This is a little idea that came to me! I may continue it after I finish my other story but I gotta get down on paper or I'll forget ya know? Anyway Please enjoy!

~This is dedicated to the victims of the Colorado Batman shootings. My heart goes out to them.~

John Blake opened the door to his apartment as quietly as possible. And shifted the weight of the barley conscience woman on his back as he closed and locked it again.

He laid her on the loveseat, she groaned slightly. He covered her with a blanket.

Nice job! Just bring some unknown girl into your apartment! You have no idea if how injured she is or what her face looks like for that matter!

He looked at her again. Pale skin, black hair, petite. Her eyes were a gray color, that he knew at least. But what he was most curious about was the mask she wore.

Similar to Bane's it covered her nose and the bottom half of her face. He wondered briefly if he should remove it, she was asleep anyway.

No. It's not my business. He decided, remembering Bruce Wayne's words:

"The mask is to protect those you care about."

He felt her forehead. She was burning up. He wasn't sure what to do.

"Who are you?", she spoke through her mask which disoriented her voice, making it sound metallic. Her gray eyes were glassy but alert.

"Oh you're awake.", John said pleasantly, "I'm John Blake. Don't worry I'm with the Gotham City Police. Can you tell me what happened to you?"

She tried to sit up but let out a pained gasp and collapsed back onto the couch.

"John Blake.", She spoke formally through the mask, " I need your help. Take me to your bathroom and get me gauze, a needle and thread. Do you have those?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. He nodded. "Yeah, how injured are you? I know the hospitals aren't really open right now but I could try and find you a doctor."

"No, I will be fine."

He helped her to the bathroom and she sat on the edge of the tub.

"I'll go get what you asked for."

When he returned with the gauze and string she had peeled her black leather jacket and knee high leather boots. She sat in a plain white t-shirt and slim gunmetal gray cargo pants.

She was skinny and muscular. Albeit too skinny but Gotham was occupied what could he expect?

She was also bleeding through her shirt.

"What the hell happened to you?", he demanded. She turned to face him completely.

Her expression showed the slightest bit of pain. Four fist-sized ninja stars were embedded in her.

Trailing from her right hip to her left shoulder. All the wounds were deep.

"I need you to help me get my shirt off.", She told him bluntly. He blushed slightly. Even though she was speaking on purely medical terms, she was still a woman.

Carefully they peeled the blood-soaked shirt off. She was left in a simple black sports bra, John mentally kicked himself for noticing.

She took her shirt and used it to get a good hold on the metal star on her hip.

"Woah! You can't just pull it out like that! You've already lost a lot of blood."

She threw him a glare. "How else am I supposed to get these out?" Her voice held a frown.

No doctor. No painkillers. John sighed went to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of vodka.

"This will at least numb the pain a bit", he held it out to her and saw her hesitation, "C'mon it's gonna hurt more if you don't."

She grabbed it hastily and took a swig. Then she pulled harshly.

"God dammit!", She groaned in pain, only three to go, John hastily taped some gauze to the open wound.

She managed to remove them all and crudely stich them up. John's bathroom reeked of blood. The bathtub and sink stained red.

She went to stand and only to waver. She would've collapsed had John not caught her and placed her back on the loveseat.

She was awake but exhausted. He sat on a footstool opposite to her.

"So what's your name? what's your story? I can't imagine just any civilian could do what you just did."

"I had a run in with Bane.", she spoke matter-of-factly, "Needless to say I didn't win."

John's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "You mean you fought Bane?" He's seen how huge Bane was, how did she even survive?

She nodded the said, " They call me Proxy. But you can call me Elle. I fight Bane."

"Elle, that's a pretty name. Why do they call you Proxy?", He questioned.

"A proxy is something or someone who fight's on behalf of another someone or thing. That's why."

John's curiosity got the better of him, "Who do you fight for?"

Her eyes smiled at him, "For Batman and Gotham."

He grinned at her, "You really think he's coming back?"

"Of course. Either as Batman or as Bruce Wayne. It doesn't matter either way."

John was shocked, she knew who Batman really was too?

"How do you know Batman is Bruce Wayne?"

She blinked her knowing eyes at him, "I've always been able to see it in his eyes, haven't you?"

John smiled at her, "Yeah."

Elle stared at him a moment before speaking again, "You have the same eyes, John Blake."

He sighed wistfully, "Yeah, so do you."

"I know."