Chapter 8

With the sofa up turned and the last of the furniture broken or on the floor Riddler roared in pure rage. Crane was stood to the side, Stella's cane in his hands and avoiding the things that Riddler had thrown. Crane had never seen Nigma this bad, he had seen him angry from pure frustration but this was a new high in rage. Riddler was angry at himself, she said she was going to see if the Bat had got out. He paced back and forth and shouted

"I'll kill him for this"

"You think you'll be alone in that, once the rest of her guests find out Batman will be doomed" Crane said back and Riddler snarled

"I will make him pay myself, she is mine and mine alone"

Riddler picked up his cane, he and Crane walked out of the wrecked apartment and out into Arkham. Riddler walked puffing like an enraged rhino, his eyes blazed with rage still and Crane asked he old friend

"What is the plan Edward? Shall we make Gotham suffer for taking her away?"

"Oh we will, but we must get her back first. I won't have her hurt again" Edward replied

Crane smiled under his mask, even if Edward was to proud to admit it the whole world could see he loves Stella deeply. They reached the sewer where Croc lived, the killer was at the entrance licking his wounds and looking very tired. Riddler stopped with Crane, Jon stepped back a few paces as he was still afraid somewhat of Croc and Edward said to the monster

"Jones, Batman has taken Shadow... we are going to get her back using your sewer"

"You can try it Nigma, but I will only allow the ladies through. I still have enough in me to make you into a amusing snack" Croc snarled back and Edward lifted his cane and snapped back

"No shadow, no re-match"

Croc thought for a moment, the fight he had with Bane was the most fun he had had in a long time. With a lift of his great body, Croc moved aside for the pair and just to amuse himself growled at Crane making the thin man jump.

Word had reached Harley, she had seen Crane as he was going to see Riddler and he told her. She walked back into the Steel Mill, she walked into the managers office and started to fish around in a toy box of Joker's and her 'toys'. Joker was sleeping in their bed when she walked on in, he saw her take out the boxing glove gun and asked turning over and closing his eyes

"Off out hunting Harley?"

"Batman took Shadow into Gotham, I'm going off to save her" Harley said back

Joker turned over, he looked at Harley and thought for a moment as this would be interesting. He wanted to know who this woman (who had thrown one hell of a party) was, he got up and asked scratching his ribs

"Where has he taken her?"

"I dunno, I'm going to find out though. Are you coming with me Puddin'?" Harley asked and Joker replied laying back down

"Once you know where she is, I'll think about it"

Harley started out into the darkness, she walked by the courtroom and shouted standing infront of the massive building

"Harvey"

"What do you want clown? We are enjoying the video's of the fight. Might put up two versions of it on YouTube" Two Face said walking outside and Harley shouted

"Batman has taken Shadow back into Gotham, he wants her for himself"

Two Face growled, he knew that this was not going to go down well with any of the criminals.

'Save The Shadow gain the newest and best ally in Arkham' Harvey thought.

Harley had already walked off, she walked towards the escape route that was patrolled by Killer Croc. Her chat was over heard, some of Penguin's men had over heard and reported to the little man. He was loading Zsasz into his display, when the men told him the tale and Penguin shouted

"Men, we are going to visit Gotham"

Stella sat in a dark room, Batman had brought her to this place and gone through the door saying he needed to get something. She was cuffed to a rail, she sighed and wondered how Edward was managing. It had been at least six hours since she was taken from Arkham, she knew that Harley would flip her lid as would Eddie. Batman walked back into the room, he stood before her and said standing firm

"Your bank has sold, the papers are waiting for you to sign them"

"Lovely, I can leave this city and get on with my life" Stella said back and Batman replied

"Not really, you have to make a choice before I let you walk out of here"

"Oh yes, I can guess give up my life in Arkham and never do what I did again" Stella said back leaning back and Batman sighed and told her

"That includes never seeing the Riddler again"

"Never, I will see Eddie whenever I like. He is my partner Batman. Try and stop me from seeing him and you'll regret it more than you're already going too" Stella growled and Batman snapped back

"You don't understand, Nigma has got into your head and is trying to turn you into a criminal... no greater riddle than the human mind. He had you sized up once he saw you figured out one of his traps"

"He loves me, we are going to stop our life in Arkham and set up in Gotham or somewhere else. We can live normal lives Bats" Stella sighed but Batman did not stop there

"He is using you to get a ticket out of there, he will never change. Your choice Miss Shine"

