I've been working on this for a smidge. Let me know what you guys think.
"Daphne, she will be fine. Gotham university isn't very far from Wayne Manor, I will keep an eye on her. Yes, I promise."
Alfred hung up the phone and turned to see Bruce watching him.
"My niece Daphne is in a state of panic," Alfred poured Bruce his coffee. "Aubrey, my great niece, is attenting Gotham University this fall. Despite her mothers protests. I have promised to keep an eye on her."
Bruce sipped his coffee, nodding.
"Is she staying in the dorms?"
"I believe undergraduates are supposed to, but between Daphne and my brother Wilfred's donations and constant beratement, she will be staying in an apartment building off campus."
"When does she arrive?"
"She's here already sir," Alfred smiled, knowing his niece's tenaciousness. "She has set up her apartment, secured a job in a near by coffee shop."
"That was quick," Bruce nodded.
"Daphne can be...how should I put this?" Alfred paused in making Bruce's breakfast. "A bit, overbearing when it comes to Aubrey."
"I didn't call back because I was at work."
"I can't keep my phone on me while I'm on the clock."
"No, I wasn't ignoring you."
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my phone as my mother went on and on, eating up my entire break.
"I've got to go now, my break is up. I'll call you when I'm done." I hung the phone up and sighed.
"Aubrey, someone's up here to see you," my manager Eric called back. I put my phone back in my little locker and moved towards the front, smoothing out my skirt as I went. The coffee shop was high end, white long sleeve button down shirts with a little black bow tie and a black pencil skirt was my uniform. Men had the same, except black dress slacks and a black tie. Tights were optional but needed to be cleared with the manager first. Black flats or heels. Sneakers were not allowed. Hair and makeup was a must, no exception.
My heels clicked as I walked, I learned quick if I wore heels my tips doubled and sometimes tripled as compared to when I wore flats. I entered the front, seeing we were slowing down. It was 11:30, so the morning rush was long gone. I looked to Eric and he pointed to an older gentleman at the end of the counter. It took me a moment to place him. He was older, his hair more salt and pepper, but it was him. Alfred.
"Uncle Alfred!" I smiled as I rounded the corner to hug him.
"Aubrey, my dear," he smiled looking down at me. And then he spied my outfit. "This is an interesting establishment."
"Don't tell mom," I blurted out. "It's not as bad as it looks. Plus it's good money."
"You're mother asked me to look after you," he sighed looking around. "So perhaps we could have supper after your shift is over?"
I faltered for a moment, I already had an argument forming in my head, reasons why this place was good, why he shouldn't tell my mother. But he blind sighted me with his offer.
"That would be great," I smiled, trying to recover.
"I'll pick you up," he leaned down and kissed my cheek before walking away.
"Wait! You don't even know what time I'm done!" I called out to him but he never paused. He just walked out the door.
"Aubrey!" Eric waved at me and I knew it was time to get back to work.
"Welcome to Aphrodisiac, how can I service you?" I asked the short gentleman who stepped up to my register.
"Well aren't you a pretty little thing," the man spoke with an english accent. He adjusted his monicle and studied me. "Girls, ain't she a pretty one?" I looked behind him to see two women, one was blonde with an edgy haircut and a lot of clevage showing, the other was african american and dressed in business attire.
"Right gorgeous this one is," the blonde girl spoke up, her accent english as well.
"Very attractive," the african american girl nodded.
"Thank you. Is there anything I can get for you today?" I asked, keeping my voice low, sultry, like we were taught.
"Three cups of Kopi Luwak, cream in two."
I kept my face schooled, those were eighty dollar coffees.
"Will you be drinking with us?"
"To go love," the man winked at me.
"Two hundred and forty dollars," I smiled. He pulled three one hundred dollar bills and set them on the counter.
"Keep the change," he grinned.
"Thank you sir."
The barista behind me, Garrett, was almost finished with the order. Each counter person had a barista assigned to them. Garrett had been here the longest, so he was assigned to me because I was the newest.
"Here you are Mr. Cobblepot," Garrett set the man's order down on the counter.
"Good man," Cobblepot nodded and slid Garrett a twenty.
~Five o'clock
"You did well," Garrett nodded as he sat down on the bench next to me in the locker room. I slid my heels off and sighed, rubbing my feet. I would have to invest in better ones.
"Thanks," I nodded as I stood up, my feet still feeling like I was wearing the heels. "Here," I handed him some cash.
