Chapter 3: The Batman
Batman had been watching Ali from the top of a building across the street from her club since she locked up and said goodbye to Sean. He saw someone coming from the Alley that was beside Ali's club, but didn't know who it was till The Joker came into the light, he uses his gas-powered grapple gun to swing undetected onto the club roof directly above Ali, her stepping back put her in the right place he needed for her to be.
The Joker continued to smile at her as he smoothed out his hair. "Such a pretty creature you are, oh shhhhh relax I don't want to hurt you just need a bit of information if you can take a moment to entertain me."
Ali had no idea of what she could possibly know that he would find interesting. "Um what could I possibly know? I'm new here in Gotham City." Ali was hoping this was some sort of actor Amy hired to give her a good scare.
The Joker lifted his arms up to his side and swayed as if he were dancing, as he came closer to her. "Please you look like a very intelligent lady. All you have to do is tell me who owns that lovely club that you sing in dance in. Otherwise who signs your pay cheques?"
Ali felt fear gripping her and she was about to say something back to The Joker when suddenly she saw a black cape flying around her when a black arm reaches around her and very quickly grabbed her before she could resist or say anything swiftly she was lifted up onto the roof of the club that Batman had jumped down from. As soon as their feet hit the roof, Batman let Ali go and Ali took a few steps back from Batman looking at him in disbelief and shock. "What the hell was that?" Was all she could manage to say as she eyed the caped crusader standing before her larger than life.
Below them The Joker could be heard shouting out. "Batman always being the hero!"
In his deep-throated growl Batman spoke to Ali. "Wait here." Was all he said before rushing over the side of the building to confront The Joker. He didn't have time to answer Ali's questions at the moment.
Ali rushed to the side of the building to lean over and have a look down below at Batman and The Joker facing off with each other. Ali's heart was racing she couldn't believe what was happening. Ali straightened back up and looked around the rooftop she finds a door. Quickly she ran to the door to try it to find it locked. Then she checks her set of keys, dammit she didn't have the one that had the maintenance key. Ali then mutters to herself. "Where in the hell am I supposed to go?" Ali could hear the fighting start between Batman and The Joker. Ali went back to the edge to watch the commotion below her.
"The lady was in no danger batsy… You always were a show off for the pretty ones weren't you?" The Joker taunted Batman.
Not answering Batman suddenly leapt into action side kicking The Joker. The Joker fell onto his back and laughed as Batman pins him with one hand on his throat. Batman looks at The Joker. "What do you want with her?" All the Joker did was laughed at Batman giving him no answer; Batman lifted The Joker up and slammed him back down onto the sidewalk again by his throat. "What do you want with her? Answer me!" The Batman spoke louder at The Joker. Police sirens could be heard the disturbance was probably heard by someone and had called the cops, perhaps it was one of The Joker's thugs. Batman growls at The Joker. "This isn't over, stay away from her." Batman uses his grappling hook to join Ali back up on the roof.
The Joker picks himself up off the sidewalk and brushes himself off. "Well that was fun!"
Ali stood back from the side when she saw Batman was about to come back up onto the rooftop with her, once he was back with her he extends his hand to Ali. "Come with me, we have to get out of here and you and I need to have a talk."
All Ali knew about this guy was what she had read in the old newspaper clippings and the little she heard on the streets after. Ali quickly remembered that he was actually her only way back down off the building. She knew that saying no was not an option, so she reached out and took Batman's hand. Batman pulled Ali gently closer to him, he took his grappling hook and shot it in a different direction from where the police sirens were heard coming from. "Where are you taking me?" Ali asked as they started to lift up off the roof.
"Hold on." Was Batman's only answer to her.
Ali quickly wrapped both her arms around Batman's neck to hang on for dear life, Ali wasn't fond of flying and this wasn't much fun for her either. "You're not one for questions are you? Where are you taking me?" Ali asked again.
Batman lowered the both of them gently onto the sidewalk. "We will talk more once I get you someplace safe." Batman let Ali go and Ali unwrapped her arms from around his neck. Batman gently took her by the arm and led her into another alley where his Batmobile tumbler waited for them.
Ali dropped her mouth open a little and raised her eyebrows, she remembered seeing this vehicle the other night. Ali looked at Batman and says. "Let me guess get in right?" Just then the door of the tumbler slides open from the roof. Ali walked up to it and found the footing she needed to climb in with Batman's help. Ali could not believe that she was doing this. "Well the whole not getting into cars with strangers just went out the window." Ali muttered in amusement.
Batman gave her a slight grin and responded. "You never have anything to fear from me, whatever you may have read in the papers or heard on the streets, I am a friend."
