Chapter 37: Possibilities and Ideas
Bruce and I watch as Jim Gordon and some of his GCPD guys drag a kicking and screaming Bridgit Pike into the back of Gordon's car. I feel a pang of regret somewhere inside but I can't focus on that right now. I glance over to Bruce who is leaning against the fire escape railing looking forlorn as Gordon keeps trying to calm down my old friend Bridgit. Bruce's hand snakes it way over to me and he links his fingers with mine as I slump sideways and lean my weight on him.
"We had no other choices" says Bruce consolingly.
"I know" I mumble. "I still feel like a bitch".
"We need to leave" says Bruce giving my hand a quick squeeze.
"Yeah" I say wearily as we stand up. Our hands loose each other's as we part to climb up the fire escape slowly. As we turn and continue to climb I see the last of the GCPD patrol cars drive off. We keep climbing in silence until we reach the rooftop and I walk next to Bruce and throw my arms around him. "I love you babe".
"I love you too Selina" he says comfortingly as his hand strokes slowly through my hair.
"Tell me this is going to be OK" I say desperately as I feel tears in my eye.
"It will be OK because we will make sure it is" he says pulling back and looking me in the eye. In those warm brown eyes I see the determination and forceful power I usually only see reserved for his obsessive search for answers. In this moment I realize that Bruce is as dedicated to my happiness and well-being as he was to his hunt for his parent's murderer. A warm calm rolls over me as I look him in the eyes and I feel a certainty that if our choice to have the GCPD arrest Bridgit goes wrong, we will make it right.
"OK... I... believe you" I say slowly flashing a weak grin. Bruce reaches up and drags my head in for a tight hug. I inhale deeply at his comforting scent that never fails to soothe me. We stand in silence on the rooftop in Midtown as we lock ourselves in a tight embrace. "We really should get out of here" I mumble.
"Yeah" says Bruce as he parts from me slightly and we slowly walk across the rooftop with his arm slung over my shoulder and my arm wrapped around his waist. Unlike earlier we take a slow thoughtful route as we move over and between Gotham's rooftops. It feels comically casual how we walk calmly and arm in arm. "There's a park nearby. We should head there".
"Why a park?" I ask.
"Mid-afternoon. Lots of people and witnesses" he explains. I give a half shrug of my shoulder and we change direction slightly. Bruce and I separate reluctantly as he steps first onto a fire escape and begins his decent into the alley below. I follow him down the steel steps and down the rusted old ladder until my feet touch the alley. "This way I think" says Bruce.
"Nope. This way" I say pointing down the opposite end of the alleyway Bruce was indicating. We take off walking slowly down the alley and quickly gravitate to our original half embrace. We step out onto the busy Gotham street and see people and traffic moving about along the main road. I glance around and see the park we're heading too down the block. Bruce and I continue walking calmly arm in arm as we make our way to the park. Nobody pays us any mind as we enter the park. I glance around and see people going about their afternoon, just a few joggers, a family having a picnic and some dog walkers.
"Over here" says Bruce as we walk over to an unoccupied picnic table near some overgrown shrubs. We each take a seat with our backs to the shrubs so we can see everyone in the busy park.
"So... what are you thinking?" I ask.
"I don't know" says Bruce. "I'm trying to figure it out".
"Figure what out?" I counter in confusion.
"This doesn't make sense" he says as much to himself as to me. I watch as his gaze goes distant and he goes into 'problem solving' mode. "How could he know we would be there?"
"I... maybe it was a coincidence?" I say unconvinced.
"No. There is very little chance of that" he says. "OK, OK... information, it comes down to information. How did he know both where to be and who to send to come after us?" he asks himself. I mute pause fills the air as Bruce looks off into the distance deep in thought.
"So... what do you think?" I ask impatiently.
"There are three possibilities" says Bruce. "Either, Hugo Strange spoke to the council about our discussion at the GCPD precinct. Lucius Fox has either intentionally or unintentionally given away our investigation. Or Wayne Manor has been monitored and bugged since I began looking into Wayne Enterprises unsavory business practices" he surmises.
"I love it when you do that" I say smiling despite myself.
"Do what?" he asks obliviously.
"That thing where your eyes go glassy and then you solve a puzzle" I say as I drop as quick kiss on his cheek.
"Oh..." he says.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to distract you" I say sheepishly as he looks at me with a soft smile.
"It's OK" he mumbles. "Anyway... um... yeah so" he says trying to regain his train of thought.
"Strange, Lucius or Wayne Manor was already bugged" I say reminding him.
"Yes. The most likely is Wayne Manor was bugged previously or has been after either Lucius or Strange revealed our investigation" he says returning to his thought.
"Do you trust Lucius?" I ask thinking of the soft spoken technical genius.
"...I do... but I've made that mistake before" he says quietly as my mind thinks back to Silver St. Cloud.
"Well... if it's worth anything I trust Lucius too" I say feeling uncomfortable. "What about Strange?"
"It is a possibility... but it is also possible they have been monitoring me for a while" he answers with a frown as he continues thinking. "But I'm confused... why send Bridgit... there are easier ways to have us killed" he says.
"Maybe it was a warning... or maybe they're over-dramatic?" I suggest.
"I don't know... but it's possible all the trouble we've had since Arkham has been the secret council" he says surprising me.
"You mean like Fish? And your doppelganger?" I ask in confusion.
"It bothered me... Fish was operating out of Midtown Docks... why would there be three men and a van roaming around the Narrows... and the chance of those three men finding us by chance and knowing who we are" says Bruce.
"Could have mentioned something" I mutter irritably.
"I... well I didn't really piece it together until now" he says sheepishly.
"Anyway... the doppelganger?" I ask sidestepping the issue.
"He said he'd been watching Wayne Manor... but how was he watching? He had no resources... and he seemed unstable. It seems unlikely that he could have found us and followed us without help" says Bruce once again deep in thought. "But it is still possible his attack was a coincidence".
"OK... so if the council know we're looking into them... and they're bugging Wayne Manor. What do we do?" I ask as I mentally prepare a list of places in the Narrows to hide out.
"First. We need to talk to Alfred" he says.
"How... they've bugged the Manor?" I ask trying to think of ways to pass Alfred a message.
"I've got an idea" says Bruce before standing up quickly and walking off while I catch up.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Trust me" he says with a lopsided smile. I roll my eyes as I look at Bruce's smile. He's up to something. As we walk through the busy park Bruce stops in front of a payphone and picks up the receiver.
"Bruce... they could be listening on the phone" I say pressing down on the button disconnecting the line.
"I know" says Bruce as he fishes out a few coins from his pocket and puts them into the phone. I remove my hand as Bruce dials a familiar number and holds the phone to his ear.
"Alfred its Bruce" he says after a short pause. "Alfred, I can't explain but I need you to meet me in two hours at the place you told me not to let people see me cry. Bring a rental car". I smile widely as Bruce hangs up the phone and looks at me with a smirk. On instinct I grab Bruce by the cheeks and reel him in for a kiss. We lock our lips together shameless of the public setting as we find our usual slow rhythm. I tilt my head to deepen the kiss as I feel Bruce's arms wrap around my waist. It's not a great day, but I still have Bruce. All in all, things aren't too bad.
AN: It seems Bruce and Selina are aware that morale is important in a crisis.