𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜
𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜
𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑑
－ ʟᴇᴏɴᴀʀᴅ sɴᴀʀᴛ

Melanie's arms were crossed tightly over her chest as she stared down at the vile. It still hadn't turned from it's dark purple to a glowing blue, so it still wasn't ready.

Melanie looked to the clock above the door to her lab. It should have been completed by now. "Shit." She knew she didn't do anything wrong. She had made this exact neutralizer before. Why hadn't it worked?

She had gotten all knew chemicals using her own money, so now she was put almost three thousand dollars. And some of those chemicals hadn't even come in yet. But she knew all of the chemicals were fresh.

If this neutralizer didn't turn blue, then everyone in Gotham was royally screwed.

Melanie put one hand on her hip, another on her forehead as she started pacing. "Exact measurements. I used exact measurements. I was careful. I didn't spill anything. I kept my work area clean. WHY WON'T YOU WORK!?" She shouted, slamming her fist down onto a different table. If she was going to be angry, she wasn't risking spilling the damn thing that had already made her mad.

Melanie rolled her head back and stared up at the ceiling, sucking in a sharp breath as she debated buying a punching bag just for her lab. Her eyes trailed towards the rooftop door, where she still had complete access to the Bat Signal.

Melanie looked to the neutralizer, a moment of realization striking her like a bat. Melanie rolled her eyes at her own stupidity and shook her head,
huffing before she grabbed the vile. She pressed a cork into the tube and shook it, watching as it started to light up blue like a glow stick.

"YES! I DID IT! AGAIN!" Melanie cheered, setting the vile down for a moment before debating her next move. She only had one shot to take down Killer Croc. If she wanted anyone to do it right, she had to make sure it was someone with competence.

She could go to Gordon, who was her boss and have him take Killer Croc down, but that would risk his safety, and she was growing to like Gordon. Even if he was a tall, brooding and very intimidating man.

She could go to Dick Grayson, who she was almost sure was the best shot in the department, but she had yet to truly see it for herself. She had only ever watched him shoot in the range.

Or she could go to Batman and Robin, who actually had experience with taking Killer Croc down. But with Batman out of commission, it was just Robin. Could she trust Boy Wonder with that? She knew he was a good fighter from what she had seen on TV.

Melanie looked towards the rooftop door, then to her front door. Her mind raced with the possible outcomes of each decision she made.

As she kept her mind racing, she had hit another dilemma: how would it be injected? It's not a gas, it needs to go into Killer Crocs blood.

"Shit." Melanie rushed up to the roof, throwing the door open and stared at the Bat Signal. She set a rock in between the door before approaching the light hesitantly this time, looking around for the switch.

For a moment, she kept her grip on the switch the the signal. There was a high chance she was absolutely not allowed to do this. But, given the circumstances and the fact she doesn't want to hav me any of her coworkers killed, maybe Gordon would let it slide.

Maybe.

Melanie grunted as she lifted the switch up, flinching hard as the Bat Signal roared to life. Despite the fact she wasn't facing towards the light, it still blinded her. Slowly, Melanie turned to look up to the sky, her eyes widening in astonishment at the bat in the light.

"This is going to get me in trouble." She whispered, turning to the other rooftop door. Now she was questioning why they had two.

Melanie looked around for a moment and sighed. Considering that Robin didn't have super-speed like the Flash, she knew it was going to be a while before he showed up. Melanie sat down left to the light, resting her elbows on her knees as she continued to hold the vile. She started whistling some song, looking around in boredom.

She turned her head to face Gotham, her whistling coming to a halt when she could almost see a building on fire in the distance. It wasn't that far away, but just visible enough from where she sat.

Twenty minutes passed, and still no sign of Robin. Melanie was quietly starting to thing both of them were out of commission and left Gotham to fend for itself when there was a loud thwip, followed by the clinking of metal.

Melanie shot up from her seated position as there was a hard thud against the rocks of the roof, and she turned around to see the masked vigilante standing before her. His face was barely visible from the light and she shut the Bat Signal off.

"I have this neutralizer that can take down Killer Croc." Melanie showed it to Robin and he stepped forward, getting ready to take it. Melanie jumped back, raising a hand up. "It needs to be injected into his bloodstream in order for it to work. That's why I didn't go to Gordon."

"So you went to me?" Robin sounded like he was attempting to hide his real voice, and Melanie gave him a strange look. She shook her head, turning to the signal.

"I was hoping it would be Batman. But I guess since his accident, you're all we've got." She sighed, turning back to Robin. He didn't look very happy to have heard that, but still, he outstretched his hand.

