Thanks for all of the reviews! Glad you are all liking Dick and Allie! I do not own anything in this fiction, besides Alyson of course, everything else belongs to their rightful owners.
Chapter 10~
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At the marble entrance, the red carpet was rolled out for a pull-out-the-stops kind of party. Over the door, a banner proclaimed 'Nygmatech - Imagine the Future." At the curb, people dressed in over the top runway fashions, pouring out from all kinds of luxury cars, handing off keys to a battalion of scurrying valets. Bruce Wayne's car rolled up, driven by none other by Alfred. A valet helped Chase out of the car. She looked stunning as always in a designer dress.
Next out of the car was Bruce, with Dick following out with him. How they managed to fit two the men and a woman inside of the back seat of a small car was beyond anyone's thoughts. Dick opened up the passenger door to the car, and helped Alyson out. Her blond hair cascaded down her shoulders in perfect curls, her bangs coming to the tips of her eyes like always. She wore a stunning light blue strapless knee length dress. She linked her arm though his own, and the two waited for her father and Chase. "Too much wealth. Too fast. Half of Gotham zombied-out. A technology that self destructs. He's protecting more than industrial secrets, Alfred." Bruce whispered to Alfred.
He couldn't have agreed more with his master. "I shall be near at hand. Should you need me. And sir, I know it's difficult, but try and have a good time." Alfred said to Bruce before he took Chase's hand and lead the group inside. He glanced back and saw that his daughter was whispering something to young man beside her, laughing when he whispered something back to her. He didn't know what to think of those two just yet. Yes, at first he had wanted them to be friends, but any one with a brain could see that they were very much attracted to the other more than just friends are usually attracted to each other. That was what worried him. He didn't want either of them getting hurt if things went south.
Over the top golden glitz, it had a kind of Versailles meets punk meets couture look to it. And in the middle off all of it was Edward, dressed as Louis XIV. The room was packed with people sipping exotic cocktails, munching hors d-oeuvres. Conversations buzzed in high. Into this zoo walked Bruce with Chase on his arm, and Dick with Alyson on his. As the brightly-lighted stations shined throughout the room, showy displays announced "THE NEW BOX".
Pretty, barely-clad showgirls invited party goers to step into various green columns of light. Bruce scanned the room as he and Chase paused by the first display, where a Socialite stepped into a column of energy. She gasped out with delight as she found herself suddenly dazzling in diamonds from head to toe. They passed the next column where a chubby professor, sword in hand, fought off a knight on horseback.
They pass by the next display where a bald guy stepped into a beam. Suddenly, he is in a classic stoner's pad circa 1967. And, best of all, he has long flowing hair. Chase looks amused at this, while Bruce just looks suspicious. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were sulking." Chase whispered to Bruce.
He didn't want to be analyzed though, at least not tonight. Especially not by her as well. "Keep me off the couch, Doc. Your fees are a little rich for me." Bruce tried to joke with her, but Chase wasn't buying it. He looked around and by some miracle spotted Alyson and Dick talking to some of the press.
"Touchy. Touchy."
"So how goes your 'scholarly' pursuit of Batman?" Bruce changed the subject.
He really couldn't believe how he was acting when it came to that. "Oh god, Bruce. You're still jealous." Chase laughed to him.
She could not believe that he was still jealous of her interest in Batman. Honestly, he couldn't either. It was just a first for him where the girl liked the Bat and not him. Not even Selena had liked the monster part of him more than himself. "Spare me the diagnosis, okay? You're being ridiculous. I can't be jealous of batman." Bruce said to her, almost so sure of himself. Chase rolled her eyes at him and continues to look around. "Can I?" Bruce asked himself out loud.