"What's this?" he asked, reaching out to take the money.
"Half of today's tips," I looked at him. He was my barista, it only made sense to split the tips with him.
He laughed and handed me back the money.
"You don't want it?" I asked, confused.
"It's a nice gesture Aubrey, but I get my own tips."
"Yeah, but not as much as me."
"You'd be surprised," he opened his locker and took out a wad of cash.
"Oh," I took the money back.
"This is Gotham Aubrey, not Greenwich. You need to look out for number one."
I nodded, grabbing my street clothes out of my locker. Garrett starting changing right there, which I was use to now. Even some of the girls did it. But I was still a little weary about changing in front of strange men. So I grabbed my stuff and headed for one of the stalls.
"What's that tattoo of?" I asked as I closed the door to my stall. I had seen the dark shape on his forearm as he was taking off his shirt.
"A penguin," he replied after a few moments. I opened the door, finished changing.
"Really?" I moved closer to see it. It did resemble a penguin, but a very simplistic version. "Neat."
He grinned, shaking his head.
"Are you on tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yeah, you and me again."
"Cool, I'm out. See you tomorrow."
He nodded shutting his locker as I left the room. It felt wonerful to not be wearing heels. Skinny jeans and thigh high brown boots with a long sleeved asymmetrical black sweater had me feeling much more comfortable. I waved goodbye to Eirc who was counting down the drawers as I exited the front doors.
"Aubrey," I looked up to see my Uncle Alfred standing by a nice car.
"Hi," I smiled as I walked over to him.
"Night Aubrey!" I heard someone yell and turned to see it was Garrett. He waved his arm at me and I waved back.
"Night!"
Alfred opened the door for me and I got in. He slid in next to me and the car began to move.
"How was your day?" he asked.
"Busy, but that's how I like it, it makes the day go by so much faster."
"And no doubt the tips are better."
"They are great. One man gave me a sixty dollar tip."
"Do you make good money on tips?"
"It depends on who I am working with. Every counter person is assigned a barista who fills the orders quickly as they are being ordered. I split my tips with my barista, it's only fair. But I've been working with Garrett for the last few days, as part of a training program. And he makes his own tips, so he won't take any of mine."
"How very kind of him," Alfred smiled. But to me he looked distant, like he was thinking.
"Penny for your thoughts," I smiled at him.
"If you ever need anything Aubrey, I want you to call me."
His sudden serious demenor took me by surprise.
"Of course," I nodded. If I needed something I would call him. Why wouldn't I? He was the closest family around.
"Anything Aubrey. If it's trouble, if you need money, whatever it may be. I want you to call me. No matter the time or place."
"I will," I promised, unsure what was happening right now. A few moments ago we were talking about my job.
"Is something wrong Uncle Alfred?" I asked, getting a weird feeling.
"Gotham is unlike any other city in the world. That is to say, there is trouble on every street corner, in every business, and every home. But there is also good here. It is harder to see, but it shines brighter because of all the darkness."
I nodded my head.
"I promise if anything ever happens, I'll call."
He nodded his head once.
"Enough of this melancoloy, where would you like to eat?" I grinned.
Aubrey's Apartment-
"It's not much," I grinned as I approached my door. My stomach was full to bursting from the wonderful meal, my mood couldn't be higher. But it fell as soon as I realized it was open.
"Stay back Aubrey," Alfred moved closer, pushing the door in. I followed behind him, flicking the light switch.
"Oh dear," Alfred exclaimed as he looked around. My tiny one bedroom apartment was destroyed. Tv pulled off the wall, couch ripped apart, fridge knocked over. I carefully walked over everything, heading to my bedroom. It was the same there as well. My bed had been flipped over, night stand torn apart, clothes pulled out from my dresser.
"Did you bring anything valuable with you?" Alfred asked as he came to stand in the doorway of my bedroom.
"No, I mean I had electronics, but the only thing I can see missing is my laptop."
"Perhaps it would be best if you stayed in Wayne Manor until we can find you suitable living conditions."
I shook my head.
"I spent all my money on the deposit for this apartment," I looked back at him. "Mom won't help me because I didn't go to the university she wanted me to. This is all I have. Had."
He put his hand on my shoulder.
"This is one of those situations we talked about earlier," he smiled. I sighed.
"What were they after?" I spoke aloud. "The tv is still here, the Xbox, my theather system. Why just the laptop?"
"Was there anything on it?" Alfred asked, pulling a suitcase out of my closet.
