Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that belong to DC Comics. However, I do own all the original characters.

Warning: This story contains sexual contents, some explicit language and violence.


Breathe Slow

Chapter.9

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The rococo wallpaper on the second floor were peeled off from the concrete walls by the massive conflagration. The ashes smothered the wooden floor and little particles, dark as charcoal tickled her barefeet inevitably and painted her pink flipflops. Bruce stopped at the door and turned its knob left and opened the door for her. The room was pitch-black and she was reluctant to go into a devil's cave. Bruce grabber her hand and led her inside, pushing her closer towards him. There weren't any ostentatious coffee tables, a king sized bed, a full length mirror or a Persian carpet. It was only a vacant room. She gave him a dubious look and put her arms on her waist.

"Bruce, what are you trying to show me? There's nothing here. I should be going back home soon to finish up the reservations for the Summer Gala if there isn't anything." She sighed and noticed his shadow coming closer.

"Darn it, I thought I've told my contractor to keep all the furnitures in this room. I guess he took them away." Victoria forced a taut smile and rushed to the hallway. She desperately need lots of fresh air. He followed her footsteps and saw her breathing heavily by the staircase.

"Are you all right? I can take you to the hospital-"

"I'm fine. I just needed some fresh air." She paused and inhaled heavier. "Can you take me home now?" She said. He nodded and offered a hand.


When she got back home, it was already seven. She checked her answering machine and there were five messages, all from Kayla. Victoria wanted to efface everything that has happened today and headed to the bathroom. Her muscles were stiff and tense from riding a motorcycle for more than an hour, staying in a same position. she took off her clothes, drenched in water and sweat, and turned the shower faucet. As soon as scorching tap water massaged her tense body, she shut her eyes, inhaling vapor.

After washing away all the stresses, she heard her phone ring clamorously, and knew that it was obviously, Kayla, wanting to know every single detail about the manor and Bruce. Victoria swiftly wrapped herself in a white, lavender scented towel and ran to her phone.

"Yes, Kayla. What do you want?"

"For fuck's sake, Victoria! Pick up your goddamn phone as soon as it rings. I had to call you a zillion times tonight." Without attempting to dry her damp her, she sat on her couch, still in a towel, leaning her stiff back against the cushion.

"Relax, I was in a shower. I don't think the massage really helped since all my muscles are sore. So, why did you call me a zillion times?"

"You know," Victoria could hear her giggle on the phone. It was conspicuous that Kayla wanted to hear about her prince charming despite the fact that she has a long-term boyfriend who recently moved in with her.

"Do you care more about Daniel or Bruce Wayne? I'd like to know, really." Victoria said.

"Of course I care more about my boyfriend! I'd love him even more if he proposes any sooner because I'm turning thirty real soon and I want to have lots of babies." She said.

"You have to let him propose by himself. Don't you dare pressure him, and if you do-" Victoria paused and blew her runny nose with Kleenex. "It will just look pathetic."

"You see, all my friends are already married and you know that. They have kids, a devoted husband and a family." Kayla's voice shivered after when she was done talking about the whole marrige thing.

"No worries- I'm turning 29 next month and I'm fine without a boyfriend or a fiance." She heard Kayla sigh even heavier.

"I should really get you a boyfriend for your birthday. No jokes, you need to have lots of fun before you dry up-"

"Kayla, I'm not dried up. Not yet, at least! Being twenty eight isn't old to fool around with hunks in town, is it?"

"That's why I called! Vic, I really do think that you have a very high chance to hook up with Bruce Wayne since you guys work so close together. So, was he hitting on you or what? Are you guys going on another date soon?" She said.

"First of all, he wasn't hitting on me, and secondly, we're not dating, Kayla. He may be very winsome to many girls in town, but I can't cross the line. Do you get it?" Victoria got up from the couch and opened the fridge to get a bottle of Corona extra.

"No, I don't get it! But, would you ever, you know-" Kayla paused and waited Victoria to say something back. Victoria took three more sips and burped.

"Would I ever do what?" She finished the bottle within a minute and grabbed another one from the fridge.

"How long are you going to stay so gullible? Do what? Of course do him!"

"Kayla, I don't want to fool around with my employer! Can't you just get over the fact that I know that man and stop asking every single detail about him? It really gives me headaches." She bellowed.

"Jeez, someone's edgy tonight. I thought you guys weren't dating-"

"Of course not!" Victoria shouted again, and was scared if her neighbors heard her yell on the phone.

"So, I assumed that you two were only sleeping together, not dating." Kayla complained.

"No, no, never. ever. Anyways, I'm exhausted and I have to call a dozen caterers in town for the gala. I'll call you or see you tomorrow, all right?" Kayla reluctantly said yes and hung up. She was so garrulous and irritating sometimes, that it drove Victoria insane. She finished her second bottle and threw both of them into the bin. She put her phone on the kitchen counter as usual and tried to open the window to get some fresh air. She held the knob and pushed it up, but it didn't listen to her. 'Come on, come on'. When she tried it again, unlike her first try, the window easily opened. 'Is there someone?' When she looked up, she saw a man, dressed in black armor, wearing a bat shaped mask, glaring at her. She immidiately dropped the wet towel and didn't move. She didn't even realized that she was naked in front of the masked vigilante.

"Aaah-" She screamed so loud that the Batman backed up a bit. She grabbed the white towel and looked for the pepper spray bottle.

"I'm not here to hurt you-"

"Then what the hell are you doing here? Have you been watching me all night?" He nodded and she quickly wrapped herself around a wet towel and fixed her sodden hair.

"I was told to-"

"By who?" She took big steps towards him.

"Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon. They're worried about you, so they've asked me to come and guard your house every night."

"Harvey said that?" She seemed confouned to hear this from the man she has just met, not from Harvey. The Batman nodded and sat on the staircase.

"Don't worry about me. Just do what you were going to do and sleep tight." She nodded and made her way to her bedroom. Then, she paused and looked back.

"I'm Victoria by the way." She was expecting him to say something back but he remained taciturn.

"I know already."


A/N: I'm very, extremely stressed out lately because of SAT... Even though it would be MUCH easier for me to go to a Canadian university (such as UBC or University of Toronto), I want to get into a prestigious college like an Ivy League school (preferably Columbia or Cornell). I'm studying a lot lately, avoiding all the text messages/calls from my friends and family *tears* and the worst part is that the CR section KILLS ME SO MUCH.

So, I'm just wondering if anyone (Any American high school seniors) know how to score high on the CR section :) (You can PM me or write me)

Plus, reviewing/subscribing will encourage me even more.

Thank you to all the reviewers/subscribers!

Jaime