The Weather Outside is Frightful

Gotham City

Approximately 0145

Outside temperature: 32.6 degrees Fahrenheit

The van trundled along the road, keeping under 20 miles an hour as the hail came down harder. Cars clogged the street, and those that didn't move to the side in time were met with dings, scratches and dents.

The criminals in the back stayed quiet as the three SWAT officers and Bullock kept their eyes on them.

The Joker henchman seemed to hold a whispered conversation with the Riddler, and from the looks of it they were speaking about something important, because Bullock butted in and asked "What the hell are you two yapping about?"

The Riddler smiled and replied "What is closed, yet open to all, and comes at the end of all jokes?"

"Quit bantering with me, freak! Shut up!" Bullock started to holler, getting up from his stool.

Punch then suddenly stood up and with a swing of his fist sent Bullock slamming into the back of the van, unconscious. The other fist floored the two SWAT officers by the front of the van and sent them sprawling, giving Riddler enough time to grab one of the M4's and slamming the butt of it against the back of their heads, putting them out of consciousness.

"It's a punch-line!" Riddler answered with glee as he saw the SWAT officer recover from the turn of events.

The final officer stood up and pulled the trigger, a three-round burst catching the Joker's henchman in the shoulder before he too went down from one of Punch's fists.

As he kicked the rear doors open Croc just watched and snarled as the snow and hail entered the van. The cold temperature caused him to start shivering as the other two exited the vehicle, blood dripping to the floor as Punch clutched his shot shoulder.

He heard the doors up front slam open as the criminals rushed out into the street, Punch stumbling about while the Riddler went into an all-out sprint.

Shotgun blasts rang out as the hail came down even harder. Croc saw three shots totally miss the Riddler as he slunk into an alleyway. The other two were aimed at Punch, who got clipped in the calf as a few pellets hit him. He stumbled on as the officer gave chase.

The last thing he remembered was seeing Detective Yin come to the open back doors and survey the scene. He saw her check the pulse of Bullock and the SWAT officer right outside, and saw her shake her head in remorse at the SWAT officer.

Right as he lost consciousness he heard her say "He's dead…"

Detective Ellen Yin put the bodies of the SWAT officer and Bullock into the back of the van, the dead officer already losing body temperature due to the cold night air.

She noticed as she got in that Killer Croc never left the vehicle, and his shivering, unconscious body lay there on the floor.

She went up to check on the other two officers and checked to see that they were fine. However, she bit her lip as she saw that one of the officers M4 carbines were missing.

'Must've been the Riddler…' she thought as she turned around to see Croc again. 'At this rate he could die of hypothermia…'

She was torn as she saw the hardened criminal impotent on the floor. Her brain told her to let him die as a criminal, but her heart told her that she would never be able to let someone, even a criminal, die while she could prevent it.

She thought over it for only a moment before making a decision.

With a groan she lifted the upper half of Killer Croc from the floor as she turned around and aimed a kick at the doors. As they flew open she dragged the unconscious man out of the back and hauled him to the passenger side of the van.

Setting him down for a moment she opened the side door before painstakingly putting him into the seat.

Slamming the door shut she did the same to the back doors as well as locking them before climbing into the driver's seat and turning the heater on at full blast.

Putting the pedal to the accelerator she hurled the vehicle down the street towards its destination. She may have lost two criminals, but she wasn't going to lose another, and by extension the mission given to her by Commissioner Gordon. If their was one thing she absolutely hated to do it was letting him down. Rojas she didn't give a damn about, but Gordon was a far better individual to take orders from.

The van came to an abrupt halt before the apartment address given to her. Turning to look to her right she saw Croc was no longer shivering, but neither was he conscious.

Looking through the back grille she saw that none of the other cops were conscious either.

Sighing she turned off the van engine but kept the heater going as she got out and unlocked the back doors. Thinking about opening it, she thought better of it.

'They can get their asses out themselves. Serves them right for getting their asses kicked inside their own vehicle.'

Opening the side door, she flipped the latch off her shoulder holster, giving her easier access to the M1911A1 on her upper body.

With a heave she hauled the criminal out of the side by his vest, kicking the door shut when she was done, before hauling his scaly carcass up the steps to the apartment door. Yanking a key out of her jacket, she cautiously multi-tasked opening the door with keeping the unconscious Killer Croc from slipping from her grasp.

Yanking him inside she slammed the door shut, before finding an elevator and pressing the button.

Reading the directions given to her earlier by Bullock in the armory, the elevator doors opened. She pressed the fifth floor button and waited as the elevator climbed, adjusting her grip on the heavy crocodile man in her grasp.

Slowly dragging him out as the elevator doors opened once more she read the directions once more and found the room they were given. Using the same key from before to open the room she felt tired as she dragged him into the room. Shutting the door quietly she gave a finally heave as she dropped him to the floor, her strength drained.

Finding a couch inside she flopped onto it, not caring that her hair was disheveled from the ordeal and that strands were wildly out of place. Her face was gaunt as she put he hand on the GCPD pistol on her hip. She knew that until the other guys came to she would have to keep an eye on him.

A cool chill entered the room and Yin shot up, turning her gaze to the window. A shadowy figure crouched on the sill, and a familiar voice told her "Get some rest. I'll keep an eye on him for now."

And with that she nodded and fell back into the couch. She was asleep in seconds.

The dark knight stood on his perch for a few moments, watching the detective fall asleep. Then he silently went inside, heading for the unconscious form of Croc.

Crouching down, he removed a syringe from his belt and embedded it into Croc's arm, injecting the fluid swiftly and painlessly.

Walking to a table next to the sleeping detective, he set down four more of them with a note on top. It said; Heavy sedative. Use only in emergency.

He headed for the windowsill, towards the cold snow outside. Turning back to glance at the two sleeping figures once more, he fired his grappling hook at a gargoyle down the street and swung away, leaving like a silent wraith.

My apologies for the after-Christmas chapter, but IMO this is a crappier chapter I've written. Hopefully my mind can come up with better chapters in the near-future.