Madison was facing away from Bruce, sleeping. It was around midnight and the house was silent. Bruce kissed Madison's bare shoulder and pulled the covers farther over her. He silently slipped out of bed and put on his robe. Then he kissed Madison on the head and left the room.

He jogged down the stairs, without making a sound. He went down to the East wing and into the library, then played the somewhat complex password on the piano. The bookcase slid open, revealing an old, hidden, elevator. He stepped in and pulled the lever, sending him down into the cave. It jerked to a halt and he got out. He then got dressed and was ready to leave.

He was a cop and he was buying a hot dog. The vender was kind and did not make a big scene when the cop took all of the money out of the tip jar and shoved it in his pocket. The only thing the vender said was,

"Come on man, I got kids to feed!"

But the cop wasn't sympathetic, "What, they don't like hot dogs?"

The vender sighed; it wasn't worth putting up a fight over. He had made a bigger scene before and that resulted in the trashing of his stand and a black eye. The cop shoved the hot dog into his mouth and took a giant bite, getting mustard in his scraggly beard. He had walked into an ally way, still chewing on the giant bite he took, when something locked around his foot and pulled him up into the air. He screamed and dropped the hot dog out of his hand. The Batman crouched on a fire escape on the top floor of a building. He grabbed the cop and pulled him closer.

"Where were the other drugs growing?" Batman growled loudly.

The man screamed in fear, then managed to get out, "I—I never knew. I swear to god!"

"Swear to me!" Batman yelled in fury. He released the rope so the cop dropped down and nearly hit died, but Batman stopped the cord just before he hit the concrete. The man screamed and Batman pulled him back up. He grabbed his hair so the man would stop swinging,

"I never knew, they went to another guy for a couple of days before they went to the dealers!" He blubbered.

"Why?" Batman growled.

"There was something else in the drugs—hidden."

"What?"

"I—I never went to the drop off point. It was in the Narrows, cops only go there if they're in for it!"

"Do I look like a cop?" Batman roared. He dropped the man again but this time slowed him down so when he hit the ground it wouldn't hurt. The man lay there on the ground, shaking in fear. As he did, Batman disappeared into the darkness.

Batman was clinging to the side of a wall, looking into an apartment where Dr. Crane was supposed to show. He scanned the apartment but stopped when a child distracted him. He looked sad and Batman knew why, he could hear his parents or somebody fighting inside the house he had just come out of. The kid did not see him at first, but when he did he smiled,

"It's you! Everyone's been talking about you."

Batman did not reply

"Get in here!" a man yelled from inside, a woman shouted back, "Don't you yell at him!"

"The other kids won't believe me." The kid continued.

Batman took something off his belt and handed it to the kid. The kid's face lit up as he stared at it, but when he looked back up to thank Batman, he was gone.

Batman climbed up the rest of the building until he reached the apartment, he climbed in the window and began looking around. It was so dark and messy. He picked up a stuffed animal that had the head ripped off of it and looked at it. The door handle jiggled and Batman hid in the shadows. Crane and two of his goons walked in carrying lighter fluid.

"Get rid of it, all of it."

The goons began poring lighter fluid on everything as Crane continued to look around. Once the goons were done one went into the bathroom. As he was doing his business Batman startled him and smashed his face into the mirror, causing him to pass out. Crane and the other goon heard the commotion and became alert. The remaining goon lit his lighter to see if he could get a better look in the kitchen. Batman grabbed the lighter and crushed it, then punched the guy in the face with his own arm and sent him to the ground.

He turned to attack Crane but was sprayed in the face with some sort of gas. It had immediate effects, causing him to see things. Crane's scarecrow mask had maggots crawling out of it and bats were coming out of his mouth. Batman swung at the air, trying to hit the bats that weren't really there.

"Oh having trouble?" Crane said softly, but to Batman it sounded like an evil growl.

"Here, have a drink." Crane threw alcohol on him and laughed, "you seem like a guy who takes himself to seriously. If you want my opinion, I think you should lighten up." He lit a lighter and threw it at Batman. Batman went up in flames and he stumbled out of the window and fell to the sidewalk below. He landed on a car and grunted in pain, then rolled off and fell into a puddle; it was poring rain so the fire went out quickly. But the effects of the toxin were still messing with his brain. He got up and ran into an abandoned ally way filled with trash, he shot a cord up and it latched onto a roof, he pulled himself up and then hoisted himself onto the roof, where he collapsed.