"If I say no?" Stella asked and Batman answered

"The bank will hold out until you have come to your senses, but that means time in the correctional facility in the Gotham General. That also means you'll be watched day and night, that would be for weeks or months" Batman answered and Stella looked down she asked sighing

"May I have a moment"

Batman left the room, a wicked smile creeped across her face and she knew that either way she was going to get her bank sold and her money. She would then buy Riddler's freedom, but then came the threat Batman had added it seemed like she needed to play his game. He entered the room again, this time with Night Wing and he asked Batman

"This is Shadow, Riddler's got taste"

"Hello Night Wing, how's Bludhaven?" Stella asked back and Night Wing said back

"Everything is fine, thanks"

"Have you made your decision?" Batman asked and Stella smiled and said back

"Let's go and sign that bank away"

Stella was allowed to stand up, still with cuffs on but as she came into the light she realized the document was already on the table. She quickly read the document, then signed. The ink dried, she put her hands up for Batman to let her go and Night Wing said back

"Sorry kid, Batman didn't tell you but we need to make sure you are okay to let into society"

"What?" Stella snapped and Batman said back

"Only a test to make sure you are alright to go into society, the story is that you were taken into the city and we got you out"

"Fine, let's see what happens"

Once morning had come Stella had been analyzed, a young male doctor walked out of the room and he said as Batman stood in the hall

"She needs time, she is answering everything perfectly. But that was the problem, it's hard to tell if she is giving us what we want"

"Keep her in for a few more days, she will be fine once she has that cities poison out of here veins" Batman said back

He knew that was the last thing she wanted to hear, the sound of a table going over was all he needed to hear and then the alarm was set off. The young doctor was thrown through the open door, Stella went to walk out but turned to walk back in seeing Batman was still there. He sighed for a moment, she sat down and he walked in and she said back

"I want freedom Batman, I have not committed a felony... I am under a great deal of stress and you want me to stay in a nice white room"

"You just threw a doctor through a door"

"He tripped over his shoe lace" Stella answered and Batman growled

"This isn't the time for your games, this is your last chance"

"You must have been really scarred when you were a kid to not let me see my man, something tragic" Stella played back

This was a mistake, Batman had her by the collar and slammed her on the table. She grabbed his hands, he was too strong but then pulled off once he realized what he had done. She sat up, he was gone from the room and she realized she had hit a nerve or he was just tired. Batman had flown through the city by the time she was shown to her room, he sat in the Bat cave not believing what he had just done. She needed help, maybe the Batman was the wrong person to give it to her.

He watched the camera's around Arkham city, almost all the super criminals had tried to break out and the wall on the Eastern side was weakened. Penguin and Two Face had tried to break out at the same point, but this just meant they ended up fighting eachother. This worked out as they were now in no state to break out, Harley had managed to get into the Gotham but NightWing had put her back in. Riddler had gone missing, Batman knew that if Nigma did have feelings for this woman nothing would stop him getting to her.

Stella had sat in her room for several days, she was keeping her body as well worked out as she could. She knew she was due a visitor sooner or later, it was just a case of who it was. She was doing push up's on the floor when the door of her room was opened, she stopped holding herself up. She turned her head, she nearly dropped face down when she saw it was her old friend and the security guard from her bank Tony. She stood up, he had flowers and said seeing her

"Hello Miss Shine"

"Tony, you're alive. How?" Stella asked and he said back

"Batman saved my life, I thought he would have told you that. I was in this place for a couple of months, then given back my job and given a medal for bravery"

"It's great to see you're okay" she said back and he said back

"It's good to see you too. I heard that you were taken in Arkham, now they are keeping an eye on you to make sure you don't go mad like the rest of those crazies" Tony said back Stella smiled and said

"I guess I'm not crazy"

Then something clicked in Stella's mind, she became very dizzy and sat on her bed from loss of her balance. Tony knelt down and asked her in a worried tone

"Are you alright?"

"I... yes I am fine"

Batman was watching her on the camera, she stood with Tony and took the flowers and then he turned and left after a bit more talk. Batman walked out of the camera room, he stopped Tony as he went to leave

"What did she say?"

"She felt fine after the dizziness wore off, happy to see me. You know that she doesn't want to be here, but when she started talking about a holiday she really lit up" Tony answered and Batman said back

"Thank you, she'll be out soon"

The next day, Stella was sat on her bed she knew today was the day she got out one way or the other. She was led into a room for her final question and answer session, she sat infront of the young doctor she had thrown through the door. He was more comfortable infront of her and he asked her

"How are you feeling?"

