A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed! I appreciate it so much! Here's the latest fruit of my labors. Hope you enjoy!
By the end of my first week at Wayne Enterprises, I had come to three conclusions.
First, I would be several months at the task of inputting all of the old files into WE's main database unless I had more help. Second, I absolutely loved my new job. Within the first two days, I had already claimed the place as my own. Plants to liven the environment, a radio to sing along to, and an extensive network of surveillance cameras and equipment Josh had help me set up were my new additions to the department. Third, Bruce Wayne made far more trips than necessary for an owner of such a large corporation to Archives to retrieve a memo, a diagram, etc. for "board meetings".
Board meetings, my ass.
After the first three occasions that he had visited and rebuffed my attempts to help him find what he needed because he knew "his way around his company", I simply began observing where he went and which cabinet he retrieved information out of.
Research and Development was a shuttered department according to all the official documents I'd come across, but apparently Mr. Wayne didn't get the heads up.
After he left on his fourth visit, I went back to check the files and realized that a few of the folders were considerably thinner than they had been earlier that morning. I'd filed several documents away from the piles I was slowly wading through on my desks into that particular filing cabinet. Glancing at the folders in question, I realized they were all for prototype equipment from different companies.
Hmm, maybe the playboy wants a few more interesting toys to play with. I don't care what he wants them for as long as he returns them.
But by the time Friday rolled around, I had yet to see the return of any of the paperwork Mr. Wayne, I refused to call him Bruce- even in my head, had taken.
Before meeting Josh in the lobby for our drive home, I took the elevator to the top floor to pay a visit to my boss and inquire about the missing paperwork.
Stepping off the elevator, I let his secretary, Margaret know I just needed a quick word with Mr. Fox before he left for the weekend. Settling into a chair outside his office, I pulled a book out of my bag to read as I waited.
Several minutes passed, but I was unaware, absorbed fully by my novel. When a waving hand suddenly appeared between the pages and my face, I started, somewhat violently.
Raising my gaze, I crimsoned from the base of my neck all the way to the roots of my hair as I saw both Mr. Fox and Mr. Wayne standing in front of me looking at me with an air of expectation. Shutting the book and shoving into my bag, I quickly rose.
"Mr. Fox, I just needed a word with you before you leave for the weekend, if you don't mind?" I gestured to his office, not wanting to have to air my concerns with the paperwork in front of the person who had taken them.
"Certainly, Ms. Swift. Bruce, I'll get back to you on those adjustments as soon as I have time to tweak your designs." He smiled at me before turning to Mr. Wayne.
"Let me know when they're ready for me to take a look at. Have a good weekend Lucius, Ms. Swift." Bruce nodded at both of us and then he was gone.
"After you, my dear." Mr. Fox extended a hand before his office and I entered the massive room.
Finding myself unaccountably nervous, I steeled my nerves and took a deep breath.
"What did you need to see me about?" Lucius had moved to lean against the front of his desk, arms crossed casually.
"Well Mr. Fox, I just wanted to ask about the paperwork that Mr. Wayne has been taking from Archives. I have been getting a good head start on organizing all of the previously unfiled paperwork but Mr. Wayne has been down there at least 4 times that I know of and taken paperwork each time that he has yet to return. I know he's the owner of the company and I probably shouldn't question why but I can't just let it go. I'm not wanting to make waves or anything but I would really like those files back because I haven't scanned them into the system yet and I know that it's of utmost importance that everything get scanned in and-" Mr. Fox stopped my rapid fire stream of words with a hand held up before him.
"Slow down Ms. Swift. You say Bruce has been taking information from Archives?" His voice was calm and even but I thought I detected a note of surprised.
"Yes, he's been taking several things for board meetings, at that Lucius' eyebrows rose in surprise, and I've been looking at the files since he last was there. All of the files have to do with prototype equipment from different firms."
Understanding flitted across Lucius' face. "Ah, well Ms. Swift, as you will undoubtedly learn, billionaires can be quite eccentric in their choice of hobbies. Let's just say Mr. Wayne's runs a little more to the technically minded side of things."
"So the paperwork…?"
"Will be returned in due course, when Mr. Wayne is finished with them, but I assure you they will be returned." The smile directed at me seemed almost fatherly in its kind indulgence of my need for organization and order.
I sighed. Not exactly the explanation I had been looking for but not quite a non-answer. "Alright Mr. Fox, have a good weekend."
As I exited his office, I heard him getting on the phone. "Alfred, tell him we may have a problem."
Brushing off my skepticism, I rode the elevator down to meet Josh. We had taken to carpooling to and from work because it made sense when Josh only lived 2 blocks down from my apartment.
Exiting the elevator, I saw his golden curls over the crush of people exiting for the day. Making my way through the crowd, I popped up at his elbow and gave him a poke in the side.
Biting back a curse, he turned his periwinkle blue eyes on me in a glare.
I grinned. "What?"
"Where have you been? I've been waiting here for the past 15 minutes!" His gruff voice sounded annoyed but I could tell he didn't really mean it.
"I had to go talk to Mr. Fox before I left. I'm here now though, so we can go." I smiled once more at him and we were on our way home.
Neither of us saw Bruce Wayne watching us as we left.
