Free Batman Arkham Knight by Marv Wolfman

the way as Barbara rolled up to the main terminal and shut down the program load. The computer went blank, then rebooted to a different program.
    “First, thanks for the vote of confidence,” she said brusquely. “Second, what you initiated was the wrong program. I was trying to re-spark Gotham City’s power grid and let in the light. You would have made sure that wouldn’t have happened for at least another forty-eight hours. Your bad.
    “And third, why isn’t my DNA in your system?”
    “I’ve been busy,” he said as new data appeared in thin air, then scrolled down, finally coming to rest with chemical symbols categorized under the heading “Fear Venom.”
    “So have I,” Barbara said. The chemical symbols were quickly replaced with bar graphs.
    “I can see that,” Batman said. “It looks like you’ve managed to reduce the compound to its core elements.”
    Oracle nodded, but didn’t look confident. “Trouble is, there’s nothing in there we can trace.”
    “Not in this form,” he agreed, “but what if we’re looking at this the wrong way?”
    “Meaning?”
    “You’re searching for the toxin. What if we focus on the manufacturing process?”
    Barbara’s eyes lit up. “That could work… It really could. You know, if I create a simulation mixing the core chemicals I’ve already isolated, we might be able to get a taggable answer.” She shot him a sideways glance. “Not bad thinking for a detective.” Barbara grinned as she quickly entered more data.
    New images filled the air as the chemicals combined virtually, causing an onscreen chain reaction, visibly creating yet a third chemical in the process.
    “There it is,” she said. “Why didn’t I think of it? You see that?” She pointed to a bar graph that suddenly yielded a peak. “The reaction emitted a unique radiation spike. Very, very good, Bruce. You ever think of starting a new career in science?”
    “I’ll leave that to the experts,” he replied. “Is there any way to track it?”
    Barbara stared at the spike and nodded. “I can run a scan of the city, targeting this particular signature. If it exists, it should show where Scarecrow is creating his fear toxin. But before I can do that, I’ll need a few hours to bring the satellites into position.” Her expression turned grim. “Trouble is, the toxin’s set to release in four hours. We don’t have the time.”
    “Maybe I can repurpose the ground-based antennas as a go-around, to allow us to access the info sooner. Could that work?”
    Barbara’s hands danced across the keyboard, and she grinned as the results scrolled into view.
    “It should,” she said. “But we’ll need you to bring at least two of them online. I know of one—it’s employed by Gotham Broadcasting Corporation, at Panessa Studios.”
    “I know the one,” he said. “And is there a second antenna that will do the trick?”
    “Not certain—not yet, but I’ll figure that out well before you’re finished with the first one.”
    “Good,” Batman said. “Time’s running out, and if the truth can be told, Barbara, this worries me. Your father said it best. The Joker was a killer we could stop any number of ways, but even if we do everything we can, there’s no telling if we can prevent Crane’s fear toxin from infecting the city. If it gets into the air, we lose.
    “This may be beyond us. Beyond me.”
    “Then all we need to do is stop him before it’s released.”
    “I like how you underplayed the word ‘all.’”
    “If I don’t keep a positive view,” she said firmly, “I’ll never find the answers.”
    Batman nodded quietly and started to leave.
    “Bruce?” There was an underlying urgency to her voice. He stopped and looked back. “Bruce, I spoke to Dad,” she said, quietly, almost sadly.
    “And?”
    Suddenly she was fighting back tears, trying to maintain control.
    “I hate lying to him. I mean, he’d kill me, or maybe it would kill him if he knew I was still in the