It was a raining night in Gotham city, but it didn't help how dirty the city looked or all the young children hanging around the corners, down the street came two gentlemen, looking incredible out of place in such a poor end of town. Both were wearing good quality suits , but as in a try to disguise that fact they also wore more worn out trench coat over them, not to forget the umbrellas which held them somewhat dry.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea." the least tall told his friend. "No offence Bruce, but places like this aren't for people like you."
"What, you don't have faith in my Harve?" the other very tall and very handsome man asked.
"No I don't, no offence, but you haven't been involved in any confrontation or any dirt for years, ever since you came back from your world trip." Harvey Dent district attorney told his friend. "Where did you even go then?" he asked. "Your buisness just stood still, no wait don't tell me, you were partying the world thin, living the sweet life with no responsibilities."
"Hey, I was young and foolish." Bruce Wayne, the richest bachelor in all of Gotham, excused himself in a slight shrug.
Defeated Harvey shook his head. "Some day you need to take better responsibility Bruce, we aren't young adolescents any longer, as much fun as partying the city thin each night was, that has become quite a while ago, I have a real responsibility to fill out."
"You maybe not Mr. youngest district attorney in history." Bruce teased in a amused voice. "I how-ever am feeling like my life is just beginning." He continued teasing his friend.
"Still, you have a responsibility Bruce, you're the most powerful man in all of Gotham, perhaps even in all of America, and you are walking down a dirty little street with me." Harvey side-glanced at a gang of mockers running across the street, yelling rude comments at an elderly lady whom was just minding her own business, a sadly commonly sign. "We need to try and make this city better some-how."
"And that's why I support you so much officially as our district attourney." Bruce told his friends. "Honestly, it's nice of you to worry so much about me, and the city to, lord knows it needs a good man like you. But in contrast to what the papers tells about me, I actually do know what I am doing."
"You just confuse me Bruce." Harvey told honestly. "Sometimes I think you are the smartest most professional businessman the world has ever seen, very dedicated and always have the things in finest order and under control, and then out of no-where you throw it all under the bus, for no reason! your inconsistent Bruce. Speaking as a professional, it's unnerving, I never know where I have you, speaking as a friend I worry, you are my best and oldest friend you know, and that makes it even more tough that sometimes I don't even fell like I know you any longer..." But only as Harvey had finished his lecture did he notice, his friend wasn't even listening, Instead Bruce Wayne was just looking straight forward not even noticing Harvey. "Bruce?" Harvey asked.
But Bruce was still not even seeing him, just looked straight ahead and suddenly out of no-where, started running.
"Bruce wait!" Harvey ran after him and stopped as Bruce kneeled down over something.
Harvey had to hold his breath, the sheer stank was overwhelming and made it turn inside of Harvey, the stank of puke, rotten trash, old cheap wine.. smoke.. Harvey looked down and discovered that it was a girl, a young woman laying in her own trash, she was a pitiful sight, nothing but matt pale skin stretched over the bones, her long blond hair thin, greasy and tangled falling down her bare shoulders, she was wearing nothing but a small tank top and a mini skirt, her face was completely red, as often would be the case with someone who had been drinking none stop for a week, and she was beyond dirty. All ready Bruce was down on his knees and pulled his trench coat off to wrap it around the girl.
"Bruce.." Harvey hesitated. "What are you doing?"
"She needs help." Bruce stated wrapping the jacket around the thin pitiful frame.
"not this again." Harvey groaned. "Bruce, you can't help everyone! if she had wanted help, she could have gone and get it, she can go and get it, when-ever she chooses, that's my job! Everyone can seek help in this district, so stop taking responsibility!"
"She needs help now!" Bruce stated determinedly.
"She need to sleep the alcohol out." Harvey counter argued. "And what hospital will take her in just like that?"
"I'll pay what-ever it takes." Bruce stated.
"I hate that you are making me look like a cold fish." Harvey shook his head. "But you can't keep doing this, there will always be another one."