"I have something that can penetrate Killler Croc's skin. Give me the vile and I'll get it done." Melanie stared down at Robin's hand, then looked back up to him.

"Don't get yourself killed." Melanie sighed before handing Robin the vile. Without another word, he disappeared off of the roof, leaving Melanie alone.

A confused frown fell onto her face as she turned to the door, tilting her head as she thought about Robin's voice. The way he had talked quietly in an attempt to make his voice sound darker, heavier than his true voice.

She'd figure out who it was eventually.

•••

Dick stared down at the syringe in his hand containing the glowing blue liquid Melanie had given him. Heavy footsteps echoed in the Batcave, Dick turning quickly to see Bruce was walking down the stairs, leaning heavily in the railing.

"You should be in bed recovering." Dick said coldly, turning back to the computer. Bruce didn't say anything for a moment as he continued to walk over to Dick.

"Killer Croc is wreaking havoc in downtown Gotham. I need to protect them." Bruce said. Dick glanced to him, shaking his head.

"I already had most of downtown evacuated. I was just waiting for the computer to analyze what's in this syringe." Dick set the syringe down onto the computer and crossed his arms, watching it scan. A list of different chemicals and components appeared on the screen and Bruce quirked a brow.

"Do you know where Detective Nyx got all of this?" Bruce wondered before Dick slowly shook his head. "Find out where, then. Unless she's in the black market, she couldn't have gotten some of these."

"What do you mean?" Dick frowned, turning to Bruce. His eyes were calculating every chemical compound inside the syringe, the wrinkles on his forehead prominent as he frowned.

"You believe her to be hiding something, don't you?" Bruce glanced to Dick. Now he was wary to answer. He knew Bruce far too well, his he would react if Melanie were doing terribly illegal things. He didn't care about how well she fought, her physique. He didn't care that she worked for the police if she was buying chemicals from illegal markets.

If Melanie was committing a crime, Bruce would make sure she faced consequences.

"Dick." Bruce spoke a bit harshly. Dick turned back to the computer and gripped the back of the chair, leaning forward.

"Yes. Okay, I'm suspicious of her. That doesn't mean she's buying or selling medical supplies or chemicals. She's secretive, not a criminal." Dick defended Melanie despite knowing nothing about her. He didn't know if she had siblings, or parents. She probably did.

He didn't know her favorite color, or the fact that her hair is actually blonde underneath all that copper red. He didn't know what she really did when she worked in Central City. All of those files have been locked tightly.

It made Dick question why it was so difficult to access Melanie's previous files. And now it was making Bruce suspicious of the new detective.

"She isn't a concern. Not yet, anyways." Bruce placed his hands behind his back as Dick turned the news on. A helicopter was filming Killer Croc as he charged out of a store, which proceeded to erupt into flames. "You need to take him down, Dick."

Dick turned to Bruce quickly, shock written on his face. He truly believed, even for a moment, that Bruce was going to aid him in this fight. Bruce picked up the syringe, handing it to Dick.

"You have work to do."

•••

Melanie grumbled in frustration as she slowly turned the antennas on her very old TV. She slapped the side of the TV, her mouth dropping open when one of the antennas snapped off the television, falling to the ground.

"You're fucking kidding." She mumbled, covering her face and screamed into her hands. "Just one. I want just one thing to go right."

Melanie fully believed she was cursed with bad luck. Ever since she was a little girl, things never went right for her. Even when she worked at CCPD, things were always going wrong. She was sent to the hospital on more than eight accounts, and she had nearly lost her eyes more the a dozen times.

Despite being as careful as she could possibly be, she usually blamed Barry for almost blinding her. He usually was at fault. He's a clumsy person when he likes to be.

Now that she moved to Gotham, she's just had mistake after mistake. Slicing her arm, breaking the TV, and not being better at acting normal.

It wasn't like she didn't know Dick Grayson was trying to spy on her. She can sense his suspicious looks on her too often. She was good at acting oblivious, though. And she was even better at being suspicious of people and having it go unnoticed.

Dick was not good at that.

A knock on the door removed Melanie from her thoughts, turning to the metal door. "Who is it?"

Sterling poked his head inside, frowning at the broken TV. "Trying to fix the TV, I see." He said and stepped into the lab. "You know there's a TV in the lounge."

"I don't want to mingle." Melanie spoke and crossed her arms, turning to him. "But now I have to, since my TV is broken and I spent too much of my own money to get new chemicals." Sterling glanced around the lab, nodding slowly.

