Wow, so, ummm, this is awkward….I haven't updated this story is forever! You are welcome, actually I am ASKING you guys, to be angry with me! I've reread this story and I love it all over again.

I have gone back and corrected a lot of stuff in all of the chapters, as well as made some events and conversations more believable.

Quick Notice: Okay, guys, since I haven't updated this story in over a year, my writing is going to be different and a lot better, let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own Batman, sadly, only the wonderful Selina Roth and some of the scenes you don't recognize.

Caught in the Middle:

Chapter Ten

Batman leapt from rafter to rafter silently, trying to find a good view of the entire basement of Arkham Asylum. Something was obviously wrong. Selina and Rachel weren't very smart for going into the Narrows this late. This place was even unsafe during daytime! There was also the fact that Carmine Falcone was moved into the facility with no history of a mental disorder, something strange and evil was going on at the asylum.

The Dark Knight paused on one of the metal beams crouching. He looked down and observed his targets, Crane's thugs. Each had some sort of gun, all were automatic.

A strangled scream came from the hallways that lead to the platform. Two figures came into view; one was obviously the director of the asylum, Jonathan Crane. He had his scarecrow mask on.

The second figure was carrying someone. Batman's grip on the metal beam tightened when he recognized who it was. Selina was in the arms of the thug and was hyperventilating.

They walked down the stairs and Crane pointed to an empty table where the man put Selina on. Her eyes darted around the room rapidly. She was fully under the effects of the fear toxin.

Three more people entered the basement. Rachel struggled between two men.

"Let me go!" She yelled, trying to kick at one of them.

It didn't work.

The two thugs dragged her down the stairs and sat her down on a rickety chair. They immediately bound her arms to it, making her unable to move. One of them bent down to say something to Rachel but she spat in his face which earned her a slap.

Crane laughed. "Now, now, be nice to Miss Dawes." He turned to Selina and walked over to the table.

"Don't you dare go near her!" Rachel screamed at him.

"Why shouldn't I? I know you won't tell me anything, so why not ask the girl who is drugged up on a hallucinogen?" Crane smirked under his mask. "She always got on my nerves, she was too nosey for her own good." He leaned over Selina. "Who knows you're here?"

Selina let out a frightened whimper and didn't answer. She turned her head away, but Crane forced it back by grabbing her chin.

"Who knows?!" He snarled.

Selina screamed and closed her eyes tightly, not able to look at whatever the drug was making her see.

Up in the rafters, Batman had had enough. He cut the power.

Down below, Crane ripped off his mask.

"He's here." He murmured looking around.

"Who?" One asked.

"The Batman." Crane laughed slightly.

Rachel almost sighed in relief; both of them will be able to make it out safely.

"What do we do?"

"Whatever someone does when a prowler comes around…call the police." Crane ordered.

"You want the cops here?" Another asked skeptically.

"At this point, they can't stop us." Everyone was looking up into the darkness nervously. "But the Batman has a talent for disruption, the police will take him down outside. Go."

The thug ran off, dialing 911 and started to frantically talk into his headpiece.

"What about them?"

Crane scoffed. "Miss Roth hasn't got long. I gave her a concentrated dose. The mind can only take so much. Leave the lawyer. She can't do anything."

The men spread out, their guns at the ready.

"The things they say about him, can he really fly?"

"I heard he can disappear."

Crane smirked. "Well, we'll find out, won't we?"

A series of noises went off, each on the opposite sides of the large room. The tension in the air grew and everyone's eyes darted to each suspicious looking shadow.

Suddenly, Batman struck.

He knocked one guy down as he dropped from above. He grabbed another and propelled himself back up into the darkness carrying the terrified thug with him.

Guns went off and Rachel screamed.

Batman appeared again, disarming and rendering the rest unconscious. As the last one slumped over, Batman caught Crane's wrist armed with fear toxin. He squeezed it, making the doctor cry out.

"Time for a taste of your own medicine, Doctor." He growled, yanking the scarecrow mask off. The poison sprayed into Cranes face and his eyes immediately dilated.