The memories of his parents' death came flooding back, the bats, the ally way, the look in his fathers eyes as he slowly slipped away, and the man who did it. Bats swirled around in his memory as he fought to hold on to reality. He called Alfred and breathed into the phone,

"Alfred, Alfred!" That was all he could manage. He dropped the phone and welcomed the memories. He saw himself as a child, crying over his parents' bodies.

Bruce blinked and he was in the backseat of a car, he saw Alfred in the front seat. He swatted at the bats and then something donned on him. He recognized the effects,

"The poison," He murmured, "The—the poison."

Bruce awoke to Alfred stirring a drink for him and sitting on the side of the bed.

"How long was I out?" Bruce asked, weakly.

"Two days." Alfred handed Bruce the drink, "It's your birthday."

"I've felt the effects before," Bruce said, "But this was much more potent. Some sort of hallucinogenic weapon-ized in aerosol form."

"You have been hanging out in the wrong clubs Mr. Wayne." Luscious Fox said, the man who had built all of his gadgets and worked for Wayne enterprise.

Bruce froze in horror, did Fox know?

"I called Mr. Fox when your condition worsened," Alfred explained.

Luscious explained what he did to cure Bruce but Bruce didn't understand any of it.

"Am I supposed to understand any of that?" Bruce asked.

"Not at all, I just wanted you to know how hard it was." Luscious replied.

Bruce chuckled, "So how much of this cure do you have?"

"Do you plan on gassing yourself again Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce shrugged, "You know how it is, someone's passing around a weaponized hallucinogenic, you're looking for kicks."

Luscious smiled, "I'll bring what I have." He turned leave, "Alfred, it's always a pleasure."

"Luscious," Alfred said goodbye.

Bruce looked at Alfred, "Where is Madison?"

Alfred frowned, "She left the morning after. She was very upset."

Bruce fell back on the bed, his hand on his face, "I have to call her. I have to explain."

"How do you explain disappearing in the middle of the night and being gone for two days? Do you plan on telling her?" Alfred asked.

Bruce nodded, "I have to, so she understands."

"She said not to call."

"Alfred, I have to."

About an hour later Bruce was up and about, debating whether to tell Madison the truth or not. As he was walking around he heard the doorbell ring and Alfred answer it.

"Miss. Thomas, what a pleasure to see you again."

"Hi, Alfred."

"Would you like to come in?"

"I can't, I'm on my way to work. I was just dropping of Bruce's present." She handed Alfred a small box that had a bow tied around it. Bruce hurried to the door,

"Madi,"

"Bruce." She replied, trying not to get angry. Alfred handed Bruce the box and left the two of them alone.

"Madi let me explain, please."

"Explain what Bruce?" She started, "How you left in the middle of the night and didn't come back, how you told me you wanted to start over but then you don't call me for two days?" Madison sighed angrily and went to go back to her car, Bruce ran out in front of her.

"Madi, wait."

"I waited seven year for you Bruce. I thought that maybe when you got back we could start over and we tried. But you ruined it." She opened her car door but Bruce shut it, "Bruce stop it!" She pulled on the car handle but Bruce kept forcing it closed, "Bruce let me in my goddamn car!"

"Madi, if I could tell you I would I swear!" Bruce dropped his arms and stepped away from the car, letting her get in. She glared at him and she got in the car and slammed the door behind her. The window was rolled down and Bruce continued to talk to her.

"Bruce, enough. Just—just stop okay. You tried to make things better but you failed. I'm sorry." She started the engine and got ready to drive away, "Happy birthday." She took off and left him there heart broken.

Bruce closed his eyes tightly and clamped his mouth shut to keep from screaming. He had lost her again and this time he doubted that he would get her back. He took a deep breath and then went back inside.

Madison had arrived at work twenty minutes before they came in carrying guns. Dr. Crane and his followers had stormed the hospital in search of Madison. She did not know why they wanted her, but they did. Tammy, who had come back to work that morning, had texted Madison and told her what was going on. Tammy had come in to take over for another worker on the night shift, she saw the men when they were still far off and had told everyone to hide. She had gone into the ladies restroom and then texted Madison. Madison, still not knowing they were after her, hid in an operation room and armed herself with a needle filled with a heavy dose of anesthesia. She hid behind the door and readied herself just in case. Her office was right across the hall and she could hear the men go into her room and shout at one another once they realized she was not there.

