The Rise of Dawn
Brittany pressed her hands on the hospital window glass, tears cascading down her cheeks as she watched Harvey Dent lay on the bed, unconscious. IV tubes were inserted into various places in his body and he had an oxygen mask on. Half of his face was covered with a cloth and she knew his face was burned in the explosion. "I'm sorry," she murmured sorrowfully through the window. Her words were meant for him to hear but also for Rachel Dawes' ears in heaven. Brittany clenched her fists in anger and gritted her teeth, feeling fury burn through her petite body.
When the Joker had revealed their locations to her, Brittany was ecstatic and grateful though he was the reason for their disappearance in the first place. Unbeknownst to her, the Clown Prince of Darkness had switched their locations so Batman had arrived at Dent's location and Lt. Gordon had unknowingly raced to Dawes' location. Though Dent was rescued in time, the warehouse where Dawes was tied up at exploded before Lt. Gordon could get to her.
Damn the Joker, Brittany cursed angrily as she thought of Rachel's tragic death. If Dent was the hero of Gotham, Dawes was definitely the heroine, putting away numerous criminals herself as an assistant DA. Now Gotham had lost one of their heroes, leaving only Batman and Dent with Dent still in critical condition.
"Is he alright?"
Brittany turned to see Gotham's infamous playboy carrying a fruit basket accompanied with a get well card. "Bruce Wayne? What are you doing here?" She would think someone as rich and powerful as he would be at a business meeting, not Gotham City Hospital.
Bruce gave her a small smile. "I just wanted to visit Gotham's White Knight," he answered smoothly. "Is he okay?" The six foot tall man looked at the window, keeping a cool face as he spotted Harvey Dent lying on the hospital bed.
"The doctor says he's in critical condition. I think he will be alright though. He's too strong to die," she answered, not looking at the billionaire.
Bruce nodded. "I agree. Gotham can not afford to lose another hero." She knew he was referring to Rachel. He put the basket down. "Give this to Dent, won't you?"
She eyed him quizzically. "Don't you want to give it to him yourself?"
He glanced at the window then back at her. "I don't think he would want to see me. After all, I was his love rival." He grinned, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
Though Bruce frequently made appearances with beautiful women on his arms, Brittany saw the way he looked at Rachel and she saw how he regarded his dates with disinterest. Brittany also felt that Rachel must have cared because the dead woman tended to make disdainful remarks about Bruce's many women. Dent loved Rachel and Brittany could tell that Rachel also cared about him. The one thing she was not sure of was why Rachel chose Dent if she had feelings for Bruce. Plus, many women would not turn down Bruce's billions.
"It doesn't matter now does it," Brittany stated softly. "Rachel's gone and no one won."
Bruce stuck his hands in his pockets. "Just give it to Dent." He handed her a one hundred dollar bill.
She looked at the currency in his hand. "With such charm, it's a wonder why Rachel picked Dent," she remarked. She saw his jaw clench and she knew she had hit a nerve. "I'll give it to him when he wakes up. You can go back to one of your 'dates' now."
"My reputation can't escape me can't it?" Bruce mused, turning to look at Dent through the window.
"You make sure it doesn't," Brittany muttered, referring to the multitude of women he brought to events and tended to be photographed with.
He turned his head to look at her. "You can't judge a book by its cover, Ms. Wilson."
She was not wearing her uniform so she was surprised he knew her surname.
"Lt. Gordon told me that you extracted the locations of Dent and Dawes from the Joker," Bruce said, reading her mind.
She looked at the floor sadly. "The good that did me. Rachel died and Dent is in the hospital with half of his face destroyed."
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. The Joker tricked you. It is him to blame."
She whirled around, tears filling her eyes. "I shouldn't have believed him. I knew the reputation that preceded him. He was not trustworthy but I didn't care. I was so ecstatic that he told me their locations that I took his words seriously."
He watched her as she sobbed. "You could say it was Batman's fault," he stated in a low tone.
She looked up at him, surprised. "Why would you blame the Dark Knight? He is Gotham's savior."
Bruce scoffed. "Savior? He went to save Dawes but found Dent instead. On top of that, look at what happened to Dent's face."
She shook her head. "Batman didn't know; he only got the source from Lt. Gordon who got it from me. It's my fault. Because of my stupidity, we lost a life. Batman probably hates me."
"I'm sure he doesn't," Bruce said firmly. "It's more likely that he's blaming himself."
"It's funny. The way you say things it's as if…" She looked at him for a moment then averted her gaze. "It's not possible."
He smiled at her. "Everything's possible, Ms. Wilson. Good day." On those words, he left her with his fruit basket.
The doors to Gotham City Jail opened with a bang. Brittany strolled in, adorned in her cop uniform. The prison guards nodded at her with acknowledgment. They knew the reason she came.
"He's this way," one guard informed, pointing his arm to a particular cell where a clown was sitting.