Batman backed him up against the concrete wall behind them, one hand was pulling Crane's dark hair back, and the other was choking him.

"What have you been doing here?" He demanded fiercely.

Crane didn't answer, the pure terror he was seeing wouldn't let him find his voice.

"Who are you working for?" Batman jerked the Doctor's head back more and tightened his grip on his throat.

Crane swallowed before choking out, "Ras, Ras al Gul."

"Ras al Gul is dead, who are you working for?" The caped crusader snarled.

"Too late, you can't stop him now." Crane smirked slightly despite his fear.

Batman growled and the Doctor flinched.

"Dr. Crane isn't here right now, but if you'd like to make an appointment…"

Finally losing his temper, Batman slammed Crane against the wall. He fell to the cold floor, unconscious. Turning around, Batman strode to Rachel and took out a batarang. He used it to cut the ropes that bound her to the chair. Once she was free, she ran over to the table where Selina lay.

"Selina?" She leaned over her drugged friend and felt her forehead, it was wet with sweat.

Selina looked at Rachel through hooded eyes, but didn't see her. She was stuck in her world of torments and nightmares.

"Oh my God," Rachel whispered, straightening. "What can I do?" She couldn't do anything, her friend will die because there was nothing she could do!

Batman came over to Selina's other side and checked her vitals. Her heartbeat was irregular. He had to hurry if he wanted to save her.

Just then, a loud speaker came on.

"Batman, put down your weapons and surrender! You are surrounded!"

The police had arrived and that meant the SWAT teams would be coming soon.

Batman picked up Selina and started walking, his cape flowing behind him. Rachel followed wordlessly, jogging to keep up.

They went down the hall to a door just before the elevator. Batman kicked it open and revealed flight after flight of stairs.

"Wait here," Batman rasped as he took out his grappling gun. He shot it up and disappeared as the corn pulled him and Selina up to the top floor.

A minute passed and Batman dropped back down, his cape formed into the wings to slow his fall. Rachel and the hero went up to the top floor the same way he did with Selina. He helped her over the railing. Once she was safely on the floor, Batman picked up Selina again. He started running down the hall, this time, Rachel sprinted to keep up. They ran down long corridors and through many doors. They encountered no one, all of the nurses and doctors seemed to have vanished.

Reaching the main staircase, Batman gently laid Selina down and let Rachel catch her breath.

"When you are able to, go get help from downstairs. Go to the police, don't trust anyone else." Batman growled.

"What about Selina?" She asked.

Before the dark hero could answer, they heard a door open from down on the first floor. The two looked over the railing and saw Sargent Gordon walking in, gun drawn.

"Wait here," Batman ordered Rachel.

He took his grappling gun out and attached it to the chandelier on the ceiling. He tugged it to make sure it was secure and then dove off over the railing.

Rachel gasped, shocked and frightened.

Before she could look over the railing, Batman returned, the grappling gun pulling himself and Gordon up. He swung the Sargent over the edge and then himself.

Gordon spared Rachel a glance, quickly giving her a hurried look over. After seeing no pain flash across her face, only fear, he rushed over to Selina lying on the ground.

"Jesus, Selina." Jim ran a hand through his hair. "What's happened to her?"

"Crane poisoned her with a psychotropic hallucinogen, a panic inducing toxin." Batman came to kneel on the other side of Selina.

Rachel stood behind them, hands clasped tightly in front of her.

"Shit," Gordon swore. "Let me get her down to the medics."

Batman shook his head. "They can't help her, but I can."

Abruptly, the lights in the dark lobby were turned on and the two men looked over the railing to see SWAT teams clearing the front hall and approaching the stairs.

Batman brought his foot up and pressed a button on the heel of his boot. The device lit up red and emitted a high pitched ringing.

He continued, urgency creeping into his otherwise stoic tone. "Get them outside into the alley on the Narrow's side. I'll meet you there."

Gordon nodded.