Across the room, Edward stood flanked by Gotham's Society Matrons as press, including Vondelle Millions, snapping photos and hurling questions at him. She had just come from asking Alyson Wayne who the handsome arm candy was that was on her arm tonight. She thought that it was an interesting story, "Circus boy scores a date with billionaire Bruce Wayne's daughter', but she was far more interested in Edward Nygma. "You're outselling Wayne Enterprises. Any comments?" A newscaster asks Edward.
He was more than pleased to answer the press questions that they were all asking him. Especially, when they all concerned how he was out doing Bruce Wayne, his once upon a time employer. "Actually, I'm out selling Wayne Tech two to one . . ." Edward corrected the newscaster.
A journalist stepped up to ask him the next question. "The 'Times' has named you Gotham's bachelor of the year. What do you have to say about that?" The journalist asked him. This question seemed to amuse him even more than the last one, if that was even possible.
Alyson and Dick weren't far away from the crowd, and could hear everything from where they were standing. "You might want to ask Bruce Wayne." Edward started to say to them. He was about to call out to Bruce, when he was interrupted by Alyson cutting in on the interview. "Ah, Miss. Wayne. So glad that you could come. The press were just wondering what it feels like for your father to be out sold, out classed, and generally out done in every way." Edward said to her, clearly slamming her father in front of her.
She just smiled sweetly back at him, though, only Dick knowing that it was as fake as smiles could be. "Actually, if you're asking me? I think that it's great that you're bachelor of the year. My dad seems to be very serious about Doctor Meridian, and he's been home more often than he use to be. I can see that he's happy away from all of the spot light for once, though, I doubt it'll be for long." Alyson said out with a laugh to Edward and to the press. Edward's smile faulted, but never fell for more than a second.
Dick had to give her some major credit. She was a pro when it came to talking to the press. "We'll see, Miss. Wayne. We'll see." Edward chuckled to her, but Dick could tell that he was pretty much threatening her. The younger man took a step closer to her, wrapping his arm around her protectively. She looked up at him in confusion. The press mistook his protectiveness as jealousy, and Edward jumped, more like lunged, at the chance to make the boy squirm even more. "Miss. Wayne, it looks like I've upset your date." Edward chuckled to her, knowing that the press were hanging off of his every word.
Alyson just giggled away, not showing that she was getting upset herself, and that Dick wasn't helping their cause at all. "Not at all. I promised him a dance before we arrived is all. He's just antsy to get dancing before the night's over." Alyson laughed out, giving her friend a pinch in the side without anyone noticing.
He had hid his flinch very well as he let her go. He didn't want to though. This guy just rubbed him the wrong way. Something was wrong about him. "Do you think your date would mind waiting a while longer? I would just love a dance with you, Miss Wayne." Edward asked her as he extended his hand toward her. Alyson knew it would only hurt her dad in the end game if she refused to dance with him.
She glanced up at Dick, making a silent pack for him to come get her out of this if she needed any help. He gave her a small nod, and she turned back to Edward, a smile on her lips as she took his outstretched hand. With that, Edward drew her out onto the dance floor. Dick wandered off before any of the press could question him more about his feelings toward what had just accorded. Unlike Alyson, he couldn't handle the press as well as she could.
Across the room, Bruce looked up to see Edward distracted with dancing with his daughter. As much as that bothered him, he didn't have time to worry about it right now. The new inventor was distracted for the moment. He walked over to one of the displays. He examined the control station for a green beam. He tried to pry it open the circuit panel. "Naughty, naughty." The girl that had been by Edward's side, said to him as she slapped Bruce's hand playfully. The millionaire smiled an apology, and looked around. There was no other choice. He stepped inside of the beam.
Edward twirled little Alyson around, watching as Bruce entered the beam. He smiled to himself. Bruce stepped in front of the machine. Before he knew what was happening, colorful planets soared all around him. Suddenly the beam flashed. There, racing toward him, was a giant bat. Back on the dance floor, all beams winked out as gun fire burst across the room.