"Photo's, music, a few papers, nothing worth stealing."
"It is strange. Do you keep your tips here?"
"No. I usually drop them off at the bank on my way home."
"Smart. Pack some things, I'll inform Master Wayne we will be having a guest."
"No, it's alright. I can get a lock smith or an alarm. I'll be fine."
"You are coming to stay at the manor, and I'll hear nothing else on the matter."
I nodded and began to pack some of my things. This was a big let down. My first time on my own and in less than a month I am back living with family.
"Do not be so hard on yourself," Alfred smiled. "You are eighteen, just starting out. And this is not an easy city to make it in."
I smiled, but inside I felt horribly defeated. I thought I had done pretty well for myself. Decent job, an okay apartment. I was naive, it turns out.
"Ready?" he asked, looking at me.
"Yes."
He nodded. I stood in the hallway, my heavy suitcase at my side. Alfred closed the door the best he could and we left. He helped me load the suitcase into the trunk. I looked back at my building, remembering how excited I was when I first pulled up.
"A minor setback," Alfred smiled softly at me. "A hard lesson learned."
We were quiet as we drove, the city disappearing behind us. My phone rang and rang. I knew it was my mother.
"Ignoring her will only make it worse."
I humphed.
"I will call her, explain things."
"She'll never let me live it down."
"What she doesn't know, won't hurt her. Or us," Alfred smiled as he picked up his phone. I waited, listening.
"Daphne. Yes. She's fine. She's right here with me. There was a little incident. No. No, she's fine. It was me. I slipped in the garden, broke my leg. Yes, I'll be alright. Aubrey has been taking wonderful care of me. Won't leave my side, the little dove. She's down making me supper just now. Yes, she's staying here in the manor, despite my protests. I'll have her call you as soon as she comes up. Yes. Alright Daphne, I will talk to you soon. Goodbye."
I couldn't help the smile that creeped across my face as my Uncle hung up the phone.
"There. Now she is none the wiser."
"That was...awesome."
"I have been known to be pretty awesome now and again."
"Thank you, Uncle Alfred, for everything."
"Think nothing of it. Family is everything."
Eight weeks later-
"How was class?" Alfred asked as I came through the door.
"Good. I've got a ridiculous amount of homework. But Organic Chemistry and the lab is great."
"Master Wayne has an event this evening, and I have errands to run. You will have the manor to yourself for the evening."
I nodded as we walked into the large kitchen. For some reason that's where I preferred to do my homework. On the island, my butt planted in an uncomfortable stool.
"Is there anything you'd like from the grocery store?" he asked as he stood in front of the fridge, writing things down on a pad of paper.
"Coke, munchies, the usual."
I heard him chuckle as he closed the fridge. I set my backpack on the island and began taking out my books.
"Will you be back by supper time?" I asked, getting myself set up for a serious crunch session.
"I should be, do we have plans?" he asked, turning to look at me over his glasses. I smiled.
"I was thinking we order pizza tonight and watch a movie."
"Maybe I should skip the fundraiser," Bruce came into the kitchen, buttoning his cuff links. I watched him struggle for a moment before going over to help.
"Thanks," he smiled down at me as I clipped one wrist and then the other.
"What are you raising funds for tonight?" I questioned as I sat back down at the island, opening my organic chemistry book.
"As it just so happens, Gotham University's science center," he grinned as he leaned on the island, looking at my book and notes.
"In that case, thanks!" I grinned.
He patted my shoulder a few times before nodding to Alfred and leaving the room.
"I almost feel bad for him."
"And why is that?" Alfred continued his inventory of the cupboards and the pantry.
"It just seems like he never has time for himself. He's busy all day, fundraisers and what not all night."
"He does as he wishes, Aubrey."
I nodded and focused back on my book. I didn't even realize Alfred had left. I looked at the clock on the oven, two hours had passed, as I was absorbed in reading and notetaking. I heard my phone chime, signaling a text
"Have pizza, be there soon."
I smiled and set the phone down.
"Hello there."
I jumped and ended up sliding off the stool, landing with a thud on the polished marble floor. Who the hell...I got up and saw a man in a black mask standing across the island from me. He was in a white pinstripe suit, and black gloves.
"He..hello," I stuttered back.
"I was expecting Bruce Wayne, but instead I find a pretty young woman. Lucky me."