"A little hot if I'm honest, might be the weather" Stella answered and the doctor said back

"Yes it is a very hot day today, our air conditioning is a little faulty because of it"

"Shame, how are you?"

"Fine" he answered and she asked back

"You're not scarred of me are you doc, I am sorry about throwing you out the door"

"That's fine, I am amazed by your strength. I am not afraid"

"You will be"

With that said the alarms started to go off, the young doctor started to panic and pressed the button under the table. The camera's light was not on, he knew that there was no one watching them and just then the door was banged on. The young doctor rushed around the room in a panic, then noticed that Stella had not moved a muscle and he snapped

"What's going on?"

"Well simpleton it seems we are in a legendary Riddler challenge" Riddler's voice said over the tanoy and the young doctor looked at Stella and asked

"Can he hear us?"

"I'll be amazed if you make it through the first challenge" Riddler snapped back

Stella stood up, she opened the door and found the hall was pitch black and some green neon lights were going up the hall. The young doctor took it as the way out, he ran for the exit that he knew was at the end of the hall. He made it to the door, but his screams came back and Stella knew to go in the opposite direction.

On the lower floors she could hear people shouting for help, she knew that Riddler didn't have time to set this place up as one of his challenges. There was more at work here than what met the eye, she soon found her way to the opposite end of the corridor. It was then she heard people screaming in fear, it was then she realised that Edward had brought thier old friend with him. She knew that the Batman would be on his way, so she sped up a little and found the room she was looking for. It was the place where the hospital kept people's personal belongings, she opened the door and Riddler was stood there with her outfit and cane. She smiled, he was looking very dapper today and very pleased with himself. She walked across the room, he placed his lips on hers and they embraced as if they had not seen eachother for years. He looked at her white clothes and said handing her black and dark green suit to her

"This is more fetching on you"

"You got the message then" Stella observed and Riddler lifted up a piece of the Gotham Newspaper

"A serpent might hold you, but once it lets you go you might be better than before. A reference to the snake that is used by all the hospitals of the world"

"The bank is gone and"

"I don't care about that damned bank, I have you back and that's all that matters" Riddler cut her off and she smiled warmly and said back

"That is the sweetest thing you have ever said Edward, where is Johnny?"

"I sent to the lower parts of the hospital, I told him that I need to sort this thing with Bat" Edward replied and Stella asked looking sweetly at him

"What thing is that Edward?"

"I will tell him, I will break him apart piece by piece if he ever takes you again. Then when he thinks I will let him be... I will jam him in a riddle room and leave him there"

"I love you too Edward"

That was it, she had said it and felt so much better for finally admitting it. Edward had a look of happiness on his face but as he went to say something a voice shouted from the hall

"What are you?"

"Come on we'd better go before the Bat arrives" Stella said back

The pair walked into the hall, but Batman was already there and darted down at the pair. Stella prepared her cane, Riddler ran forward and went to hit Batman first. Batman dodged the strike, he hit Riddler hard and he went back a few feet. Riddler was blind with rage, Stella came forward and Batman caught her cane and launched her down the hall. Riddler jumped on Batman's back, he used his cane to try and choke out the Bat. Stella had hit her head on the fall, she looked up and shouted seeing Batman go down to one knee

"Stop"

Batman threw Riddler head first into a wall, Riddler was staggered but felt different. Stella shook off the dizziness, Batman stood infront of her and he said standing with his fists tight

"I saw your little attempt to contact the Riddler, I knew this was coming"

"Then you can see that he and I can live together, if you stop getting in the damned way" Stella snarled back and Batman knelt down and said as she threw her cane on the floor by him

"I understand that he feels for you, he wouldn't have gone through all of this otherwise"

"Please Batman, let me at least try. I give you my word that if I can't help him, I will leave Gotham and never return" Stella said back with her head bowed down

She was so tired of fighting, she knew that Riddler was curable with the right motivation. Batman looked back at Riddler, he was stood up and Batman asked standing

"Do you think you can change?"

"I feel different Batman, I don't want to... my head hurts so bad" Riddler was rambling and Stella looked back and saw him drop down.

She jumped up, she rushed to his side and lifted his head up a little and rested it on her outfit. Batman came over, he checked Nigma over and then looked at Stella

"I will let this happen, you will take care of him. But if this is a double cross..."

