BATMAN HEROES

CHAPTER TWO

ALFRED

Barbara chose not to follow Bruce to rescue the young boy who was rumored to be getting followed by a murderous criminal. She couldn't bring herself to do it, not when her uncle was as sick as he was. She sat at the side of the bed holding Alfred's withered old hand. He was sleeping and did not look like he was ready to wake up for a while. Just then Barbara's father, Commissioner Gordon stepped in. "Barbara honey… how is he doing?" he asked looking from her to Alfred and then back. Barbara looked at him with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Daddy… I don't think he is going to make it this time…" she said and a large frown had formed on her face. She ran up to Gordon and they were in a tight hug. "Well honey, you must've seen this coming… I mean he is well in his nineties" Gordon informed her. Barbara cried some more. Just then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it Barb… you stay with Alfred" Gordon said and he patted her on the shoulder before walking over to the front door to answer it. When he got there he opened the door to see an elderly woman with gray hair and glasses standing there with a box of tissues, it looked as if she had been crying. "I'm sorry Mr. Wayne is not home right now but when he gets home I can tell him you came," he said. "No…" said the moping woman. "I am here to see Alfred Pennyworth…" "Oh, Well he isn't feeling very well Miss…" he began and trailed off without knowing her name. "My name is Maggie Paige. I know very well that Alfred is sick, that's why I am coming to visit him, he's my boyfriend," she said and with that she kind of shoved past Gordon and walked down the halls of the Wayne Manor to Alfred's room. Gordon quickly followed.

When Maggie got there she almost instantly burst into tears. Alfred was pale and wasn't looking in his best at all. "What's his condition?" she asked Gordon in a shaky voice. Gordon sighed and then answered, "He had a stroke… the doctors don't expect him to live much longer… He still hasn't told Mr. Wayne yet." Maggie's face grew into even more of a frown and she crouched down on the other side of Alfred and kissed his cheek lightly. With this Alfred awoke weakly and opened his eyes. He looked at Maggie and then at Barbara and smiled. He then saw Gordon standing by the door and nodded to him. "James, it's been a while," he said weakly. "It sure has old friend," said Gordon briskly and you could tell by his voice that he was hurt.

"Barbara…" he said and faced her. "Give this note to Master Wayne…" he said and handed her a small folded letter in a wax sealed envelope. Barbara nodded and wiped some of her tears. "Don't cry," he said and with that his eyes fell shut and they would never open again. Barbara started to sob loudly and fell over. Maggie screamed in cries as loud as she could and shook him wildly "Alfred wake up… Alfred!" she screamed. Gordon approached her and grabbed her shoulder and said, "It's over Miss Paige… he is dead" he said. Gordon then led Maggie and Barbara out of the room and pulled out a walkie-talkie and said into it, "Montoya… bring a body bag to the Wayne Manor please" then he put the walkie-talkie into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Bruce Wayne's number.

It rang three times before he got the answering machine, "Hey this is Bruce… I'm out doing whatever it is that people like me do… so leave a message and I might call you back when I feel like it." At the beep Gordon tried to speak coolly. "Bruce this is Gordon, there is a situation at the manor, we need you here as soon as possible… just finish up your bat mission and get over here" he said and then closed his phone and the door to the room and went outside to wait for Officer Renee Montoya.

To Be Continued until Batman Heroes chapter three