'Why couldn't the Jokerz just give up? It's like they only exist to make life difficult,' Eliana thought miserably. The duo were perched on top of a building above where an illegal weapons deal involving Jokerz was about to go down. Eliana moved her gaze towards her partner, who was unaware of her staring.

A month had passed since the Royal Flush gang was arrested. Although it took some time for the duo to recover from their heartbreaks, the whole event managed to bring them even closer together. The latter made Eliana very happy.

Her thoughts crashed when a truck came speeding down the alleyway. It didn't take long for Jokerz to approach the truck. With a nod exchange between the duo, they jumped down from their spots.

"Drop it clown!" Batman called out as a batarang hit a weapon out of the Jokerz leader's hands. "The Batfreaks, let's smoke 'em!" The gang yelled out and ran to grab more guns. The vigilantes dodged all the gunfire and attacked Jokerz.

One shot hit the truck, causing a huge explosion that knocked all the Jokerz out. With them taken down, only the dealer was left. "Oh geez, what am I going to tell my suppliers," the dealer whined.

He foolishly tried to escape but was stopped by a punch from Nightwing. "Say you had a fire problem." Nightwing smiled at the dazed man. The heroes flew back up to a building as police filled the alley. "Well, that's one arms shipment that'll never hit the streets," Batman commented before letting out a yawn. "I think we should call it a night," Nightwing said tiredly.

And the two teenagers under the mask couldn't agree more.

"Good work," Bruce praised the two as they approached him. "Thanks," Terry said through a yawn. Bruce's expression shifted into concern, "Late nights too much for you?" Terry chuckled, "The nights aren't tough. It's the mornings," he corrected. 'You can say that again', Eliana sighed.

She was not looking forward to the morning, especially school.

~8~

Eliana wasn't exactly shocked to see Terry sleeping in the middle of class the next day. Every time she would wake him up, he'd fall right back asleep when her back was turned. "Terry, you need to wake up!" Eliana quietly shook him. Terry swatted her hands away and yawned. "How are you so awake? I can't even keep my eyes fully opened?" Terry questioned. Eliana held up her coffee cup, "Four cups of coffee, that's how."

Sadly, even four coffees weren't enough as Eliana was still fatigued. A couple minutes later, the teacher woke Terry up. "Mr. Mcginnis, I see that gravity has gotten the better of you," he said non amused.

Before Terry could even register what was happening, the teacher continued, "I'm sorry that my tests aren't more stimulating. Perhaps this failure to perform file will get your attention. Take it home and have your mother scan it." Terry was about to speak up, but the bell ringing interrupted him.

"Geez, you both look like zombies. What gives?" Dana asked. The duo shrugged, "Late night," they said simultaneously. They were too tired to notice the suggestive smirk Dana gave them. "You know what you two need is a break. Why don't you come to the hockey game tonight after school?" Dana suggested. "Oh, I don't know, Dana, maybe we better pass," Eliana said nonchalantly. "Yeah, Eliana's right," Terry added.

They really hoped Dana would just let it be, but to their dismay, she pushed. "Don't be such buzzkills. You guys need some excitement in your lives," Dana said, dragging them by the arms.

Eliana barely paid attention to the game being played in front of her eyes. Her school was losing, and she couldn't care less. Even Terry had a hard time staying awake. Despite Dana's efforts to keep the duo awake, they would just lose focus once more. However, a conversation between Creagar and hockey player Mason caught their attention.

"Mason, what kind of a bonehead pass was that?" Coach asked harshly. Mason titled his head down in dissapointemnt, "I'm sorry, coach."You sure are, in fact, you're the sorriest bunch of losers I've ever seen. I don't care what it takes, I want you to get out there and crush them. Understand!" Coach lectured, slapping Mason.

Eliana frowned at the treatment, 'What a prick.' Eliana disliked Cregar. He was way too cold and brutal for a teacher. But what really made her double take was when she noticed Mason put on a slapper.

Slappers are a type of performance enhancers that were highly addictive.

She took note that Terry had watched the exchange as well. She was too wrapped in her thoughts to notice an opposing player was bodychecked by Mason and had crashed through the arena boards.

Miraculously, Terry pulled her out of the way just as the player crashed into the place they were sitting at.

