped him with a hand on his chest.
“Ger Riddler.” Gordon didn’t move so Batman says it again, with more intent, “Cuff Riddler. I got Martinez.”
Daniel liked Gordon. He was a good friend and a great boss, but right now, he wanted Bruce. Batman. And side of his man, he didn’t care. He wanted to be with his partner.
Bruce came to him, kneeled in front of him. “I’m here,” he told Daniel, putting a hand over his knee, the one where the knife wasn’t. His eyes stayed on Daniel’s, reassuring and so strong.
Daniel had been holding it, but as he saw Bruce there, his eyes started to water.
“I’m here,” Bruce repeated and squeezed his knee. He wanted him to know that he was there even if he couldn’t be there fully because Gordon and Edward were still in the room with them. But Daniel could read his gaze, knew that Bruce wouldn’t let anything hurt him further.
He nodded at Bruce.
Bruce took the knife from his chest and gently cut through Daniel’s bonds. He then inspected the knife in his leg. He couldn’t do anything about it, so he checked Daniel’s head next. He looked into his eyes, watching for their reaction.
“I’m not concussed,” Daniel told him. “He got me with some mild sedative. I— What time is it?”
“Something past nine.”
“I was out for several hours. I’m perfectly conscious now.” All the lingering effects of the sedative he had felt seemed gone now. Daniel grimaced and looked at the knife. “I kinda wish I wasn’t.”
The paramedics arrive. The Riddler was taken away. Gordon came to check on Daniel as the paramedics secured the knife in his leg. He was moved to the ambulance and then to the hospital. They didn’t want to risk pulling out here. They also had to run some tests on whatever Riddler had injected him with.
.
In the hospital, Gordon stood in front of the coffee machine, waiting as the terrible coffee dripped into a plastic cup. They were still looking Daniel over so he was waiting.
From his spot, he saw Bruce Wayne arrive.
He had met Wayne on a bunch of occasions. Usually a work thing or some kind of public event. He was a commissioner now and Wayne was an important public figure. Their paths crossed here and then.
He knew that Daniel and Wayne were a thing now, had been for a couple of months. Not that they ever talked about that. Wayne hardly ever talked if he could help it and something like his relationship was too private. Daniel had told him they were keeping it all pretty lowkey because of Wayne’s status in Gotham, that it suited them both like that, so Gordon had left it at that. Daniel seemed happy and he had nothing against Wayne. He hardly knew him.
But now, as he watched him, Wayne didn’t act like a panicked partner who just got informed their boyfriend had been kidnapped should have. He seemed worried and a little angry, but he wasn’t demanding to know what happened, wasn’t anxiously looking for Daniel and firing off questions at the nurses.
Trashy coffee in hand, Gordon approached him.
“Commissioner,” Wayne greeted him and tried to move past him.
Gordon blocked him. “They’re not letting anyone in yet.”
“I’m not anyone.”
“I don’t think your status will help you here.”
Wayne paused. “I don’t care about that. I’m with Daniel.”
“They’re still running some tests. You won’t get in.” Wayne glared at him, but it was subdued. “They said it won’t take much longer,” Gordon added.
Wayne nodded, not saying anything else. He didn’t try to go further into the hospital.
Gordon took a seat on one of the plastic chairs and eyed the tall man. “You should sit.”
He did. Two seats away from Gordon.
Silence. Utter silence. Until Gordon broke it. “Did you know Daniel was leaving work early?”
“No.”
“Who called to inform you?”
As far as Gordon knew, Bruce wasn’t Daniel’s official next of kin nor his family. The hospital wouldn’t notify him and Daniel didn’t have access to his phone. Gordon didn’t have Wayne’s personal number. He had been busy dealing with the Riddler situation and all that. He hardly had a minute for this shitty coffee. Gordon had been getting ready to call the Wayne Tower, maybe get through to Wayne’s assistant, but he hadn’t done so yet.
“Batman.”
“You know him?” Gordon asked and tried to make it sound less like an interrogation.
“No.”
Batman had told Gordon not to bother with calling Wayne. As if he knew that whatever had happened to Daniel, it wasn’t connected to Bruce Wayne. The thing was, they hadn’t known about Riddler then. And when something happened to a person, their significant other was the first and most likely suspect. At least with most of the cases.
“Huh.” Gordon didn’t say more. He had stuff to think about.
The nurse came out and told them that Daniel was alright now and was ready for visitors. Since it was night already, she said that only one person at a time could visit.
Gordon waved Wayne off. “I’ll finish my coffee first.”
Wayne nodded, looking grateful as he hurried after the nurse. His steps were oddly silent.
Huh.
.