The next few weeks passed rather uneventfully. I fell into a new routine at work. I was finally making a dent in the stacks of paperwork that covered most of the remaining workbenches. I spent the majority of the morning filing those documents and slowly learning my way around the vast chasm that was the Archives room. Then, in the afternoons, I would continue scanning and categorizing the documents already filed into the database. It was slow going but I enjoyed it.
I was dancing through the aisles one morning, on my way to file a handful of papers into Accounting's cabinets when my song was interrupted by an urgent news bulletin.
"Attention, there has been a prisoner riot at Arkham Asylum. Several prisoners have escaped. Please be on your guard at all times. Police are working quickly to resolve this matter and round all the prisoners up. We will keep you updated as this situation progresses."
I checked myself for a minute and then continued on my way to file the documents properly. As I turned to head back toward my desk, I saw Bruce Wayne enter silently and deposit a large, thick folder on my desk. He paused and glanced around but appeared to look right over me. He was almost completely out the door before I spoke up as I hurried to the front.
"Leaving me presents now, Mr. Wayne?" I tried for a smile but it came out nervous and hesitant.
He turned, giving me a half smile- half smirk. "No, just returning all the paperwork that I've accumulated over the past month or so. Sorry it's taken me so long to get it back down to you."
"Ah, well, at least it's been returned. That's the only thing that matters to me."
I moved to the desk and began sorting through the paperwork, intending to separate them into each of the different departments and then file them. Much to my surprise, all the documents were from Research and Development. I had assumed most of them would be based on my initial observations but not all of them.
"Don't you ever get lonely down here by yourself?"
The question caught me off guard and I looked up startled. I had assumed that he had left but in fact, he had actually moved in closer and was now standing a foot to my right. A tad too close for comfort actually…
"Uh, no. Not really. I enjoy the solitude. I'm used to being alone." I looked down at the papers in my hands again, fingers fidgeting with the edges of the pile, slowly making it neater.
"You don't ever want someone to talk to?" The slight concern that filtered in through the smoothness of his voice made me smile, ever so slightly.
Meeting his bright dark blue eyes, I tapped my right ear, where a tiny headset resided.
"When I get especially in want of conversation, I just tune to channel 3 on the radio frequencies and listen to the lovely day your security officers are having. Quite entertaining actually."
"Oh really? And what does my Security Director think of that?" His voice had become rougher with amusement and I let my mouth get the better of me.
"He'd probably think it unacceptable but once he realized it's me we're talking about, he'd realize that resistance is futile."
Bruce's eyes darkened at that and his attention on me was suddenly razor sharp. "And why is that?"
I swallowed, suddenly back to being uncontrollably nervous at the attention being focused on me. "Because, I'm very persistent. I don't give up once I've decided to do something."
His phone started to ring and as he checked it, he began moving towards the door. "I see. Well, Ms. Swift I've got to go. I'm late again. Punctuality isn't my strongest suit. Have a good rest of your day." And with that, he was gone.
The rest of the day felt off kilter, as if I had a mild case of vertigo. When I went to meet Josh in the lobby for our drive home, it took me a good five minutes to realize he wasn't there. Not quite concerned but curious as to his whereabouts, I took out my cell phone and call him.
It rang and rang until his voicemail picked up. "Hi, you've reached Josh. I either can't come to the phone right now or I just didn't want to talk you. Either way, leave me a message and I might get back to you later. If you're lucky."
I rolled my eyes and hung up. Walking over, I grabbed one of the in house phones and dialed 100 for security.
"Security, how may I direct your call?" The girl on the other end of the line sounded harried.
"Yes, I'd like to speak with Josh."
"Ma'am, he's currently dealing with the additional security precautions due to the Arkham break out, can I take a message?"
I sighed. Who knew how long it would take him to finish? "Yes, please. Just tell him that G is taking the train home and not to worry. Thanks."
"I will tell him, ma'am. "
I hung up and rode the elevator to the 3rd floor which housed the metro station along with several cafés and shops. It was rather convenient to have a metro stop in your actual work building but because the station nearest my apartment was such a walk away from it, I preferred to drive with Josh.
The ride home was uneventful but all the conversations revolved around the breakout at Arkham and speculation as to who was on the loose.
"Well I heard from Janet, who's brother's girlfriend's sister works there that the Joker got out!"
"No, I heard that it was the minimum security wing that was breached. They're all harmless in that wing!"
"Man, if one of them freaks tries anything when I'm around, I'll put all this muscle I've been building to good use."
I tuned them out after I heard the last comment and saw the man in question flexing his biceps for all the ladies within his vicinity.
Finally, my stop arrived and I disembarked with a handful of other passengers. Continuing the 5 block walk to my apartment building, I drew my coat closer around me as the wind began to pick up.
I was one block away when I became of aware of someone following me, speeding up to overtake me. I picked my pace up and glanced over my shoulder.
The man who was rapidly gaining on me wasn't look at me, just staring at the pavement as he walked. Dressed in a large beige overcoat that fell well past his knees, he finally drew alongside me. I kept my gaze ahead of me hoping that he was like me and just in a hurry to get home.
I glanced over at him again, only to see his hand come whipping out of his coat and the butt of a gun descend on my head. The last thing I remember thinking was how mad Josh was going to be at me when he found out.