"Ellie, you okay?" Terry asked his friend, who was still shaken. Eliana gave him a small smile, 'Yeah, thanks to you." Terry inwardly sighed, thankful that his drowsiness hadn't kept him from pulling Eliana and Dana out of the way of the incoming player. He turned his attention back to Mason, who was with the coach and glared at the pair.

After the game, Terry and Eliana had walked Dana back to her house. "Wasn't that a great game, I mean, the parts you guys stayed awake for," Dana teased. Eliana instantly felt bad for being such a terrible companion to her friend. She was about to say something, but Terry bet her to it. "It wasn't you honest. We just had a long night. We're seriously just sleep deprived. See ya tomorrow," they waved goodbye, leaving. Eliana was in the middle of dreaming about her comfy bed when her phone started to ring.

Eliana sighed in exasperation, already knowing who was on the other line. "What now, Bruce?" Eliana asked, a little annoyed. "I've been testing the new skycam and picked up something at VidCid Electronics," Bruce reported. "What?"Terry asked, also frustrated by the interruption. "Late night shoppers," Bruce replied. Terry and Eliana looked at each with tired expressions.

A hero's work was never done.

~8~

Batman and Nightwing snuck into the store to see only 3 robbers who looked to be young teenagers. 'Piece of cake,' Nightwing happily thought. The heroes didn't hesitate to spring into action. Batman landed in front of a robber and swiped his feet from under them.

"Don't you criminals ever take a vacation from stealing," Nightwing quipped. As the robbers tried to flee, Nightwing threw a bola at one of their feet. "Mason, wait!" He cried out. Batman and Nightwing froze at the name, knowing exactly the face that belonged to the name.

The duo chased after Mason and cornered him. They noticed him gain more muscles, and before they could even speak, Mason punched the duo strongly. Nightwing winced from the strength of the punch. It was very unexpected. They punched and kicked Mason, but it didn't make an impact. Mason roared and grabbed the duo's arms, painfully crushing them before throwing them into a set of metal crates.

They heard Mason and his accomplices leave before managing to push themselves out of the crates. Nightwing's body ached all over, and both of them groaned. "What happened?" Bruce asked. "Guess we underestimated how strong they were," Batman replied. "Well, any idea who they were?" Bruce questioned. At least there was a silver lining in their defeat. They knew one of the robbers personally. "Yeah, we know one of them. A jock named Mason Vero," Nightwing reported.

After keeping an eye on Mason the next day, it was time to strike. Later that night, Batman and Nightwing snuck into the boys' locker room. They approached Mason's locker and found exactly what they were looking for. Batman picked up a stack of slappers, "Jackpot." But they had little time to enjoy their victory as a hard force knocked them to the ground. "Looks like I got a rodent problem," Coach Cregar smiled menacingly.

The duo jumped out of the way of another attack. "I don't know why you two are poking your noses in my gym, and frankly, I don't care," Cregar sneered. They landed a kick, but Cregar just slapped them away with such strong force. 'Enhanced strength, he must be on slappers,' Nightwing thought grimly. "I eat punks like you for breakfast," Cregar yelled.

Nightwing ran towards the coach and, at the last second, flipped over the man. Cregar was focussed on Nightwing that he didn't see Batman running towards him. With Cregar distracted, Batman sent him flying across the room from a powerful uppercut.

"Sorry to spoil your appetite."

~8~

"So basically, she'll let me work for you and go to school. Otherwise, I'm in solitary... big time," Terry finished telling Bruce. Eliana winced in sympathy. Terry had stormed into the batcave ranting about how his mother found the slappers from Mason's locker and had grounded him until who knows. Of course, Bruce didn't really care for Terry's home drama.

"At least you were able to keep one of these," he commented, putting the slapper under a microscope. "Barely-look, I got a real problem here. She doesn't trust me anymore, and nothing I say is gonna change her mind. Do you have any ideas on how to play this?" Terry asked hopefully. Eliana almost scoffed about the notion of Bruce knowing how to handle a family dispute. It seemed like Bruce read her mind when he responded, "Arch criminals I know how to handle.......mothers are something else."