"Please Harve." Bruce looked up at his friend. "I have to do it."
"Please Bruce." Harvey returned laying an assuring hand on his friends shoulder. "You have to stop, You always say you have to do it... even when you had nothing to do with it in the first place.. it really really need to stop, it's doing you more bad than good, I worry."
Hopelessly Bruce looked up at Harvey, and then down at the pitiful girl on the ground who was now mourning ever so slightly.
"She will just run out of that hospital and straight out on the street again." Harvey reasoned. "You need to be smarter with your resources and gestures."
"Yeas.." Bruce sighed deeply. "yeas of-course you are right.."
6 yeas later...
Bruce Wayne was a man of many mysterious, and he was a man that absolutely didn't make sense. Not even to himself.
If there was a question everyone who knew him asked on a daily basis, a question that hunted his mind at night when he was all alone with the silence and the tension. Scouting the city, the millionaire playboy dressed up in cowl and cape. The question was. "Why?" why did he still do it? Why did he begin in the first place? There was no happiness to gain from these escapades, no fulfilment, and absolutely no peace was to be found out there.
Facts that became more and more clear the more Bruce was out in the city, and yet he kept going. Though each fight seemed to do more ripping than healing in his soul. So why? Why was he here? Who was he doing this for? The city? Himself? Those he weren't able to safe?
And as if it was yet another act to torture himself, Bruce Wayne, not dressed as the bat, but merely himself, which made him the most vulnerable, was walking straight into the worst possible place he could be in. A place where it wasn't possible for anyone to leave without feeling shaken up, but for him it was worse as the screams and insults came with each their story which he very well knew. Some of which he weren't to blame, but others..
Arkham Asylum was a strange and bizarre place, the criminals in here to sick in their mind or to powerful in their body to be trusted to any normal prison. Here there were attempts to safe their all ready lost sanity, here there were special build cells for special acquiring prisoners. Bruce barely managed to glance down a hall way where there was a heavy door by the end of it, a door which he knew let to a cell which were as cold as a freezer, and inside of it a man who could never be outside of that temperature ever again, Victor Fries, all alone in his cell with nothing but a miniature figurine of his wife to keep him company, Bruce hearts always went out to this man in particular.
More obvious were Banes isolated cell, because the big brute was now peering through the window, sneering at the rich visitor, thankfully, this was a person Bruce had no sympathy towards, that man was man who had decided for himself to be what he was, he would have become a heartless murder no matter the circumstances.
Quickly the prison guard, a young tough looking woman with short blond hair, a short but tight build and light brown eyes, hushed Bruce further leaving him little time to see anything else. "Don't let them get to you." The young woman whispered. "If you give them any attention you have just given them what they want, they enjoy scaring any visitors, close them out."
Bruce nodded understanding perfectly what she meant. "You sure is a tough young lady." He commented. "Working in here can't be easy, how did you find yourself at such a place."
"I was specially appointed." The young woman responded shortly. "The psychiatrists have apparently somehow figured that having female security is good for the prisoners, makes them fell more at ease, more likely to open up and less likely to fell threatened and thus loosing their temper." She shrugged. "But on the other hand we don't want another Harley queen fiasco, and we need people being able to keep the more strong patience down, so everyone is picked out very carefully, It's my job to be a guard, not a doctor, so I try to keep a professional distance."
"Good luck." Bruce told her honestly. "I hope you make it through."
"Thank you mr. Wayne." The woman smiled a tough smile at him. "All though, good luck to you to, it really is admirable you keep coming here." She sighed deeply. "Sometimes the man is very charming, vulnerable and level-headed, then he cooperates without any trouble, really pleasant company, even charming.., other times he is a rude rough brute, tearing things apart, loosing his temper over any little detail, hits the people trying to clam him down, not matter if their women or men, swearing to never take orders from anyone." She looked seriously at Bruce her eyes even looking a little sternly as if she was lecturing him. "I may not be a doctor, but I only see hope for the fewest people in here, this one may become a little better with time and with the caring of friends like you, but he is never going to be sane, and as I can see, it's going downhill."
