Here comes a crossover of epic - and comic - proportions! Inspired by a comic drawing on Tumblr, this story tells the tale of Jessica Fletcher going to Gotham City for a book signing. Unfortunately, she goes in the aftermath of the mess with the Joker, and when trouble rises again, guess who Jessica runs into along the way? Yup, the Dark Knight himself.

Co-authored with my friend and fellow Batman lover, TouchedByAMunster. Check out his work (and his Tumblr)!

"Of all the places they coulda sent you to promote your book, they had to pick the bowels of hell."

Jessica Fletcher's fingers nearly slipped as she tied a scarf around her neck. "Seth, I'd hardly call Gotham City that. Granted, it has gotten its fair share of publicity, both good and bad, in the last few months, but I wouldn't go quite as far as comparing it to the inner reaches of the underworld."

On the verge of raising his cup of coffee to his lips, Seth Hazlitt snorted, causing the creosote-colored liquid within to ripple. "That's because you're forever seeing the glass as half-full, Jessica."

"And you're forever seeing it as half-empty. For heaven's sake, Gotham has actually gotten its act together after that disaster with the Joker. The crime rate has dropped, more people are feeling safer in their homes and on the streets, and it's all thanks to Batman."

Seth shot her a cynical look. "Really, Jess? A homicidal maniac who looks like a Picasso painting and acts like he sucks helium on a daily basis plunges to his death thanks to a man dressed up as a bat, of all things, and then this Batman plays vigilante for the rest of the city? Ayuh, that's very safe."

Jessica adjusted her scarf and glared at her best friend, placing her hands on her hips. "Seth, say what you will about Batman. I for one happen to think he's doing that city a great favor, risking his own life day after day just to keep the city safe. Of course, some might argue that he has no business interfering in murder and crime, but he does it out of the goodness of his own heart."

"Gee, I wonder who that sounds like?" Seth ignored Jessica's next dirty look and went back to sipping his coffee. "Well, I guess I can't stop you from going to Gotham. 'Course, you'll go no matter what, stubborn as you are." His expression softened as he watched her check her two packed suitcases for anything she may have missed. "Just... be careful, all right? Gotham's a dangerous place, Jess. It'd kill me if anything happened to you."

Jessica straightened and turned back to her friend. Upon hearing the soft change in his voice, her frown had morphed into a look of open love. "I'll be fine, Seth."

"I've heard that before."

"I know, but this time, it's the truth, I promise. I'll be staying in the safest house in all of Gotham City, with a man who is as harmless as they come, trust me."

Seth nodded. "Ah yes, that Wayne character you mentioned. Isn't he the one who's a multimillionaire; owns a few companies in Gotham and has a mansion to rival the Biltmore Estate?"

"Yes, that's Bruce... and he's a billionaire, actually."

"Self-made?"

"Yes and no. He inherited the bulk of his fortune from his parents, but he's added to it through Wayne Enterprises and through philanthropy. He's the patron of quite a few of Gotham's biggest charities."

"Hmm." Seth nodded again, this time in contemplation. "Decent fella?"

"Oh yes, Bruce is a very kind man, very well-spoken. He and I have met at a few benefits over the years and he's always been as sweet as can be..."

A pregnant pause followed, in which Jessica's voice trailed off and a wistful look came into her eyes. Seth waited for a continuation, but none came. "But?" he prompted, speaking the silent word that was hanging on the end of her last sentence.

The prompt woke her up. "But there's still a sense of mystery about him. Every time I talk to him, I can't help but feel that he's hiding a precious secret... or carrying a great burden, other than the deaths of his parents, of course."

"How'd they die?"

Jessica shook her head. "It was terrible, Seth. His parents were gunned down in front of him when he was just a boy. Murdered in a botched robbery. I don't think Bruce has ever figured out why the killer spared his life, but if you ask me, I think someone was looking out for him."

"Wow." If Seth had harbored any doubts about Bruce Wayne prior to this, they were dispelled now. "Did he ever find out who killed his parents?"

"I honestly don't know. If he knows, he hasn't told me, for reasons only known to him. He'll tell me when he's ready, I'm sure of it."

"Well... he treats you well and he's charity-minded, and that's good enough for me." Seth suddenly chuckled. "Just don't get lost in that mansion of his if you take it upon yourself to poke around like you always do."

"I do not always poke around!"

"Ya do too. Woman, you are the nosiest thing God ever put on this earth; you cannot resist poking and exploring around a mansion like the Little Mermaid in a shipwreck! Don't even try to deny it, it's the truth!"

Jessica tried and failed miserably to get mad at Seth. Truth of the matter was, she couldn't get mad at him when he called her out on humorous little things like this. She was nosy and she knew it, and he could always make it sound like a hilarious quirk of hers rather than a drastic fault, as others would have perceived it. "All right, all right, you've got me. If I do poke around, I won't get lost. I'll probably have a grand tour from either Bruce or his butler Alfred."

"He's got a butler? I'm not surprised, with that mansion of his."

"I've never met Alfred, but from what Bruce has told me, he's much more than just the butler. Alfred raised Bruce on his own after Thomas and Martha Wayne were murdered, so he provided for him, saw to his education, and no doubt taught him never to look down on others and treat everyone with respect. He certainly seems like an extraordinary man."

"Maybe you oughta marry him, then."

"Oh, Seth, be serious! I'm only stating a fact." Jessica checked her watch. "And speaking of facts, we'd better get going or we'll get stuck in traffic, and that is a fact."

Seth drained his coffee cup and carried the mug to the kitchen. "All right, let's go," he said upon returning to the living room. He seized a suitcase in each hand and carried them out to his car, loading them into the trunk while Jessica locked up the house. "Just promise me one thing, Jess."

"Sure, Seth. What?"

"If you run into a guy dressed up as a bat, run in the other direction and don't stop."

Jessica laughed. "Seth, I am going to be running my fanny off from one bookstore to another in Gotham and spending the rest of my time sequestered in Wayne Manor," she said as she climbed into the car and they drove off. "I think it's safe to say that the odds of my running into Batman are slim to none."