"Bruce is...he's out. At a fundraiser," I explained, not sure what was going on. He didn't move, didn't make any threats, but his demeanor, the way he carried himself made me think he was very dangerous.
"Is he now?"
I nodded.
"Where is the faithful butler?"
His eyes pierced mine, I could feel them burning holes in me.
"He's on his way back," I squeaked. "He'll be here any minute."
He nodded his head at me, before slowly walking towards me, around the island. I didn't move, I didn't breathe. His gloved hand brushed along the marble top of the island as he walked, but his eyes stayed glued on me. When he reached me, his hand fell on my books and notebooks. He glanced away from me, flipping back the cover of my book to read the title before letting it fall back open.
"You're not Wayne's girlfriend," he looked at me again.
"No," I shook my head vigorously.
"Barely legal. What are you seventeen, eighteen?"
"Eighteen," I licked my dry lips.
"Why are you here?"
"I live here."
He grabbed my long hair and pulled me forward, causing me to scream in fear and pain.
"Don't start lying to me now sweetheart, we were getting along so well," his voice was remarkably clear, despite the mask he had on. Deep and raspy.
"I live here!" my voice was shaking. "I moved in a few weeks ago after my apartment was broken into."
He pulled me closer to him.
"Why would Bruce Wayne take you in?"
"Alfred is my great uncle."
He didn't say anything.
"The butler, Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred, is my great uncle."
I felt wetness began to pool in my eyes and my bladder was beginning to leak.
"Do you know who I am?" he leveled those eyes at me again and I shook my head quickly. I'd never seen him before.
"Aubrey!" I heard my uncle yell. "Tear yourself away from studying for a few moments and help me with the bags."
"Well Aubrey, it's been fun. Tell Bruce The Black Mask says hello."
I nodded my head.
"On second thought, I'll tell him myself."
He grabbed my left wrist and twisted it so hard I heard snapping, felt fire erupt up my arm. I screamed in agony, falling as he calmly walked away. I heard footsteps, my uncle calling my name.
"Aubrey, Aubrey what happened?" he was crouched down by me as I sobbed, hugging my wrist to me.
"The...The..Black Mask says hello," I sobbed.
Gotham General Hospital-
"Is she alright?" Bruce asked, still in his suit and tie.
"She has been sedated. Her wrist is broken. Distal radius fracture, the break has extended into the wrist joint, she has torn ligaments and several spiral fractures extening up into her forearm."
Bruce ran a hand over his face.
"She said something to me Master Bruce, the only thing I could make out as she sobbed," Alfred leaned in closer. "The Black Mask says hello."
He watched Bruce's face harden.
"The Black Mask?"
"That's what she said sir," Alfred nodded once before entering her room once again. He watched her sleep, her eyelids red and puffy from crying. He sat in a chair, looking at his great niece. Her chesnut brown hair cascaded around her, still holding a slight wave from her earlier style. Her skin was lightly tanned, but you could see it fading away as fall progressed. She looked very much like her father, the only hint of her mother was the color of her hair and the oval shape of her face. He sighed.
Morning-
"That smells great!" I exclaimed, watching as Bruce and Alfred set a bag in front of me.
"Breakfast," Bruce smiled. "And coffee, with peppermint creamer, not an easy find this time of the year."
"You guys are the best," I grinned, pusing the button on my bed to make me sit up more. The doctor decided to keep me here overnight, because of how upset I was when I came in. I tried to move my left arm, but I wasn't use to the clunkiness of the cast and ended up almost knocking my coffee over. Bruce saved it just in time. "This is going to take some getting use to."
Alfred nodded.
"At least it wasn't your right arm," he smiled.
"Thank goodness. When am I getting out of here? I have class at 2."
"I think you should take a few days off," Alfred began, but I stopped him with a stern shake of my head.
"Not a chance. There is a waiting list for this class, and I am not losing my spot because of a broken wrist."
I opened the container and grinned at the sight of sunny side up eggs, golden brown hashbrowns, bacon and wheat toast. I dug in, not caring that I was being scutinized.
"Commissioner Gordon is outside, he needs to take a statement from you," Alfred dropped the bomb on me. I slowed my eating and looked up at him.
"Commissioner? Why Commissioner? Shouldn't it be a detective or something?"
"He's a friend," Bruce smiled at me, taking a seat next to me on the left.
