Chapter 9
Sophie was almost back at the street leading out of The Narrows when she heard an explosion come out from somewhere within The Narrows. She glanced back and saw the damage it was causing from at least 3 blocks away. Narrowing her eyes she darted off in the direction, but slowed to a stop as she saw what was happening. The Batman was under fire from six big burly men all holding massive guns that showered explosives onto him and gave no sign of stopping, and there amongst it all was the Joker.
'Really,' thought Sophie, 'don't these people ever stay locked up?' she edged forward, but her internal instincts told her that it wasn't safe. What could she do?
Part of her wanted to turn away and say there was no way she would jump into the middle of a fight like that, especially as her suit was not nearly as sturdy as Batman's. Rowena was working on something really sturdy, but too much was too heavy for Sophie and weighed her down. Defiantly she wouldn't be able to stop those explosions; however, she knew something that could. Grinning at her idea she dashed away again and out into the main street where her posh new car was parked and she leapt into it.
Then she revved the engine and drove into The Narrows, flicking a few switches inside as she went.
"Initialising Kat-mode." A cool female voice emitted from within the car's intricate computer, "Please chose your setting."
Sophie flicked through the various settings until she came to the one she was looking for and she pressed the button,
"Initialising Kat-mode Bazooka." Said the computer and Sophie smiled, those explosions weren't as big as bazooka fire.
Whilst she drove and chose her setting the exterior of the car changed as did the inside. Panels slid up, panels slid down, on the outside a thick, protective, dark layer covered the windows and the bits slid in and out of the design until it looked completely different. Then she screeched to a stop just by the ambush on the Batman,
"I hope I'm not too late." She muttered and the revved the engine again, this time louder so that it broke through the explosions and made some of the men stop and turn.
"What is that?!" demanded the Joker angrily and then had to duck as Sophie fired its guns at him, "Open fire you morons!" the Joker cried at the men and then disappeared off into the darkness. The men opened fire, but as the smoke cleared they realised the car was sturdier than it looked. Then Batman jumped out of a hiding place where he'd gone when the car had distracted the men and ran over to Sophie's car. Warily, she opened the passenger door,
"Get it!" she yelled and he hastily slid in,
"Certainly!" he gasped. When the door closed, Sophie risked a glance at him. He was exhausted; she could see that perfectly well and his cloak was in tatters.
"I hope you have spares for that." She said solemnly, he nodded grimly
"Yeah I do." Then he paused, "thanks, by the way."
"Now we're even," Sophie replied, and then she drove away from the Joker's men. "I suppose they were trying to kill you?" she asked,
"Seems that way." Agreed The Batman, "however, the Joker mentioned turning me in and claiming some kind of reward."
"Like what?" Sophie was sceptical,
"A pardon, as it seems." The Batman said grimly,
"Do you think they promised him one, or it's just wishful thinking?" she asked,
"I don't know. Either way, he wasn't going to get it that's for sure."
"But what if... what if they really had promised him one for handing you in?" Sophie said quietly, "what if they're so desperate to get you, they'll even make deals with the Joker??"
"I doubt it" was the reply, "at least I hope not."
"Why?"
"Because I was the one who told Gordon to start a hunt for me, that's why." Batman gazed out of the window, recognising his own district (although Sophie didn't know this) "Um, where are we?" he asked, Sophie seemed to realise to and laughed,
"Woops! Silly me!" she said, blushing, "I'm sorry, you remind me of a friend of mine and I just..." she broke off. How stupid could she have been? She felt mortified that she'd thought he was Bruce, but it was simply the way they spoke to each other. She felt so at ease with him, like she did with Bruce that she'd headed for Bruce's penthouse on autopilot. She turned the car around and said,
"Where do you want dropping off?"
He seemed to think for a moment, then,
"There's an old collection of cargo containers round the back of these buildings," he indicated Bruce's penthouse, "if you drop me off there I can slip home in the dark."
"Ah, good idea." Agreed Sophie, glad that he hadn't pressed the matter of her accidently going on autopilot to someone else's house.
She dropped him off where he'd said and drove off into the distance.
...
Bruce entered his penthouse and bumped straight into Alfred,
"Ah, Master Wayne, I was beginning to get worried!" Alfred said, then fell silent at the sight of Bruce's face, "Sir? Did something happen?"
"I was ambushed by the Joker," said Bruce quickly, "but actually something else happened."
"Ah, what?"
"The NightKat gave me a lift but took me to right outside my house."
Alfred looked shocked,
"Are you sure, Sir? So she knows who you are?"
"No, I don't think so." Bruce flung himself into an armchair that was waiting for him, "mostly because she said it was a mistake, that I reminded her of a friend of hers." Here Bruce broke off and gave Alfred a levelled stare, "I remind her of a friend of hers." He repeated.
Alfred nodded,
"Well it does sound like an honest mistake then..." he trailed off, "Master Wayne?"
"I remind her, of a friend of hers." Bruce said again, this time slower and aimed directly at Alfred who seemed suddenly sheepish,
"Oh, Master Wayne, I think I know what you're trying to say."
"Exactly." Bruce paused for a moment thinking hard, "So the NightKat is in fact one of Bruce Wayne's lady friends. Am I right?"
He remembered only too well that Alfred had seen the NightKat's face, and now wondered why he didn't tell him.
"Possibly sir, although I do believe you've been wrong about things like this before."
"Oh I have?" but he didn't press it, thinking it over some more. "So she's female," he muttered, "blue eyes, knows me well enough to subconsciously recognise me as one of her friends, pale hair... young..." Alfred gave an amused smile which Bruce didn't see, and quickly left the room whilst Bruce tried to figure it out. Finally Bruce realised.
"Sophie!" he cried jumping to his feet and grabbing a nearby phone.
...
Sophie gave a jump as the phone rang suddenly, without warning. She glanced at Katherine who was just about to leave to go to bed, Katherine jumped to and quickly went to answer it,
"Hello, Swift residence, how can I... Oh, Mr Wayne..." she trailed off, "Sophie?" she inquired into the phone with a glance at Sophie standing poised about to go and get changed, then said "I'm afraid she's in bed... well it is almost 3am!" she listened for a while and then said "well! OK! Goodbye!" and she hung up.
"What could he want at 3 in the morning?" asked Sophie annoyed, "honestly, that man!"
"Said he wanted a chat Miss," shrugged Katherine, "some men are like that."
"Yeah, I've noticed." Sophie replied with a faint smile.
...
"In bed. She's gone to bed." Said Bruce as though he couldn't believe it, "No, that damn maid is just covering for her." He went to pick up the phone again, but Alfred who was now back in the room said
"Sir, if you keep phoning her and eventually reveal that you know she's the NightKat then she will work out you're The Batman." He pointed out,
"Oh god yeah." He left the phone where it was. "So what do I do?"
"Let it pass Master Wayne, let it pass." Soothed Alfred. "Focus on the task ahead."
"You're so wise Alfed, and so right." Agreed Bruce, then he glanced out of one of the penthouse's many windows, "Tomorrow," he said, "the Joker and the Puzzler will meet their match in Batman, tomorrow... Batman returns."
