Bruce rubbed his temples as he let the Batmobile drive him home. A headache had begun to rear its ugly head as soon as he spotted the girl. From what he could gather, Riddler had kidnapped her and it took her parents two days to realize their only daughter was missing to call the cops. That was when he overheard it on the police scanner.
Some days he would look at the police scanner and feel like he was an old noisy man.
So he became Batman as he usually did in his nightly ritual and took off. In hopes of rescuing the girl, he believed this would be just another night, a common night blending in with the others. Oh he was wrong!
As soon as he spotted the hostage, he was stunned.
It was Trinity Hariton.
He had met the girl once last year when her parents threw a Charity Ball. As far as he knew, they were always in the newspaper somehow but mostly for good stuff. They were the kind of rich couple that did things for looks and appearance, not that they really cared for the cause. When he had first met her, he had a feeling the girl thought of her parents as strangers.
Even now as he turned the corner of the mountain and came to the conclusion that the girl, overall, didn't see her parents much made him think of his. Would he have became what he was if his parents hadn't loved him? If they hadn't spent time? If they weren't sincere in what they did and hoped for and said?
No, he wouldn't be Batman.
He would be just another playboy who gave the rich a bad name, like so many others before him. So he had to wonder now, like he had the first night they met, what kind of person was this Trinity?
It really didn't make a difference since he was planning to save her either way. Yet still, he just…wanted to know. There was a need to know that was encouraging him to find out somehow.
When he reached the Batcave, he stood and looked around, half expecting Alfred to be there. That man rarely went to bed while Bruce was out and about in the city. In a way, Alfred was like his father. Of course there was always that invisible line, that barrier between them because he acted…cold, dry, and a bit too business like. Still, there were moments when Bruce caught him fretting in such a way that only a parent could do it.
It was touching to him really. When his parents had died, he felt like it was his fault. Had Alfred just packed up and left him, or used him, Bruce would have had no one. He would be alone…and that thought, even as the caped hero of Gotham, frightened him.
"Alfred?" He called out in a semi-soft voice. After all, in this massive cave, his voice would surely carry. His eyes roamed the area, sharp from both the mask and his ability to adjust to it to see certain things. From the look so far, this place was empty! That was odd…
A thought occurred.
What if Alfred was hurt?
What if he was kidnapped? People had tried to several times before and although he knew he could handle himself, there was a small part of Bruce that worried. Or better yet, what if the man ended up falling down the many stairs they had? What if he slipped and fell and hit his head on something? What if…
All but running up the stairs, he threw open the secret entrance and flung himself out to scan the area. His eyes darted to and fro the place as his heart began to race. Adrenaline was in his veins, he could feel it. Where was…
"Alfred!" He exclaimed when he spotted the familiar butler step into the hallway. The man looked over, frozen with shock for a brief moment, before collecting himself. Thank goodness Bruce didn't have his voice disguiser on.
"Master Bruce…I suggest you get dressed, we have unexpected company." He hinted, glancing at the doorway. Whoever it was, he didn't know but had to change…and fast!
Understanding the hint, obviously the unexpected guests could hear them; he switched from his bat suite to his normal suite. It took a little less than five minutes but he managed, walking out while trying to catch his breath. He didn't need to appear out of breath, panting as if he ran a mile…in his suit. That would just…be bad.
So when he stepped inside his living room, he paused.
It was Trinity's parents.
What did they want?
"Good evening Mr. Hariton, Mrs. Hariton." Bruce pulled on the ever polite mask; securing it tightly for he had a feeling he would be tempted to rip it off. It was just a feeling but something that indicated what may or may not happen; he couldn't risk it. It seemed like this mask was all he wore in front of people like this. "How can I help you?"
"Mr. Wayne, hello!" The man stood as he spotted the younger male coming over. He smiled, ignoring Alfred as he served the tea as if he were nothing more than a fly, something to deal with. "I'm sure now news has reached you."
"News?" Bruce decided to play dumb, always unsure of what may or may not happen if he revealed he knew something.
Alfred merely glared as he poured the tea, setting it down a bit more forceful than necessary. Apparently the parents didn't even notice and if they did, they didn't care. For now they just picked it up and sipped it, looking up at Bruce with a smile.
"Our daughter has been kidnapped by a crazed man." The mother stated so calmly that one would think she was discussing the bill at a meal. Sipping the tea slowly, she closed her eyes and for a split second Bruce actually thought she was trying to control her emotions, that maybe she was actually upset over this development.
Instead she just yawned, obviously tired.
"Oh…well has he made any demands?" Wayne had been planning to stop by as Batman and look up their phones, maybe tap it so he could listen if Riddler called. Yet this was much easier to do instead of running around doing things that weren't needed. He sat down, taking his own tea before thanking his butler quietly.
"Well, we need you to help us." Trinity's father stated as he had before. "The Riddler wants several million dollars for her. To be blunt, we need you to cause a distraction so the press doesn't pay attention to us."
"Of course. You don't want them paying attention to you exchanging the money?" He raised a brow, watching the parents.
"No, we just want to avoid a scandal. We aren't going to pay for her." Trinity's mother said with a sip of tea after her cold statement.
"What?!" Bruce exclaimed; Alfred must have overheard for he dropped the tray, a gasp leaving him. "Why not?"
"Well," the father started, obviously having talked about this before, "we figure that the man has defiled her already and taking her back would just cause more trouble. Then we would have to go to court and…oh, it is just easier to move on."
"Move on?" The man glared with rage in his eyes. "Move on?! She isn't dead! She is held hostage! How can you even say that about your only daughter?! Get out of my house, now!"
As soon as they left, Alfred looked up from cleaning the mess he made. "What will you do, sir?" He asked with shock in his voice still.
"…I'll have to save her myself."
"Should I get your Batman outfit again?"
This made the rich boy pause and smile. "No…they want me to cause a distraction, I will. I'm going to save her as Bruce Wayne."
Next chapter: How will Bruce save her? Review please