"Let's split up," One of them said. The other agreed and Madison heard them separate. The door opened and she flattened herself against the wall. A tall, slender man entered the room, carrying a gun. He looked around but did not see her in the corner. She silently moved towards him and injected the anesthesia into his neck.

He immediately started to become woozy and fell to the ground. She kicked his gun away and turned to leave but screamed when she saw Crane behind her. He grabbed her and pushed a needle into her neck. Her eyes fluttered and then she collapsed in his arms.

Madison's vision came back into focus as her eyes fluttered open. She was in a dark and dilapidated room and she was laying on a cold surface. She sat up and looked around frantically. She did not see anyone but felt like she was being watched. She went to get up and walk but then she people started to come into view. She saw Crane walking towards her and her hands started to shake.

"Where am I?" she asked him, "Why am I here?"

"You're here simply because I don't like you and I need a test subject."

Test subject? This can't be good, she thought, "For what?"

"My medicine. Since you're a doctor I figured you would understand."

"I'm a doctor but not a sick one like you," She spat. She didn't see many other men around so she decided to make a run for it. She jumped up and ran towards what she thought was an open door. It was locked and ran to another one and they were all locked. Crane laughed and started coming towards her. She banged on the door and screamed for help. Crane arrived beside her and she turned around to face him.

"It won't hurt if you don't struggle, just welcome it." He sprayed her with the poison and she screamed and rubbed her eyes, thinking if she did the horrible images would go away.

Crane had put on a mask that had maggots crawling out of it, blood-dripping from where his eyeballs would be, and spiders coming out of his mouth. It was horrible. She screamed again and tried to get away only to have him grab her and put his face very close to hers,

"What scares you Madison?" He growled, "What are you most afraid of?"

She imagined Bruce dying a horrible death. Being shot, stabbed, or beaten to death. She saw his eyes fading away as he left the world. She screamed and tried to fight the images away. Crane backed away and let her go insane. She fell to the ground as things started to become fuzzy. Her eyes closed and she was out cold.

Crane laughed, but then panicked when he heard the window above him break. Batman came swooping in. He flew down and landed on the ground safely, then got up and ran at Crane. He grabbed him by the neck,

"How about a taste of your own medicine?" Batman took Crane's arm and sprayed Crane in the face with his poison. Crane screamed and fell to the ground.

Other men rushed into the room and attacked Batman. One hit him on the back of the head, another tried to stab him but Batman caught the knife and broke it. Batman blocked punch after punch. He broke an arm and a leg; probably some noses and necks as well. He picked up the last few guys and threw them at walls. Making sure they were all finished he picked up Madison and shot the grapple gun up until it latched onto something. He pulled himself and Madison up and then set her on the ground.

Where they had landed was under construction, they were standing on boards and tarps were everywhere. He could hear police sirens outside but didn't worry about it.

"This is the Gotham police, we have you surrounded, there is no use trying to fight us!" One of the cops said loudly over a mega phone. Batman had to get Madison back to the Bat cave so he could give her the antidote. He was startled when somebody came through one of the tarps, but didn't attack him. It was Lt. Gordon, one of the few decent cops in Gotham.

"What happened to her?" He asked, kneeling down beside Madison. He had met Madison a few times while reviewing things on cases. He had always liked her and thought she was a great doctor. It was sad for him to see her look so helpless.

"She's been poisoned," Batman responded.

"Let me take her down to a medic," Gordon suggested.

"That won't help, I have to get her out of her. I have the antidote."

"Cops are surrounding the entire place, how are you going to get her out?" Gordon asked him.

"I'll need your help. Are there cops in the ally?"

"Doubtful." Gordon replied. Gordon heard a strange noise, a fluttering sound and a loud squeaks. He perked his head up, looking around, but didn't see anything. "What is that?"

"Backup." Batman responded.

A storm of bats flooded into the area, attacking the cops and causing panic and distracting the cops from Batman.

"Take her down to the ally way and I'll meet you there." Batman ordered. Gordon picked Madison up and hurried down the stairs to the ally way.

Batman jumped out of a window and aimed so that he could jump onto a fire escape in the ally. He hit the escape hard but felt no pain; he took the ladder the rest of the way down and arrived in the ally. The Bat mobile was sitting waiting for him in the darkness.

