Chapter 36: The Meeting
"It's nearly two" says Bruce glancing out the window again. I turn my head slightly and look out the window of the empty apartment on Ellison Road. On the road opposite us is 1038, which is an old brownstone apartment converted to a small cafe. This is where Karl Hallsworth should be coming to have a meeting shortly. The occasional person walks past the cafe but nobody enters. The cafe looks empty from me and Bruce's perch across the street. We got here early and found this unused apartment and decided it would make a perfect place to observe from. Bruce is holding a small parabolic microphone which if Lucius showed him right should be able to pick up any conversations from across the street. I glance up the block in both directions and still am yet to see the withered face of the Wayne Enterprises executive we're waiting on.
"He could be running late" I suggest as Bruce fiddles with the dial on the side of the microphone in his hand.
"It's possible" he agrees. Sitting on the windowsill between us is a company photograph of Hallsworth that Lucius provided us a while ago. I glance quickly at the photo and look at the benign face of the elderly man who may be in some way responsible for the deaths of Bruce's parents. A soft rage boils inside me for a moment before I tamp it back down. I often wonder how Bruce remains so calm, even in the tensest of situations.
"There" says Bruce, rousing me from my thoughts. I look out the window and see the man Bruce is nodding towards. My eyes follow Karl Hallsworth down the street as he strolls slowly and calmly. He's wearing a fancy grey three-piece suit and carrying an umbrella. The umbrella in summer gives me pause and I glance at Bruce and see his eyes narrow slightly.
"The umbrella?" I question quietly.
"Mmm" he hums in confirmation as he resets the dial on the parabolic microphone and points it out the open window. My eyes follow the cable from the back of the microphone to the small portable speaker sitting on the floor between us.
"Something's weird" I say as I feel a uncertainty wash over me. Hallsworth steps up to the cafe and sits himself at an outside table farthest from the others. I watch as a waitress or something sees him through the glass and steps outside to serve him.
"What can I get you?" I hear a nasally female voice sound through the speaker. I smile at Bruce as it seems the microphone works fine.
"Coffee. Black with three sugars. Lukewarm thank you" I hear Hallsworth say dismissively before the waitress scurries of to complete the order.
"See... bad guys drink coffee" I say with a smirk.
"There is nothing wrong with coffee" says Bruce barely concealing a smile of his own. I let out a soft giggle as I pick up the binoculars from the floor and look through them at our target. He's sitting there, calmly playing with the handle on his umbrella.
"Take a look at this" I say handing Bruce the binoculars.
"What is it?" he asks raising them to his eyes.
"He's messing with his umbrella" I say.
"Nervous habit maybe?" he suggests handing me back the binoculars.
"I don't know" I say as I watch the waitress come outside with a coffee and place it down on the table for Hallsworth.
"There you go sir" she says. I watch as Hallsworth wordlessly hands her some money.
"Keep the change" Hallsworth mutters.
"Thanks sir" she says walking away.
"Maybe whoever he's meeting is late" I say as I look down at the camera on the floor. It's got a new roll of film so we can get photos of whoever Hallsworth is meeting.
"Or not coming" says Bruce absently as he returns to looking up and down the street for possibilities.
"Or that" I concede. My eyes follow the elderly executive as he takes a large sip of his coffee and relaxes back into his seat. Bruce and I sit in silence as we watch Hallsworth drink slowly through his coffee. "What time is it?"
"Twenty past two" says Bruce without missing a beat.
"What time did he say?" I ask.
"On the tape he said 'a little after two'" recites Bruce. I glance back down and see Hallsworth glance at his watch. Hallsworth reaches out and grabs his half full cup of coffee and raises it in the air to toast, looking straight at me and Bruce across the street.
"Oh shit!" I gasp. Hallsworth drinks down the rest of his coffee before standing up and moving off down the street. "Bruce he knows".
"How could be possible..." says Bruce in confusion. Suddenly I hear a floorboard creak and the front door to the empty apartment open.
"Fire escape" I whisper as Bruce sets the microphone down and we quickly move to the side bedroom. The window to the fire escape is open how I left it earlier when we got here.
"Selina!" I hear a familiar voice call out in the room we just exited. "Selina!" I ignore the nagging familiarity as I follow Bruce out onto the fire escape and we slowly climb. "There you are!" I hear the female voice call. I glance down as I climb and my eyes meet the gold goggles of Bridgit Pike, my old friend.
"Shit... RUN BRUCE" I call as we start climbing quickly. I hear the fire escape rattling as all three of us are now bounding up the metal steps towards the roof.
"Who is it?" Bruce asks over his shoulder.
"Bridgit" I say breathlessly. We keep climbing until the roof comes into sight. I clamber over the brickwork and see Bruce have a look around.
"What's she doing here!" asks Bruce breathlessly as he climbs over the barrier to the adjacent roof.
"Hell if I know" I say.
"I'm coming Selina" calls Bridgit as she steps out onto the roof behind us.
"What does she want" Bruce asks.
"Probably her servant back" I say flippantly as we drop down onto the adjacent roof and begin running along the tiled rooftops. Behind me I hear Bridgit's footsteps as she runs after us. I speed up and dash towards the fast approaching gap between buildings.
"We jumping?" asks Bruce breathlessly as he sprints next to me.
"Uh-huh" I say as I mount the edge of the roof and leap across the gap between rooftops. I land on the flat roof opposite and roll into a crouch and look behind me. Bridgit is still chasing after us with a sinister smile plastered across her face. I see her flamethrower gripped tightly in her hands as Bruce grabs my arm and drags me from my spot.
"This way" says Bruce as he brings me over to the fire escape for this roof and we begin working our way down.
