Until Lambs Become Lions
Chapter One
Authors Note: First Batman fanfic ever. Spoilers for Dark Knight Rises. Read, review if you want.
He waited, in the dark of night as the rain fell around him. He was waiting, but for what? For a sign, for a movement, for what he wasn't quite sure, but those had been his instructions. To wait. The black cape flowed behind him as a sharp wind tossed more water into his face. His brown eyes narrowed onto the dark alley below, his ears caught the sharp tap of high heels. He inched forward on the ledge he was sitting on and waited. What had the city become in the year he had been gone? At the sound of a female curse he swooped down and landed softly on a dumpster. He found the source of the noise. She was a tall brunette, with a pile of now soaked, files. Beside her stood a boy, about eight, hands in pockets, a ball cap tucked low over his brow. As if she knew she was being watched she froze and he watched, amused, as the bright eyes took in her surroundings as she shifted the pile. They landed on him, he stilled his breath. The gaze continued on before he heard her mutter. "Too much coffee or not enough…" With that she carried on her way.
He relaxed his posture, and then all at once stiffened. Two figures were moving toward the woman's back. He smiled, a slow, wolfish smile and launched himself of the dumpster. He landed soundlessly near them, and heard the conversation.
"You sure that's her?" The short, stocky man asked the tall, lean one. "Sure she's the one the boss wants, Jasper?"
"That's her Horace," the one called Jasper paused to pull out a gun. "Boss wants her dead, she's dead."
"She's just a Social Worker…" Horace began. The man frowned from behind the two. A goon with a heart?
"Have you gone soft? She knows too much."
"You're right; we'll take care of it." Horace sped up his pace, in no time he was a few feet behind the woman. "Excuse me Miss. Carter?"
Evelyn Carter froze, her shoulders squared for a fight. She wished vehemently that the boy hadn't lived in the Narrows. Evy turned slowly, deliberately. Her grey eyes locked onto the men in front of her. "Who wants to know?" Her voice held no fear, only she knew of the ball of ice that had settled into her stomach.
The boy at her side tugged at her jacket sleeve. "Evy it's them…." He inched closer. Instinctively, her arm pushed him further behind her.
"The boss sends his apologies….and condolences." Jasper answered before a gunshot split the air.
"Seth!" Evy's shout echoed down the alley as she caught the boy. Her hands immediately went to the stomach wound, and pressed hard. The scared electric blue eyes gazed into peaceful gray.
"You shot the wrong one you idiot…" Horace hissed. "The boss is gonna be pissed."
"Not as pissed as me," Evy dug into the side of her jacket and pulled out her lady colt derringer. Before she could pull the trigger, or think of it at all Jasper let out a yelp as he was pulled into the darkness. Evy frowned even as with hands that shook she dialed 911. Horace let out a scream and was pulled upwards. "Jesus Christ…" Evy whispered, she pressed her hand back on the boy's wound, phone cradled at her ear.
"It's okay Evy," murmured Seth. "Batman's back."
"Seth…" She didn't have the heart to tell him Batman had died the year before. Quickly she relayed her position to the dispatcher and hung up. Her hand not on the boy was holding her gun. Her eyes locked on the darkness. There was no sound, and then the figure emerged from the blackness, into the dim light.
"Is he alive?" a gravelly voice inquired.
Evy wrapped her arms around Seth, checked for a pulse. It was weak. "Fading." Her eyes locked onto brown. He stepped into the direct light. Her lips parted in a quiet gasp as she stared at Batman.
"Ambulances?"
"Five minutes out." Even as she spoke the sirens could be heard. Batman knelt down beside the two of them. Evy held her breath, afraid to move. "They said you were dead." She muttered. His eyes flicked to her, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
"You back?" Seth rasped out. His eyes were locked onto his childhood hero. "Savin' Gotham?"
"I'm back…" Batman answered. Giving in to the sorrow he felt for the boy, he rested a gloved hand on his head. The moment was short lived as the ambulance wailed onto scene. He disappeared without a word. Evy was left dumbstruck and shivering in the rain as they loaded her charge into the ambulance.
