The fire escape dder was slick with Gotham's perpetual grime, but Carrie climbed with practiced silence, her camera bag secured tightly across her back. The abandoned office building gave her the perfect vantage point—close enough to see clearly, high enough to avoid detection. She'd spent two hours earlier that day walking past Hatter's Productions' building, memorizing the security setup, noting the guards' positions and the camera angles.

  Now, perched on the rooftop with her telephoto lens assembled, she could see everything.

  The building across the street looked ordinary enough from ground level—four stories of weathered brick that could house any number of legitimate businesses. But from her elevated position, Carrie could see what pedestrians couldn't: the discrete security cameras mounted at every corner, the way certain men in dark clothing lingered near the entrances without any apparent purpose, the subtle but unmistakable signs of a pce that didn't want visitors.

  She adjusted the focus on her lens and aimed it at the fourth floor first. Most of the windows were covered with heavy curtains, blocking her view, but one room had been left exposed. Through the telephoto lens, she could make out what looked like a teenage girl's bedroom—pink walls, a canopy bed, stuffed animals arranged on shelves. Two girls sat on the bed together, both appearing to be in their early teens. She couldn't tell what they were doing from this distance, but something about their positioning seemed unnatural, staged.

  Then she saw it—movement at the edge of her telephoto view. Someone adjusting what looked like a boom microphone, and the distinctive shape of a camera on a tripod just visible in the corner of the room. They were filming. Right now.

  Carrie's finger pressed the shutter release, the camera's quiet click documenting what she was seeing. Something cold and sick settled in her stomach as she realized what she was witnessing, but she forced herself to keep looking. She moved the lens to scan the lower floors.

  Moving the lens down to scan the lower floors, Carrie could see through windows on both the second and third floors where the girls were housed. Through partially open windows, she glimpsed what looked like small bedrooms—some with bunk beds, others with single beds. Girls ranging in age from eight to thirteen moved between rooms or sat on their beds. Some were sleeping despite the te hour, others watched television or pyed video games. A few sat together talking in what appeared to be common areas.

  It looked almost... normal. Like a group home or boarding school. But Carrie had seen enough of Gotham's underbelly to recognize the careful staging, the way everything was arranged to appear innocent while serving a much darker purpose.

  She lowered the camera for a moment, her hands shaking slightly as the full scope of what she was witnessing began to sink in. This wasn't just some small-time operation. The number of children, the organized nature of it all, the security measures—this was systematic, professional, and had probably been running for years.

  Her mind fshed back to the paper she'd found in Marcus's destroyed Blockbuster, the neat handwriting that had led her here. "Hatter's Productions." The boom microphone and camera she'd seen on the fourth floor confirmed her worst fears about what kind of productions they were making in this building. This wasn't just housing these children—they were actively filming them.

  The camera continued clicking as she documented everything—the security setup, the building's yout, the fourth floor where all the filming clearly took pce. She could make out other rooms on that floor through different windows, catching glimpses of what appeared to be different themed sets—a cssroom setup with small desks and a chalkboard, what looked like a church interior with wooden pews. All of it designed to create specific scenarios for whatever sick fantasies Hatter's Productions was selling.

  But even as she worked, questions gnawed at her. Her anonymous client had paid her double her usual rate to investigate disruptions in Gotham's criminal ecosystem. Had they known this would lead her here? Were they connected to this operation, or were they trying to expose it?

  In Gotham, the line between the hunters and the hunted was often thinner than people wanted to believe, and Carrie couldn't shake the feeling that she was being maneuvered by forces she didn't fully understand. But whatever game was being pyed, she was determined to document the truth of what was happening in that building across the street, even if she didn't yet know who would ultimately benefit from that knowledge.

  ---

  The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of string lights and a single mp casting long shadows. Harley, a twelve-year-old with long, dark hair and a slight frame, sat on the edge of the queen-sized canopy bed, her legs swinging nervously. She was wearing an oversized T-shirt and a pair of white panties, her eyes darting between the camera in the corner, the director's chair where Jarvis Tetch sat, and the other girl in the pink painted room.

  Tammy, a year older with reddish-blonde hair and a ft chest, sat a few feet away from Harley, her knees drawn up to her chin. She wore a pink T-shirt with a kitten on the front and matching panties. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed with a mix of nerves and excitement. She looked at Harley, then at the camera, then back at Harley, a small nervous smile pying on her lips.

  Harley's heart pounded in her chest. She had done girl-on-girl scenes before, but not with Tammy.