"It's not, Batman he is hurt. We need to get him some help" Stella insisted with tears in her eyes

Batman carried Riddler into a room with a bed, he placed him down and the alarms went off. People were shouting about the ScareCrow further down in the hospital, Batman spoke silently to a hospital gaurd to watch the couple. The Dark Knight decided to go and deal with Crane, but before he left he paused and looked back. He couldn't help but feel a little for this pair, maybe they had a chance to change things for the better.

Batman never did catch Crane, he had simply vanished from the hospital and so Batman left once the antidote had been placed into the Air vents. Batman watched the hospital for a few days, Stella was by Riddler's side the whole time. She had moved from her apartment, she had bought a new apartment in the center of the city. Also a large house in the suburbs, she didn't tell anyone of this apart from Nigma who finally woke up a month after the rescue attempt. He had fallen into some sort of coma, his brain was cooked from being hit so hard and the criminal world was told Shadow no longer needed rescuing.

The thing that stunned the whole of Gotham was Riddler's sudden need not to do riddle's anymore. He said the hit to his head had cured him of that side of his personality, he was kept in the same ward that Stella had been kept in a deemed sane. Stella took him to their new home, she was given full control of her mystery man and he didn't seem to mind.

On the first day into their home, Edward walked through first and Stella said as she closed the door behind him

"Here we are, if you need the city the apartment keys they are in the kitchen"

"So here we are, Batman knocks the need for riddles out of me and I end up in a beautiful home with my beautiful lady" Nigma said back and she said as they walked into the living room

"So it would seem, what are we going to do now though? I know you are not the type to simply stop working" Stella asked and Nigma answered

"I think I need something to show the world that I am still brilliant, but what... hmm"

"You think about it, I'll get us some coffee"

Stella kissed him on the lips and walked out of the room, Nigma knew the house was being watched by the Batman. He also knew that he needed something to keep his mind occupied. Stella walked back into the room, she snuggled under his arm as the sun started to set in the distance. It was winter time, the fireplace was lit and the pair sat together and she asked as he placed down his cup

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Well, I don't really know yet. But for now I am happy just to be here, with you" Edward said back

The rest was much needed for the pair, they sat together enjoying the peace that had been needed in their lives for sometime.

On the rooftop opposite the house, Batman and NightWing watched them. Batman was knelt down, watching them through a pair of binoculars and NightWing said looking through his own pair

"They seem happy. (No response) You know maybe this isn't a trick, Nigma would have lost it by now and she seems better"

"I did some digging on Miss Shine. It seems that she stopped a young man from killing his friends when she was at college. She reformed him, then got him a job as a security guard in the Richmond Bank" Batman said back and NightWing looked at the house and then back

"Wait, you mean that Tony guy?"

"Yes, so could you imagine the horror that must have gone through her when she was sure he had been killed by the hyena's that Joker had? It must have put her brain into melt down, but there was Nigma... she risked everything for him. She said I would never understand how she felt, she was wrong" Batman carried on and NightWing asked

"So when she saw Tony in the hospital, it snapped her back into the real world?"

"Yes, she had no record of having anyone overly close. When she saw Tony her first instinct was to tell him to put a riddle in the paper, so tell me what sane woman calls a man who is mad?"

"Is that a riddle?" NightWing asked and Batman said back putting down the binoculars

"No, a woman who is in love would be the answer. I wasn't sure about what might happen when the message had been sent. It was all on Nigma, so I watched him. Had made his way out of Arkham, but returned unable to find her and in his rage started to build a death trap for me. Once he got the message he stopped work on his death trap for me, threw down everything and went through Killer Croc's lair to get to her. Now tell me this, what man risks his life to save a woman?"

"I know, a man in love. So what happens when the villains realize what has happened? Those two will be hunted, right?" NightWing asked back and Batman said back

"Only by the two who hate them most, Zsasz and Bane will tear the world open to find Shadow. The others not so much, Stella was smart enough to make friends in high places and that secured their freedom. Harley and Crane are the only ones who know the truth, once the time comes that these two come back into the city things will be interesting"

"Does Bruce Wayne feel the same?" NightWing asked

Batman did not reply, he knew that was a jibe. He was starting to fall for Stella himself, but she seemed happy, that didn't stop him still having feelings for her. Until such time as Nigma breaking her heart or the pair leaving eachother, he would wait. Batman looked down and NightWing asked as they both turned to leave

"Do you think they would go nuts again?"

"There will always be a shadow over Gotham"

Batman replied just as the bat signal in the distance went up, the pair swung down from the roof and towards the bat mobile.

THE END

Thanks for all the views, fav's and reviews. I might make a sequel, we'll have to wait and see. :)