"You can't run forever Selina" I hear Bridgit call eerily as she looks down over the roof above me. I keep moving as fast as possible down the fire escape and drop down into the alleyway below. I glance up and see Bridgit already halfway down the fire escape as I take off running next to Bruce down the alleyway and around the corner.
"Oh crap" I mutter as Bruce and I stop in front of the dead end alley. Bruce and I both quickly check the door on either side but they both are locked.
"There you are" I hear Bridgit say as she walks around the corner with a spring in her step. I turn and see Bruce throw his shoulder into the doorway making a loud crunch as it refuses to budge. I step across the alley and stand between Bruce and Bridgit as she holds her flamethrower at the ready. "I've been wondering... where did my servant Selina go? After I saw you leave with this one..." she says nodding at Bruce. "...I thought eventually you'd come back to me. Where you belong".
"Listen Bridgit" I say uneasily holding my hands out trying to placate her.
"No more talking. I let you live Selina. I protected you... and you turned on me... you betrayed me!" she says wicked smile. "And do you know what happens to servants who betray the Goddess of Fire?" she asks.
"I didn't betray you Bridgit" I say trying to think of what to say.
"MY NAME is Firefly!" she says loudly. "And you my former servant... will burn for your betrayal!"
"WAIT!" I hear Bruce call as he steps around me and walks closer to Bridgit.
"Ah yes, the one she betrayed me to... they said you'd tricked her" she says. "And you'll burn too!" My heart races fast as Bruce keeps slowly approaching Bridgit as she readies her flamethrower.
"And how did Selina betray you if she was never truly your servant?" asks Bruce in a even and formal voice.
"What?" says Bridgit looking confused for a moment.
"She was never your servant to begin with" he says stepping around her. I see Bruce glance at me sideways and I understand. He's playing for time. "She was my servant... Long before she ever met you" he says forcefully with a dark expression. The look of malice across Bruce's face looks completely unnatural to the man I know and love.
"Explain yourself" demands Bridgit waving her flamethrower threateningly.
"Selina is my servant" says Bruce as he steps slowly around Bridgit. "And I commanded her never to die... to survive at all costs" he says slowly and forcefully.
"And who do you think you are to have a servant" spits Bridgit.
"What? You thought you were the only God on the streets of Gotham?" asks Bruce mockingly as he steps around her further. I watch as Bridgit focuses entirely on Bruce as he slowly walks around her. Slowly I inch forward and approach Bridgit from the side.
"I am the only Goddess" says Bridgit insolently.
"That is what they told you, isn't it" says Bruce with a dismissive grin. "Just like those ones who told you I tricked Selina".
"I won't believe your lies" says Bridgit as she raises her flamethrower. I step closer as Bridgit's side is exposed to me.
"This is what they want" says Bruce. "They want us to kill each other!" he says loudly causing Bridgit to take a half step back.
"Then they will burn also" says Bridgit raising her flamethrower. I quickly step in and grab Bridgit by the shoulder and spin her as flames pour out the end of the flamethrower. Bruce dives to the side as I drag Bridgit around and throw her head first into a wall. I watch as she slumps forwards against the wall and braces herself with one hand. The flamethrower has extinguished its flame, but my nose can smell burning garbage and plastic. I walk up to Bridgit as she slowly turns around as I kick the flamethrower out of her hand and drive my boot into her solar plexus. Bridgit lets out a gasp of air as I drive my knee sideways into the side of her head. I see her flops sideways limply as Bruce steps next to me quickly.
"We've got to get that flamethrower away from her" say as I kneel down and start unbuckling her backpacks of fuel.
"I think we should call Detective Gordon" says Bruce quietly as he helps me remove the backpack and flamethrower. I throw Bridgit's equipment to the side as I mull it over in my head.
"I... there has to be something else we could do?" I say hoping Bruce has an idea.
"Selina... I know she's your friend... but she's insane... and she could kill people" says Bruce kindly putting his hand on my shoulder. I roll Bridgit onto her stomach.
"Yeah... I know" I say sadly. "Hand me your belt". Bruce looks solemn as he strips off his belt and I use it to bind Bridgit's hands behind her back. "I need to carry handcuffs" I say.
"Or cable ties" says Bruce as he walks over to Bridgit's flamethrower and kicks it into a corner. Next to me I hear Bridgit let out a groan as she slowly returns to consciousness.
"Wha... where am I?" I hear her mumble as she looks around. I watch as she shuffles awkwardly and looks up at me. "How dare you tie up the Goddess of Fire" she seethes. "I'll burn you slowly for this!"
"Bruce" I say looking over at my boyfriend. "Let's go call Gordon" I say sadly as I look at Bridgit struggling against Bruce's leather belt.
"Think she'll be OK here?" asks Bruce looking around for a moment.
"Yeah" I say. "We'll be quick". I take Bruce's hand in my own as we walk off down the alleyway and around the corner. Behind me I can hear Bridgit cursing and threatening me. My mind wanders to Karl Hallsworth and how he looked at us and raised his cup just before Bridgit came into the apartment. How could he possibly know? I shake the thoughts from my head as Bruce and I step out onto the street and glance around for a phone booth. As much as I don't want this for Bridgit, she's tried to kill me twice now. Maybe there's somewhere that people could actually help her. Surely they won't send her to prison, will they? I hope not. Maybe Gordon can help out and try to get her sent somewhere where she can get better, so she doesn't think she's some fire goddess who needs to burn everyone. We spot a phone booth and walk over to it. I feel a nervous tension in the pit of my stomach building as the time I have to talk Bruce out of this slowly dwindles. Bruce picks up the phone and looks at me meaningfully.
"I know it was my idea... but..." says Bruce trailing off.
"Do it" I say adamantly. "Just make sure it's Gordon who comes for her". Bruce nods at me before dropping in a few coins and dialing a number.
AN: Well, that was fun to write.