"Thank you for the input." Bruce frowned. "But why are you telling me that?"
"Every time you come it looks like you had your dreams smashed on the way out, perhaps if you stopped getting your hopes up and accepted reality it could stop." The guard shrugged. "You are a kind good man Mr. Wayne, you helped so many, I don't like to see you suffer so much every time you take a little step in here, I personally believe the city needs you to be strong, there aren't many out there speaking so kindly and passionate about the lesser lucky unknown people stuck in the gutter, I don't believe he is worth it any-more."
"I appreciate that." Bruce nodded. "But I am capable to make my own decisions."
"As you wish." The woman shrugged before she abruptly stopped up. "We are here Mr. Wayne, he should be ready for you, I stand guard out here in case of an emergency." She told short sharply and professionally. "There's no one around as you requested, and no straightjacker or handcuffs.. as you.. requested." she send Bruce a look as to saying she knew very well it was very much a foolish demandment and not a request. "The last time I checked on him he was in his calm gentle mood, but sometimes it can change within a second, call if it happens, I have sedatives for it, you got twenty-five minutes precise mr. Wayne."
"Thank you." Bruce nodded at her as she found her key and stuffed it in the key hold to the meeting room.
"Good luck Mr. Wayne." She at last nodded as she opened the door and stepped aside.
Taking a deep breath Bruce put up his mask of pleasantries, the one he used when he was dressed as merely himself and acted out how much he enjoyed certain parties and meetings, though feeling quite differently, as the years went by he was a less and less happy man, and only to well was he aware that he would most probably end up an extremeness bitter elderly man, that is.. if he survived that long, he honestly did not count on that at all, each day he was prepared for his own death.
"Bruce.." the person inside greeted in a rasp voice. "Good old foolish Bruce, he refuses to give up, always there. What did I do to deserve this?" the last sentence was spoken with a bit of charming tease, as to ease the tension.
Bruce was genuinely relived, it was precisely how he remembered his old friend, always charming, always polite, and no matter how dark the situation, always a little playful towards his best billionaire friend. "Harvey." Bruce greeted pleasantly. "How are you?" he looked directly at Harveys scared face, one half perfectly fine as always, with his actually rather handsome face, dark brown eye, almost black hair, all in all, ordinary and calm looking, a face that could easily blend in and was easy to like.. and the other side, horrifically burned, the eye turned an annoyed yellow, skin lacking allowed clear view of his teethes, half his hair white. His outsides speaking clearly about his insides.
One nice, calm and ordinary the other, horrific, violent and loud. The nickname Two-face was only to well deserved. "Same as always, same as always." Harvey sighed. "I'm enjoying the nice life of imprisonment, Go out and play poker with the boys each Wednesday, having people tend to my every needs so I am not lacking, all though the food is still lousy, and the Joker is really poor loser at the poker, so that tend to ruin the Saturdays." Clearly again, Harvey was doing his best to put up a face, to act like his old self, in an attempt make it more pleasant, but his smile was extremely forced, the teasing tone barely held up.
"You don't have to put up a face with me." Bruce smiled a slight yet fake smile. "how are you really?"
"If I am not to put up faces with you Bruce, then don't put faces up with me." Harvey returned in a slight frown. "I know that look Bruce, you always have it, and I know what a brilliant actor you are, so just stop, who on earth would fell comfortable in situation like this? Huh!" His temper seemed to be growing and his voice suddenly became raspier. "And talk to me about faces, hah! What an ironic joke Brucy, you annoy me so much little boy scout, you…. No.. get back!" Harvey closed his eyes. as he cringed his face "This is my time with Bruce, don't ruin it." He took a deep breath and suddenly started quoting in a fast paced determined rhythm. "How all occasions do inform against me, And spur my dull revenge!" he gritted his teethes as if he was struggling to remember. "What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more…." he suddenly exhaled as he relaxed. "Sure, he that made us with such large discourse, Looking before and after, gave us not That capability and god-like reason " And Harvey opened his eyes ones again. "To fust in us unused…" he ended.
