Betrayal
He checked the results.
He checked them again.
There was no doubt about it. The body was a fake. She was alive, somewhere. And someone he trusted had tried to keep that fact from him. Him, the World's Greatest Detective.
He didn't know why. But he was going to find out.
Dr. Leslie Thompkins picked up the phone on the third ring.
"He's on his way," said the voice on the other end. "Given how fast he drove the car out of the cave, I estimate no more than fifteen minutes."
"That mad?"
"Indubitably. I've already called Barbara. She'll be watching the entire time, and Mistress Lance will be ready to intervene if necessary."
"Do you really think it will come to that?"
"Once, Leslie, I would have told you with all certainty that it was a needless precaution. But that was a very long time ago."
Leslie sighed. "Alfred, where did it all go wrong?"
She heard Alfred Pennyworth smile on the other end. "My dear, if I could tell you that, I would move heaven and earth to go back and change it all. But that is not our lot. As I seem to recall hearing recently, all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
"Such is the province of mere mortals. Thank you, Alfred. I'll be in touch. Say hello to Alan for me."
Alfred assured her he would. After she hung up the phone, Leslie turned and stared at the fireplace. All that was left to do now was wait.
She never heard him enter, but she knew when he was standing right behind her.
"It took you long enough," she said.
"You hid your tracks pretty well." He came around the chair and fixed her with that lightning stare at her. So it had come to this. All the years she'd known him, all they'd done for each other, and now she got the same treatment as any other street punk from Crime Alley.
Somehow, she thought, I'm not at all surprised.
"Who else knows?" he asked.
"Tim and Cassandra were the first ones I told. Barbara knew, of course; I couldn't have done any of it without her. I would have told Dick, but that woman was with him, and he seemed to have his own problems to deal with. And, once everything settled down, I called Jim and let him know. I think it's the only reason he's not on television calling for your head. Yet, anyway."
If that revelation shocked him, he didn't show it. "The act was very convincing. J'onn?"
She nodded. "That was Barbara's idea. Although the question about Tim was mine."
"And the body?"
She choked down a laugh. "God, Bruce, do you have any idea how many casualties we received with no way to identify them? I could have faked my death, yours, even the Joker's, if I had a wish to."
"Leslie, what in..."
"No," she said. "Take off the mask. You owe me that much courtesy."
He didn't move. "I owe you everything, Leslie. And you lied to me."
"Damn you," she whispered.
"What?"
"Damn you, Batman. I thought there'd at least be enough humanity left in you for you to discuss this with me as Bruce. But Bruce hasn't existed for a long time. You want to know why I did this? For God's sake, turn on a damn television in that mansion of yours! Look at what you've done!"
As if on cue, Leslie's television sprang to life and began cycling through news channels. All of them showed the devastation the gang war had wrought upon Gotham City. Hospitals filled with innocent bystanders, the attack on Robin's school, Black Mask's destruction of the Clocktower, the Commissioner putting out a warrant for Batman's arrest...
"This is what happens when you treat people like a means to an end, Batman. They don't like it. They turn on you.
"Everything you say you fear, everything you mistrust in men like Superman and Green Lantern, you've become. You're a danger to society, and a menace to those around you. You play God in your little kingdom, and treat those you claim to protect like chess pieces. You're worse than Lex Luthor; at least he's honest with himself about what he is.
"So that's why I did it, Bruce. That's why I got Stephanie as far away from you as I could. Because I don't trust you. Because we don't trust you.
"Not anymore."
He was silent for a very long time.
"I can find her, you know."
Leslie shook her head. "No, you can't. Barbara made sure of that. The paper trail she's created is long and convoluted enough to stymie even you. You're not the only one who makes contingency plans, you know."
Oracle's voice came from the television set. "And so help me, Bruce, if you even try to come near that girl again, I'll bring the entire damned Justice League crashing down upon your head. She's out of your sphere of influence. We all are, except Dick, and when he comes to his senses, I bet he'll be out too. We don't need you anymore, and we sure as hell don't want you. We quit.
"Now get out of Leslie's house before I call the police."
When he reached the Cave, it was silent. He tried the computer; the link to Oracle's system wasn't functioning.
But worse than that, worse than anything Leslie or Barbara had said to him, was the glass case. The empty glass case.
If he closed his eyes, he could see the mask staring at him, taunting him, accusing him. And in his ears, the World's Greatest Detective heard those words he thought he'd put behind him. The cruel, taunting words of Bane.
"Broken and done."