0-0-0
"Blake!" Jim Gordon barged into the bull pen of Gotham PD. Blake popped his head up from his desk and leaned back as his boss approached. "We have to head down to Gotham General." Blake was up and out of his chair, swinging his jacket on as he followed Jim. "Social Worker was in an alley last night with one of her kids; two goons came out, shot the kid. Showed up to work this morning and someone turned them in. Both of the goons are sayin' Batman was there. Kids in bad shape. She says she knows who did it."
"Where is she?"
"I have her at the hospital still." They piled into an unmarked cruiser and began the short drive. Blake stared out the window, face stern. He knew the pain he had seen in her eyes, and was almost regretting showing up that night. Almost. From the sound of it the woman had been the target, but instead they had sought a boy. An innocent child. The anger burned in his gut, gave his mouth a sour taste, but he had learned to hide the anger with a smile. "You're awfully quiet," Jim commented lightly. "Bad history with social workers?"
"Nah," Blake shot the commissioner a quick smile. "I had an amazing social worker when I was at the boy's home. Still talk to him, too."
"Blake," Jim began, hesitated. "Step lightly with her…there's more too it then I've told you."
"I will."
0-0-0
Blake entered the ICU by himself, his hands tucked into the pockets of his black coat. His brown eyes surveyed the waiting room; there were three men, no woman. He scowled. Of course she wouldn't be there. He walked over to the nurses' station and leaned against the counter.
"Can I help you?" A woman with fire engine red hair and a nasally voice glanced up from her computer.
"Where can I find Evelyn Carter?"
"Is she a patient?" A pair of green eyes flicked to his brown, her nearly gone eyebrows arched in question.
"No, she's a witness."
"To what?"
"Police business," Blake replied with a charming smile. "I'm sure you understand."
"She's in room 224B."
"Thank you." Blake replied. He stalked toward the room, a slight frown on his lips. You would think that people would understand that as a cop all he wanted were straight answers. But no, no one got it. He halted as he passed by 226, and walked a few steps backward. His heart broke. The woman he had saved last night was seated by the bed that should have contained Seth. Her head was buried into her hands, her loose polished oak curls hanging around her face. He stepped away from the door and stopped a male nurse. "Excuse me, um, where's the patient for room 224?"
"Bed A or bed B?" He asked gruffly.
"B."
"The kid died last night." With that the nurse departed. The anger came back, so swiftly that he had to use every ounce of control he had not to leave and hunt the goons down all over again. To free them from Black Gate Prison and send them to Hell. Your compassion will keep you from murdering them, Bruce's voice came back to him, calmed him. Turn them in, hurt them, but don't murder them. Sometimes you'll want to, that's only human.
"Miss. Carter," Blake entered the room.
"Go to Hell," she didn't move from her position. "Just go to Hell."
"I can't do that ma'am, I have to ask you some questions."
Evy dropped her hands, and lifted her head slowly. Her eyes were swollen and red, her nose bright as Rudolph's at Christmas. "What part of go to Hell are you unfamiliar with detective?"
"The going part, ma'am," Blake retorted, a smile tugging at his mouth. He took a seat though he wasn't offered one and took out his notebook. "Can you help me?"
"What are you gonna do?" Evy asked darkly. He oped his mouth to speak, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand. "I'll tell you what you're going to do. You're gonna sit there with your faggoty badge and ask me why he died, why he got shot, why am I here, why was I in the Narrows at night. Yada yada yada. But guess what?" Her dove grey eyes filled with tears bored into calm, stony brown. "It won't do jack shit to bring that boy back." She let out a bitter laugh that chilled him to the bone. "God, you're probably just another crooked cop." She rose from her seat, a manila envelope in hand.
"I can assure you I'm not." He rose with her, eyes locked on hers. She brushed past him and into the hallway. "Hey." He marched after and grabbed her arm. Blake pulled her into an empty darkened room. "I'm not a crooked cop."
Evy lifted her chin up, glowering. He was too close. She could feel his breath against her cheek. "I lost him." She whispered, cursing the tears that ran hot, and steady down her cheeks pale with exhaustion.
"Help me avenge him."
"Take this." She pushed the envelope she held into his strong chest. Without another word she left him alone. Blake stared after her, brows knit together in confusion. With steady fingers he pulled out the stack of papers in the packet and closed his eyes. "Well, shit." He ran a hand over his short black hair. "Shit."