"Hamlet?" Bruce amused asked his friend. "I didn't know you had a taste for Shakespeare."
"It's a new hobby." Harvey confessed in a deep tired sigh. "Anything to get the mind off.. him."
"You were fighting him." Bruce tried to hide his childish optimism, but couldn't hold it back. "On own accord!"
"Bruce, stop." Harvey asked of him. "It's a technique I learned from my psychiatrist over a year ago, if I am aware of his emergence, I need to relax my mind and focus on something else, but it can only be done when I was in full control in the first place and I am aware, even then it's a fight. And it's been a year and I became no better at it." He looked seriously at Bruce. "You know as well as I it's no more than a week since I was brought back in here." He shrugged bitterly. "That's also why you are here."
"I was worried." Bruce told honestly. "It looked messy, and with Batman hunting you down.."
"Stop!" Harvey hissed holding his head. "Don't talk about that! Not about that Bat! You make it easy for him to come through this way!" he squinted his eyes and ones again started reciting from the place he had let off. "Now, whether it be. Bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple. Of thinking too precisely on the event," he hissed. "A thought which, quarter'd, hath but one part wisdom, And ever… ever… ARGH!"
"And ever three parts coward, I do not know" Bruce continued the monologue in a low slow voice. "Why yet I live to say 'This thing's to do;"
Slowly Harvey opened his eyes as he looked at Bruce. "Talk about something else.. please.. this time was worse."
"All right." Bruce nodded. "Do you actually like Shakespeare or are you that badly in need for any re-creation activities?"
Harvey sighed relieved. "I like Shakespeare." He confessed. "I found it to be a great escape, his stories can be very gripping, even beautiful." he nodded. "It's funny because in those books, the beauty comes from the ugly situations and the ugly peoples actions."
"I agree." Bruce nodded. "But there's always some sincerity in the stories, I think that's what's make them so good." he smiled lightly. "And you were the one telling me you would always hate Shakespeare, that it's only ever good for falling a sleep to." Bruce commented in a light grin falling back in the chair in a more relaxed position. "I offered you several tickets for the productions, and each time you said no."
"You only gave them to me to get rid of them." Harvey rolled his eyes. "You never show up to those sort of things unless you have to, lucky for you that you have such a sticky mind that it only takes one read for you to remember the entire script for-ever."
"You can't blame me for that." Bruce pointed out. "It's the head I was born with."
Harvey smiled lightly, but then turned silent.
"I still get those pesky tickets all the time." Bruce hesitated. "And as you said, I don't want them, so if you are free one of these evenings…"
"Bruce.. honestly." Hopelessly Harvey hinted at the bars, a look of defeat on the healthy part of his face.
"If your psychiatrist says Shakespeare is good for you, then that must be a case good enough to present." Bruce pointed out. "We aim to get you better." He injected. "And I still own a lot of what is running Arkham."
"It's so easy for you Bruce, isn't it." Harvey started. "You had everything, always.. but you know what, so did I.. and I lost it." He hissed. "What would happen, if you lost everything?." He scraped his nails over the table separating the two. "You are so clean.. as clean as I was.. no-body is that clean, as people discovered.. what would happen to you, if you were exposed, what can I expose about you little scout boy?.. Brucy."
"Big bad Harve." Bruce nodded coldly at the man in front of him. "Sneaking up on Harvey now instead of giving him a fighting chance?"
"The twerp makes it easy." Two-face grunted. "He just fells a little bit bitter, and my doorway is opening, and guess what." He smiled a triumphant smile. "Loosing everything and being cocked up in here is a perfect recipe for bitterness and anger, by other words.. me."
"Go away." Bruce commanded rather annoyed. "I came here to speak to Harvey, not you."