Brittany reached the cell and saw the Joker sitting, staring at her with dark eyes. "Why, you came to visit me. I'm flattered," the Joker said in a high-pitched voice.
"Open the cell," she commanded, not taking her eyes off the clown criminal.
The guards looked at each other. "B-but…"
"Do it," she stated firmly.
One of the guards stuck a key into the hole and turned. He pulled the cell open and Brittany stepped inside. "Come back in five minutes," she told them and they nodded. When they finally left, she grabbed the Joker's coat and slammed him against the wall.
"Why so…rough?" The Joker mocked; his eyes showed no fear, only amusement which angered her further.
"You son of a bitch," she cursed furiously. "How could you?"
"How could I what?" The Joker asked with wide eyes, feigning innocence.
"You know what I'm talking about," Brittany seethed. "You deliberately told me the wrong locations and now Rachel's dead and Dent is in the hospital. Are you happy? Are you fucking happy?" Her grip on the Joker's coat tightened.
The Joker smirked. "Don't blame me for your mistakes, Ms. Wilson. Who told you to take my words as stone? No one. You chose to believe me and they paid the price. Next time, don't trust so easily."
She released him and he smoothed the wrinkles out of his coat. "There won't be a next time." She grabbed her gun and pointed it at him. "I should have killed you last time," she fumed.
The Joker laughed. "Why Ms. Wilson, are you going to prove me right?"
She didn't reply and continued to point her gun at him, not moving an inch. He walked towards her, passing her arm then walked behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders and leaned in to whisper into her ear. "You won't shoot me. You know why? Because you're secretly attracted to me. All women love the baddies," he hissed seductively, moving his hands to her slim waist.
"If we were in a movie, then you're probably right." She quickly whirled around and smashed him in the temple with her gun. He immediately fell to the ground, unconscious. "Too bad this is real life." She stuck the gun back into her holster and walked out of the cell.
Brittany reached the hospital and was walking towards Harvey's room when she saw a doctor and a couple of nurses inside. Pressing her hands against the window worriedly, she saw that Harvey was awake. A smile lit her face and she sighed in relief. The doctor and nurses emerged out of the room and she turned to face them. "Doctor, how is he?"
"He's fine but he's a little unstable," the doctor replied warily. "He's still shaken up after the incident."
She nodded her head in understanding. "Can I go in to see him?" she wondered.
"Yes, but only for a bit. Mr. Dent needs his rest," the doctor advised before leaving.
Brittany turned the knob and walked inside the room. The left side of his face was covered with a white, thin cloth and his head was tilted to the side. "Harvey? It's me, Officer Wilson. I came to see how you were doing."
"Rachel's dead, isn't she?" he asked quietly.
She nodded. "I'm sorry. It's my fault," she murmured softly, casting her eyes to the floor.
"Why did Batman save me?" Harvey asked softly, looking to the side.
At his question, she felt a pang of guilt. "The Joker…he switched the locations of you and Rachel. Batman thought he was going to save Rachel but when he arrived at the warehouse, he saw you lying down in the pool of gasoline," she answered, swallowing the lump in her throat.
He grabbed his treasured coin from the table. "What are you doing?" Brittany inquired in confusion.
"Fate decided that Rachel will die. Now I will let it decide if I will live," he replied. She grabbed his hand before he could flip the coin.
"Gotham already lost a hero. You want it to lose another one? What if the Joker escapes? What about the mobsters that you incarcerated? If you die, everything you ever did was a waste. You know what's tragic? That Rachel could ever love someone so selfish," Brittany stated harshly.
He pulled his hand from her grasp. After a few seconds, he flipped the coin and caught it in his hand. Opening his fist, he peered down on his palm. He looked up at her. "What do you know? I live another day."
She smiled through her tears. Holding up the fruit basket on the table, she said, "Bruce brought you this."
Harvey grinned wryly at the fruit basket. "Mr. Wayne cares about little old me; who would have thought."
She placed a hand on his leg. "Don't take yourself too lightly. He funded your campaign despite his affections for Rachel. You're important; he knows that."
He looked at her and touched the damaged side of his face through the thin cloth. "Even now?"
She nodded her head and smiled. "Especially now."
Brittany walked to the parking lot of the hospital where her car was.
"Ms. Wilson."
She turned around to see Bruce adorned in an expensive Armani suit. "Mr. Wayne," she greeted politely.
"I heard Dent has woken up."
She smiled at the billionaire. "News sure spread fast around Gotham," she quipped.
He grinned at her. "I donate a substantial amount to this hospital every year. It's easy to get information," he said smoothly.
She raised an eyebrow. "Ahhh…the power of the rich. Impressive," she remarked. She climbed into her black Range Rover and rolled down the window.
Bruce leaned towards her, peering into her window. "Do you think it's over, Ms. Wilson?"
She put the gear into reverse. "And have Batman be out of a job? Can't have that now, can we?" she jested before pulling her car out of the lot.