"I can see that. You think Robin made his way to downtown yet?"  Melanie didn't answer Sterling's question, but followed him quickly out of her lab. The two rushed down the stairs and to the lounge. There was only a one other cop in the lounge, his brown eyes glued to the TV that was broadcasting Killer Crocs rampage.

"He's destroyed half the city block. If Robin doesn't show up soon, Gordon's going to have some of us try and take Croc down ourselves." Officer Bard said. Melanie studied him for a moment. His glasses were cracked in the corner, his dark eyes gleaming in the lounge light. He turned to Melanie at the sense of her staring and she quickly turned to the TV.

A figure approached Killer Croc, who was facing away from him. Melanie's breath hitched as she realized it was Robin, who was hiding the glowing syringe behind his back.

"It's Robin. What the hell is he holding?" Sterling frowned, walking towards the TV to try and get a better look. "Melanie that looks like your neutralizer.

"What happened to giving it to Gordon?" Melanie turned to Officer Bard asked and slowly stood up. The man was six feet tall and Phoebe shrank down a bit, Sterling stepping forward.

"She had good reason, Jason. It's too late now, anyways." Jason shook his head, walking out of the lounge and Sterling turned to Melanie. "Gordon won't like what you did."

"You want me to give it Gordon so he'll make a cop with a kid get to close to Killer Croc?" Melanie argued quietly, glancing up to Sterling through her lashes. He paused for a moment, knowing that she was possibly implying that Gordon would have chosen him to make the tough call.

But then again, a handful of their coworkers had kids. Sterling stared at Melanie for a moment before turning to the TV, watching Robin and Croc.

•••

Robin gripped the syringe behind his back. He clenched his free hand tightly, jaw flexing as he stared Killer Croc down.

All Robin had to do was hit Croc anywhere with that syringe, and he'd fall to sleep like a baby, and they'd throw him into Arkham. Robin knew he couldn't sneak up on Croc, so he had to make his existence known the the reptile.

"Waylon!" Robin hollered out, and the large reptilian villain snapped around, roaring with anger. Robin's heart raced. He could take down every day bad guys without Batman's help no problem.

It was bad guys like this that made him nervous. He was completely alone, with no backup. Not even Gotham Police had made it there yet. Even when they did, he knew they wouldn't interject.

"Boy Wonder." Killer Croc's voice rattled through the helicopters spinning blades high in the air. The gravely bellow of his voice sent a nervous shiver up Robin's spine and he fixed his posture.
"Finally come to die!"

"Let's just end this now, Croc." Robin suggested, taking a step forward. Killer Croc let out a howl of laughter before growling viciously.

"I'm going to tear you to shreds!" Croc charged at Robin, who quickly leapt out of the way, still gripping the syringe in a careful and tight grasp. Croc roared in anguish, spinning around.

The two had a standoff for only a few seconds before charging at each other. Robin slid, slamming his bo staff into Killer Croc's legs and swept the reptile off of his feet.

Croc bellowed in anger, jumping back in his feet quickly, and swung at Robin with his razor sharp claws. Robin barely dodged it, a claw shredded through his sleeve and sliced his arm. Robin cried out, quickly backing away as the two made another stand off.

"Blood of the weak." Killer Croc growled, marching forward. "Batman can't save you now, little bird." He let out a loud laugh as police sirens echoed in the distance. Croc turned his head away for a moment, long enough for Robin to throw himself at the villain.

He slammed the syringe into Killer Croc's thigh and the monster roared in agony and swiftly threw Robin towards a car. Robin got up quickly, paused as Killer Croc yanked the syringe out.

But it had been too late. Killer Croc's eyes eyes widened in horror before he doubled over in pain, looking at his hands.

Robin took a step back as Killer Croc's green flesh slowly morphed back into a humans, his eyes widening in shock.

"NO! What have you done to me!" Croc cried, watching his claws disappear and be replaced with human hands and fingernails. He fell to the ground, curling into a ball as he became Waylon Jones again.

Robin stood there speechless. He thought Melanie had created something to knock him out. She had everyone believing that.

He thought if she had told anyone what the serum was going to do. Gordon? Boone? Barry Allen? Robin looked around frantically as the sirens got closer, and he disappeared into an alleyway.

He watched from a distance as officers surrounded Waylon, who was still crying over the loss of his power. Someone who was so strong, broken just like that. He wondered if Bruce knew what the serum was going to do.

Robin ran off straight back to the station, praying that Melanie was still there so he could get answers.

There was no way he was going to disappear without asking questions.