  Jarvis's voice echoed through the room, calm and authoritative. "Alright, girls. Let's start with you two just getting to know each other. Remember, this is a slumber party. Be yourselves, but... you know, more innocent."

  Harley took a deep breath, turning to face Tammy. She reached out, her fingers brushing a strand of hair behind Tammy's ear. Tammy shivered slightly, her eyes meeting Harley's.

  "Hi," Harley whispered, a small smile pying on her lips.

  Tammy giggled nervously. "Hi."

  Harley's hand lingered on Tammy's cheek, her thumb brushing lightly against her skin. Tammy leaned into the touch, her eyes fluttering closed. Harley's heart pounded in her chest, but she pushed forward, driven by a mix of curiosity and the desire to put on a good show.

  She leaned in, pressing her lips softly against Tammy's. Tammy gasped, her eyes flying open, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she mirrored Harley's movements, her lips moving tentatively against Harley's.

  Harley's hands explored Tammy's body, tracing the lines of her arms, her waist, her hips. Tammy shivered, her breath coming in short gasps. She reached out, her hands mirroring Harley's, exploring the curves of Harley's body. Harley's breath hitched as Tammy's hands brushed against her breasts, her nipples hardening at the touch.

  Jarvis's voice cut through the moment. "Good, girls. Now, let's see some skin. Slowly."

  Harley and Tammy pulled away from each other, their breaths ragged. Harley reached for the hem of Tammy's T-shirt, her fingers brushing against Tammy's stomach. Tammy bit her lip, her eyes locked on Harley's as Harley slowly lifted the shirt over her head, revealing her ft chest.

  Tammy hesitated for a moment before reaching for Harley's shirt. She pulled it off, her eyes widening as she took in Harley's small breasts. Harley blushed, her arms crossing over her chest self-consciously.

  Jarvis's voice was firm. "Harley, let her look. Tammy, touch her. Explore."

  Tammy reached out, her fingers brushing against Harley's breast. Harley gasped, her eyes fluttering closed. Tammy's touch was tentative at first, but she grew bolder, her fingers tracing the curve of Harley's breast, her thumb brushing against Harley's nipple.

  Harley's hands mirrored Tammy's, her fingers exploring Tammy's ft chest, her stomach, her hips. Tammy's breath hitched as Harley's fingers brushed against the waistband of her panties.

  Jarvis's voice was low. "Lower. Show me how you'd touch her if you were alone."

  Harley's fingers slipped under the waistband of Tammy's panties, her heart pounding in her chest. Tammy's eyes widened, but she didn't stop Harley. Instead, she reached for Harley's panties, her fingers mirroring Harley's movements.

  Harley's fingers brushed against Tammy's hairless pussy, then lower, finding her wetness. Tammy gasped, her hips bucking slightly. Harley froze, her eyes flying open.

  "It's okay," Tammy whispered, her voice barely audible. "Keep going."

  Harley nodded, her fingers moving tentatively, exploring Tammy's folds. Tammy's breath came in short gasps, her hips moving in time with Harley's fingers. Harley watched, fascinated, as Tammy's body responded to her touch.

  Jarvis's voice was encouraging. "Good, Harley. Now, show her how you'd make her come."

  Harley's fingers found Tammy's clit, her touch tentative at first, then growing bolder as Tammy's breath came in short gasps. Tammy's hands clutched the sheets, her body tensing as Harley's fingers moved faster, applying more pressure.

  Tammy's eyes widened, her mouth opening in a silent oh as her orgasm hit her. Her body went rigid, her hips bucking as Harley's fingers continued to move, drawing out her pleasure. Harley watched, her eyes wide, as Tammy came.

  Jarvis's voice was soft. "Cut. That was perfect, girls. Absolutely perfect."

  Harley pulled Tammy into a hug, her body shaking. Tammy clung to her, her body still shuddering with aftershocks. They kissed, a messy, passionate kiss that left them both breathless. They pulled away, their young faces flushed with passion, their breaths ragged.

  Harley, her voice barely above a whisper, asked, "Are you okay? Did you... did you like that?"

  Tammy, her eyes glistening with excitement, nodded. "Yes," she whispered back. Then, she leaned in, pressing her lips softly against Harley's in a tender kiss. She hugged Harley tighter, her body still shuddering with aftershocks. "I really liked that," she said, her voice stronger now. "It felt... it felt really good."

  Harley smiled, her heart swelling with a sense of pride. She hugged Tammy back, her body rexing into Tammy's embrace. "It did," she agreed. "It did for me too."

  Jarvis's voice was gentle. "And that's a wrap, girls. You did amazing."