"Alright," I agreed, knowing it was an illusion. I didn't really have a choice. I decided to focus on my food, and not my heart in my chest. I smiled at them, because I knew that was what they wanted to see. Inside, well, inside I was scared to death. My hand was beginning to shake as Commissioner Gordon and Alfred walked in. I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to talk about it. Every time I closed my eyes I saw him. The way he stalked around the island towards me, the way his black gloved hand trailed behind on the counter. His dark, terrifying eyes. I knew I was sweating, even as goosebumps broke out on my skin.
"Good morning Miss Sutcliffe," an older man approached me. He wore square rimmed glasses, a neat mustache and had kind eyes. "I'm James Gordon, you can call me Jim."
I nodded, reaching for my coffee, my breakfast long ago abandoned. But my violently shaking hand had me changing my mind.
"I know this is hard," he began, pulling up a chair on my right, scooting it close. "And you're scared. But right here and right now, you are safe."
I locked eyes with him, searching, but I didn't know what for. All I saw was a man with kind, sad eyes. I nodded.
"Take me through it, step by step. What were you doing before the attack?" he asked, a pen and notepad in his hand.
"Studying."
He smiled. "Studying what?"
"Organic Chemistry."
"What's the end game with that? Are you going to be a chemical engineer?"
"Toxicologist," I relpied.
"Toxicologist," he repeated, nodding his head like he approved. "Do you go to Gotham University?"
I nodded my head yes.
"My daughter Barbara attends as well. Did you see the attacker before he came at you?"
"I..I heard my phone go off," I stuttered. "So I glanced over to the clock, I didn't even realize I was alone. I didn't hear Alfred leave."
I saw Alfred close his eyes for a moment, before opening them to look at me.
"It wasn't your fault," I immediately tried to convince him he wasn't to blame. "I zone out when I study, nothing else exhists."
"Was your phone ringing?" Jim forced me to focus back on him.
"No, it was a message. From Uncle Alfred. I was looking at it when he said hello."
"He said hello?" Jim questioned.
"It startled me, I slid off the stool and fell to the floor. When I got up, he was standing there, across the island from me."
"What did he look like?" Jim was writing, his eyes still on me.
"Tall, white pinstripe suit. Black gloves, and on his head..." I felt vomit beginning to creep up into my throat. But I swallowed it down. I was shaking all over now, and I couldn't stop. "He wore a black mask, it...it looked like a skull."
"You're doing great Aubrey," Jim smiled. "Remember, he can't get you here. You're safe. What happened next?"
"He, um, said he was expecting Bruce, not me. And that he felt lucky."
"Lucky?" Jim repeated. I shrugged.
"Lucky me," I gave him the exact phrase. "That's what he said." Jim nodded his head for me to go on.
"I told him Bruce was out," I whispered. "At a fundraiser."
"What was his body language? Did he seem upset?" Jim asked, making me close my eyes to see him.
"I don't know," I felt my first tear leak down my cheek. "He asked where Uncle Alfred was, and I told him he was on his way back. That he would be there any second."
"You're doing excellent, I just need a little more," Jim coaxed.
"He started to walk towards me," I whispered, fear washing over me. "His eyes, they were so... I froze, I couldn't move."
"That's a common fear response Aubrey," Jim nodded. "What happened next?"
"He walked so slow, it felt like every step took him an eternity. But then he was there, right in front of me, looking at my things. My textbooks and binders. My notebook."
"Why was he looking at them?"
I shook my head, I didn't know! Why did he break into Wayne Manor?
"He said, you're not Wayne's girlfriend," I could hear his voice in my head, clear as day.
"For the record, you two aren't dating, are you?" Jim asked, looking from me to Bruce and back again.
"No," Bruce shook his head. "Aubrey is family.
"Alright. Just checking. What did you say? Did you say anything?" Jim was looking back at me.
"I told him I wasn't. And then he said I was barely legal, and asked if I was seventeen or eighteen. I told him the truth."
"Did he say why he wanted to know?"
"No. He asked why I was there."
"Why you were home? Why you were in the kitchen?" Jim prodded.
"Why I was at Wayne Manor. I told him I lived there and he..he grabbed me by my hair and pulled me until our noses were almost touching. Told me I was doing so well, and to not start lying to him now. I told him, I told him everything," I began to sob. I couldn't hold it back anymore, the burning in my eyes, the tightness in my chest.
"Told him what Aubrey?" Jim's voice stayed level, calm.
"That I'm Alfred's great niece, and I moved in after someone broke into my apartment 2 months ago."
