Title: Rain, Masks and False Idols
Rating: PG (less then the movie, I know)
Warning: SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!Please DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE WATCHED THE MOVIE! SPOILERS!
Pairing: Bruce Wayne/ Robin "John" Blake Friendship
Summary: Thoughts from a certain officer turned Detective, a missing scene and a re-write of another one is all you will find here.
Author's Note: I could not resist writing this. This is not complete just a basic outline of parts I might write more in the future. The way that Robin "John" Blake stared openly impressed by Batman at the end of the movie, in awe like a fan boy inspired me. I tried to write it as realistically as possible to what might have happened. Enjoy!
A True Idol
To Robin Blake Bruce Wayne had been an idol long before he recognized the signs that he was the Batman. An orphan who was able to look past his anger and use it for good. Robin wanted that for himself, he needed to believe that Bruce Wayne had conquered his anger. Bruce was the only person who would understand him.
That is why he now stood in front of the large estate mansion of Bruce Wayne knocking on the door determined to talk to the reclusive, orphaned, millionaire. The Butler, Alfred Pennyworth, he remembered reading in the files, opened the door. He did his best to act calm, it wasn't everyday you walked up to your childhood idol and accuse him of being a legend turned vigilantly thug. Alfred let him in after he threatened to reveal "the secret".
He waited patiently in a room decorated in furniture that could feed the boys at St. Swithons for a year. When Wayne entered all of his adrenaline raced to his head, he spoke quickly and with conviction. He spoke from his heart. He told Wayne about Commissioner Gordon because he knew Gordon had worked with The Batman before "that night". Maybe that would get Bruce out of his stupor maybe the close call of a friend would bring the bat out of hiding.
He could see the defeat in his body, the way Bruce leaned heavily on his cane. He could see the sadness in his eyes, the way he looked at Blake trying to believe that their were people who still believed in him. He could watch the man's mind turning inside calculating formulas and processes faster then most men who had his kind of money. He was thinking, analyzing and producing data faster then any computer could have done.
Robin Blake was arguing with his Idol, he was fighting the master. The apprentice had finally come to see the idol and had been disappointed in what he found. An empty body with a soul that was hidden in defeat and depression. Robin only hoped his anger and trust would help Bruce get himself back on his feet and into the mask once again.
Come Out of The Rain
"No one is answering." Officer Blake stated as he walked up to Bruce standing in his doorway as cold rain came down in sheets.
Not an Officer any longer, Bruce thought quickly. He noticed that the young man no longer wore the over coat of a common beat cop. "Yes, my...There is no one to answer the door."
"Do you have a key?" Blake asked.
"I never needed one." Bruce smiled sheepishly.
Blake smiled and shook his head. "You must have a key underneath a flower pot somewhere?" Blake stated looking around the doorway.
"Follow me, I know a way to get in." Bruce stated. Bruce could have turned him away, but at the moment the detective was a welcome sight. He needed a friend more then ever.
Blake followed Bruce around the large mansion, his detective suit was soaked entirely through. Bruce went up to a window that was level with the ground. He kicked in the window hard, Blake saw him wince slightly in pain. The window did not budge.
"Let me." Blake stated and moved in front. He kicked in the window, it swung in to the house on silent hinges.
"I loosened it for you." Bruce stated as he climbed in. He could not help bating the young man with words. Bruce ignored his astute mind when it was telling him that he was flirting with the young man.
"Of course you did Mr. Wayne." Blake smiled and climbed into the room. All the furniture was covered in sheets. The rain was muffled as Bruce closed the window.
"I hope you weren't expecting hot tea or coffee." Bruce stated going to turn the lights on in the room and picking up a blanket along the way.
"Where is Alfred?" Blake was facing away from Bruce he was looking at sheets covering pictures. He could not help his curiosity he pulled the sheet away and looked at pictures of Bruce's parents and Rachel Dawes. He remembered reading the report about her death, she had been seen with both Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne before the Joker had murdered her.
"He left and took everything." Bruce whispered sadly he picked up Rachel Dawes's picture. Blake swore he saw tears come to the man's eyes but it might have just been the rain drops dripping from his wet hair. Bruce placed the picture of Rachel Dawes down completely on the table and bowed his head.
"Not everything." Blake stated. Bruce looked at him surprised, realization came to him as he looked at Blake.
"Why are you here detective?"
"I'm here as a friend, Mr. Wayne. Call me..." Blake hesitated for just a moment, he had not given his true name in many years. "Robin."