"Give me a coin and we can flip on it." Two-face grinned as he leaned back and smacked his legs up on the table.
"You wont get anything out of this." Bruce returned dryly. "Safe your strength to when you need it, give me Harvey."
"Brucy Brucy Brucy." Two-face shook his head as he chuckled. "How easily you forget." The yellow eyed locked itself onto Bruce's ice blue. "I am Harvey.. just lacking that pathetic filter, that filter with keeps you all from saying what you really want.. Want to know what Harvey really thinks of you?" Two-face asked as he almost looked ecstatic in glee.
"I rather hear that from Harvey." Bruce told grimly.
"He's angry at you." Two-face told. "You failed him, you could have saved him and you didn't.. Don't you think he knows that? Don't you think he's angry about it? Your smuck smile, how you can walk freely in and out of here, as if you own the entire world."
Bruce closed his eyes, trying to keep Two-faces words out of his head.. he knew very well that Two-face tried to play with him.. tried to make him angry, each word well aimed. Bruce knew this, trouble just was.. it was working. Two-face was hitting the most vulnerable spot while Bruce was in his most vulnerable situation. He couldn't just turn into the Bat to hide behind the stern glances, and he couldn't loose his temper, then Two-face would have won, and he couldn't return with an insulting comment making Two-face loose his temper, then Harvey would have been the one to loose.
"And now you sit there." Two-face continued. "YOU RICH TWIT!" he raised up and threw away the table. "Get away from my face!" he raged. "Little Harve draws comfort in knowing someone still has his back, I wont have it! He's gone! You hear me! GONE!" he went for Bruce with outstretched hands ready to strangle some-one. "You can't safe him, no one can!" he hissed as he grabbed Bruce's jacket. "It's way to late! So just go away!" he yelled straight into Bruce's face.
"If I tick you off so much it must be because I am a threat to you." Bruce smirked slightly. "Harvey can get better and you know it, I do make a difference coming here!"
"You little!" Two-face raised his fist as he still held Bruce's jacket. "I'll teach you for being such an self-important twerp." And the fist zoomed downwards aimed at Bruce's face.
Only for Bruce to swiftly grab the fist, and using Two-faces moment of surprise to throw him across the room where Two-face crashed into the all ready fallen table. Where he slunk together.
Only moments later the door swung open. "I heard commotion!" the young guard sprung in and then her eyes landed on Two-face slunked together against the tipped over table. "Oh no." she sighed her eyes turning to Bruce. "Are you all right Mr. Wayne?" she asked.
"I'm fine." Bruce told shortly as he straightened up.
"I told you it was stupid to keep seeing him alone, why don't you let guards go in with you?" she asked a little annoyed. "And Mr. Wayne.. insisting he weren't handcuffed?" she looked like she thought Bruce was positively insane. "You may own half the place but you don't have to act like it."
"Yeas Bruce.." Harvey looked up from his position. "Why do you keep doing this?" he asked. "You should know now, these meetings never ends well."
"I want to do this." Bruce's face softened.
"It wasn't your fault, I never blamed you.. I swear It's.."
"Harve." Bruce took three slow steps over to him and place a reasurring hand on his shoulder. "It's fine."
Harvey smiled vaguely. "I guess that trip to the theatre is cancelled huh?" he asked jokingly.
"I don't see why." Bruce responded. "There will probably be chains and a couple of guards, but I'll be good for you, and I'll be there. We'll see Hamlet."
"Please no." Harvey looked begging at Bruce. "I can't take more tragedies."
"That's fine." Bruce responded in a gentle voice. "Midsummer nights dream then, a comedy."
Harvey looked hopelessly at him, and then suddenly without warning a smile cracked through, and a chuckle slipped through his mouth. "You are so impossible." Harvey chuckled as he shook his head. "Always having it your way, you are so naïve." He laughed. "Oh Bruce.. Don't ever change." He laughed tears rolling down his eyes, as he seemed to be unable to stop. "You are the only one in the entire world stupid enough to still stand by me after all this time." He laughed loudly.