Daniel’s leg has been stitched up, his head wound covered with a bandage and there was an IV drip hooked to his arm. Other than that, Daniel was fine. In fact, as soon as the IV bag was empty, he could be discharged to recover at home.
He watched Bruce enter the room, closing the door behind him.
Bruce finally allowed himself to be how Daniel knew him in their most private moment. Bruce immediately went for an embrace, holding Daniel in his arms. He was trembling, his hug tight. Bruce needed to reassure himself as much as Daniel needed him.
“I’m fine. The doctor said I can leave in a few hours,” Daniel told him.
“I’ll wait with you.”
“You don’t have to. You must be tired.”
“I don’t care. I’ll stay and take you home.”
“C-can we go to the tower?”
Bruce nodded against his shoulder, then drew back, but he didn’t go far. “Alfred will want to make sure you’re alright.”
Daniel’s brows rose in amusement, one half-concealed with the bandage.
“And I’d like to keep an eye on you too.”
Daniel rolled his eyes, but pulled Bruce back in for another hug. “I want to be with you right now too.”
Bruce kissed him then, softly. He touched their foreheads together. “I didn’t even know you had been taken. It’d been hours till—”
Daniel shut him up with another kiss, just a peck, really. A long one, gentle. As gentle as his voice, “You didn’t know. I don’t blame you. And you got to me at the right time.”
“He put a knife in your leg.”
“And he was getting ready to do much worse.”
“I— let’s not imagine that.”
Daniel could see the fear in Bruce’s eyes. Even now, much later, when it was all over and Riddler was back in Arkham. In a more secure cell. He would be watched at all hours. He wouldn’t be getting out again.
So Daniel changed the topic. “Do you think Alfred would make me some pancakes in the middle of the night?”
“You know he would do pretty much anything for you.”
“Because I’m such a good influence on you?” Daniel grinned.
“That too. You’re also pretty lovable.”
Daniel’s grin turned into a content smile, something much softer. He slid his hands up to cup Bruce’s cheeks and met his eyes. “I love you.”
Bruce kissed him. “I love you too.”
It wasn’t the first time they had said so to each other, but in this moment, saying it again felt right.
Bruce pecked his cheek before standing up. “I’ll call Alfred, tell him you will be coming home with me later. Gordon’s waiting outside. I’ll be back.”
Gordon came then, asked Daniel how he was feeling. He told him to take the next few days off, not to worry about the report. That he was getting desk duty till his leg healed up. Even without the report, Riddler was going to be locked up again. It could wait.
“How did Wayne know about all this?” Gordon asked. “I was just getting ready to call his assistant or Pennyworth next.”
Daniel hadn’t expected a question like that. He knew as well as Gordon that he didn’t have his phone with him, that Riddler had taken it and broke it.
“I borrowed a phone from one of the nurses and called Bruce,” Daniel said with a shrug.
Gordon nodded, but he held Daniel’s gaze for a second too long. But before anything happened, Gordon looked away. He wished Daniel the usual ‘get well soon’ and left.
Daniel could hear Bruce and Gordon exchanging goodbyes in the hall and then Bruce was back in his room the next second.
“Gordon asked about you,” Daniel told you.
“Which me?”
“Bruce Wayne.”
Bruce got this blank look for a second. “Asked about how I knew you were here?”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“He asked me the same thing.”
Daniel’s eyes widened. “Shit. What did you tell him?”
“Uh. That Batman told me.” He took in Daniel’s panicked look and made a conclusion. “You told him something different.”
Daniel nodded. “I said I borrowed a phone from a nurse.”
Bruce pulled a chair closer to Daniel and sat down next to him. “He’s onto me. Something I said today. He must have—” Bruce sighed and slouched in the chair. “It was coming sooner than later.”
Daniel reached out and Bruce took his hand. He entwined their fingers. “We’ll figure it out,” Daniel said.
Bruce squeezed. “It’s just Gordon. I’m not worried. Well, I think I know enough not to worry,” Bruce admitted, shrugging one shoulder. He looked at Daniel then. “I wanted to get to you as soon as possible. He thought we should talk to me, to Bruce, first. I didn’t care. I don’t care. As long as you got out alright.”
And Daniel did. Thanks to Bruce. He was a little banged up, but it could have been worse. And if Gordon eventually figures out that Bruce is Batman, Daniel knew just what to say to him. After all, he had been through that reveal already.
Maybe Gordon knowing would be a good thing. It would make it easier for Bruce if he didn’t have to be constantly careful about his identity around Gordon. And Bruce would also have one more person in his corner. Daniel had no doubt.
Daniel, well, at least there would be somebody he could talk to, somebody who would understand.
Maybe this whole Riddler kidnapping him thing didn’t have to be all bad.