Bruce smiled. "You may call me Bruce." Bruce outstretched his hand. Robin took it and smiled. "Thank you." As he spoke the lights went out.
Robin let his hand reluctantly fall from the warmth of Bruce's as he looked around the now darkened room. He suddenly felt a warm weight go around his shoulders, a blanket was being pulled tightly to his cold wet body. He grabbed it so it would not fall and his hands glanced off of Bruce's. He heard footsteps behind him and turned.
"We need to get a fire going if we are going to stay warm." Bruce stated, away from him and to his left.
At that moment Robin realized that he did not have to stay with Bruce. He could go to his small apartment, which he had just paid electricity on, and keep warm and out of the rain. He could continue to follow the leads on Daggett that Gordon had told him to do. But something was stopping him, an urge to find out who Bruce Wayne was with out the mask, the media, or his money. He wanted to figure out who the real Bruce Wayne was.
"Where is the firewood?" Robin asked preparing to help.
"Just to the left of the fireplace." Bruce stated, it sounded like he was kneeling down.
Robin moved towards where he believed the firewood would be. A flicker of lightning and a far off rumble of thunder helped him find his way. He picked up three pieces of wood and brought them to Bruce who was preparing the fireplace.
"You do know how to make a fire?" Robin asked, only half kidding. Bruce had disappeared for 7 years, believed to be on a tropical island that needed no fire making experience. He knew those rumors were mostly lies, but even rumors have a kernel of truth to them.
"I have lived in many regions of the world where the creation of fire was the skill needed to survive more then hunting or fighting. You do know the best way not to catch a cold would be to remove your clothes." Robin knew that it was basic Rookie Police Class 101, however he had not planned on breeching the subject just yet. Bruce seemed to have other ideas of the etiquette for the night. "Even if I get the fire going the mansion will be no warmer then 50 degrees. If you are going to stay the night, because of the weather, then you should be comfortable." Bruce stated mater factly. "You can borrow some of my clothes of course."
"So where do you keep your walk in closet?" Robin asked half-jokingly.
A flash of light illuminated Robin's feet. Bruce had a small flashlight in his hands. "Follow me."
Robin did as he was told and followed Bruce through many doors. Robin tried to keep track of where he was in the mansion, however because of the darkness and the many turns he was lost almost immediately. Finally Bruce seemed to come to a room that he stopped in. There was a large four post bed, a door that Robin suspected led to a bathroom and double doors that Bruce flicked to with his flashlight.
"I have some warmer clothes in the back of this closet. However it will be best to get the fire going first then I can give you the flashlight to find suitable clothes for you to borrow." Bruce explained as he kneeled next to the fireplace in the master bedroom.
Robin handed over the firewood. It only took a few moments for the embers to begin to burn. Robin watched as the flames began to ignite the firewood, the temperature in the room went up a degree or two. The fire illuminated the black silk sheets laid out on the bed and the dark trim around the room.
"Take the flashlight, my winter clothes are on the left." Bruce stated pushing the flashlight into Robin's hand. Robin hadn't realized he was shivering from the cold until he felt Bruce's cooling hand. He turned away from the fire and warmth and stepped into the closet.
"You are working closely with Commissioner Gordon?" Bruce asked.
"Yes he put me on the Daggett Case." Robin responded, he was looking through sweaters and wool pants.
"Have you any leads on the kidnapper of the Congressman?" Bruce asked. Robin hesitated to answer he could not figure out what connection the Congressman's kidnapping would have to Bane or Daggett.
"No we reached a dead end, though I am still trying to run down one lead that got away."
"Did it happen to be a witness, a young women, brunette?" Bruce asked.
"Yes, the congressman describes her as gorgeous and deadly. He would not stop talking about her." Robin decided just to grab anything he really didn't care what he wore, he just wanted to get out of his wet & cold clothes.
"Her name is Selina Kyle..."
"Wait how do you know?" Robin asked as he stepped out of the closet.
The fire only illuminated half of the room not enough to discern any true color. So the emotion on Bruce's face was hidden. "She stole my mother's pearls from an uncrackable safe and sold my fingerprints to Daggett for him to use against me. You can change in the bathroom and put your clothes next to the fire to dry"
"He planted your finger prints so that you would loose Wayne Enterprise." Blake made the logical conclusion. He walked into the bathroom not prepared for the cold tiles that touched his feet.
"I have stopped him from taking control, Miranda Tate is now CEO of Wayne Enterprises." Bruce stated.
"You trust her with your family's business?" Blake asked. There was a long silence. Robin hadn't realized he asked a difficult question. He peeled his clothes off as he waited for Bruce to respond.