Seeing as Bruce provided him with no insight, Terry turned to Eliana with desperation written all over his face. Eliana thought about it for a moment, "There's not much you could say to change your mom's mind. You just have to wait it out in hopes she'll loosen up. In the meantime, try to be a perfect, well-mannered child who'll work in hopes of regaining her trust." Terry gave her a shakily nod of acceptance.

"Why am I not surprised?" Bruce's comment brought the teens back to the matter at hand. "What is it?" Eliana asked. "Venom, a highly addictive steroidal compound. Only one man has the formula," Bruce said grimly. Before Eliana could question Bruce, a picture of a man in a wrestler's outfit was displayed. Bane. "I've heard of him,' Terry said in a low voice. "You're gonna meet him as well," Bruce told Terry.

Eliana wasn't exactly thrilled to meet the guy. She had read his file and quickly learned that Bane was no villain to mess with. Apparently, Terry didn't share the same concerns she did. "Sure, as long as I'm home by nine. What? I told you I was in trouble," the latter Terry said after seeing Bruce's hard stare.

~8~

Bane's estate was on a private island, which fortunately didn't take long to fly to. "You sure this is the place?" Batman questioned his mentor. Nightwing scoffed quietly. If there was one thing Bruce was good at, it was keeping track of people's whereabouts. "He's there alright, it's been 20 years since he left prison, but I've made it my business to keep track of his whereabouts. Remember, he was a formidable opponent..be careful," Bruce warned.

Batman brushed off his concern, and Nightwing cringed at what he responded with. "Please, he must be a zillion years old, what trouble could an old geezer-nevermind," Batman stopped mid sentence, realizing who he was talking to.

After subduing the guards outside and grappling to the roof, the heroes made their way inside the mansion. Jackson Chappell, a male caretaker, was walking through the house, providing an opportunity for the heroes to receive some answers. Nightwing shot a bola at the man, "Where's Bane?" She questioned lowly. "In there," the man gestured to a room at the end of the hallway.

The duo made their way to the door, but what they found made them speechless. It seemed like the years had been cruel to Bane. The old man was seated in a chair with medical cords in him. He used a respirator as he struggled to breathe. He was unrecognizable, a shell of his former self.

"What happened?" Batman asked, baffled. "Too many years on Venom, that's what this stuff will do to ya," the caretaker answered. Nightwing shuddered. They had to get Venom off the streets before people ended up like Bane. Batman and Nightwing left the house no sooner than they arrived. "Well, that was a dead end," Nightwing deadpanned.

"Yeah, but if Bane isn't making Venom.....then who is?" Batman questioned.

And so Nightwing and Batman left the estate feeling more confused than ever.

~8~

Knowing it wouldn't take long for Mason to call his supplier for more slappers, the duo staked out at the place where Mason dealt previously. Mason looked worse than last time. He was shaking uncontrollably and had large bags under his eyes. The same black car pulled up to Mason, and it was time for the duo to strike. "You got'em?" Mason asked the mysterious dealer. "Not today," Batman called out, while Nightwing disarmed Mason with a batarang.

The car instantly drove away, making Mason try to chase after it. "No, wait, please!" He begged but ended up tripping due to his weak physique. Batman quickly shot a tracker onto the speeding car before the heroes ran to the batplane.

They followed the car to a warehouse. "That must be the hideout," Batman commented. "The old Gotham Herald building? It's been abandoned for years," Bruce said. Nightwing rolled her eyes under her domino mask, 'Why is it always an abandoned place. Can't these criminals choose a more creative place?' "Sure, who reads newspapers anymore," she quipped.

Batman and Nightwing busted through the glass ceiling of the warehouse to find a slapper lab and none other than Bane's male caretaker. "You! We should have known," Nightwing growled. They took care of the workers before focusing on Chapell. "How'd you con the formula out of Bane," Batman questioned.

"In the end, he needed Venom just to keep going. It got so bad he couldn't make it himself. He had to trust someone," Chappell smiled. "And now you're cashing in poison to kids," Nightwing finished angrily. "That's right," Chappell said sadistically as he ripped off his shirt. He placed several slappers on his body, making his muscles grow huge.