Two-Face and his thugs stood at every entrance. Bruce backed up, slipping toward a service door. "Alright, folks, this is an old-fashioned, low-tech stick up. We're interested in the basics, jewelry, cash, watches, high-end cellular phones. Hand 'em over nice and easy, and no one gets hurt." Two-Face announced to the crowd before him.
His thugs charged into the room. The crowd began screaming at the sight of them all with their guns. Bruce hand-slided down the fire escape, hitting the alley running. He ducked into the Rolls. "Emergency, Alfred." He said out to the old man as a secret panel in the back seat opened up. A bat suit laid inside waiting for him.
Back inside, the thugs circulate quickly, yanking jewels from ears and necks, grabbing wallets and purses, filling their sacks up. Edward just pushed his way through out the crowd. Dick pushed his way in front of the band. His jaw set tight as his sights set on Two-Face. His eyes drift to the crowd, and landed on a frightened Alyson. She hadn't a clue as to what was going on, and what was even worse, was that she was alone and didn't know where he, Chase, and her dad were.
As much as he wanted to go down there and be there for her, but he knew that he'd be more good stopping Two-Face. He moved back stage and took off through the back door. Edward finally got through to Two-Face's ring of personal guards, and marched right up to the two faced villain's face. "You're ruining my big party. Are you insane?" He then considered his question, and to who he was asking it to. "Actually considering your dual persona, let's just forget the question." Edwards said out to him as he whispered to Two-Face.
Neither of the two had wanted anyone to know that they were on the same side in all of this. That would just ruin everything they were working for. "We're sick of waiting for you to deliver the bat, Riddle boy. You promised us Batman." Two-Face hiss back at him.
"Patience, oh bifurcated one." Edward said as they walked down the steps.
He didn't seem to see it that what though. "Screw patience. We want him dead." He growled out as he looked around the room. "And nothing brings out the bat like a little mayham and murder." Two-Face pointed out to the man next to him.
Anger forgotten, he was now excited by the current events occurring. "Oh well, in that case. As long as you were going to rob me, you could have at least let me in on the caper. We could have organized this, planned it, pre-sold the movie rights." He said to him, completely serious on the matter. In the crowd, Chase had some how found Alyson and the two were getting pushed around by the panicking crowd. Their heads shot up at the sound of break glass. Chase covered the young girl's head in case any of the glass happened to hit them.
Batman flew in through a window, kicking a row of thugs down before he let go of his rope and landed on the floor. "Harv, babe, I gotta be honest. Your entrance was good. His was better. What's the difference? Showmanship." Edward said out, but was ignored as Two-Face shoved him away, looking for a clean shot.
He fired a couple of times, only ending up destroying an ice sculpture and some liquor bottles though. The crowd screamed out more. They were all panicking, and trying to find a way out. Chase and Alyson were separated by all of the pushing and shoving from the other party guest. One of Two-Face's thugs charged at Batman. He heaved him overhead, throwing him, crashing, into a display of stacked Boxes.
In the mob of people, Alyson was jumping around, searching for Chase, Dick, or her dad. None of them were to be found though. Dick had ran out the back door to see that Alfred was waiting at the door for him. "Alfred, emergency." He said to the old man as Alfred passed him his old Grayson costume. He thanked the old man quickly, and hopped into the car to change. He needed to get back inside before he missed everything, or someone else he cared about got hurt.
On the other end of the room inside, another thug had Chase up against a wall, their hand around her pearls. "Excuse me." A voice said out from behind the thug. Chase's heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was Batman. She had to stay focused though. She needed to find Alyson ,and make sure that she was okay. If anything happened to that little girl, she would never forgive herself, and neither would Bruce.
Batman turned the thug around, and head-butted him. The guy went down quickly upon impact. Chase just needed to do one thing before she missed her chance though. She leaned up, and kissed him, hard and hot on the mouth. The chemistry between them was just undeniable. Sparks shot through her body just like they had when Bruce had kissed her. They soon separated, the fight with Two-Face wasn't over yet. "My place. Midnight." She whispered out to him before he left to go after Two-Face. He got to the stairs right as the elevator was closing. Two-Face and his group of thugs were inside of it.