Jim took notes as Alfred came forward, trying to soothe me. He sat on the edge of the bed, my head tucked under his chin as he rubbed my back. I couldn't stop, I had never been so afraid of anything or anyone in my entire life.
"Come now Aubrey," Uncle Alfred's smooth voice reached me. "Do not let this man have this much control over you."
"How do I stop it?" I asked, winding down.
"Talk," Alfred kissed the top of my head. "And never stop. Men like him use fear and intimidation to keep the people they hurt silent. All it takes is one voice in a sea of thousands, to turn all that silence into a roar."
I wiped my eyes, as I pulled away from him. He was right. I had to be brave, because I could be brave.
"He asked me if I knew who he was," I turned to look at Jim again.
"Did you?"
"I've never seen him before, didn't recognize his eyes or his voice."
Jim nodded.
"And then you yelled to me," I turned to look up at Alfred.
"He was still in the house when your uncle arrived home?" Jim wrote furiously on his little pad.
"Yes. Then he pulled me closer and said, Well Aubrey, it's been fun. Tell Bruce the Black Mask says hello."
"The Black Mask? You're sure he said.." Jim began but stopped himself.
"I nodded, I couldn't speak at that point. Then he said, on second thought, I'll tell him myself. And he grabbed my wrist and twisted. I heard snapping and it felt like fire exploded in my arm. My legs gave out and I fell, screaming and crying."
"Did he do anything else? Any other violence?"
I shook my head.
"After I fell he just...walked away."
Jim sat back, rereading his notes for several minutes.
"What does this guy want with you Bruce?" I turned to look at him.
"The Black Mask's real name is Roman Sionis, and once upon time, he was the CEO of Janus Cosmetics. But he made some mistakes, rushed production of a makeup line that hadn't been fully tested and ended up hurting a lot of people. The lawsuits alone were going to bankrupt him. Wayne Industries stepped in and helped out," Bruce explained. "I think he thought the goal was for me to humiliate him, but I just didn't want to see a good company like Janus go under because of bad management."
"When was that?" I asked, not hearing anything about it. You'd think it would have been on the news, a massive lawsuit like that.
"It was before your time," Alfred smiled down at me. "Bruce was just a young man himself."
"And now he's...what? Doning a mask and breaking into people's homes?"
Jim looked at me.
"You really don't know who he is," he sat back, on his face a look of shock.
"What? Is that bad?"
"Aubrey grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut Commissioner," Alfred spoke up. "It is a very intfluential area, but sheltered. Gotham holds no interest for the aging plutocrats."
I snapped my head over to Alfred, knowing he was talking about my grandfather.
"Do you come from money Miss Sutcliffe?"
"I suppose, yes. But I am not receiving any assistance from my family back home, so I am essentially broke."
"You have a trust in your name Aubrey," Aflred spoke up. "That you can access at any time. You're dear mother must have forgot to mention that to you."
"I thought I had to be 25 before I could touch what was in my trust?" I asked, confused. My mother had always told me I had to be 25. Always 25.
"No dove," Alfred shook his head. "It is yours. Age non withstanding."
"So there is a possible motive," Jim nodded.
"How would anyone know I have money? I just found out," I exclaimed.
"You live with Bruce Wayne. The Black Mask could have come around looking for you Mr. Wayne, or heard that there was a new young woman staying at Wayne Manor. Had he found Wayne, he could have kidnapped him, ransomed him out. And now he knows you are family, he might be planning the same thing."
I made a face.
"I'll give him all the money in my trust if he doesn't," I shook my head. It was just money! It wasn't worth this. Not even close.
"It won't come to that," Bruce smiled, trying to lighten the mood in the room. "You'll catch him, won't you Commissioner?"
"We'll certainly do our best," he stood. "It was nice meeting you Miss Sutcliffe."
"Please, it's just Aubrey."
He smiled and nodded.
"Good luck with school, I'll be in touch."
I stood in the darkened living room, the only light coming from the lightening as it raced across the sky. It's been nine days since I was attacked and I was having a hard time sleeping. Every creak in the floor, every rustle of the trees outside sent me into a paranoid frenzy. Sure he was out there, his black mask materizing out of the darkness, peering at me from the other side of my window.
"Bad dreams?" I startled at the sound of his voice. I turned my head over my shoulder to see Bruce coming my way, two cups of steaming something in his hands.
"Yeah. You?" I muttered, taking the cup from him. It felt good, the heat that seeped through to warm my hands.