"Crane has been smuggling his toxin hidden in Falcone's drugs and then dumping it into the water supply." The masked hero told the Sargent what the real danger was and his eyes widened in alarm.

"What was he planning?"

"I don't know."

"Was he working for Falcone?" Gordon asked.

"He mentioned someone else, someone worse." Ras Al Gul was not someone to be trifled with. This situation was very dangerous.

Batman picked up Selina and gave her to Gordon. "She needs the antidote before the damage becomes permanent."

"How long does she have?"

"Not long."

The tension in the air, if possible, rose even more.

"Come on, Rachel." The police Sargent rushed out as he got a better grip on Selina.

Another sound became apparent as they started down the stairs, the two looked around confused. It started getting progressively louder.

"What is that?" Gordon asked, pausing on a step.

"Back up." Batman replied and remained behind.

They started down the stairs again just as hundreds of bats broke through the windows.

-Selina's Torture-

Selina was curled in a ball shaking. She could hear the screams of her family and friends all around her. But there was something else, a deep rumbling sound of a large vehicle and a loud voice was shouting at her.

"Selina!" It barked.

Her eyes snapped open and she was jolted back into reality. It was dark and loud. She tried to raise herself to stand up but she couldn't. Straps held her down. Panic set in as she started to struggle against the belts.

"Stay calm," the voice ordered again, "you've been poisoned."

Selina looked to her left and saw Batman. What the hell was going on?! How had she gotten here?!

"What's happening?" She wheezed out. Her head was pounding painfully and the world was spinning, causing her dizziness. The deep roar and vibration of the Tumbler's engine against her back didn't help.

"Breathe slowly," Batman rasped.

Selina concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths. She looked out the window and saw the light from the street lamps were blurring together. There was a high-pitched ringing noise in the background. It hurt her ears and the thought of soothing herself flew out the window.

"Hold on," Batman brought her back before she could slip away again.

Selina gasped as the world outside of the Tumbler burst into flames. She screamed, clutching her head in her hands. Suddenly, she was thrown to the side as Batman made a sharp turn entering a parking garage.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Selina screamed.

Batman stopped the tumbler at the top and reached over, putting his gloved hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, trying to hold on desperately to her sanity.

"You have to trust me." Batman's eyes, she noticed, were blue.

Selina nodded and put her trust into the masked vigilante. She knew she will get through this. She had to see Bruce, again. He had been right, she should have never gone to Arkham. And she should have kept Rachel from going. Was Rachel okay?

Without warning, the Tumbler lurched forward and accelerated. She looked out the window to see Batman had driven off the roof!

She gasped, expecting to get the feeling of falling in her gut. Instead, they landed on the roof across the street. It was bumpy, which felt horrible and made Selina hit her head repeatedly on the back of her seat.

The dizziness returned and her surroundings started to blur again at an alarmingly fast rate. The flames, thankfully, had diminished.

She could barely make out Batman sitting back up out of his weapon's system. When she turned her head, her vision followed at a slower pace.

Selina started to panic even more when the rumble of Batman's tank started to fade. The loud ringing noise took its place. Outside the passenger's seat window, flakes of white started flickering. She couldn't move, couldn't speak.

The slivers of white grew larger, swallowing her whole. The pain in her head was gone as well as the ringing that had stopped abruptly, only blissful silence was left in its wake.

Was this what death felt like?

"SELINA!"

Her world shattered.

-End Chapter-

I love the ending of this chapter!

So, yeah, I had written about half of this over a year ago, so I just finished it tonight. I'm pretty happy with it. One thing I am not happy with is whenever Selina is with Bruce, she's a little crybaby! Does anyone else think that? I don't want to rewrite everything so from here on out, I'm going to try to make her stronger!

Note: Some of you might be wondering if this story will continue to The Dark Knight Rises, and I am sorry to disappoint, but I don't think so. I might try something in a sequel, but this story is mainly centered around the first two movies and slightly after The Dark Knight. A lot of this story will be about the Joker later. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten that far!

Please review!

Until Next Time,

Hope's Survival

Cheers