Somehow Ali believed him because why would anyone go to such lengths to save her to just to harm her, but then there was that Joker creep. "So who was this Joker a mobster or something?" Ali asked Batman as he climbed into the car beside her.
Batman started the tumbler and began driving down the main street of Gotham he gives her a side glance and answers. "The Joker isn't your typical mobster or thug, he doesn't do what he does for monetary gain. He thrives on causing trouble for his own enjoyment. It's fun for him to cause panic and fear among the citizens of the city."
Ali crosses her arms while she continued to look at Batman, she was not paying any attention to where they were going, and the tumbler turned down a dark dirt road, "And what are you The Vigilante?"
Batman remained silent for a moment as they sped down the dirt road. "Some call me a hero, or a dark knight. I have had to become what you see to fight guys like The Joker."
Ali looked out the windshield in time to see that they were quickly approaching a waterfall and Batman wasn't slowing down. Instead he began to speed up. Ali ducks down past the dash and she lets out a little scream as the tumbler jumped through the air and into the cave as they passed through the waterfall. When the tumbler finally came to a stop Ali's heart was racing the door slid open over her head. Ali could hear thousands of squeaking noises above her, she looks up to see the bats hanging from the ceiling of the cave. "Pets of yours?" Ali asked.
Batman smirked at her comment. "They are excellent survivors, and they come handy in a pinch."
Batman helped Ali out of the car by lifting her out of the tumbler, she follows him into another room in the cave where there was a couple of computer monitors with keyboards and a few other buttons and gadgets that she didn't understand. Ali turned around to look at Batman "So this is how and where you operate." Batman stood behind her with his cape wrapped around him while he watched her. "Why do you do this? Putting your life on the line for people you don't even know."
Batman reached out and turned a chair around for Ali to sit in then he walked over to a pitcher of water sitting on his desk. He pours Ali a glass and handed it to her, as he answers her question. "I'm willing to put my life on the line to do what I have to. But it has to be mine, no one else's." Bruce was glad that Ali was asking him the good questions she seemed interested enough to get to know him. The way she met him wasn't how he wanted it to go down, but it couldn't be helped The Joker forced his hand.
Ali took the glass of water from batman and it wasn't till she started drinking it did she realize how thirsty she really was; she drank half the glass and sat it down. "So you have to do this? Is there someone paying you?"
Batman sat against the hood of his car and looked at Ali. "I seek… The means to fight injustice. To turn fear against those who prey on the fearful. Nobody pays me for doing this; it is just something I feel that I need to do." Batman was allowing the questions he felt it was helping him to gain a trust with Ali.
Ali picked up the glass of water and drank the remaining of the content; she sat the glass back down. "Fair enough, so what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Ali was feeling a little more comfortable in Batman's company.
Batman stood and reached past Ali to turn on a computer monitor that displayed the blueprints to her club. "This is your club." He turned her around to face the computer monitor.
Ali frowned at the screen showing a blueprint of her club. "Yeah, I get that much, but why do you have it?" Ali asked with suspicion.
Batman ran his finger along the screen to show Ali a tunnel that went from her club to another building. "This is an underground tunnel that leads from your club to Sal Maroni's warehouse here." Batman pointed out to Ali the other building that the tunnel led to. "He wants to use the basement of your club to do some illegal smuggling of his products. Your business would provide a nice cover for him."
Hearing what Batman explained to her she got a sickening feeling, and she felt angered by the news. "Oh no, I do not want my club to be used this way, I run a clean business. I worked hard to get my club into shape and I won't have it shut down by some idiot smuggling his illegal products through my club."
Batman sensed her anger and rested his hand on Ali's shoulder. You won't go down for this, if you trust me enough to do what I need to, I will make sure that you stay open for a real long time your club will remain clean."
Ali felt a calm wash over her knowing she was going to have help. "What do you need to do?"
Batman removed his hand from her shoulder and grabbed the arms of the chair to turn Ali around to face him. "I need access to your basement to check out the tunnel. I will add some security, if anyone goes through the tunnels for any reason I'll know about it."
Ali agreed to let Batman into the basement of the club. "But tomorrow night after closing, wait till everyone has left I can leave the back door unlocked."
"No!" Batman abruptly responded, he didn't want her compromising her safety. "I can get in another way; do not leave any door unlocked."
Ali sighed. "Okay, very well I won't leave the door unlocked." But it left her wondering how he was going to get in but somehow she knew that she didn't need to worry about that. Ali jumped at the sound of her cell phone ringing, she took it out of her purse and saw that it was Amy calling her. "Sorry I need to quickly take this or she'll just keep calling." Ali smirked.