"Same," he responded. I turned my head to look at him. He had gray dusting his temples, and stubble covering his jaw and chin. He looked exhausted. He noticed me observing him and turned to do the same to me. His brown eyes searching my emerald ones.
"It goes away," he smiled sadly. I almost asked him how he knew, but I remembered quickly his childhood and remained silent. "What's on the agenda for today?"
I took a sip and discovered it to be tea. What kind I had no idea. But it had been sweetened with honey.
"No class on Thursdays," I smiled, watching as a large bolt of lightening tore across the sky. I waited for the corresponding thunder. I loved a good storm.
"Let's go for a drive," Bruce announced after several silent moments. I looked over at him and nodded.
"Okay."
We drank our tea in silence, watching the sky. I didn't realize how close we ended up standing to one another until I shifted my weight from the left to the right. I brushed against Bruce, but he either didn't feel it or didn't mind. I liked that I could stand in complete silence around him and it wasn't uncomfortable.
"I'm going to go get dressed," I announced. He nodded, his eyes never leaving the sky.
I checked the weather on my phone, seeing the temp wasn't going to rise above 47 degrees and it was going to be storming on and off all day. I didn't know where we were going, so I decided to dress casually. Skinny jeans, knee high flat brown boots and a cream cable knit turtleneck sweater. Simple diamond studs in my ears and my watch was my only jewelry. I figured since I was spending most of the day with Bruce I didn't have to go all out on my hair or makeup. I swiped some black mascara over my long thick lashes, really making my eyes pop. I quickly penciled in my brows, ran some chapstick over my lips and called it good.
Bruce was waiting at the foot of the stairs, dressed in casual clothes as well.
"I left a note for Alfred in the kitchen," he smiled. For his age, Bruce looked good. He was wearing a black sweater and dark wash jeans. The sweater pulled a little over his well defined upper body.
"Where are we going?" I asked as we walked into the garage. It always shocked me just how many vehicles were in here.
"I haven't decided," his voice echoed around the garage. He seemed to already know which car he wanted, so I just trailed behind him. I wasn't a car expert, but I could see we were headed for a black SUV. Upon closer inspection, I could see the Mercedes-Benz logo on the front of it. I wasn't even aware Mercedes-Benz made SUV's.
Bruce opened the passanger side door for me as he passed it, but didn't remain to close it. I smiled as I climbed in.
He climbed in, turning the engine over with a roar. The news came on, talking about something Superman had done in Metropolis earlier that day. I leaned forward and turned it up slightly, so I could hear.
Reports are coming in now of a two hour battle that damaged four of Metropolis's boroughs early this morning. Bakerline, Hob's Bay, Queensland Park and New Troy have all suffered several millions of dollars of damage after an apparent fight broke out between Superman and the alien known as Brainiac. Information is still coming...
Bruce forcefully pushed the button off and the report died mid sentence. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye.
"I'm not a fan of the news."
I nodded my head and pulled my phone out of my pocket. I checked the popular news sites, and then the less popular ones.
"Alfred told me how your father died," Bruce had been watching me out of the corner of his eye.
"Autointoxication from an unknown source inside his body," I sighed, closing the tabs on my phone and turning to look at him.
"But you don't believe that."
"No."
"You think he was poisoned."
"I've read every piece of information I can find about Autointoxication. In every reported instance, the source toxin or bacteria can be traced back to a medical explanation. Usually a disorder resulting in the absorption of waste material from the digestie system. Or from dead and infected tissue, such as gangrene."
Bruce nodded to indicate he was listening.
"I took samples of my fathers blood, and sent them out to several private labs, requesting toxicology screenings. They all came back with the exact same results. Traces of an unknown toxin."
"An unknown toxin?" Bruce's eyebrow's came down in thought.
"He was the only one who believed me," I shook my head, remembering spending months in the hospitals ICU in the chair next to his bed, reading to him about automated immunoassays, chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry testing.
"Did you have the toxin isolated and synthesized?"
I laughed and Bruce sent me a smile.
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to know anything about... I'm just sorry."
"It's alright. I've spent some time in Wayne Tech's laboratories."
It was a lie, you don't pick up that kind of information just doing a walk-through of a lab. But I didn't push. Bruce was clearly smarter than I had originally given him credit for.
"I have a few samples left, and I've been working on them in the lab at Gotham U."
He was silent for a few minutes as we drove.
"He's the reason then," Bruce nodded.
"Yes."
He smiled.