Batman turned and raced onto the balcony and jumped over the railing. Harvey and his thugs disappeared past the Under Construction signs, down the stairs of an as yet completed subway station. Gripping the edges of his cape, Batman glided sixty floors down the skyscraper toward the street. The bat plummeted into the construction sight. What took him by surprise, was that he didn't land on the ground, he was sliding down a chute instead. He tumbled out of it, crashing into a wall. He could hear Two-Face's laughter close by.
The villain, himself, stood before him, staring into the dark with his thugs. He grabbed an aging valve wheel set into the crumbling wall. "Nothing worse than a bad case of gas." He laughed out as he began to turn the creaking whee. A long forgotten pipe by Batman began to hiss a thick purple gas. Two-Face swung a grenade launcher before him, taking a step back as he aimed into the tunnel. "Lights. Camera. Action!" He shouted out as his thugs scramble for cover seconds before Two-Face fired.
The grenade flew into the tunnel, slamming into the gas main causing a huge explosion. Suddenly, a tremendous second-art explosion went off. Debris fell every where as the gas ignited, the mouth of the tunnel suddenly brightening into a flaming white fireball. A huge fireball rushed toward Batman. He wrapped himself in his cape quickly. He reached to his utility belt and pressed a stud on it.
His cape began to run and flow like water morphing into a protective sphere just as a tremendous fireball roared as it raced down the tunnel, completely engulfing him in a world of flame. Two-Face stood staring into the inferno. Billowing smoke, residual flame and falling debris every where. No Batman in sight. A moment of dead silence occurs. "Finally." Two-Face spoke too soon, his smirk vanishing.
He was finally rid of the old bat. It was too good to be true, which it always was. "It can't be." A thug said out behind him. A shape raised up, almost bat-like, out of the flames. The figure moved forward. As his cape parts over his face, his lifted his arms, the cape splitting down the center, reverting to it's original form, arms going wide to it's familiar wings. The bat headed toward Two-Face and his men slowly. The villain was consumed with rage. He grabbed a section of the wall's support scaffolding and began to wrench it free with a crazed fury. "Why won't you just die?" He yelled out to the bat.
In a final rage of maniacal fury, Harvey wrenched the scaffolding free. It's ancient supports were gone. The ceiling began to crack and fall, debris pouring in at an ever more furious pace. Batman was suddenly doused in a rain of rocks and sand. The tunnel between Harvey and Batman were obstructed by tons of falling metal and plaster and sand. Two-Face stood as the ceiling fell all around him. Batman was driven down by a storm of wreckage. Two-Face could barely contain his joy.
Plaster and rubble fell even more furiously. Batman stumbled as the ground beneath him suddenly gave out, sucking him into a quickly filling pit of sand and tile. He reached for his utility belt but it's too late. Batman was nearly buried, sand coming up over his mouth, his eyes, until finally he is gone. Two-Face stood watching, his eyes full of childish delight. The floor in front of him began to give way, running along with deep cracks. "Boys, let's go have us a party." He said out to his goons as he turned to face them. "Anybody else feel like donuts?" Harvey said as he and his men head way, up and out of the tunnels.
The sand pit was completely still, no sign of movement at all. A gloved hand suddenly broke the surface, clutching a bat-a-rang. Batman gave it a weak flip of the wrist, but the bat-a-rang hit the sand with a soft thud. The hand went limp, as if lost. Out of nowhere, a green gloved hand grabs onto Batman's hand. Dick hangs on a wire above him in an aerialist's maneuver. He secured his grip on the rope and pulled on his grip. Suddenly, Batman's face broke free of the sand. Dick used the leverage of his body on the rope to pull harder. Batman began to rise free. The two face each other, their hands still clasped together.