Batman walked off to give her some privacy, but kept her in earshot to see what she was going to tell her friend.
Ali answered the phone. "Hello Amy, I'm sorry but I really can't talk right now. No, I'm not at home yet I'll call you later when I get there." Ali says bye to Amy and turned her phone off. Ali looked back at Batman. "Sorry about that, but she worries if I don't answer."
Batman walked back over to the computer and reached past Ali to turn it off. He was going to have to get to know her friend a little more too. She seemed like a good friend to Ali at his charity. "She's not the only one looking out for you now."
Ali chuckled and stood. "Yeah, don't know who I should be more afraid of, her or you." Ali lifted her hand when Batman was about to say something about not fearing him. "You don't know Amy; she's sort of my partner in crime… Not the bad kind of crime." Ali wasn't sure that using the word crime was a good idea in front of Batman. "We just like to have a bit of fun together and sometimes it gets a bit naughty, nothing illegal." Before Ali said too much she then asked. "Can you just take me home now? I'm getting a bit sleepy." It wasn't because Ali was bored she was starting to feel incredibly tired, it has been a very trying day for her and her energy was taxed.
Batman pushed a button on the arm of his glove and the door to the tumbler opened, he was going to give her a sedative but decided against it even though it went against his better judgement but it could set back her trust of him. And he felt differently about Ali. "I didn't get your name." Batman asked her while walking Ali over to the tumbler.
Ali stopped to face Batman. "I like to be called Ali, and no I don't give out my last name for privacy reasons."
Batman looked down at her slightly amused. "So what is Ali short for?"
"Alice." Ali answered.
A smile crept across Batman's face. "Well, Alice welcome to Wonderland."
Ali shook her head and rolled her eyes, but at the same time she couldn't help but to chuckle. "Oh, so now he makes a funny."
Batman helped Ali inside of the tumbler before gracefully getting in himself. "I need you to keep this place a secret, tell no one you were here. " Batman told her before starting the tumbler.
Dammit Ali was bursting at the seams to tell her best friend Amy about everything including the bat cave. "Can I at least tell people about how you saved me?" By people she meant Amy once she got talking to her again.
Batman nodded. "That's fine, I'm known for doing that in this city." There was one more thing Batman needed to do and that was to get a hold of Ali's cell phone.
When Batman asked Ali where she lived she refused giving him the answer by telling him to drop her off at the club he protested by just driving her around Gotham city till she gave in. Batman already knew where she lived he just wanted her to tell him, the drive around gave him a chance to see that things were quiet for now in the city. Soon Batman stopped the tumbler in front of Ali's hotel and he walked her to the door even though it was just a few steps away.
Ali couldn't resist turning around and saying. "Thanks for the crazy date."
Batman started lowering himself inside of the tumbler. "Well it didn't suck." The door closes over Batman's head and he sped off.
Ali shook her head and laughed a little, once back inside of her hotel room Ali gave Amy a quick call back and asked her if she could call her in the morning and tell her what happened. Ali was so incredibly tired and needed to get some sleep. Ali walked into her bathroom and changed into her nightshirt then climbed into bed, she softly sighed as the mattress felt so good underneath her tired body. Reaching over she turned out her light and closed her eyes. It didn't take Ali long to fall into a deep sleep.
Batman did not go far, he waited inside his tumbler down an alleyway across from her hotel he waited to see her light go out in her room, then he waited a bit longer to give Ali time to fall asleep. Standing outside of his tumbler Batman uses his grappling gun to ease himself up onto her balcony and then used a lock pick to gain entry into her room. He gave the room a quick look around, she deserved a better place than this to live Bruce was going to have to try and convince her to move in with him.
Batman searches for her phone and found it inside of her purse; he took it into his hands and began to very quickly push buttons entering information with a security code to download the tracking app. It would track Ali anywhere she went. Lucius explained to him earlier that it would go undetected by her or anyone else accept for him using his security pass. Then Lucius gave Bruce a warning that if she was to ever learn of this she could be pretty pissed off about it, it could damage any future trust with him Bruce assured him that Batman could handle it.
Batman takes a metal bat shaped logo from his belt and places it onto her night stand with a note. For a brief moment Batman watched Ali sleep as Bruce Wayne he wanted to give her a give her a gentle kiss but as Batman it wasn't something he did and it went against his own rules to get romantically involved with a woman while he was the caped crusader. She had not only warmed her way into Bruce Wayne's heart, but now his alter ego's heart as well. Even though he was still the same man his identities had a very different mindset, Batman was the much more serious half of him, and his only goal was to fight the criminals. Batman then stepped out onto her balcony, hops up onto the railing then he was gone as if he was never there.