"You are a very good detective, Robin. Let me ask you something. How old were you when I came to your boy's home, St. Swithons?"
Blake hesitated to answer but realized in Bruce's house, naked, he would have to play by the Bat's rules. "I was 8 years old."
"When I came to visit did you perform something, was it a play..."
"No, we acted out the Circus we had just gone to because of your donations. We performed our favorite routines for you."
"A yes The St. Swithon's Famous Circus. What did you do?" Bruce actually sounded interested.
Robin pulled the warm wool sweater over his head. "My act was called Robin The Boy Wonder."
The False Idol
Robin Blake had not cried since his father's death, it was not in his nature. Anger had consumed any tears he had on the night the thugs had come to claim his father. That anger boiled up inside him now, Jim Gordon had lied about Gotham's White Knight. He had allowed The Batman to take the blame for Harvey Dents death, he had let law get distorted because of a people's love for a false idol, he had turned Batman into a common thug.
However Gordon was not all to blame for allowing the lie to continue. Bruce was part of that lie too. How was Robin suppose to trust his two mentors when they had kept such secrets from 3 million Gotham citizens. Was he suppose to look up to a man who allowed a lie to trap men in prison with out parole? Was he suppose to follow in the footsteps of one who allows a lie to blanket the good deeds he had done for his city?
The Mask I Wear
Robin watched in awe as the man he thought was dead, the man he still believed would save his city, fought off the thugs. He stared openly as Bruce moved quickly disarming their enemies. As Batman turned to him he noticed one of the thugs moving.
"You missed a spot." He stated, the Batman kicked the thug back into unconsciousness.
"You should be wearing a mask." Bruce stated coming towards Robin.
"I'm not afraid to show my face to my enemies." Robin responded.
"The mask is not for you but to protect the ones that are closest to you." Bruce stated.
"I thought you were dead." Robin said.
"I almost was." Bruce stated. Bruce held out what looked like a small bomb. Robin took the bomb from Bruce. "Wait five seconds then throw."
Robin threw the bomb at the ruble that trapped the three thousand police below Gotham's streets. The bomb did little to affect the rock pile. He turns around the Batman was gone but he still yells. "No offense but I hope you have something..." it is impossible to yell over the roar of the Bat's engine. He feels the heat of the missile fire as if blows past him towards the ruble.
Robin was elated to see the the men who had been trapped underground for five months finally free. He walked up to Batman prepared to do battle beside him.
"What now?"
"We will wage a war against Bane."
"Good, I'm coming with you."
"No."
"You don't need me?" Robin felt dejected.
"No I need you to get as many people out of Gotham as possible. Get them across the bridge or through the tunnel, they might blow the bomb when it starts."
"When what starts?" Robin asked.
"War." Batman stated simply.
Robin nods and begins to walk away. He turns and states, "Thank you."
Robin is surprised when Batman turns around and looks at him. "Thank you for waking me up to who and what Gotham really needed. I really meant it when I said that the Batman was meant to be a symbol to represent all heroes. And now I know not all of them need masks."
Robin smiled. "But some of them do, to protect the ones they care about." Robin held out his hand.
Batman shook his head, "We haven't won yet."
"We might not see each other again." Robin stated seriously, the outcome of either of them surviving the day was very low. Bruce had to agree to that point and took the offered hand in a strong grasp. Robin turned and left his Idol to wage a war as he tried to save the citizen's of Gotham.
From Blue To Black
There was a part of the will that had been sealed for Alfred's eyes only. The date was the same date as Bruce Wayne's official death. Alfred had called Robin Blake into the drawing room, white sheets still hung on all the furniture, except for the couch in front of the fireplace.
"You knew Mr. Wayne well?" Alfred asked.
"He was a friend."
Alfred smiled sadly. "Well Mr. Wayne gave me strict instructions to only open this in your presence." Alfred held up an envelope that was in his hand. Robin watched Alfred open it. Alfred pulled out one single piece of paper. Alfred began to look over the paper and tears began to well up in his eyes again. Robin helped Alfred sit down and took the offered paper.
The paper was an addendum to Bruce Wayne's will. For the caves and the equipment underneath the Wayne Manor I give ownership to Robin "John" Blake GCPD Detective. Follow these coordinates...A slip of paper fell out of the envelope and Robin picked it up. Coordinates were written on it in Bruce's handwriting.
Author's Note: The rest of this scene you can watch by going to the theatre. I tried to keep with the movie plot line as much as possible. I hope you enjoy, leave a comment and tell me what you think.