The duo charged to land a kick, but they just bounced off Chappell. Nightwing pulled out her escrima sticks and rapidly hit Chappell. The metal combined with Nightwings strength did make an impact, but it didn't take long for him to grab the stick and throw her away. Batman tried throwing a bola, which did wrap around Chappell, but his strength snapped it off.

Batman managed to get a few hits but was eventually smashed into a car. The duo back handspring to avoid Chappell's attempts to hit them. "Batman, maneuver 7!" Nightwing called out. Batman cupped his hands and lifted Nightwing in the air. She wrapped her arms around Chappell to bend him back so Batman could grab his legs and toss him. It worked, and Chappell was sent flying into a wall.

The duo jumped up to the second story, with Chappell trailing behind them. "Nowhere to escape now!" Chappell yelled and ran at the cornered heroes. But what he did not account for was what they were right above. When Chappell charged, the duo dropped to the ground and used their legs to push Chappell over the edge.

He fell on the slapper machine, resulting in many slappers getting stuck to him. The increased dosage was too much to handle as Chappell screamed in agony as his muscles grew larger.

Thinking the fight to be over, the duo approached a fallen Chappell. But when they were close, he grabbed their legs and sent them barreling into a wall. They looked up to see Chappell towering over them with even more rage.

Seeing a chemical set nearby, Nightwing shot a batarang at it. The chemicals in the beakers splashed onto Chappell's eyes. Chappell cried out in pain as he was blinded.

"You want us slappy, we're right here," Batman taunted. "ARH! I'LL KILL YOU!" Chappell roared. He started punching the air around him, trying to lay a hit. Unfortunately, he punched a machine, causing an explosion to form.

Batman and Nightwing tried to flee but were not successful. Batman covered Nightwing as debris from the crumbling building landed on them. It wasn't long for the whole warehouse to crumble to the ground. "Terry, Eliana?" Bruce called out. "We're okay," Batman said, helping Nightwing out from the debris. "What about Bane's friend?" Bruce asked.

They uncovered some debris to find Chappell, eyes open and unresponsive. He was in a catatonic state. "It's the Venom, I think he's had too much of a bad thing," Nightwing answered grimly.

~8~

Back at the Mcginnis apartment, Mary Mcginnis frowned at the clock, which displayed 9:00 pm. "He's late, isn't he? What are you gonna do to him," Matt teased, eager for his older brother to get in trouble. "Not as much as I'll do to you if you don't get back in bed," Mary warned. Just then, the door opened to reveal Terry, "Hi, I know I'm late, but you're not gonna be mad." Mary raised an eyebrow, "Oh I'm not?"

Just then, Eliana walked through the door carrying a paper. "My fault entirely Mrs. Mcginnis. You see, Mr. Wayne and I thought it was best to get Terry a drug test to reassure you. I thought I'd drop by and give you the test results tonight," Eliana said warmly. Mary took the paper and read it, "He's clean, so you were telling the truth, Terry! This is such a relief," she said, hugging her son. "Didn't mean to scare you, Ma," Terry hugged back sincerely.

"Tonight, we have a real sports round up for you folks. 3 Hamilton Hill High School athletes were arrested tonight, charged with using slappers. Although their coach denies any involvement, he's been given a 'Time out' from teaching pending the investigation," a newsperson narrated as images of Mason and Coach Cregar being arrested were shown.

Eliana couldn't help but smirk at the news. "I can't believe it. How could he allow that to go on," Mary said, referencing Cregar. Eliana simply shrugged her shoulders, "He wanted to win at any cost, so he looked the other way. Right, Terry?" Terry, however, was fast asleep on the couch, snoring softly. Eliana found herself giggling at the sight. "Terry!" Mary said incredulously. Eliana put up a hand, "It's alright, he's had a busy night. He deserves his sleep."

Not really thinking that much, Eliana placed a soft kiss on Terry's forehead before making her way to the door. She was about to walk out the door but turned her head when Mary called out for her.

"Thank you, Eliana, for supporting Terry and being by his side," Mary said graciously. Eliana blushed at the compliment before replying, "Terry's a good person, Mrs. Mcginnis, you should be proud of him. He helps Gotham every day."

'She's a keeper,' Mary thought as she watched the teen leave to gain some hard earned sleep.