"Please step outside Mr. Wayne." The guard at least sighed. "Harvey, I'm sorry, but visitors times over." She pulled a pair of handcuffs. "You know the rules."
"Loose the temper and it's time for a little isolation." Harvey chuckled willingly reaching ford his arms ready for the handcuffs. "Thank you miss Kerrigan."
The guard blinked. "My, you seem unusually well now." She commented as she handcuffed me. "Well, perhaps we could let the isolation slide this time." She at last stated and send a look at Bruce, for the first time her eyes softened a bit up in appreciation as she send the short look. "It's nice to see you being on top like this Mr. Dent."
"Now now Miss Kerrigan." Harvey responded as he stood up. "Don't forget your professional training, keep a professional distance."
"I see you each day, and I am not heartless." She returned shortly in facts as Bruce had learned was how she worked, no sneaking around the subject, not keeping back from blunt truths, cold uncompromising facts, which was actually kind if assuring, it became and more clear why she had been picked for this job. "Am I not allowed to take the happiness that I can get at this miserable place."
"You more than most." Harvey nodded as he spoke in a pleasant voice. "Like my friend Bruce here, so professional minded and yet hearts of gold, you should go out some time, Brucy, even you would find a challenge in Miss Kerrigan here."
"Maybe she could join us for a Midsummer nights dream." Bruce smiled lightly. "I would be honoured."
"Don't drag me into this." Kerrigan forced her eyes to become hard.
"Professional distance." Bruce nodded understandable.
"Exactly." Kerrigan told. "If you wait I'll be taking Mr. Dent to his cell, and I can let you out."
"Don't take it so hard Bruce." Was the last comment Harvey offered in a slight grin as he was turned around. "The lady is a professional, perhaps you would have better luck if you caught her off hours, then again." He shrugged looking forward. "She may be to good to you."
Bruce amused shook his head as the two walked away, the one biting together looking cold and professional, and it was so reliving to witness Harvey joke around, showcasing sparks of his former self, sometimes being completely like his former self. Bruce frowned, then the slightest tick of or showcasing of temper brought out Two-face.. and only last week, Batman had stopped the gang boss from shooting down other gang mobsters, When-ever Bruce put on the cowl, he was a professional, just as Miss Kerrigan was a professional in her guardian uniform, he couldn't let emotions get in the way, if he did.. it would mean the end, possible for his life, but most surely his sanity. That is, if Bruce's sanity weren't all ready to torned up and unsalvageable. Why else would he do this? Dress up in the cowl and cape, that would have to be it, he was insane. Fortunately he was just not a threat to the city.
With sure strides Miss Kerrigan was on her way back with a stern look on her face.
"Still not believing there is any hope?" Bruce asked her in a slight smile.
Kerrigan stopped up, and then looked up so she could meet Bruce's eyes. "Honestly." She said. "No." she answered to Bruce's utter shock. "I told you, he has his good days and his bad days, half the time he is charming and gentle, it's hard not to like him then, the other half of the time he is cruel, and it's no more than a week since he almost killed twelve people, it was merely a flip of a coin that decided against it." She said sternly. "When I am in here I can't afford thinking with this." She pointed at her chest. "I need to use this." And she pointed at her head.
"I understand." Bruce nodded. "But you can't just turn your heart off on command."
"No." Miss Kerrigan responded. "You can't." and quickly, a bit to quickly she turned around.
"Hey!" Bruce exclaimed. "Was it something I said?" he asked laying a hand on her shoulder.
And slowly Kerrigan's head turned around to showcase the single tear running down her cheek. "I'm sorry Mr. Wayne, but you just hit all the right buttons."
"It's all right." Bruce told finding a handkerchief. "You don't need to explain." He reached her the handkerchief.
"No need Mr Wayne." Kerrigan told knipsing the single tear away with a finger as if it meant nothing. "Come on this way." She lead on.