Gordon kicked open the door a few minutes later and handed Madison to Batman. Batman took Madison and started towards the car.

"I'll get my car," Gordon said.

"No need," Batman replied in his deep voice, "I brought mine."

"Yours?"

The engine of the car growled and the headlights came on. Batman started driving and nearly ran Gordon over, but he got out of the way just in time.

Batman sped past a cop car and drove over the hood of another, not caring what he destroyed.

"I've got to get me one of those," Gordon murmured to himself.

Batman drove over another cop car and then drove as fast as he could across the bridge, cops cars followed in his pursuit. He was in the city now and was trying hard to avoid hitting random cars. Madison woke up and began to panic,

"Stay calm," Batman told her, "you've been poisoned." That didn't reassure her at all.

Batman hit the accelerator and turned sharply as five cop cars blocked the path in front of him. Cop cars continued to stick to his tail, sirens blaring. Madison was taking short, quick breaths and Batman told her to breath slowly. She tried to slow her breathing but it wasn't working. Everything outside the window was a blur, not because how fast they were going, but because her brain was slowly fading. She was going insane. She shut her eyes and didn't dare to open them.

Batman went up onto the sidewalk and crashed through a building, making his way to the other side and then onto another bridge. They were nowhere close to getting home and the numerous cop cars cutting him off were not making the situation any easier. Batman turned a sharp corner and went flying down a slight hill that went into a parking garage.

"What are you doing?" Madison whimpered, panicked and terrified.

"Taking a shortcut." He followed the road until he was on the roof of the garage. Then he backed up and readied himself for what was coming next.

"Turn off your engine and step away from the car," An officer, said over a megaphone, "We have you surrounded, you have no way off this roof."

"Trust me," He told Madison as the machine started moving and Batman was pushed forward so he was lying flat, he then moved forward and fired two explosives into the wall in front of him. Then the machine shot forward and Madison screamed and closed her eyes. Bruce hit the accelerator and shot onto the roof next to the garage. He drove from rooftop to rooftop, destroying a lot of property but not caring. He flew onto another rooftop and then drove off that and onto another highway.

He was nearly there but police were still on his tail. He moved back to regular position and saw that Madison was fading.

"Stay with me," He said, "Stay with me Madison."

She was so dizzy and everything was blurry, "how do you know my name?" She mumbled.

He purposely ran into a cement wall that didn't do any damage to his vehicle, but crashed the cop car behind him. He ran over construction equipment and hit numerous pieces of cement. He pushed the car faster and Madison put her head in her lap. He had about ten cop cars following him, but he kept losing some as they crashed into things or other cars hit them.

"Oh my god, oh my god!" Madison cried as she started to break down, "What's going on?"

Batman dropped spiky pieces of metal behind him and two cop cars behind him hit them and flipped. A third cop had avoided the mess and went around, only to find that there was no road and he crashed as well. Batman pressed a button up on the control panel and everything went dark. Madison panicked but he reassured her everything was okay. She could feel herself loosing her grip on reality. She saw horrible, violent images in her head and she fought to keep herself from screaming.

"Stay with me," He said, "Stay with me."

He crashed through the side of the road and cement flew everywhere. He dropped onto the road below and then drove right through a tiny shack. Madison's eyes fluttered and threatened to close, she fought so hard to keep them open.

Batman was off road now and Madison eyes finally closed,

"Madi!" Batman shouted, trying to wake her up. He drove down the grassy path and then the machine leaped through a waterfall and into the Bat Cave.

He got out of the car and ran over to the desk and grabbed the antidote. He ran back and opened Madison's door. He took her arm and injected it into her. He prayed that she would be okay and that the poison hadn't affected her permanently.

Madison was dreaming, she knew that, but the things in her dream were real. She heard Bruce's voice calling her,

"Madi!" But Bruce was not with her. Batman was with her. But Batman's voice was Bruce's voice and Bruce's voice was Batman's voice. Madison suddenly knew why Bruce had left her two nights before: Bruce was the Batman.

A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a bit short. I hope you guys enjoyed it and please leave a review. Suggestions are welcome. Oh and also, I am planning to keep the story going through the Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. :D I'm excited to write the Dark Knight! It just looks so much fun! I also might change the name of the story, any ideas? I'm really horrible with titles and when I chose the title for this things were going in a different direction. Hmm. Please leave a review and possibly and title suggestion? XOXO :D